Letter from Simone Felice to his fans

I'm alive. Got my breast-bone sawed in two and my lungs collapsed and the main valve of my heart replaced by a carbon device that ticks like a pocket watch to the beat of my blood for the rest of my days, but I'm alive. Strange days indeed. What a wild thing to learn from the doctor: that for years you've been existing off 1/8th of the blood and oxygen your body and brain need, that he's baffled your still alive, that you would've surely died within the next year. Before I could say 'It's the day of the big surprise' I was under the knife. I want everybody who prayed for me or sent me their warm thoughts, to know that your goodness did not fall on deaf ears, I'm convinced that in some way I must have received every last one, and that all the love I've been shown in this hard time has indeed helped me make it through and to heal up so well and quickly. When I wrote 'If You Ever Get Famous' two summers ago I could never have guessed at the significance of the line 'I'll say a prayer for your heart', but you all did, and I'm sure it's what saved my life. So hot-damn, I've got my blood flowing again!, especially in my brain and rambling feet, and, now that I'm able, I'm writing songs and taking long walks in the quiet woods, I even felt good enough to join my dear brothers for a set at Pete Seeger's annual Clearwater festival to benefit our beautiful Hudson River, the main artery of the valley and mountains we grew up in. We played 'Radio Song' and everybody sang 'please don't you ever die' and it was music to my ears, to say the least. I was very upset to have missed my shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Hunter, Boston, and Toronto, this emergency surgery fell on me like a storm and hit smack in the middle of these dates, please know that I can't wait to reschedule and see you guys really soon. I've just had my first look-over by the kindest cardiologist in Albany and he says that I'll be fine to be back on the road in August, that by then I'll be feeling like a teenager, or like a Comanche on his first warhorse, so I'm already greatly looking forward to every one of the scheduled New York and UK solo shows at Summer's end, and to the September release of the new D&K album 'Long Live The Duke & The King'. An old-timer used to say to us: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Now I really know what he meant. So with a new chrome heart full of joy, melodies, and renewed purpose, I say: See you all down the highway, where we'll sing us a jailbird song, a rebel song, a song to keep us warm.

With Love and Gratitude,
Simone Edward Felice, of the Catskill Mountain Felices'

Don't You Ever Die!

Simone Performs with The Felice Brothers at Clearwater Festival





Furthermore, you can jump on this link to see Simone's scar from his surgery

Simone Felice on the mend

Simone Felice is home and healing up from a very difficult surgery. The healing process will take time as his chest was torn asunder by the surgeons. It appears the recovery will take quite a bit of time and we are blessed to still have him with us. His situation could have had many different disastrous outcomes, and you're continued thoughts, prayers and messages are appreciated I am sure.



"Show me mercy
Won't you nurse these wounds of mine
Rinse and sew me up
Baby your eyes are like a pale blue Chrysler
Drive us to the sun"

Clearwater Festival this Weekend

http://www.clearwater.org/festival/

Sorry about the absence of news in the past week, but my paying Job is getting busy.



Welcome to...Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival 2010
June 19 & 20
Croton Point Park
Croton-on-Hudson, NY


7 stages with live music and performance artists!

STEVE EARLE SHAWN COLVIN DAVID BROMBERG QUARTET
PETE SEEGER JOAN OSBORNE BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO SUBDUDES
KELLER WILLIAMS (Loopless Acoustic) RAILROAD EARTH DONNA THE BUFFALO
FELICE BROTHERS | STEVE FORBERT | TOSHI REAGON & BIGLOVELY | JONATHA BROOKE
RHETT MILLER | DAN BERN | LUCY KAPLANSKY | MIKE DOUGHTY | DAVID AMRAM
SARA WATKINS | DALA | ANGEL BAND | TAO SEEGER BAND | THE LEE BOYS
MILTON | SARAH LEE GUTHRIE & JOHNNY IRION | HAZMAT MODINE (Global Blues)
*NEW - Renamed and Expanded World Dance Stage*
EILEEN IVERS (Fiddle Player of Riverdance) | KAKANDE (West African ensemble)
JAY & MOLLY'S PURA VIDA QUARTET with RICK MOHR calling (Contra Dance)
CJ CHENIER & THE RED HOT LOUISIANA BAND (Zydeco)
BROTHER JOSCEPHUS & THE LOVE REVIVAL REVOLUTION ORCHESTRA
NIGHTINGALE (Contra Dance) | LE VENT DU NORD (Traditional Music of Quebec)
BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO | SLAVIC SOUL PARTY (Eastern European Brass Band)
FOLKLORE URBANO (Colombian Folkloric Dance Band) | SUBDUDES
BONGA & THE VODOU DRUMS OF HAITI (Haitian drumming and dance)
Walkabout Clearwater Chorus | Arm-of-the-Sea Theater | Kim & Reggie Harris | Jay Mankita | Dog on Fleas
Paul Richmond | The Storycrafters | Samite | Ken Corsbie | Bob Reiser | Nancy Tucker | Roland Mousaa
Tom Winslow | Thomasina Winslow | Tomorrow's Children | Diane Wolkstein & Jeff Greene
Rude Mechanical Orchestra | Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower | The Power of Song | Marva P. Clarke
Rick Nestler | Grenadilla | Roger the Jester | Paul Richmond | The Edukated Fleas | Evy Mayer | Linda Richards
Mel & Vinnie | Robert DeMayo | Eric Russell | Steve Stanne | Dan Einbender | Folksoul Band
Ann Shapiro & Tom Callinan | Betty Boomer | Captain Killian & Crew | Nancy Marie Payne | Hope Machine
Ezzell Floranina | The Dirty Stay Out Skifflers | Uncle Rock | Bobaloo Basey | Matt Turk | Terry Sullivan | Stout
Melissa K. Knowles | Tony Duncan | Vern Coffey | Nettie Lane | Peter Schuerholtz | Eric Kollenberg
Bruce Engholm | Bruce Harpster | Chris Kitzmiller

Juried Crafts Fair – Green Living Exhibitors – Marketplace – Activist Area - Food Vendors
River activities – Sails aboard the sloop Clearwater and schooner Mystic Whaler
Rides on small boats

Circle of Song (sing-along) – Story Grove (storytelling) – Children's Crafts and Activities
Family Stage Performers – Kids Vendors – Hands on education displays and activities - Jugglers, Roving Artists, Face Painting and more

Artists subject to change
Festival hours: 10am-dusk

Knoxville Fashion: The Felice Brothers add Knoxville and Asheville to Tour

Updated tour schedule with the July 13 and July 15th shows just added.
Tour Dates

June 2010
   Saturday 19 | Clearwater Festival, Croton on Hudson, NY - more info
July 2010
   Friday 2 | Nateva Festival Oxford County Fairgrounds, Oxford, ME - more info
   Saturday 10 | Great Southbay Music Fesitival, Patchogue, NY - more info
   Sunday 11 | Long's Park Amphitheater, Lancaster, PA - more info
   Monday 12 | Summit City Lounge, Whitesburg, KY - more info
   Tuesday 13 | Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall, Asheville, NC - more info
   Thursday 15 | Barley's Tap Room, Knoxville, TN - more info
   Friday 16 | Lebowski Fest, Louisville, KY - more info
   Sunday 18 | Green River Festival, Greenfield, MA - more info
   Saturday 24 | Ommegang Brewery, Cooperstown, NY - more info
   Monday 26 | Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY - more info
   Tuesday 27 | Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON - more info
   Friday 30 | Sappy Fest, Sackville, NB - more info
August 2010
   Sunday 1 | Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI - more info
September 2010
   Thursday 9 | Oran Mor, Glasgow, England - more info
   Friday 10 | Custom House Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland - more info
   Saturday 11 | TJs Woodhouse, Leeds, - more info
   Sunday 12 | End Of The Road Festival, Dorset, England - more info
   Monday 13 | Thekla, Bristol, - more info
   Wednesday 15 | The Troxy, London, - more info

My new favorite band!

Dave Matthews in Saratoga introduced The Felice Brothers as "my new favorite band".

Let's hope this wasn't just courtesy, because while I find DMB to be an absolute bore, a powerful ally would be nice.

The great John Wooden passed away yesterday. There seems to be a dearth of principled people in this world, certainly few pop icons. Coach was a rare breed and a great teacher to many, including myself. One of my favorite "Woodenisms": Talent is God Given: be humble. Fame is man given: be thankful. Conceit is self given: be careful. — John Wooden, RIP.

Rochester NY: The Felice Brothers June 3 Review

Fire Mountain (another excellent new song)
Greatest Show on Earth
Loves Me Tenderly
Katie Dear
Murder By Mistletoe
Whiskey in my Whiskey
Step Dad
River Jordan
Run Chicken Run
God Damn You Jim
Farley's Song
White Limo
Honda Civic
another new song
Cooperstown
Take This Bread
Lou
___
Hellen Fry
Frankies Gun



Probaby not entirely in order, especially towards the second half of the set. I did see someone taping, so hopefully this show will surface soon!



Setlist by Marlboro Man @ Frankiesgun.com
review by Mudcat





They were sloppy, loose, and really, really great. I took a friend who had never seen them before and he was amazed. He was primarily amazed at how the passion for the music comes through, even when it is being played in such a drunken, sloppy manner. The mistakes didn’t matter last night because the band was clearly having fun.

They opened with a new one, it referenced 911 a lot, but I’m unfamiliar with it. Greatest Show was next, followed by Loves Me Tenderly. Ian false started Loves Me Tenderly a few times and then sarcastically changed most of the lyrics. Murder By Mistletoe and Whiskey were next (I think). James was great and pretty much let the audience sing the song. Then, for some reason, the whole band dropped out and Christmas just jammed on his bass. It looked as if the entire song was going to implode for a second, but they got it back and finished strong. Katie Dear was especially good, with Ian shouting by the end of the song. Stepdad>River Jordan>Fuck the News (really nothing more than an extra, sarcastic verse)>Run Chicken Run was next. Goddamn You Jim was pretty haunting. A new one was in there somewhere. I’m not sure what it was. Ian and Christmas were swapping verses on the song, but there were no horns (at least that I remember). Cool song, but I will have to hear it a few more times to really grasp it.

At this point, things get foggy for me. I remember White Limo, Farley sang for his Grand-Dad, Take This Bread, Cooperstown. They also played Dallas, a new song which was the song they played first on WRUR yesterday. They ended with Lou, since a lot of people in the crowd (myself included) were calling for it.

Once they left the stage, a bunch of people started chanting “Frankie’s Gun”. It must be hard to have to play a song every night, but people clearly missed it when they didn’t play it in the set. They came out for the encore and did Helen Fry. Then, they satisfied those who were chanting with a very chaotic Frankie’s Gun. Ian didn’t have his guitar on for the first verse, so when the band drops out for that chromatic blues lick, there was silence. Kind of funny.

All in all, a totally great show. I did not tape it as I suggested I might, but there was someone with gear in the balcony. Unfortunately, he forgot a battery pack and was worried that he might not get the entire show.
We'll see...

 
-Mudcat on FrankiesGun.com

Good News on Simone Felice

From The Duke and the King via Facebook;

Thank you all for your kind words & prayers.
Simone's surgery was a success and he is now in recovery.
We will keep you posted of his progress.
Love always & forever,
The D & The K

Goddamn You Jim set to film

A Westfall Drama from kidsake on Vimeo.

"Winter passed without a glance, took our only boy at last
You cried God's arms were a blind an' bleeding ocean
Blooming spring brought all I need
Warmth and rain for me to seed my earth, good earth for our boy to lie in
In the summer I worked the land
She walked like she still held his hand
And I swear to God I saw her once of trace a'smiling.
In the autumn, my gold wheat swaying,
I cut her down from where she was swinging
She said: Goddamn you, Jim, up there I could hear you laughing"

If PT Barnum, Walt Whitman and Leonard Cohen had a Menage-a Trois

And it bore a child.
It's name would be Simone Felice.

Prayers go out to him on his surgery this morning. We pray it all goes well.

The Felice Brothers Featured in Times-Union

Felice Brothers meandering road leads to opening for Dave Matthews Band
 
By MICHAEL ECK, Special to the Times Union
First published in print: Thursday, June 3, 2010
Homegrown, rough-hewn and funky. The Felice Brothers recorded their first album in a chicken coop and made their fame by playing in the mud at the Newport Folk Festival.
 

 
Not bad for a bunch of wild kids from Palenville.
This weekend, the local-boys-made-good will open two nights for Dave Matthews Band at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, bringing the Catskills just a little bit closer to the Adirondacks, sonically speaking.

Palenville, once fondly called the City of Falling Waters, was the first arts colony in America, and as such it provided visual and spiritual inspiration to painters of the Hudson River School, including Thomas Cole, Frederick Church, Sanford R. Gifford and others. Later, Mary Pickford would make movies there, while countless other artists, writers and tourists passed through town in warm weather.

But, as in many summer towns, locals learned to make their own fun, and in an outpost of a little more than 1,200, many entertained themselves with homemade music.

The Felice Brothers -- Ian, Simone and James along with friends Greg Farley and Christmas Clapton -- got their start as kids, making noise at barbecues in their father's backyard.

The same vibe that inspired The Band and Bob Dylan -- who called nearby Saugerties and Woodstock home -- was still in the ground and the Felice boys picked it up, forging a similarly deep, loamy Americana that leaned on gospel harmonies, boozy acoustic guitar and accordion.

The mountains moved south earlier in the decade, and the Felices spread out from a temporary Brooklyn enclave to further hone their groove in the New York subway.

Almost immediately, the brothers' distinctive mix drew attention. Back at home, an appearance at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble created an instant buzz and, almost before they knew it, the band was making the rounds of festivals and landing an English record deal.

That 2008 slot at Newport was a clincher.

Torrential rain muddied the field (Woodstock, again, anyone?) and knocked out the power. While other bands might have scratched their heads, the Felice Brothers understood it was barbecue time and they simply joined the crowd, making music the old-fashioned way.

Dylan went electric. They went acoustic.

The growing road to fame hasn't been without its bumps. Last year, Simone -- who played drums with the band, when he wasn't leaping up from his kit to dance, shout or pontificate -- left the group, and his kin, to found the similarly free-form The Duke & The King with Robert "Chicken" Burke. (Felice was replaced with drummer Dave Turbeville.)

The Duke & The King, like the Felice's 2009 album "Yonder Is The Clock," take its title from Mark Twain, not Washington Irving.

Simone and company were actually in the area last weekend, opening for Carolina Chocolate Drops in a well-received set at MASS MoCA.




"Yonder," like its predecessors, 2006's "Through These Reins and Gone" and 2008's "The Felice Brothers," is a wandering amble through Americana. In addition to the obvious touchstones of Dylan and The Band, there are also flashes of Tom Waits, Michael Hurley and The Gourds. And the record sits well next to efforts by the band's friends, A.A. Bondy, Gillian Welch and Justin Townes Earle (whose father, Steve, also has a place in Woodstock).
In addition to a brace of original songs on "Clock," the group also wails on "Memphis Flu," an obscure, accusatory religious song (positing that sin leads to the flu) first recorded by Elder Curry in 1930.

That tune must have delighted Matthews, who has made a commitment of embracing acts that fuse ancient roots with modern attitudes.

He has, after all, chosen folks like Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Chris Whitley and Danny Barnes as duet mates, opening acts and artists for his ATO label stable.

That means the Felice Brothers will be in good company at SPAC.

And maybe they'll get Matthews down to a Catskills barbecue to boot.

Michael Eck is a freelance writer from Albany and a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

The Felice Brothers

Opening for Dave Matthews Band

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs

Tickets: Shows sold out as of press time

Info: 587-3330; http://www.spac.org 


"Yonder," like its predecessors, 2006's "Through These Reins and Gone" and 2008's "The Felice Brothers," is a wandering amble through Americana. In addition to the obvious touchstones of Dylan and The Band, there are also flashes of Tom Waits, Michael Hurley and The Gourds. And the record sits well next to efforts by the band's friends, A.A. Bondy, Gillian Welch and Justin Townes Earle (whose father, Steve, also has a place in Woodstock).
In addition to a brace of original songs on "Clock," the group also wails on "Memphis Flu," an obscure, accusatory religious song (positing that sin leads to the flu) first recorded by Elder Curry in 1930.

That tune must have delighted Matthews, who has made a commitment of embracing acts that fuse ancient roots with modern attitudes.

He has, after all, chosen folks like Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Chris Whitley and Danny Barnes as duet mates, opening acts and artists for his ATO label stable.

That means the Felice Brothers will be in good company at SPAC.

And maybe they'll get Matthews down to a Catskills barbecue to boot.

Michael Eck is a freelance writer from Albany and a frequent contributor to the Times Union.

The Felice Brothers

Opening for Dave Matthews Band

When: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday

Where: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs

Tickets: Shows sold out as of press time

Info: 587-3330; http://www.spac.org

Simone Felice To Albany Medical for Emergency Surgery

From Twitter:

Simone Felice Rushed to Albany Medical Center
Hello our beloved friends and fans, We must tell you all, with a heaviness we cannot convey of the news that our dearest brother Simone Felice was rushed late last night to Albany Medical Center. Simone has been scheduled for emergency open-heart surgery as a result of Aortic Stenosis. We are devastated, yet hopeful that he will pull through. We will not be playing Mountain Jam and all dates for June and July have been cancelled. He loves you all more than you could ever know, so please send all of your thoughts & prayers Simone’s way. We will keep you informed of his condition in the coming days. Love always & forever, Simi Stone Bobby Bird Nowell Haskins

We Love You, Simone

As soon as there is life there is danger.
-Emerson

London Pre sale for the Duke and the King

At the Electric Ballroom, for the Show October 27.

Here is the Link