Greetings
friends and music lovers--
Hope you are all having a good summer and getting some relief from the heat.
Here's this month's index: -Fun
time at D' McGeary's -Willie reaches across the lines -J Butler's this Saturday -Sun Jam -Upcoming gigs -Garden pic Fun time at D' McGeary's So, we played as a trio at D' McGeary's a couple weeks ago and met some
more people who really enjoyed hearing and dancing to some good old classic country
and rockabilly. I will have some video up as soon as I can, so stop by my facebook music page or just do a search
in youtube for Mystery Hillbillies trio. There is already a bunch of stuff up there,
including Blue Note Grill gigs and some video that a fan took of the Pleasure Island Bluegrass by The River festival
I played with Calvin and John in May. (there's even some vintage UCLACC with Memphis
and Buddyro). We had a special guest at D' McGeary's. My friend Tom Mindte
was in town from Rockville Md. Tom is one of my favorite pickin' buddies. He knows
more old honkytonk country songs than about anyone I know. Except for maybe Scott
Williams. It was so fun to get those two guys together. I knew they would have a
great time. Tom and I will be doing a bunch of jamming at the Galax Fiddler's Convention
(Aug 5th-11th) pickin in the swingtown camp and out amongst the bluegrassers. Sooo
much fun! Come on up if you can. Look for my white Astro van with the silver "contarption"
in the swingtown annex. If you've never heard of a contarption, it's because I made
it up :) - I'm the tarpitect, if you will. And the builder. It's a contraption that
keeps my van and a little space around it dry and in the shade. It has gotten me
through many a fiddlers convention and I have slept as late as noon on a hot day.
Beautiful. Willie reaches across
the lines-
I met a couple of women at D' McGeary's. April and her sister Linda were out celebrating
April's birthday. We were talking during the break about the show Willie Nelson did in June at a small venue
called Jomeokee near Pinacle, NC. Linda had
gone to the show with her son. She said there were people of many generations in
the crowd. That got me thinking about the way music can cut across so many lines
and provide an opportunity for people from different walks of life to enjoy each
other. Willie has always had a knack for reaching so many kinds of folks. By the
early 60's he was writing some of the most classic country songs ( Crazy, Hello Walls ), while playing bass in Ray
Price's Cherokee Cowboys (even the name is cross cultural). He was a member of the
Grand Old Opry (establishment), and the Outlaw Country movement (anti-establishment).
His fans include farmers, businessmen, cowboys, and hippies. My first introduction to his music was the
juke box at Baker's Bar in Frankfort, MI, where several songs from Willie's Stardust
record brought me a glimpse at old swing standards and at the idea that country
music might be a lot more than Olivia Newton John and John Denver (they were the
ones winning country music grammys when I was a kid, and that was just not my cup
of tea). A couple months later, I went to a square dance hosted by the Spirit Of The Woods Music Association where
I discovered a really diverse group of people working together to bring traditional
and folk music and dancing to their community. I love the fact that so many different
kinds of people were having fun working and playing together. Music helped make
that possible. The age ranges of the people involved was a good spread, but
I was the first teenager to step up and get involved, and they took me under their
wing. My education about real country music was off to a good start. It's
been a great road since then, and it keeps getting better. I will be singin' a bunch
of those old tin pan alley songs from the Baker's Bar jukebox (All of Me, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Blue Skies) with my Galax pickin buddies.
There will definitely be some people there from very different walks of life. I
have always enjoyed walking in a lot of different worlds, and Galax is one unto
itself. Yet another door opened by people making music. J Butler's this Saturday-
This Saturday will be our second gig with Scott Williams. Scott knows old
classic country and rockabilly really well. He's played in those styles for many
years. It has been a real treat for me and if you like that kind of stuff- I'm thinking
you probably do, since you're reading this- you're gonna want to catch one of our
shows. Saturday's forecast is cloudy but dry, low 69 and a light breeze. Put that
together with some food, a cold beverage of your choice and great music, and you
really can't go too wrong. One of the bartenders likes to make frozen daiquiris
so that he can "let the fun out" of a whipped cream can. I actually saw
some canned whip cream with that in small print at the top. Too funny. Please join
us if you can. We play from 8-11 and there is no cover charge. -Sun Jam
The third annual Sun Jam was last Saturday, and I once again got to sing
some r&b/soul next to a bunch of great musicians, several of whom went to high
school in Chapel Hill (a looooooooong time ago) and have been playing music ever
since. It's a super fun party that happens every July in Chapel Hill at the University
Inn. CH alum rent a banquet room next to the Time Out Sports Bar and set up the
stage for a bunch of great payers to jam in various combinations. One of them is
my old vocal coach, Carter Minor. Great music and dancing ensues and pretty much
all the money that gets collected at the door goes to the musicians and the PA system.
Lots of dancing and fun. Watch for it next year. I'll try to give you a heads up. -Upcoming shows In addition to J Butlers, I will be on the
Weaver Street lawn (Carrboro) from 6-8 Thursday,
Aug 30th. John Worthington and Fj Ventre will be joining me. I head to Michigan
for most of September, and I'll be playing my first gig up there at the Earthwork Harvest Gathering 2012 with an
excellent band of Michigan musicians. It will be billed Captain and the Cowgirl.
The Captain is Drew "Captain Midnight" Howard.
I play my first show at Prissy Polly's BBQ in Kernersville, NC on
Oct 11th (Thursday) from 6-8:30. Cal, Scott and I will be really mining the old
country for that gig. That'll be fun. I'm working on some other stuff as well, so
stay tuned. Hope to see you soon and thanks for supporting live music. -Michelle -Garden pic here's
a smiling face for ya-
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