Volume 40 No. 8 August 2014
Special Summer Concert! Brother Sun and Joe Crookston coming to The Brink in August!
e are getting a little task special. The trio’s harmonies, as tlesnake tails, Grandmother Moons of the Shawano Folk Mu- much as their lyrics, tell what they and silver crowns. At the end of the sicW Festival right here in Madison! are about: warm as a campfire, stir- night, you’ll likely leave inspired, tak- Brother Sun and Joe Crookston are ring as a gospel church, rousing as ing home a renewed sense of what’s stopping by to give us a special a call to arms. Fusing folk, Ameri- possible. In Irish culture, there is treat. cana, blues, pop, jazz, rock, and a phrase called the “The Long Note” Brother Sun – “The moment Greg cappella singing, Brother Sun is an ~ “The Long Note” is that place Greenway, Joe Jencks and Pat Wic- explosion of musical diversity and of resonance and transcendence tor pooled their voices as Brother harmony, in the finest of male sing- where the music, the voices, the in- Sun in 2011, the folk world was en- ing traditions. struments, and the community ALL riched by their harmony, humanity, Brother Sun’s debut CD an- come together and unite…There IS and humor. In the years since, their nounced to the world that these a “Long Note” and Joe is courting it bond with each other and their fans respected singer-songwriters had and always reaching for it. has only deepened. If there’s any banded together to produce some of justice (something they care deep- the most powerful male harmonies Mad Folk Concert Tickets ly about), their superb sophomore on the acoustic music scene. After When you see this symbol – ee release, Some Part of the Truth, two years of nationwide touring and – you’ll know that you’re read- should bring the warmth of Brother performances marked by outstand- ing about a Mad Folk sponsored Sun to a whole new world hungry ing songwriting, ethereal harmonies, event. Advance tickets for Mad for the healing power of their mu- off-the-cuff humor, and standing Folk shows are available online sic.” -John Platt, WFUV - New York ovations, they have released Some at www.madfolk.org and at these Joe Crookston –“ At every fes- Part of the Truth: a CD that goes a outlets: tival I hope to find the gift of one large step further in revealing Broth- artist whose songwriting and per- er Sun not only as singers, but as • Orange Tree Imports, 1721 Mon- formance stand out. Joe Crookston complete musicians. roe Street was that gift for me this year at the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Stunning Joe Crookston is an artist, writer, performance, great songs, and not a guitar picker, painter, claw hammer • Spruce Tree Music, 851 East word wasted! I LOVE That!” - David guitar player, eco-village member Johnson Francey- Songwriter Ontario and believer in all things possible. Brother Sun, the trio of Greg Gre- You’ll be pulled in by the magic and Purchase tickets ONLINE for Mad enway, Pat Wictor, and Joe Jencks, musical world that he creates and Folk concerts via Brown Paper wowed us at the Phil Ochs tribute you’ll end up in the moment, cele- Tickets (with $1.62 service concert, and we have been want- brating together with the rest of the charge): ing to bring them back for a show of audience. He’ll sing to you ~ You’ll https://www.brownpapertickets. their own. They will be bringing their sing with him…His music embraces com/producer/10879 friend Joe Crookston as a co-head- the universal, connects us, is mas- You can also purchase advance liner to introduce him to Madison. terful and downright fun. tickets by mail. Send a stamped self- Greg Greenway, Pat Wictor, and Come to a show. You’ll travel with Joe Jencks have made their mark him along mystical, historical, and addressed envelope with your check as veteran touring singer-songwrit- humorous roads, and twist through payable to Mad Folk, PO Box 665, ers, but collectively as Brother Sun, personal stories along the way. Madison, WI 53701. If all else fails, call they truly have become something Amber eyes, Oklahoma towns, rat- 608-846-9214 for information. Alexandria - chris mills & the distant stars Loud Romantic Records ~ 2014
who died in the mines, and your blind “hold on to the ones that love you, and baby brother swallowed up by the to your heart always be true.” Only flood, your kingdom of trees and your final track “When We Were Young” valley of blood.” Despite the occa- brings back the strings, arranged by sionally tongue-twisting lyrics and the longtime collaborator David Nagler, breakneck pace, every line is crystal in a nostalgic nod to earlier records. clear. The track, like much of the re- It’s tempting to think about what the cord, benefits from liberal use of key- quartet could have added to the rest boards courtesy of Norwegian Chris- of the songs, but ultimately you real- ter Knutsen (who also coproduced ize they’re kinda perfect just the way with Mills). “Alexandria” features him they are. on piano and organ (as well as back- Chris Mills plays Kiki’s House of ing vocals), while on the opposite end Righteous Music on August 17. Review by Kiki Schueler of the spectrum is the spare “The Chris Mills just may be the best Sweet Hereafter” with just his for- Mad Folk News is published monthly by the songwriter you’ve never heard of. He lorn piano backing Mills’s heart- Madison Folk Music Society, a non-profit, hasn’t exactly been prolific, releas- rending lyrics. “Sometimes I feel volunteer-led society dedicated to fostering ing only six full lengths, a couple of like I’m gonna spend my whole life folk music in the Madison area. EPs and a “greatest hits” compilation standing on the wrong end of a Contact us at [email protected] in his nearly two-decade career. His cigarette,” he claims before add- about concerts, membership, scholarships, touring is sporadic at best; sometimes ing “the darkness in this place, it and volunteer opportunities at several years go by without him get- goes on for miles, I can’t tell if it’s www.madfolk.org. ting any closer to Madison than his day or night.” In between these former hometown of Chicago. But extremes is the organ-drenched Madison Folk Music Society Board he is worth seeking out. His 2002 “Blooms,” which features another release The Silver Line stands with of his great opening lines—“there Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks as the was a time not long ago I was a DarleneBuhler...... President,Concerts, only two records I would call perfect. wraith, I was a shadow”—as well Advertising And his live shows are surprisingly as a burst of screaming guitar that 225-0710~ [email protected] energetic and hilariously entertain- somehow doesn’t sound at all out PegMichel….…...... Treasurer ing given that some of his songs are of place. The song voted most 831-1876 ~ [email protected] pretty dark. Over the years he has likely to get stuck in your head Tracy Comer ...... Membership & Web Site pulled back on the orchestration that is slow-building “Castaways,” 729-4498 ~ [email protected] characterized his earlier releases, which answers its repeated cho- NorbertWodke…...... …Secretary and focused more on his singing. rus of “Are you waiting to come 836-8422 ~ [email protected] The results are no less intriguing. ashore?” with another question, DedeGoldberg...... Newsletter New release Alexandria highlights his “What are you waiting for?” distribution voice like none of his previous work. Never fear, there is still plenty 246-4332 ~ [email protected] It’s the focal point of the record, the of jangly guitar here. The catchy Neil Morris...... Newsletter instrumentation from backing band “Helpless Bells” opens with an editor the Distant Stars mixed well below. addictive acoustic strum and foot- 358-5855 ~ [email protected] The title track is the record’s most stomp thump, then builds with Meg Skinner.………...... Scholarships urgent; pounding piano and propul- backing vocals, electric guitar, 238-6950 ~ [email protected] sive drums push the song’s vivid im- snare, bass and finally what I can David Eagan...... agery past you in a rush of colorful only describe as an alien synth. 249-0409 ~ [email protected] metaphors. “Little bird, where have Meditative opening track “Wild Ron Dennis …...... …...... ………. you gone? You used to sit at my Places” has it all—finger-picked 226-9472 ~ [email protected] window and sing to me all night long guitar, subtly effective percussion, about the language you lost in the li- ethereal layered vocals, and a brary fire, and your brave little sister fortune-cookie-worthy message, called "Mazomanian Moon." We wrote it larger sense are completely stolen. or because we had been invited to perform fabricated. Plus, my mom’s still alive, at a festival in Mazomanie, which is a which creates the great lie even more..." © 2014 lovely town a few miles from Madison. I When I look over my own pile of lyrics, I by Peter Berryman archived at louandpeter.com have spent time there, and we had find quite a few first-person songs, some played in Mazomanie before, but I never of which could be mistaken as pretend- Ostensibly lived there. The song is ostensibly being ing to be true representations of my life. sung by someone who DID live there but I wrote about living in my car: not true. I This Whither Zither is a follow-up to last moved away, and has missed the place wrote as though I were a mother of month's column which, I was thrilled to ever since. three: not true. I have a recent song re- find, brought some interesting comments ferring to my dancing pantsless on the into my digital in-basket. The title of the The song got a polite but lukewarm re- porch as my wife plays the banjo: not column was "Does Truth Matter?" As- ception when we sang it, and to this day true, so far. pects of this peculiar question were I believe it's because the folks in the goofed with, such as whether perceived audience knew darn well that we had I doubt I have one single song that could truth makes a joke funnier, a song more never lived in Mazomanie, and that the be called absolutely true, though many lovable, an adventure story more grip- whole thing was a fex. Of course, I dis- of them are so odd they are in no danger ping. Most folks probably agree that we count the possibility it's a lousy song. of being misunderstood in that way. live in an age of questionable truth and Anyway, I'm busy adding a verse at the But concerning those that are teetering even of acceptable untruth, what with beginning, explaining how I MET some- on the cusp, I agree with Stuart, who Photoshop, digital pitch correction of off- one from Mazomanie, who proceeded to went on to summarize: key singers, non-sugar sweeteners, tell me his homesick story. I think that body doubles, plastic lumber, silk flow- may clear the air. On the other hand, it's ...It’s the story that rules, and, unless you ers, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. another -- and in a way more devious -- are an absolute truthist, let’s just ac- lie, so who knows? knowledge that everything is filtered. Thinking about these things led me natu- rally to questions about whether truth I first got tangled in these lines of rea- I think most audiences approach songs plays any part in the worlds of art in soning when my old pal Stuart Stotts, (and all the arts) in this way, delighted to general and in songwriting and song ap- Madison songwriter extraordinaire, and I, have the truth admittedly and interest- preciation in particular. To use a new had one of our recurring coffee sessions ingly "filtered," though I do vaguely re- example, does it make the song Ragtime a couple months ago. One of Stuart's member someone referring to writers of Cowboy Joe weaker to know that it was most well known songs is a wonderful fiction as "professional liars." But to ex- written in Brooklyn and not Out West and internationally popular piece called trapolate further, you might even say that somewhere? Does it make the song Music In My Mother's House. You've this "filtering" is the fundamental JOB of stronger to know there really was a "Joe" probably heard it, and likely have sung it, the artist: to creatively filter the truth. (Joe Abrahams), who was the nephew of at least to yourself. But even if not, you one of the composers (Maurice Abra- can imagine from the title what it's about. This topic is endless. After I submitted hams), and that Joe inspired the song by last month's column, I Googled the showing up at his uncle's place wearing Well, Stuart pointed out that the whole phrase "Does truth matter" and got a cowboy outfit? Does it make this fac- shebang was completely made up; there twelve million hits. There is everything toid stronger or weaker to know I got my was no such music in his mother's from a Carl Sagan piece about science info about it from Wikipedia? house, at least to the extent portrayed in vs pseudoscience, to zillions of writings the song. Toward the end is this verse: about the question as it pertains to poli- My friend, the great ultra-clever Belling- tics, religion, dating, food, and so on. ham songwriter Zeke Hoskin, emailed Those days come back so clearly Had I Googled before writing, I might me this: Although I'm far away have skipped the topic as being over- She gave me the kind of gift discussed. Googling can be thwarting. "Once I worked off and on for two years I love to give away And that's the truth. on a ballad about an imaginary man who spent his retirement building a little sub- And when my mother died, My special deep thanks to my dear pals marine, rescued a child with a medical And she'd sung her last song Stuart Stotts and Zeke Hoskin for allow- emergency on an island during a storm, We sat in the living room, ing me to peek into the privacy of their and died at the end. I sang it to Jon Singing all night long creative processes, and to share bits of Bartlett, who just asked, "Did that really their secrets with readers of Whither happen?", and I came to realize that the I asked Stuart if I could use our conver- Zither. Please do visit their web sites: whole project was a fex." sation in my column, and here's what he wrote: "Fex," incidentally, is the Latin singular Stuart Stotts: form of "feces." I had to look it up. Any- "You can of course mention that, al- stuartstotts.com way, as I told Zeke, this reminded me though, to be more complete, my mom that I am sliding down a similar slope did sometimes sing with us at the piano Zeke Hoskin: regarding a song I as lyricist and Lou my so there’s a vague emotional sense of zekehoskin.com composer partner wrote a few years ago the truth of the song, but the details and WZ August 2014 Shawano preview: Magnificent singing, images, stories
Thursday, August 7, 2014 7:00 pm THE BRINK LOUNGE, 701 E. Washington, Suite 105
Tickets $15 advance, $18 day of show Available at: www.madfolk.org, Spruce Tree Music, Orange Tree Imports Non-perishable donations of food will be collected for local food banks. July 2014
Dave & Anne Host Folk Invitation & Advance RSVP required. Summer Sing-Along w/ For full details or to request an invitation, contact Dave & Anne at Mac Robertson & David Eagan [email protected] Friday, August 15 • Saturday August 7:30pm (doors at 7) Hank Cramer Blue Mounds Main shelter, top of the hill -- 8pm suggested donation $18 adults, $15 kids under 18 Free! (State Park sticker req. for entry) KG & The Ranger Brothers Sun AND Saturday August 9 - Oakwood Village Arts Center, 6209 Mineral Point Rd, Madison - Free concert @7pm Joe Crookston Thursday, August 7 -- 7pm The Brink Lounge -- $15 adv, $18 d.o.s. Old Time Jam Monthly - 2nd Sunday of every month, 4 to 6pm EVP West 3809 Mineral Point Road Coodinator: Al Wilson cell: 608-572-0634 The Brink Lounge [email protected] • Thursday, August 14, Aaron Williams and the HooDoo, 8pm, no cover Madison Ukulele Club-- Singalongs 1st and 3rd Weds 7:00-9:00pm • Thursday, August 21, Aaron Williams and the HooDoo,
8pm, no cover - call for location- 246-8205 (Andrew) 701 E. Washington thebrinklounge.com Cajun jam held every rst Sunday 3 p.m.-5 p.m. There will be no jam 608-661-8599 in July. At the Froth House: 11 N. Allen St., Madison We welcome all levels of Mother Fool’s experience with instruments and Cajun music. Mother Fool’s Call Karen at 608-238-6039 for more info. www.prairiebayoucajun.com Coffeehouse • Saturday, August 16th - Rusty Belle - 8pm $6 1101 Williamson St. motherfools.com • Sat, July 26, Nouveau-Expo, 8pm - $6 608-259-1030
Folklore Village Simply Folk on Wisconsin Public Radio w/ Stephanie Elkins- , 3210 Cty Hwy BB Host Dodgeville, WI • Thursday, August 5 - Open Mic Sun 5:00-8:00pm folklorevillage.org • Monday, August 9 - “Best of Summer” Healthy HoeDown with Concerts recorded in Wisconsin, music and dance of people 608-924-4000 Sponsor Cates Family Farm wpr.org the world over. For playlists, calendars, station listings, and • Sunday, August 14 - Village Harmony Teen & Adult Singning more, visit www.wpr.org/simplyfolk. Workshop • Sunday, August 14 - Village Harmony Evening Concert in Plum WORT 89.9 FM community radio Sun -- 3:00-5:00pm Grove Church wort-fm.org • On the Horizon (world music) w/Ford Blackwell, Paul Novak & Dan Talmo Weekdays 9:00am-noon • Mon - Global Revolutions (folk from the world over) Cafe Carpe All shows at 8:30pm unless indicated otherwise w/ David & Martin Alvarado & Eugenia Highland • Tue -- For the Sake of the Song (traditional American • Saturday, August 2, Mark Dvorak, Bil Camplin, John Sieger - $10 @ folk) w/Jim Schwall 18 S. Water St. 8pm • Wed -- Back to the Country (country music on a Ft. Atkinson, WI • Friday, August 8, Elks Teeth and Rabbits Feet cafecarpe.com theme) w/Bill Malone 920-563-9391 • Saturday, August 9, Bill Stines - $15 • Sunday, August 10, Strangled Darlings -7pm • Thur -- Diaspora (folk and international) w/Terry O’ • Friday, August 15, Rusty Belle, Hayward Williams - $10 • Fri -- Mud Acres (bluegrass and acoustic) w/Chris • Sunday, August 17, Tony Furtado - 7pm Powers • Thursday, August 21, Pierce & Grace Pettis, David Hawkins - $15 @8pm - No Reserve • Friday, August 22, John Gorka - $20 pay in adv • Saturday, August 23, Piper Road - $10 • Friday, August 29, Josh Harty, Jonathan Statz • African/African-American Dance classes with live drumming -- Sun, 7:00-9:00pm -- Metro Dance, 3009 University Ave. -- 255-3677 / 251-4311
• SpiritMoves Ecstatic Dance 2nd and 4th Weds, 7:00-9:00 pm -- The Center for Kiki’s Righteous House of Music Conscious Living, 849 East Washington Ave. -- $7 min. donation 701A E. Washington • English Country Dance taught -- 1st and 3rd Mon, 7:30-9:30pm -- Wil-Mar Center, www.high-noon.com Invitation & Advance RSVP required. For full details or to request an invitation, contact Kiki at 953 Jenifer St. -- 238-9951 or 238-9951 [email protected] • International Dancing -- Wed and Sun; classes 7:30-8:30pm, request dancing • August 2 @ 9 pm (doors at 8) Shane Sweeney/Ryan Parker suggested donation $8 8:30-11:00pm -- The Crossing, 1127 University Ave. -- 241-3655 • August 7 @ 8 pm (doors at 7) The Water Liars suggested donation $10 • Irish Dancing -- Monthly Ceili and set dance events are posted at • August 17 @ 8 pm (doors at 7) Chris Mills suggested donation $20 celticmadison.org/dance tickets available at Undertow • Italian Dancing -- Tue, 7:00-9:00pm, no experience or partner necessary -- Wil-Mar www.undertowtickets.com/product/chris-mills-madison-wi-august-17-8pm Center, 953 Jenifer St. -- 838-9403 (Philana) August 29 @ 8 pm (doors at 7) Rocky Votolato suggested donation $20 • Madison Contra Dance Cooperative -- Tue; 7:30 jam band practice, intermediate tickets available at Undertow level dancing 7:45-9:40pm -- $5 for non-members -- Gates of Heaven, 302 E. Gorham -- www.undertowtickets.com/product/rocky-votolato-madison-wi-august-29-8pm 238-3394 (Steve) • Morris Dancing -- Wed, 7:00pm -- call for location -- 238-9951 • Scottish Country Dancing -- Sun, 7:00pm -- Wil-Mar Center, 953 Jenifer St. -- 835-0914 Thursday, August 14 Village Harmony Teen Camp On Tour!
4:30-6:00 Singing Workshop: Open to teens and adults only. Cost of workshop (includes evening concert admission) $15 teens, $30 adults
6:00 Potluck: Bring a dish to pass! With clear command of radically-varied singing styles and infectiously joyous stage presence, 7:30 Concert: $12.00 adult Village Harmony performances always knock $10 teens & seniors (65+) people’s socks off. Led by the talented team of: $5.00 youth 5-12 Mollie Stone, Emily Miller & Gideon Crevoshay
www.folklorevillage.org for more information Reserve your tickets 45 minutes west of Madison today by calling 608-924-4000 Check or Credit Card. Saturday, August 30th Bryan Bowers In Concert
Master Autoharpist, Singer-Songwriter and Storyteller $15 General Admission
“To call Bryan Bowers’ performance simply a ‘concert’ would be inadequate if not inaccurate ... (it) could better be described as an experience!” -Deseret News Madison Folk Music Society Nonprofit Org P.O. Box 665, Madison, WI 53701 U.S. Postage Address Service Requested PAID ……………………………… Madison, WI ……………. Permit No. 2278 Renew your membership today at www.madfolk.org
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