As I mentioned last month,Old Buck, a great new project I've been working on with Riley Baugus, Debra Clifford and Emily Schaad, has finally reared it's musical head! We're getting the last details done on our record with Joseph (JoeBass) Dejarnette of Studio 808a, and will have a big blow-out party at Clifftop's Appalachian String Band Festival this August. Stay tuned for details on that... BUT, in the meantime, we're asking for your help. Check out Old Buck's Kickstarter to see how you can be a part of the making of this album! Our deadline is June 30.

 I've been playing more and more in Charlottesville with a couple different honky tonk - country projects, and here's a recording I made last year with the Clear Blue Sky. Enjoy!

MAGNOLIA HOUSE CONCERTS FOR MARCH!

I help run a house concert venue in Charlottesville called The Magnolia House. Here's some upcoming shows, starting next Tues Mar 5 with Rayna Gellert & Kristin Andreassen! Email magnolia[dot]cville@gmail[dot]com for more info and to RSVP!

• TUES MAR 5: Rayna Gellert & Kristin Andreassen (NC & NYC)
• Old-time fiddler Rayna Gellert has released a wonderful new CD, Old Light. She's coming to Charlottesville to celebrate its release, and she's bringing her former Uncle Earl bandmate Kristin Andreassen with her. They'll do some old-time tunes and songs with fiddle & guitar, we'll sure Kristin will dance, and we'll also hear some original songs from both Rayna and Kristin.

• SUN MAR 10: Mary Flower (Portland OR)
• Hailing from Portland, Oregon, guitarist and lap slide player Mary Flower is renowned for her uniquely personal vision of roots music that blends ragtime, acoustic blues and folk – technically dazzling yet grounded in the down-to-earth simplicity of early 20th century American music.

• THUR MAR 21: The Revelers (Lafayette LA)
• The Revelers, founding members of the Red Stick Ramblers and The Pine Leaf Boys… “unquestionably the two groups at the vanguard of the Louisiana cultural renaissance” have joined together on there newest project which combines Swamp-Pop, Cajun, Country, Blues and Zydeco into a powerful tonic of roots music straight from Southwest Louisiana.

 So, like, YEAH! I got to be in a music video. And, like, with bright lights, and red carpet, and roses, and trailer bombs, and people dancing, and even a fan. Yup, I said it... A fan! Gotta blow them hairs right!

Check it! Such a fun time with Chamomile and Whiskey. Thanks for asking me & my upright along! Fine work by Johnny St.Ours, Blue Moon Diner, and all the rest of the Charlottesville cats involved!

Wandering Boots from Johnny St.Ours on Vimeo.

 Alright folks! The Clear Blue Sky, fine Honky Tonk and Country band, is back at it again!

THURSDAY, Charlottesville:

• WTJU's Folk and Beyond, 4-6 PM. TUNE IN! http://wtju.net/ or 91.1 FM

• Big Blue Door Slam at the Black Market Saloon! 8 PM. Josh Vana & I will be at this event, singing our hearts out by the hearth. Come and see some storytellin' slammin'!

 

 Well, well... Holidays have come and gone, and it's 2013!

UPDATES:

*  Busy still working at WTJU with their Tuesday show "Around This Town". Tune in EVERY DAY but especially on TUESDAY's from 4-6 PM.

*  Getting ready for some shows at the Magnolia House. Check out the website to see up and coming acts and dances that I help to host!

*  Going to be playing some upright bass with Jane Rothfield, Hilary Burhans and Kellie Allen as the Sugar Pies for Chesapeake Dance Weekend, April 12-14.

*  Have been working with Kelley Breiding and Brian Vollmer as Buckwild/The Bell Ringers, and ripping up some songs and tunes in NYC, Charlottesville and NC. Can't wait to see what becomes of this crazy trio!

To start the year off, a recording of "My God the Spring of All My Joys".


 

 Gonna be a fun time this week playing with Maya Lerman and the Ruins!  

Maya just finished recording, producing and making her debut CD, "Take This Song with You", and I feel honored to be asked to play with her for a radio spot and also a house concert in Charlottesville.

You can tune in on Monday Aug 27 at 5 PM (EST), during WTJU's program Back Up & Push to hear us live, or check out Maya's bandcamp to listen to the album!

Aaron Lewis and myself will be up in Takoma Park, MD, and in Michigan this weekend and early next week representing the Long Branch Ramblers. We recorded a number of tracks with Ben Townsend earlier this year, and are going to play a few shows in Michigan and back in VA. We’ll be back in VA in September to play in Floyd, as well. I always enjoy my time with this big bearded fiddle playin’ fella, and can’t wait to make some merry music!

• SAT Aug 18: IMT Concert at the Dance Exchange, Takoma Park, MD.
• SUN Aug 19: Sunday Music Bar at the Detroit Institute of the Arts, Detroit, MI.
• THUR Sept 6: Hotel Floyd Summer Concert Series, Floyd Country Store, 6-8 PM. FREE!

Big Blue Door, a group that is wanting to spread the good gospel of storytelling. I’ve become involved recently with this great new organization in town, and they have been offering classes in improv comedy, scene writing, and telling true stories through local organizations such as Live Arts and The Bridge PAI. They also produce a Big Blue Door Jam on the third Thursday of every month, where anyone can come tell 6-8 minute true stories on changing themes, and groups can come volunteer as judges to pick a monthly winner.

In August, along with a couple other buddies, I will be acting as one of the “judges” for this month’s Jam. The theme is “unnecessary suffering”. Come and check it out if you are in Charlottesville. It's at the Bluegrass Grill in downtown Charlottesville. I went to their inaugural jam this past week, and it was terrific!

NEW DJ AT WTJU – Around This Town

Yes, you’ve read right! I’ve been offered to co-host a program on Charlottesville’s local radio station 91.1 WTJU, Central Virginia’s Sound Choice! I start on Tuesday July 17 4-6 PM, and we’ll be hosting every other week afterward. Our focus will be playing new releases and some of our favorite tracks from bands that will soon be performing in and around the Charlottesville area. We’ll try to keep you up-to-date with shows that feature not only local bands but also the many out-of-towners we have that come through. We’ll also have bands perform in-studio to help spread their good, musical gospel. You can tune in either by the dial, 91.1 FM, or also online. Streamin’ 24-7!

Can’t wait to be back on the airwaves again!

All right! It's a musical week here at Sabraland. I'm getting really excited about what lays ahead, and I can't wait to do some moving and shaking and singing with some of my best musical cohorts!  The Giant Rooster Sideshow is with Brett Ratliff and Jesse Wells, two great old-time and country muscians from Kentucky. Fiddle, banjo, mandolin, singing... it's all REALLY GOOD! Come and see them while they're out of their home state for a few days.


First up: 

WED MAY 16  ** Honky Tonk Wednesday's with the Clear Blue Sky at the Black Market Moto Saloon **  - Charlottesville, VA
Click HERE for details.

THUR MAY 17  ** Giant Rooster Sideshow House Concert ** - Richmond, VA
Click HERE for details.

FRI MAY 18 ** Giant Rooster Sideshow with Clear Blue Sky at Sova ** - Washington D.C.
Click HERE for details.

SUN MAY 20 ** Giant Rooster Sideshow at the Brooklyn Folk Festival ** - Brooklyn, NY
Click HERE for details.


Second:

Long Branch Ramblers have a NEW WEBSITE, and some videos and new music tracks for your listening pleasure! Take a look and listen, and let us know what you think!

The Giant Rooster Sideshow Tour : May 17 - 20