Okee dokee folks… I mentioned this in my column a few months ago and now it is coming close to being (IS) a major issue. GASOLINE. Before the mango moron started his war of distraction gas was around $2.70. It is now $4.50 per gallon and rising. Diesel fuel is much higher. Most goods and services transports run on diesel.
Today, I noticed that the vitamins I take have gone up $11 since last month. I cannot afford them now. EVERYTHING is going up in price. It is getting more and more expensive just to drive anywhere.
What does this all have to do with music, you ask? Tour buses and tractor trailers run on diesel. Before any of this shit started, it was hard for a musician (of any level) to make money on a tour or to break even; now it’s worse. These days I don’t do a lot of travel shows, but I do have a few on the calendar. I am questioning the feasibility of doing the shows and may have to cancel. Now this is just me on a very small scale. Think about nationally touring acts.
Playing live shows has become the bread & butter for musicians since streaming killed album sales. Ticket prices will just keep getting higher and if an artist cannot sell enough tix for a date they will probably just cancel. I really have to think about how far I want to travel to play music or to even go out and see live music. I am sure the latter is crossing a lot of folks’ minds. Will you be cutting back on your nights out to catch a band? Food and alcohol have gone up quite a bit as well. This will probably cause a slow down in the restaurant and bar business which, in turn, will affect music if they usually present it.
I hate to be such a pessimist about all of this but I see the signs and I am VERY worried. If things do not turn around very soon the music business will suffer not to mention the entire US economy. This is NOT Joe Biden’s fault no matter what your neighborhood MAGAt may say. This is ENTIRELY on the back of the mango moron. We all need to commit to voting out every single Republican and purging MAGA from the political system. The United States is faltering and if the tumor within is not removed SOON, it’s the end. Sorry, this is what’s on my mind. Read on…
If you want to catch live music that is close-to-home and budget-friendly then consider a couple of shows the Rhode Island Songwriters Association (RISA) has on deck. RISA’s Songwriters in the Round (SITR) show celebrates its 22nd Anniversary with a concert fundraiser at Myrtle in East Providence. On Sunday, Oct 4, from 2 – 5pm, each of the four SITR hosts has booked two performers, so there will be four rounds x 3 players x 3 songs each! This year’s event features:Jan Luby as host with Mary Ann Rossoni and Scott Lewis; Jim Tata as host with Mark Stepakoff and Barbara & Wyatt Lema; Allison Rose as host with Chuck Williams and Joe McDevitt; Joanne Lurgio as host with Mary Pierce and the Anderson-Gram Acoustic Duo.
And if that isn’t enough songwriting for you then wait, there’s more! On Thursday, Oct 8, at 7pm, the RISA Songwriters in the Round monthly show will take place at the Artists’ Exchange. This month’s host, Allison Rose, has guest songwriters Bruce Kittell, Morgan Johnston, and Kathleen O’Brien. This is all original music with each performing a song they wrote based on a topic that was chosen by the audience last month. If you do go, think of a subject you might like to hear songs written about. Who knows, it might be picked for next month. For more, compose over to: risongwriters.com.
The Park Theatre in Cranston has added an intimate performance series to their line-up of events at the historic venue. The new 848 Side Stage will host the Home Grown Series. The 848 Side Stage was created as a space to showcase the incredible artists and musicians in our local and regional community. “The vision behind the Side Stage is rooted in a simple idea: some of the most exciting talent is right here in our own community,” said Rachel Kinnevy-Fitzpatrick, the venue manager of the Park Theatre. “The Home Grown Series gives us an opportunity to celebrate that talent while creating a space where artists and audiences can connect in a more personal way.” There is an ambitious schedule of shows planned for this space. For a full schedule and ticket info, harvest the info here: theparkri.com.
The University of Rhode Island will present their 11th annual Guitar & Mandolin Festival from October 18 – 25.The festival features concerts that span genres (classical, jazz, choro, and more!), workshops, lectures, masterclasses, three categories of performance competitions (2 virtual, 1 in-person), a composer-in-residence program, a youth guitar program, and the New England Invitational Luthier Expo. In addition to the concerts, the festival offers lessons, technique workshops, and lectures by many of the performing artists. The performers include Eliot Fisk and Jorge Caballero, Vincent Beer-Demander, Fabio Gallucci, Ian Coury and Suzuna Takahashi, Antoine Boyer & Eleonora Strino, Yeore Kim, and many more! Festival tickets and passes range from $5 for single concerts to $400 for the full week of concerts, lectures, workshops, and two masterclasses. For a full schedule, artist bios and more, strum over to urigmfest.org.
It’s that time to once again to REMIND folks that if they want something CONSIDERED for coverage in this column, then E-MAIL me about ONE MONTH in ADVANCE of the event. PLAN AHEAD! Send the who, what, where, when, and website info to risongwriters@yahoo.com.
That’s it for now. You can listen to my podcasts at motifri.com/rootsreportpodcast. You can find my concert photographs at motifri.com/fuzeksfotos. Thanks for reading and listening. — John Fuzek, JohnFuzek.com