Okee dokee folks… Summer is officially here, my least favorite time of the year. Look, Mom, I made a rhyme! It’s the heat and humidity. If it didn’t get so stupidly hot then I might like summer. Climate change is really taking hold on the planet and you can deny it all you want but scientists know it’s real. Anyway, I digress, as usual. I hate summer but I somehow have to make the best of it. Music helps. Either playing shows or going to them, though these days I prefer playing. It makes this time of year go by much, much faster. Either playing or listening to music outside, or doing the same in an airconditioned venue, can take your mind off the sweltering conditions. Read on…
The Rhode Island Folk Festival had a bit of a snafu with a grant application that it relied heavily on, and is falling short of the money needed to produce the 2025 event. There is a GoFundMe page set up and if you can donate any amount, it would greatly help the free festival out. This year’s fest hopes to take place on Sunday, August 24 and features 3 stages of music, art vendors, food, beer garden, a children’s area, a songwriter workshop with Mark Cutler, an open song circle with Pete Vendettuoli, and much more. To contribute, philanthrope over to: gofundme.com/f/wvf5rrhode-island-folk-festival For more about this year’s fest, carousel to: RhodeIslandFolkFestival.com
Back in 2001 I was watching Austin City Limits and a woman named Kasey Chambers was one of the features. I watched this set loving each song she performed. I immediately had to get her music and listened to those CDs over and over again. A year after I started writing for Motif, 2005, she was one of the performers at the Newport Folk Festival. I wrote a long bit about her in my column. Back then I blathered on for PAGES. At that time, I was working with the Newport Folk Festival and when Kasey showed up I chatted with her a bit and gave her a copy of the paper with the article in it. A few minutes later she came up to me, whacked me with the paper, and said, “Now I have to live up to this.” It was a funny and memorable moment. Since then I have seen and chatted with her a couple more times and she is still amazing. Last time I hung out and chatted with her father a bit, too! He is a musician as well and we exchanged CDs. A couple of months ago I received a notice that she is FINALLY coming back to the US for a tour. She will be at City Winery in Boston on July 3 and The Iron Horse in North Hampton, MA on July 5. Trust me, she is worth the drive. Though she is Australian she has a wonderful alt-country/Americana sound. She just wrapped her tour in Australia as I write this. I am hoping to secure an interview with her – keep checking my podcasts on the website. Trying to arrange an interview while she is down under has been challenging. She lands in the US in a few days. You can check out her music and hit one of the shows! For more, dingo to: kaseychambers.com
If you remember 1996, then you surely remember the song “Mother, Mother,” by Tracy Bonham that was in heavy rotation on radio stations nationwide. That song and the album, The Burdens of Being Upright, earned her critical and popular praise as well as Grammy nominations. Tracy Bonham is so much more than that one song. She is a classically trained violinist and pianist as well. She has performed with Blue Man Group, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page and so many others. I met her about 20 years ago while she was performing with a pseudo Bluegrass group called The Wayfaring Strangers at the Grey Fox festival in upstate NY. Bonham is celebrating the release of her latest recording, Sky Too Wide. She will be at City Winery in Boston on Monday, June 30. I recently recorded a podcast with her – please give it a listen! For more, Blink the Brightest to: citywinery. com/boston
Palagis Summer Music Series has moved to Wednesday nights. Have a cool summer delight and listen to great music every Wed night from now until the end of August. The shows are free, run from 6 – 8pm, and are outside at Palagi’s Bacon Street location in Pawtucket. For more, lick on over to: fb.com/PalagisSummerMusicSeries
I am still collecting protest songs! I received one from Jon Dember titled “Tear It Apart”. The next two were not sent but I came across them and wanted to share them with you. One is a new one by Eliza Gilkyson called “Dark Ages” – , and the other is by the extremely prolific Jesse Welles, named “No Kings” – .. You can listen to them at the QR codes above. Keep them coming! And speaking of No Kings I wanted to send a thank you to the true patriots who were among the 13 Million Americans who protested on June 14 against the criminal enterprise that is passed off as an administration. Keep it up!!! We have to win.
On June 29, the Narrows Center will present Los Lonely Boys. These guys are one of the most soulful rock acts on the planet. The three brothers formed a band, got signed to a major label, and had a hit single that propelled them to stardom. For more, head to “Heaven” at narrowscenter.org
At The Parlour on North Main Street, singer-songwriter Maya De Vitry will be performing on Sunday, June 29. Just added to the bill is local singer-songwriter, J Michael Graham. For more about this show, strum over to mayadevitry.com or jmgrahammusic.com