//  Austin's SXSW music festival is over, and today we have a report
//  from Nanci's appearance.  Also, a couple more festival dates have
//  come in, and we have another recommendation for Valerie Smith.  - MF

From: bobmcbob@clubhouse.email.net                                
Subject: nanci at SXSW                                               

My big thanks to whoever tipped us off to the Sugar Hill showcase at the
South By Southwest music conference. I managed to get in tonight and see
Nanci, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, David Ball (with fellow Uncle Walt's Band
member Champ Hood on fiddle) at a small Mexican restaurant on Congress Avenue
(just down the street from where Woolworth's used to be.).

I got there 10 minutes early and sat in the back next to a woman with short,
brown hair and her friend. Rodney Crowell was on stage warming up solo. A few
minutes later Nanci walked in and worked her way to the back where she and
the woman next to me started talking. They compared gray hair sprouting on
their heads. This woman, I later realized was Emily of Indigo Girls!

To the music: The four guitar-weilding players took turns, staring with Guy
Clark doing Townes Van Zandt's "To Live is to Die."
Nanci was next and played "Talk to Me While I'm Listening." She said she was
asked to perform it recently on a Scottish TV show, but couldn't remember it.
So she relearned it for this show.

Next Rodney Crowell played a song, "Reasons to Leave," that he'd recently
written with Karen Goss(sp?) while in Ireland. Karen had asked him to play it
for Nanci when he next saw her, which was today.

I didn't keep a thorough track of songs performed, but Guy Clark did the song
that includes the line, "I wish I was in Austin at the Chili Parlor Bar
drinking Mad Dog margaritas...."  Apparently he and Nanci had dinner together
at the Chili Parlor the night before and the couple at the next table freaked
out. They had come there from out of town specifically because of Guy's song.
Nanci wondered if they thought she and Guy hung out there all the time.

Other Nanci songs: Who Knows Where the Time goes, a Sandy Denny (again sp?)
number to be included on OVORII. Very nice.

Rodney, Nanci and Guy jointly sang Guy's "Gone Side of Leaving." And Nanci
finished up with "Time of Inconvenience."

Oh, I forgot--Nanci also sang "Always Will" and had the crowd of jaded music
journalists in the palm of her hand. Her voice was in excellent form. Nanci
said she wrote the song in Austin at the Four Seasons Hotel and included a
mention of the extremely loud sound of the hotel doors slamming.

Rodney also sang "Rock A My Soul" by Kimmie Rhodes, who was in the audience.

I haven't mentioned David Ball much here, but he does have an excellent
voice. He sang a song by the late Walter Hyatt that was particularly moving.

Is that enough detail? Needless to say, I'm glad I talked my way into this
one. I woulnd't have even known about it without the alert on here last
Friday!

later--bob

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: "John A. Nolan" (janolan@ibm.net)                           
Subject: Nanci at Chicago Fleadh June 20                              

The Chicago Tribune reports that there will be a Chicago date for the
Guinness Fleadh on June 20 at the Arlington Heights Racecourse.
"Performers(some of questionable Irish heritage) include Sinead O'Connor,
the Chieftains, Chumbawamba, Richard Thompson, Los Lobos, Indigo Girls,
Shane MacGowan, Nanci Griffith and John Lee Hooker, among others." Arlington
Heights is a suburb northwest of the city and very accessible to major
highways and public transportation.

John(Lurker)Nolan

 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: steve odom (datalink@OnlineToday.Com)                       
Subject: Look out Dallas, here comes Nanci!                          

Hi fellow netters.  I love my weekly "nanci-news" although I've never posted
anything myself.  Kept waiting for someone else to break the news, but it
looks like it's up to me.  Nanci will be appearing in Dallas on April 23
along with Shawn Colvin, the Indigo girls and Graham Nash.  It's a voters
for choice benefit at the Majestic theater (where I first saw Nanci live).
Would love to hear if anybody out there will be able to attend.  I'll be
there with bells on!
A kindred spirit,
Cary Odom

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From: lbday@siu.edu (Lisa Day)                                    
Subject: I second that Valerie motion                                

Hi Grifffiends,

When have I ever disagreed with Shawn on anything?  He's totally right
about Valerie Smith.  I've given her Patchwork Heart a thorough going, and
it keeps beating for me.

Valerie Smith blends a few styles that I think most people on this list
would like.  She has chosen a wonderful selection of songs, and she sings a
story on par with the best of our frequently mentioned female
singer-songwriters.  Her vocal performance is irresistibly sing-along-able,
which is a key criteria for me since I've been doing a lot of travelling
lately with my favorite CDs in tow.

The closest comparison is perhaps Gillian Welch, and my favorite songs from
the CD are the ones that remind me of Revival.  My favorites include the
title cut, the cover of Gillian Welch's "Red Clay Halo," and the gospel
tune "Three Men on a Mountain" with its spooky musical dissonance (sorry
for the lack of technical musical terminology).  My hands-down favorite cut
on the CD reminds me of the storytelling quality that first drew me to
Nanci Griffith.  The song "Summer's Last Dance" describes the same kind of
bittersweet beauty in the life-relationship of the couple from "Gulf Coast
Highway" and "Love at the Five and Dime."

I can tell how much I like the CD because I'm having withdrawal symptoms
right now.  After my last road trip, I took an empty jewel box home with
me, and that person hasn't yet returned my CD.  For shame!

Okay, de-lurk mode over.  Back to allegorizing in my dissertation cave.

Lisa "ain't my fault that the fields are muddy" Day

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Shawn Kimbro (kimbro@planetc.com)                           
Subject: Re: I second that Valerie motion                            

Lisa dripped from her academic cave and wrote:

> ... Valerie Smith.  I've given her Patchwork Heart a thorough going,
> and it keeps beating for me.

Dear NanciNet friends,

You simply MUST hear Valerie Smith.  Many of you know well my musical
tastes.  It's Nanci, Gillian, Kate's Campbell and Wolfe, Lucy K, etc...
If you like these folks - Get Valerie Smith!  I haven't been this
excited about an artist in a long time.  I met Valerie today at a local
record store and was very impressed.  I told her about you nice folks
and mentioned that I'd been talking about her to you.  Of course she
knows Gillian Welch and is a big fan.  And she adores Nanci.

I just got in from seeing her in concert.  She was playing a benefit for
our local radio station. She wasn't billed as the top act but you can
bet she will be from now on.  The sell-out crowd literally ate her up.
I've never seen a town go as crazy for an artist like Knoxville has for
Valerie Smith.  They were roaring at every pause in every song.  She was
obviously surprised and so nervous she could hardly speak, but her
performance was great! (Get this... after her last song she wasn't
expecting an encore call since none of the previous acts had received
one, she'd mentioned she couldn't see the audience because of the
lights, and she started cleaning up cups and bottles off the stage! This
while the audience was standing, stomping and screaming!!) She was truly
taken aback at the reaction. I almost felt sorry for the top-billed
band, no one could have followed her.

Trust me folks, there's a star being born here.  And she plays just the
kind of music we like... melodic, story-songs, a little gospel thrown
in... just the right mix of folk, country, and bluegrass.  Remember
where you heard about her first.  (grin)  Here's her URL:
         http://www.grassrootspickers.com/valerie/welcome.html

Warm Regards,
Shawn (what cd?) Kimbro

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From: paul.reeve@virgin.net (paul.reeve@virgin.net)               
Subject: Red Hot & Country & Transatlantic sessions                  

Hi all,

The Red hot & country video was shown in the UK on Channel 4 (IIRC).
Unfortunately my copy didn't survive rerecording :(

The first Transatlantic sessions was shown nationally on BBC2 - we can
only hope that happens again.

Saw Nanci with Flyer on CMT last Monday - last time I expect as it goes
off the air 31st March

Paul

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Tony Bloomfield (tonyb@reading.u-net.com)                   
Subject: What is it about teachers?                                  

I was reading a (Brit) folk music mag this week, and there were two
interviews with singers, both of whom had originally trained as teachers.

I've noticed before that this seems quite common, and of course, Our Nance
is a prime example.

Does anyone have any theories about why this should be so?

Cheers,
TonyB.

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From: Tacoma6844 (Tacoma6844@aol.com)                             
Subject: 98320                                                       

This is my first reply to the digest although I've kept my eye on you folks
for a long time. What promted me to write was the ACL that just replayed. I
was unable to attend the BRFTM tour so I was really excited to see the ACL
from that tour being broadcast. The way the announcer started the show made it
sound like a farewell preformance, and the fact that the whole hour was
dedicated to Nanci got me even more excited, but I'll have to say that handing
over half the show to the crickets and then preforming every song she has
recorded that sounded like the crickets to me was quite a disappointment.
Maybe missing the tour wasn't the great loss I thought.  Gary
Tacoma6844@aol.com

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From: Jon Dunn (jwd@indiana.edu)                                  
Subject: Austin City Limits tape?                                    

My PBS station normally carries Austin City Limits but this year is not
airing it at all during their March fund drive, skipping three new
episodes altogether, including Nanci's.

I was wondering if some kind NanciNetter who taped Saturday's show might
be able to provide me with a copy or loan me their tape so that I could
copy and return it. I would gladly reimburse any expenses (tape, postage,
etc.).  Please contact me by e-mail if interested.

Thanks,

Jon Dunn
jwd@indiana.edu

_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Geoff Morley (g.morley@virgin.net)                          
Subject: Worst????                                                   

Perhaps I can understand why some charlatan of a music reviewer took
exception to BRFTM - it takes listening and re-listening to appreciate
its full sublety. When I first heard it I wasn't over impressed - but
the more I heard it, the better it got. The icing on the cake was seeing
Nanci and the Crickets live last year - in Newcastle, North East
England. That suddenly put the album fully into perspective, and the
album exudes the sheer professionalism and enjoyment that I witnessed on
stage that night. The album, above all, captures the mood of skilled
musicians who love music playing for each other as much as an audience.
The only other album I can compare it to is the classic "The Band" -
where the music just comes across as people playing across the living
room to each other - a sentiment which Nanci herself expresses.

BRFTM the worst? - no way - it's the very best!

Thanks to all who responded to me with details of "If These Old Walls
Could Speak".

Geoff
 
_________________________________________________________________
 
From: Beth Herron (bherron@asgnet.psc.sc.edu)                     
Subject: Austin City Limits                                          

For those of you out there in South Carolina, SC ETV plans to air
Nanci's appearance on Austin City Limits May 9th.  They interrupted the
ACL schedule for their pledge drive (to show such classics as That's
 Entertainment, Part II), and now are resuming with the national
schedule, making up the pre-empted shows later on.

So, it will air eventually.  The Townes Van Zandt tribute is airing
this Saturday.

Beth Herron

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From: Ed Maier (eddie@flash.net)                                  
Subject: They're back.....                                           

Bluebonnets. Sharon and I were fooling around down in South Texas
and we first noticed that they had boinged up on Loop 1604 around
San Antonio, and then along Hwy. 90 West through Castroville and
Hondo, and then sporadically Through Sabinal, Knippa, and Uvaldie.
I guess the El Nino winter and good rain has an up side after all.

Ed Maier
L.I.S.

 
_________________________________________________________________
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