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Tied to the Tracks
ACOUSTIC AMERICANA
MUSIC GUIDE & NEWS
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DECEMBER 1 through 4, 2009
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Egads, it’s December. We still haven’t mailed our cards for Ground Hog Day. At least your holiday dashing about is simplified, because the editor is once again making his “SHOW-OF-THE-WEEK” picks to humbly assist you. Plus, you’ll find a bit o’ news, the info on radio shows that feature live performance-interviews with acoustic musicians (mostly on-line, simulcast from radio stations elsewhere, of course). And you’ll find our popular “Heads-Up for advance tickets” listings.
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It’s all here for you, at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com
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FIRST, a bit of NEWS:
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VICTORIA VOX IS ON THE JAY LENO SHOW, WED NIGHT
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Wed, on TV, at 10 pm, VICTORIA VOX performs on the JAY LENO SHOW on NBC (broadcast ch 4 in L.A.) ~ she’s charming and a fine musician, a two-time guest on radio’s “Tied to the Tracks.”
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COFFEE GALLERY BACKSTAGE ~ FORK NEWS
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You’re safe. We said “Fork News,” NOT “Faux News.” Remember that 18-foot-tall fork that mysteriously appeared at the “fork in the road” in Pasadena, as a surprise 75th birthday present for Bob Stane, the impresario of the world-famous Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena?
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Well, there’s more. Bob announced during the intermission at Sunday night’s show and quipped with the audience about the cult that’s formed around the fork. (For example, over two tons of food were brought and donated there for needy folks, in just two days, the weekend before Thanksgiving.) Now, Bob says he’s “starting a new religion around the fork,” and its adherents are known as “the Forkians.” At the break, your editor told Bob he had omitted the obvious Forkian Salute, as a counterpart to Mr. Spock’s famous hand gesture on Star Trek. Seeing it, Bob immediately declared it to be the official greeting and recognition signal.
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In fact, it caused Bob to do the nearly unprecedented, and take to his own stage. When intermission concluded, he demonstrated the salute: thumb tucked-in, four fingers equally spaced and parallel. The entire room immediately returned his salute through a wave of laughter. Not long after that, Guide staffer Sally Seymour gave the salute to your editor and proclaimed, “May the Fork be with you.”
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Yes, Bob has now added that to the Forkian liturgy, as the official accompaniment to the hand salute. So, next time you attend a show at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, be prepared to return the salute in four-quarter tine. (See? It is contagious, isn’t it?) You can find more at www.coffeegallery.com
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Part 2 of ENJOY LIVE MUSIC WHILE YOU BUY YOUR HOLIDAY JUNK (ER, GIFTS)
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Back to solving The Age-Old Dilemma. They’re a couple. She’s addicted to recreational shopping, and he’d rather have a root canal than be dragged along. The Guide offers a solution. Beginning this weekend, there are events where merchants offer music and other pleasant amenities to lure shoppers. We told you last ish about the Thanksgiving weekend events in Old Pasadena and now, more of the same happens for one night in Santa Monica, with similar one-night events the same day in Claremont and in Venice. See the times and dates in the Guide for complete listings, and here’s what to look for.
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Friday, Dec 4, is the annual “MONTANA AVENUE HOLIDAY WALK” from 7th-17th St, along Montana Av, in Santa Monica, 5-9 pm; it’s a big deal on the West side.
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On Friday, Dec 4, there’s more:
“FREE FRIDAYS” (every Fri) at the LONG BEACH MUSEUM OF ART in Long Beach, 11 am-5 pm, gives you a chance to shop at the museum store and enjoy the exhibits;
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and, the “MONROVIA FAMILY FESTIVAL” offers a four-block street fair in old downtown Monrovia, every Fri, 5:30-10 pm, always with live acoustic music in several places ~ free parking, free event.
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and, on Fri, Dec 4 (first Fri, every month) is the “ART WALK” in Claremont, with live music, 5:30-9 pm.
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and, on Fri, Dec 4 (first Fri, every month) is the “FIRST FRIDAYS ON ABBOT KINNEY ART WALK” with art and music all the boulevard in Venice, 7 pm.
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Other recurring events that offer similar possibilities are
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Every Wednesday, there’s the weekly “WINE & SONG” series hosted by award-winning songwriter BRAD COLERICK always with great musical guests, at WineStyles in South Pasadena, 7-9 pm; you can buy bottles of wine there while you hear the music. A bit earlier and farther east, every Wed is the “CLAREMONT WEDNESDAY GREEN MARKET” featuring live acoustic music inside and outside the Packing House in Claremont, from 5-8 pm. There are these and, no doubt, similar events elsewhere for the next few weeks. As we learn of more shopping-with-escape-hatch events with live acoustic music, we’ll let you know.
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Thursday, Dec 3, is “SAN PEDRO’S FIRST THURSDAY ARTWALK,” this month with a holiday theme, 6-9 pm. A bit later on Thu, Dec 3, is the “PRE HOLIDAY WINE TASTING” at Café Cordiale in Sherman Oaks, beginning at 8 pm.
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Beyond that? Well, there’s that always-wonderful holiday gift idea: give a fine CD to your music loving friends!
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Entire contents copyright (c) © 2009, Larry Wines. All rights reserved.
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It’s DECEMBER,
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…and WINTER arrives on the 21st. (As if you can tell the difference in Southern California.)
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The name of the last month of the year comes from the Latin word, decem, which means tenth. December was the tenth month of the ancient Roman calendar.
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Christmas is celebrated in most of the Christian world on December 25, though there is no credible evidence that Jesus was born then, or even born in the winter. December 25th was designated as Christmas Day by the Roman Emperor Constantine, to rob the thunder from the largest competing “new” religion, Mithraism, and its holiday, the Day of the Feast of Mithra. That tactic would become for the next thousand years, as the Catholic Church spread Christianity throughout Europe by co-opting various pagan holidays and re-designating them as the special days of various Catholic Saints. While all the history is fascinating, there’s no reason not to share and enjoy the central message of Christmas ~ peace on earth, good will to all people.
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December’s Poem-of-the-month:
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Merry Christmas
We was whistlin’, we was singin’ on a winter afternoon;
The hobble chains and fryin’ pans was jinglin’ to the tune.
Fer we knew the day was Christmas and the line camp was in sight,
No, it wasn’t much to look at but it suited us all right.
We onpacked and we onsaddled, then we turned our hosses out;
We cooked lots of beef and biscuits and we made the coffee stout.
We et all we could swaller, then we set and took a smoke,
And we shore did work our memory out to find a bran new joke.
No, it wasn’t like the Christmas like the folks have nowadays—
They are livin’ more in comfort, and they’ve sorter changed their ways—
But I sorter wish, old pardner, we could brush the years away,
And be jest as young and happy, as we was that Christmas Day.
– Bruce Kiskaddon, 1933
(and if you enjoyed that, get acquainted with www.cowboypoetry.com)
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Now, on to the ACOUSTIC MUSIC LISTINGS in the Guide…
at http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com
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