Okee dokee folks… People apparently totally gloss over Thanksgiving now, not that I care. I am a vegetarian and the ritual slaughter of turkeys for holidays has always bothered me. The fact that my ears are assaulted with Christmas music starting before Halloween and lasting until the year is over is truly annoying. Christmas music sucks. Yes, I said that. I have heard the same songs for the past six decades. And any new entries to the mix are usually not any better. These songs all just have the same lyrics and feel, like they took all Christmas-related words, dumped them in a blender, and then spit them out onto a page for someone to sing.
It used to be that if you had one Christmas “hit,” you could make a good annual sum of cash from the royalties. I remember reading an article about “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” and how much holiday dough-ho-ho came in for that one song. At that time, it was more than an average worker’s annual salary. I am sure that that is no longer the case.
A few years back I tried to add some Christmas songs to my set of cover music. I tried. I may have played them, halfheartedly, once. I just couldn’t do it. It was obvious I hated the music when I tried to play it. I have one pseudo-Christmas song that I wrote almost 40 years ago, just when I was on the cusp of quitting the holidays. I may play it once during the season, mostly to see if I remember how. It is a pessimistic take on Christmas – Surprise, surprise. I co-produced a holiday compilation CD about 30 years ago. I was only in it to try to make some money, but it ended up costing me money! It, however, was a wonderful project that I am still very proud of. A lot of great artists contributed to the recording and my mother did a spectacular job designing the cover art. It’s out of print now, but occasionally you may still hear some of the songs on folk radio. It was called The 12 Steps of Christmas and Other Holiday Faire. These weren’t your cookie-cutter Christmas songs. They dealt with loneliness, depression, substance abuse, hunger, homelessness, materialism, and all the other fun realities that the holidays actually bring. Someday it may get a re-release, who knows.
Anyway, I digress. I know you all are convinced that you love Christmas. Do you, really? If anything, please dial it back, especially this year. Read on…
The Cowsills band will always be near and dear to most Rhode Islanders. They lived in Newport when they got their start and are members of the RI Music Hall of Fame. They were the inspiration for the Partridge Family TV show and they were featured in the documentary Family Band. While the surviving members are scattered around the country, they do get together as part of the Happy Together concerts every summer. Occasionally, one or more of them will be in the area visiting family, playing a show, or both. Bob Cowsill, older brother of Paul, John, and Susan, will be performing a solo show on Thursday, Dec 4 and Friday, Dec 5 at Island Cemetery in Newport. Yes, this is a real, indoor venue and there are other music events that happen there as well! Paul is a great performer and not only has the songs but also has great stories. This is a rare chance for an intimate concert with a member of the legendary Cowsills!. For more, follow “The Path of Love” over to: islandcemeterynewport.com/special-events
If you would like to celebrate the season, how about celebrating by helping folks out? More folks than ever need it this year. Last Christmas season was the swan song of the Singing for Shelter annual benefit concert for Lucy’s Hearth and The McKinney Shelter. Mark Gorman and a slew of performers raised thousands of dollars for these organizations over its sixteen year run. Steven Rodriques, who runs RiverStock, has filled the void by creating ShelterStock. This fundraiser will take place at the Newport Playhouse on Dec 6 at 2pm. Lots of local performers will be lending their talent for the event. If you were a fan of Singing Out for Shelter then ShelterStock should satisfy you while helping others. Tickets are available at Lucy’s Hearth, 19 Valley Rd in Middletown or by messaging Steven Rodrigues on Facebook. lucyshearth.org
Speaking of the Newport Playhouse, they have done some remodeling and added a more varied menu. On top of that, there is also live, acoustic music Thursdays – Saturdays! On Saturday, Dec 20 at 7pm. Joe Doyle, a Rhode Island songwriter who made his name in Nashville penning songs for many country greats, will be hosting a writer’s round similar to those at the famous The Bluebird Cafe. Also, if you really need some light, holiday-themed entertainment, then the production of A Twisted Christmas Carol at the playhouse may be what you are looking for. By the way, the new traffic pattern off of the Newport Bridge makes getting to The Newport Playhouse a breeze. For more about all of the goings on there, cabaret over to: newportplayhouse.com
Keep getting those protest songs to me! I will keep putting them in the column. Speak your mind in song! Send a public link of the music, and a copy of the lyrics to: RISongwriters@yahoo.com
That’s it for now. Listen to my podcasts at motifri.com/rootsreportpodcast and find my concert photographs at motifri.com/fuzeksfotos. Thanks!