a blog about Butch.: 05/01/2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

California Here I Come! Plus Beatle Uke Book News

Friday, May 29, 2015 - 7:00 PM
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering -- Dulcimer Concert
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, California
Phone 510-644-2020
http://www.thefreight.org/berkeley-dulcimer-gathering-dj-hamouris

May 30, 2015 - 9:00 AM
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering -- Workshops
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, California
http://www.thefreight.org/berkeley-dulcimer-gathering-dj-hamouris

May 31, 2015 - 4:00 PM
Workshop and Ukulele Concert
The Strum Shop
408 Roseville Square
Roseville (Sacramento), CA
$20 per person admission to concert is free (if you attend workshop)
http://thestrumshop.com/calendar

Yeah, I'm sure I'm the 50,000th dude to title a blog with that phrase. Thing is, everyone who's ever said that thinks that they're being clever.

Anyway, this week I'm off for the first time to the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering in über-liberal
(And über inventing) Berkeley, California (no word yet on whether or not I'll need a passport to get into it).

All joking aside, I'm super looking forward to seeing old friends whom I haven't seen in forever, as well as making of new ones. The last time I was in the Bay area, I wasn't yet a dulcimer player. I played a terrible gig at a place called "brainwash" 'cuz it was a Monday and free laundry was part of the contract. (It really was/is a great place, just not on the night I was there). This time I'll be at the Freight and Salvage, a venerable venue and a bucket list destination for any erstwhile folkie. No kidding, this one goes on the resume.

Then on Sunday, I'll be in Sacramento (or very close to it) teaching a Uke Workshop and playing some tunes afterwards. Which brings me to my next thing…

BEATLES UKE BOOK INFO

For those of you who have been patiently waiting (some since OVG) for the CD that comes with the Beatles Uke book, I have good news. It's DONE! If you've ordered it and gave me your address, it's in an envelope and on it's way to you. It won't be on my website 'til I get back from Cali, but it should be available online at prussiavalley.com or Folkcraft.com the next week or so.

Some of you have written thinking that the CD is actually a DVD. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear about that. BUT all those videos of me playing the songs will be available on YouTube, for free, in the next few days. The easiest way to get on board with that is to go to my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ButchRoss and subscribe. If you don't want to that (Hey, I get it, I’m on more lists than I want to be too), you can always just remember the URL and check back in a few days.

Anyway, that's the news for now. Amazing things have been happening both in front of and behind the scenes and will continue to. Hope you can be a part of it.

C-ya out there.

-Br
www.butchross.com

Those shows again…
Friday, May 29, 2015 - 7:00 PM
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering -- Dulcimer Concert
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, California
Phone 510-644-2020
http://www.thefreight.org/berkeley-dulcimer-gathering-dj-hamouris

May 30, 2015 - 9:00 AM
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering -- Workshops
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, California
http://www.thefreight.org/berkeley-dulcimer-gathering-dj-hamouris

May 31, 2015 - 4:00 PM
Workshop and Ukulele Concert
The Strum Shop
408 Roseville Square
Roseville (Sacramento), CA
$20 per person admission to concert is free (if you attend workshop)
http://thestrumshop.com/calendar

Thursday, May 21, 2015

New Videos! Shows all over Chatt' this weekend plus BERKLEY DULCIMER GATHERING! in California

Upcoming Shows:

May 23, 2015
8:00 PM
Charles & Myrtle's Coffeehouse,
105 McBrien Rd
Chattanooga, TN
$10 suggested donation
http://www.christunity.org/events.05.15.html

Sunday, May 24, 2015
1:30 PM
Brunch at The Flying Squirrel
The Flying Squirrel
55 Johnson St.
Chattanooga, TN
Free (eat something)
www.flyingsquirrelbar.com/

Sunday, May 24, 2015 -- 5pm
Amber Fults and the Ambivalent Lovers
@ Roots Fest
Cherokee Farms,
Old Mineral Springs Road, Lafayette, GA
3 Day Ticket - $50.00 2 Day Ticket - $40.00 1 Day Ticket - $25.00
http://www.roots-fest.com/

Friday, May 29, 2015 - 7:00 PM
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering -- Dulcimer Concert
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, California
Phone 510-644-2020
http://www.thefreight.org/berkeley-dulcimer-gathering-dj-hamouris

May 30, 2015 - 9:00 AM
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering -- Workshops
Freight and Salvage
2020 Addison Street
Berkeley, California
http://www.thefreight.org/berkeley-dulcimer-gathering-dj-hamouris

May 31, 2015 - 4:00 PM
Workshop and Ukulele Concert
The Strum Shop
408 Roseville Square
Roseville (Sacramento), CA
$20 per person admission to concert is free (if you attend workshop)
http://thestrumshop.com/calendar

This weekend finds me all over Chattanooga…

Tomorrow night I’ll be a Charles and Myrtles, a great but almost completely
unknown venue here in town. Three weeks ago, John McCutcheon played to
about 12 people here. It’s that kind of intimate. It draws that kind of
talent.

I knew about Charles and Myrtles before I knew about Rock City. Needless to
say, I’m pretty psyched to play here. Being such an intimate venue, I’m
considering doing something special here. Whether it’s a set of my favorite
songwriters or maybe my first (non-dulcimer) album in it’s entirety, I’m
not sure. But something...

Then I’ll be making ambient brunch-y sounds at the Flying Squirrel. Which
despite being way too trendy for my tastes, has great food and makes the
second-best Bloody Mary in town. Then I will get immediately in the car and
drive down to Cherokee Farms in Lafayette, GA to play roots fest with Amber
Fults and the Ambivalent Lovers. Looking forward to this one, we have 3
maybe 4 new songs in the set, including one we just worked up this week.

Then next week, I’m on a plane and one my way to California for the
Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering. I'll talk more about it early next week, but i
wanted you to know that today is the last day for the early-bird discount.
It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been to that part of the world and
I’m really looking forward to being back there again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, a couple of weeks ago I get a phone call from my songwriter and
videographer friend Tim. “I’m going on tour in Canada, wanna come with?” he
says.

“Sure!” I said.

“Great!” He replied. “Pick me up in the Minneapolis Airport in four days.”

Okay, that’s the abbreviated version of that story. But it IS true that I
found myself preparing for a tour of the midwest with about five days
notice.

Why? Because I’ve learned you say “Yes” to everything.

We were detained at the Canadian border for nearly three hours, and later I
learned during the LAST sale I made that Canadians are used to paying $20
for a CD, and I’d been selling them for ten. But other than that, I had an
amazing time. Met wonderful people, including Winnipeg music Rick Martin,
one of the sweetest and most truly humble people I’ve ever met. Tim called
him his mentor, and I can see why. I also met 16-year-old singer Gabriel
Fiddler (who needs to get to Toronto so someone can make him a star).

Here’s a little video Tim made of our trip:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8DEeI0wC5A

After that we drove to Minneapolis where we did two house concerts and a
workshop. Tim’s girlfriend and musical partner Faye Petree joined us and we
jammed on a nice version of “Hunting the Buffalo.” You can watch that here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M49zrvo6MeE

It’s now my favorite version of my favorite old-time tune.

C-ya out there.

--Br
www.butchross.com

"Now I know what a dulcimer is supposed to sound like" —Jake Shimabukuro

Those shows again...