"Three Songs, Three Singers, Three Nations", Three lectures by Greil Marcus

"Three Songs, Three Singers, Three Nations" 

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Three lectures by
Greil Marcus

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The William E. Massey, Sr., Lectures in the History of American Civilization

Free and open to the public.

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~amciv/massey/index.shtml

All three lectures will be delivered in the

Sackler Auditorium

485 Broadway

Cambridge, MA

Monday, October 21, 2013, 5:30 p.m. (subject to change)

"Inflection: 'The Ballad of Hollis Brown,' Bob Dylan"

Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 5:30 p.m. (subject to change)

"Disappearance and Forgetting: 'Last Kind Words Blues,' Geeshie Wiley"

Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 5:30 p.m. (subject to change)

"World Upside Down: 'I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground,' Bascom Lamar Lunsford"

A reception will follow the lecture on Monday, October 21st, in the Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Parking available at the Broadway Garage, 7 Felton Street, during the lectures and reception.

Greil Marcus was born in San Francisco and lives in Oakland. He is the author of Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music (1975), Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the Twentieth Century (1989), Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of Cultural Obsession (1991), In the Fascist Bathroom: Punk in Pop Music, 1977-1992 (1993), The Dustbin of History (1995), The Old, Weird America: The World of Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes (1997, 2011), Double Trouble: Bill Clinton and Elvis Presley in a Land of No Alternatives (2000), ‘The Manchurian Candidate’, Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads (2005), The Shape of Things to Come: Prophecy and the American Voice (2006), When That Rough God Goes Riding: Listening to Van Morrison (2010), Bob Dylan by Greil Marcus (2010), and The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years (2011). With Werner Sollors he is the editor of A New Literary History of America (2009), and with Sean Wilentz of The Rose and the Briar: Death, Love & Liberty in the American Ballad (2004). He has taught at Princeton, Minnesota, and NYU, and currently teaches at Berkeley and the New School in New York. His column “Real Life Rock Top 10” appears regularly in The Believer.

Share with Facebook friends - https://www.facebook.com/events/622575641096980/

MCC Approves nearly $10M for Public Programs in the Arts, Sciences, & Humanities

This is a straight press release posted for its newsworthiness.
Source

MCC Approves nearly $10M for Public Programs in the Arts, Sciences, & Humanities

(Concord, MA)—The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) today approved a spending plan for the coming year that will invest nearly $10 million in nonprofit arts, humanities, and science organizations, local cultural councils, education programs, and working artists across the Commonwealth.

MCC’s FY14 spending plan benefitted from a $1.6 million increase to its state appropriation, approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in July. That increase begins to restore cultural funding lost through years of budget cuts, and helps to offset federal cutbacks in the National Endowment for the Arts’ annual state partnership grant to MCC. The MCC Board unanimously endorsed the plan at its meeting at the Concord Museum, where it was joined by Concord State Rep. Cory Atkins, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, & Cultural Development.

MCC Executive Director Anita Walker highlighted the budget’s increased funding for nonprofit organizations, local cultural councils, artist residencies in schools, and artist fellowships.

“Thanks to support from the Legislature, we will be able to increase investments that will make a real difference to our partners in the cultural sector,” said Walker.

“I’m pleased that our success in this year’s budget debate will translate into more resources for the arts and culture in our communities,” said Rep. Atkins. “These dollars will strengthen our economy, expand access to cultural programs, and enhance the quality of life in our cities and towns.”

Below is a summary of MCC’s FY14 spending plan. (Detailed funding lists including individual grant amounts will be available online August 22 by noon.)

Nonprofit Cultural Organizations: $4 million - The Cultural Investment Portfolioincludes nearly 400 nonprofit arts, humanities, and science organizations across Massachusetts. These organizations connect children and adults to theatre, music, visual arts, and film; teach them about history, literature, and the natural environment; and introduce them to new languages and cultures. These grants must be matched one to one, and range from $2,500 to $55,000.

Communities: $2.63 million - MCC’s 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) are the most extensive public cultural funding network in the nation. They provide funding to every Massachusetts city and town through the work of more than 2,300 volunteers. The councils support local arts and history, fund school field trips, and sponsor local concerts and exhibitions. Grants to local councils range from $4,250 for the smallest towns to $96,180 for Springfield and $152,020 for Boston, according to a formula that reflects the state's local aid system.

Education: $1.4 million - MCC works to ensure that all children have access to high-quality, creative learning experiences in school and beyond. The agency pursues this goal through grants, services, and advocacy to schools, communities, and nonprofit cultural organizations.

• STARS Residencies help schools partner with artists, scientists and other creative teachers for in-depth learning in arts, history, and the sciences. MCC will DOUBLE the number of STARS grants to schools this year to meet intense demand for this funding from teachers and principals.
• YouthReach makes grants to cultural and community-based organizations to support in-depth arts, humanities, and science programs for young people at risk. MCC will also convene a national summit on arts and youth at risk as part of the 20th anniversary of YouthReach in 2014.
• Big Yellow School Bus provides grants to help schools meet the transportation costs of educational field trips to cultural institutions in Massachusetts.
• Poetry Out Loud is a national competition in which high school students memorize and perform great poems and explore the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken work, and theatre in their English and Drama classes. Huntington Theatre Co. runs the program in Massachusetts.
• Creative Minds Afterschool is a visual arts curriculum for educators, developed with the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership.

Creative Economy: $820,000 - MCC’s Adams Arts Program supports partnerships that use arts and culture to drive economic and community development. ArtistLink provides grants to cities and towns develop spaces for artists to live and work. And the Cultural Data Project measures the economic impact of the nonprofit cultural sector.

Artists: $416,500 - MCC will boost Artist Fellowships to $10,000 for a range of disciplines, from poetry and music composition to painting and sculpture. MCC will also provide $50,000 for artist touring programs.

Humanities: $418,298 - The MCC provides an annual partnership grant to Mass Humanities, which supports public programs in history, literature, and other humanities disciplines to enhance and improve civic life in the Commonwealth.

Universal Design Initiative: $100,000 - MCC will develop standards for a new certification program promoting universal design principles for cultural facilities and programming.

This fall MCC will re-launch Creative Minds/Creative Communities - a series of receptions across the Commonwealth to celebrate this newest round of investments. The first event is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9 at 9 am at Winnekenni Castle in Haverhill, just prior to a public hearing that is part of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, & Cultural Development’s statewide “listening tour.” Additional events are planned in Worcester, Fall River, Holyoke, and other communities. More details to come.

* * *

About the Massachusetts Cultural Council
The MCC is a state agency supporting the arts, sciences, and humanities, to improve the quality of life in Massachusetts and its communities. It pursues its mission through a combination of grants, services, and advocacy for nonprofit cultural organizations, schools, communities, and artists. MCC's total budget for the current fiscal year is $12.7 million, which includes annual grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and other sources.

notloB Announces Two Fall Concerts (with more to come)

notloB Announces Two Fall Concerts (with more to come)

After six years and 51 concerts at the Loring-Greenough House, notloB Parlour Concerts will no longer be produced at at the historic venue. We thank the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club for its hospitality and the memories. The not-for-profit series will continue at a private residence in Watertown and a new larger (90 seat) hall in Jamaica Plain! The Fall season will consist of at least one house concert (by a returning world-class fiddler) on Saturday, October 5 and the two new venue band concerts listed below.

There's a new coffeehouse in town, the Eliot Street Coffeehouse! A co-operative production of notloB Parlour Concerts and the Eliot Street Soiree, presented in the beautiful First Church of Jamaica Plain parish hall.

Friday, November 1 - FELLSWATER*

Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/335079686627918/

http://www.fellswater.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fellswater/91264548678

Fellswater is Boston's dynamic instrumental Celtic music ensemble. We play a wide range of music from Traditional to modern compositions that draws from the heritage of all the Celtic nations, especially Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and Canada. Our instrumentation changes depending on the musical selection and includes whistle, flute, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, violin and smallpipes.

Fellswater has released two well- received albums, Fellswater (2010) and Thursday Night (2013). 

Doors 7:30, concert 8:00.

$10 students, seniors and the unemployed; $13 in advance; $15 at the door.

Tickets will be available beginning September 1.

The Eliot Street Coffeehouse, a co-production of the Eliot Street Soiree and notloB Parlour Concerts, are presented in the beautiful and acoustically sound First Church of JP's parish hall.

Next concert: Friday, November 22 - THE BOMBADILS

http://www.thebombadils.com/

After that? Watch our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/6EliotStreet

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*The Musicians

Betsy Ketudat, Fiddle

Betsy Ketudat graduated from Fredonia State University with a degree in Violin Performance. Betsy has since played in many chamber groups throughout the Boston area was a member of the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums for 10 years, playing both violin and fife. In 2005 she was featured violin soloist at the Yshalle Tattoo in Basel, Switzerland. As a fifer with MCV, Betsy has performed throughout England, France and Switzerland, at the 2007 Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the 2010 Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Salute to Australia, and in concert with the Boston Pops. Betsy appears on four MCV albums, playing both violin and fife.

Jim MacConduibh, Guitar/Bouzouki

Jim MacConduibh has been active in the Boston music scene since 1982---as a drummer. As an antidote to the constant din of rock'n'roll, circus and military drums, he and wife Sarah MacConduibh became interested in the new-Celtic movement of the mid-1990's, playing with the likes of Skip Healy, Matt Glover, and the New Hampshire Strathspey & Reel Society. He is the survivor of myriad international tours, including Baghdad in 2007 , the 2010 Edinburgh Military Tattoo Salute to Australia in Sydney and 2012 Basel Tattoo. Longtime Director of Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums, Jim resides in West Medford with Sarah and five cats and a dog. Jim plays guitar, bouzouki and mandolin with Fellswater.

Sarah MacConduibh, Flute/Whistlel

Sarah MacConduibh has been a fifer with the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes & Drums (MCV) since 1984 . Sarah’s extensive performance resume with MCV has included recording eight full-length albums, tours to England, France, Ireland and Switzerland and local performances too numerous to list here. 2007 featured performances with the Boston Pops as well as a run at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. 2010 featured performances at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Salute to Australia in Sydney and four performances with the Boston Pops and 2012 found her in Switzerland for the Basel Tattoo. Sarah has played with several folk groups over the years on a variety of instruments, ranging from fiddle, flute, whistle and fife. Sarah plays whistle and flute with Fellswater.

Matthew Phelps, Smallpipes

Matthew Phelps began piping at the age of eight under the instruction of Pipe Major Thomas Shearer of Connecticut and had additional instruction at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts in Nova Scotia. Matthew competes at the Professional level and has also competed over the years in the U.S., Canada and Scotland with the following bands: Trumbull and District Pipe Band of Connecticut, Gaelic College Pipe Band of Nova Scotia, Saint Andrews College Pipe Band of North Carolina, Tulach Ard Pipe Band and Stuart Highlanders of Massachusetts, and Halifax Regional Police Pipes & Drums of Nova Scotia. Matt led the Stuart Highlanders Pipe Band at the 2012 Basel Tattoo.

Matthew currently works as a full time piping instructor and performer; he has opened concerts for Niamh Parsons, John Whelan, and J. P. Cormier. Matt plays smallpipes and border pipes with Fellswater.

Friday, November 22 - THE BOMBADILS

Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/574245522632537/

http://www.thebombadils.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thebombadils

The Bombadils are a ridiculous and kind-hearted bunch of rascals disguised as a four-piece folk band. Originating from Vancouver, Edmonton, and Halifax, they met in 2009 at McGill University's Schulich School of Music in Montréal, where they were pursuing their studies in jazz and classical music. These musical influences carry over into their love of folk music which includes Irish, bluegrass and Canadian and American old time.

Anh Phung, on Irish whistles and flute, is a stunning presence and spunky improviser. She has twice been awarded the Galaxie Rising Star Award as well as 1st place in the Canadian Music Competition. She performs regularly with notable artists such as blues man Carl Tremblay and John McGale, of Offenbach. Anh plays as though through telepathic communication with kooky and happy-go-lucky fiddler and vocalist, Sarah Frank. Sarah has travelled the continent performing and studying with key figures of traditional folk music such as Peter Yarrow, (Peter, Paul, and Mary), Alasdair Fraser, Natalie Haas, Laura Cortese, and Pierre Shryer. Luke Fraser on guitar, mandolin, and lead vocals grew up on the musical traditions of Nova Scotia, where he has performed as part of the vibrant Maritime music scene, including The Rankins' own Red Shoe Pub and the Halifax Jazz festival. Evan Stewart, upright bass, has performed at the Montreal Jazz festival and has shared the stage with award-winning musicians such as Steve Turre (Best Trombone and Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist in JazzTimes, Downbeat, and Jazziz), Jim Head and Kent Sangster (Juno nomination, Western Canadian Music Award). 

Coming together as The Bombadils, these four diverse musicians perform a combination of traditional and original music, both instrumental and vocal, both English and French, both improvised and through-composed. For the past three years they have been performing regularly throughout Québec at pubs and cafés, local dances, weddings and concerts. Since their graduation from McGill University's Schulich School of Music, The Bombadils have released their debut CD "Fill Your Boots!" and continue to perform across Canada.

Doors 7:30, concert 8:00.

$10 students, seniors and the unemployed; $13 in advance; $15 at the door.

Tickets will be available beginning September 1.

The Eliot Street Coffeehouse, a co-production of the Eliot Street Soiree and notloB Parlour Concerts, are presented in the beautiful and acoustically sound First Church of JP's parish hall.

If you are reading this on or before November 1, come to our first concert, Friday, November 1 - FELLSWATER

http://www.fellswater.com/

What's next? Watch our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/6EliotStreet

"I shape young radio minds"

In the wake of George Knight's jumping to WERS, see George Knight Jumps Ship from WUMB to WERS, July 30, 2013,  UMass Boston-licensed WUMB has hired (probably more correct, contracted with) Dominick Indindoli to be its weeknight "on air personality."

I say "probably more correct, contracted" because he does (yet) not merit a profile on WUMB's "announcres" page which as of August 15.2013 lists state payrolled talent

Marilyn Rea Beyer
Gail Gilmore
Brendan Hogan
Jay Moberg
Albert O
Dave Palmater
Marcia Palmater
Perry Persoff
Sandy Sheehan
Dana Westover

So who is this new script-reading "on air personality" with the Connecticut School of Broadcasting / commercial AAA radio persona?

Like many, Dominick has a Linked-in account. From his profile:

Dominick Indindoli

Admissions Coordinator at Connecticut School of Broadcasting

Greater Boston Area

Broadcast Media

Current	Connecticut School of Broadcasting, 105.7 WROR, Greater Media, Inc.
Previous	WKLB-Country 102.5, Metro Boston, 92.9 WBOS
Education	Marietta College

281connections

Connect

Send InMail

More options 

• www.linkedin.com/in/dominicki

Background

Experience

Admissions Coordinator

Connecticut School of Broadcasting

October 2009 – Present (3 years 11 months)

On Air Talent & Traffic

105.7 WROR

2003 – Present (10 years)

Teacher

Connecticut School of Broadcasting

2000 – Present (13 years)

I shape young radio minds.

on-air

Greater Media, Inc.

1995 – Present (18 years)

Air Talent

WKLB-Country 102.5

June 2008 – March 2009 (10 months)

News/Traffic/Weather reporter

Metro Boston

March 2008 – March 2009 (1 year 1 month)

ON AIR

92.9 WBOS

1995 – 2008 (13 years)

(Open)1 recommendation

• 

  Sarah Sullivan-Newsam

  Director of Operations at Garrison City Broadcasting

  Talk about a great guy to work with! Dom is a PRO! He is THEE "go-to guy" when you need help with any project. He helped me when I was the "neebie" on staff at WBOS. Thank you, Dom! Hope to work with you again!View

Education

Marietta College

1992 – 1994

Recommendations

• Received (1)
• Given (2)

1. ON AIR

   92.9 WBOS

   

   
   
   

   Sarah Sullivan-Newsam

   Director of Operations at Garrison City Broadcasting

   
   

   Talk about a great guy to work with! Dom is a PRO! He is THEE "go-to guy" when you need help with any project. He helped me when I was the "neebie" on staff at WBOS. Thank you, Dom! Hope to work with you again!

   June 28, 2011, Sarah worked directly with Dominick at 92.9 WBOS

Connections

• Adam Klein1^st
  Independent Public Relations and Communications Professional
• Holly Harris1^st
  Voiceover Actor, Emcee
• steve morse1^st
  Freelancer, web columnist and editor

Groups

• Radio & Television Professionals Network
  Join

Following

• Metro Boston
  Newspapers
  Follow
• Greater Media
  Broadcast Media
  Follow
  
  Perhaps a new "on air personality" would bring some fres programming ideas and artists not usually heard on WUMB? No way! Tonight's programming is the same old rehashed pablum, you know the stuff its few listeners have been force fed for the past 5 years. Tonight's playlist since when I tuned in in East Boston over the drive home:

  10:00 pm	Indigo Girls
  	Hammer and a Nail

  9:56 pm	Paul Simon
  	So Beautiful or So What

  9:53 pm	Tin Bird Choir
  	Takes Me Forever

  9:49 pm	Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
  	Hanging Up My Heart (from Old Yellow Moon)

  9:46 pm	The Kinks
  	Sunny Afternoon (from Face to Face)

  9:41 pm	Greg Brown
  	Downtown (from 44 & 66)

  9:36 pm	KT Tunstall
  	Feel It All

  9:33 pm	Ben Harper
  	Fool for a Lonesome Train (from Lifeline)

  9:29 pm	The Decemberists
  	Down by the Water (from The King is Dead)

  9:25 pm	Dawes
  	From A Window Seat (from Stories Don't End)

  9:20 pm	J.J. Cale
  	Out of Style (from Rewind)

  9:17 pm	Anne Heaton
  	Watching You Win (from Honeycomb)

  9:13 pm	Robert Plant & Alison Kra
  	Gone Gone Gone(Done Moved On)

  9:10 pm	Willy Mason
  	Talk Me Down (from Carry On)

  As far as WUMB's decision to hire or contract Dominick, were you expecting from a state university, a UMass student be given the nighttime free-form producer/host role? Ha! As "Boston's NPR music station, WUMB operates as a student-free zone and has an AAA image and reputation to preserve.  Which begs the question, since most of the WUMB programming is voicetracked, why not just have one "on-air personality" to do voice overs, then simply replay them over and over? Few would notice because few are listening. That would cut costs and cause no change in the quality of its broadcast sound, which, as we remember is once again dead last in the Boston Arbiton "people meter" ratings.

The Summer Hoot at Ashokan Needs Volunteers

With a lineup that includes Pete Seeger, Happy Traum, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Amy Helm, Mike+Ruthy and many other Hudson River music luminaries, it is hard to believe the message received yesterday from Ruthy, to the effect they still need volunteers!
In exchange for working two four-hour shifts, volunteers get....

• Festival admission.
• Lodging in the bunkhouse or camping.
• Two hot breakfasts.

And many amenities that go along with Ashoken that I will not list here.

For more information, read

The Summer Hoot at Ashokan

notloB Parlour Concerts is on Summer hiatus, so where can one go for notloB-caliber entertainment? Spend three days in the beautiful Catskills at the Ashoken Fiddle and Dance Camp with multi-time notloBBers and good friends Mike+Ruthy, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Chris Merenda, Lyn Hardy (and her band, the Cupcakes), their family, the "usual suspects" from Woodstock / Hudson River valley and friends!

The stellar lineup below was current as of a couple days ago but new artists are being added. For example, a local guy named Pete Seeger was added just today....

If you sign up, tell 'em Jeff sent you.

The Rowan Brothers & The Rowan-Cunningham Band New England & Pennsylvania Concerts

The Rowan Brothers & The Rowan-Cunningham Band
New England & Pennsylvania Concerts
August - September
https://www.facebook.com/therowanbrothers
http://www.rowancunninghamband.com/
http://www.sonicbids.com/2/EPK/?epk_id=18204

Born and raised in Wayland, Massachusetts where they learned to play guitars and sing together, Chris and Lorin are a modern day Everly Brothers, playing acoustic-roots Americana that is a mix of the Beattles and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with a splash of Bluegrass. Touring behind their current CD Now and Then, tight harmonies and haunting melodies are underscored by crisp guitar and mandolin. With brother, Peter Rowan, they have also recorded several albums/CDs including Sibling Rivalry, Tree on a Hill’ and Crazy People. Lorin’s song ‘Soldier of the Cross’ is the title track of country artist Ricky Skaggs’ Grammy winning CD.

This information is raw and sketchy, was received 8/7 from Lorin. Details are being added as they become available, so check back.
Friday, 8/9 - Crossmills Public Library, RI
Saturday, 8/10 - Vokes Theatre, Wayland MA - a benefit concert for Wayland 375, Facebook event
Sunday, 8/11 afternoon, Small Ax Cafe, RI
Sunday, 8/11 evening, supported by the Blue Around the Edges and The Rank Strangers, Wood River Inn, RI, Facebook event
Monday, 8/12 - Vacation day
Tuesday, 8/13 - Benefit concert for the W. Falmouth Library
Wednesday, 8/14 - Zorvino Winery, Sandown, NH*
Thursday, 8/15 - Private concert in Lexington, MA
Friday, 8/16 - Travel day
Saturday, 8/17 - Hickory Fest, Wellsboro, PA***
Sunday, 8/18 - OPEN FOR GIG**
Monday, 8/19 - OPEN FOR GIG**
Tuesday, 8/20 - Watch Hill Summer Concert, RI***
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*Concerts on the Green at Zorvino Vineyards
Presents the Rowan Brothers !
It's time for Summer Music ! We are proud to announce a new series of musical events at Zorvino Vineyards that we’re calling Concerts On The Green. This will be a series of FREE concerts from various local and national musicians who will play for you on our hillside overlooking the vineyards.
The musical acts will be here for your pleasure…there is no fee, however we hope you will reward them with a donation for their time and effort.
Our first concert of the season will feature our old friends, The Rowan Brothers ! Chris & Lorin Rowan will be taking time out of their busy Summer tour schedule to join us for a special Wednesday evening show on August 14th from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm. The Rowans never fail to please with their soaring Everly Brothers style harmonies and blend of Folk music with a Bluegrass flair. The Rowans have recorded with such diverse musicians as Jerry Garcia, David Grisman and Stephan Grappelli in their extensive career dating back to the late 60’s and have long since left their home in Southern Massachusetts to reside and record in the San Francisco area. Don’t miss this special evening. The winery will be open for tasting and purchases or you can pick up some cheese, meats and snacks at our winery gift shop. You can even buy a bottle of wine and enjoy it outside during the show!

**Contact me at notlobbooking@gmail.com if you can provide a house concert 8/18 or 19.

*** Rowan-Cunningham Band, http://www.rowancunninghamband.com/

After their New England concerts Chris and Lorin will be joined at HickoryFest by Florida State fiddle champion Sue Cunningham to form the Rowan-Cunningham Band and play additional dates in Pennsylvania and back to New England.

The tour as of 8/8
Sat Aug 17 12th Annual Hickory Fest - Music In The Canyon, Stony Fork Creek Campground, Wellsboro, PA
Tue Aug 20 6:00 pm Watch Hill Summer Concert Series, Watch Hill Park, Watch Hill, RI
Thu Sep 05 8:00 pm North Country Brewery, Slippery Rock, PA
Fri Sep 06 Moondogs, Blawnox, PA
Sat Sep 07 Bluegrass and Beyond Music Festival Harmony, PA
Sun Sep 08 Highlands Bluegrass Festival & Craft Fair Harmony Hall Great Lawn, Sloatsburg, NY, Mon Sep 09 CT? TBD
Tue Sep 10 some time between noon and 2pm, guests of Eli Polonsky on WMBR's "Lost and Found", 88.1fm and wmbr.org
Tue Sep 10 9:00 pm Tuesday Night Bluegrass at the Cantab, Cantab Lounge, Cambridge, MA
Wed Sep 11 7:30 pm Acoustic Artisans - Cooper Violin Shop, Portland, ME
Sat Sep 14 7:00 pm Private Event
Sun Sep 15 8:00 pm Club Passim, Cambridge, MA, USA
Check http://www.rowancunninghamband.com/calendar.cfm for updates and tickets.

The Lowell Folk Festival is no Place for a Song Making Light of Domestic Violence

Billing itself as "The largest free folk festival in the nation, with continuous music on five outdoor stages in historic downtown Lowell" and claiming to be "a family friendly event", the Lowell Folk Festival "...has presented an international array of folk music, ethnic foods, craftspeople and artisans, as well as kid’s activities, to enthusiastic New England audiences every summer for over 26 years..." The festival, in booking the Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice bluegrass band from Virginia and North Carolina let its family audiences and the Festival itself down this year.

On the festival's Market Street stage the band performed "I'll Whip You With an Old Bicycle Chain." Watch a video of the song the band performed at 10th Annual Big Lick Bluegrass Festival in Oakboro, North Carolina this past April.

In the intro, and on the Market Street stage, Junior attempted to sell the audience on the idea that the song is not about striking one's partner with a bicycle chain, "I haven't worked out exactly what to say about this song, it's meant to be humorous and humorous only, we're not supporting any kind of abuse. And if you listen closely it never happens, it's only a threat."

"Only a threat?" That in itself is a form of domestic violence. Domestic violence is real and no joking matter. It has no place in a city park performed to an audience including children by a band hired with federal funds.

The band owes the public attending the Festival an apology, and perhaps should donate 100% of the proceeds from the song to Lowell's Alternative House or other appropriate organization, or, if it ever returns to the area, perform a benefit concert.

The mission of Alternative House is to facilitate the creation of a society in which violence against women will no longer exist. As a means to this end, we offer shelter, support, options, counseling and legal advocacy for all battered women (and their children) who seek our help. We are committed to the empowerment of women toward self sufficiency. We do not discriminate against any race, class, culture, age group or sexual orientation.

Update 11/25/13

In an article titled Censoring in a World of Political Correctness! - A Prescription Bluegrass Editorial Prescription Bluegrass has penned an opinion piece about this violent song

Read the full article here.