// Who knows where the time goes...didn't realize it had been five
// days since the last digest -- sorry for the delay.
// (want more digests? post more messages!)
// Concert reviews and concert reports, and other cool info.
// Enjoy...[BP]

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Ravinia / Chicago Tribune
   Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 21:29:25 -0500 (CDT)
   From: PhotoTwang@webtv.net (Richard Hill)

>From the Chicago Tribune:

Nanci Griffith at Ravinia

Griffith glides along crest of orchestral wave

By Michael Parrish

Orchestral accompaniment of folk and rock acts has recently had a major
resurgence, with artists as diverse as James Taylor, the Moody Blues,
Joni Mitchell, and even Metallica collaborating with symphonies. One of
the latest on this bandwagon is Texas songwriter Nanci Griffith, who
played Ravinia on Wednesday night while accompanied by the Ravinia
Festival Symphony Orchestra and her own five-piece touring band, the
Blue Moon Orchestra. 

Griffith has tried her hand at a variety of styles over the years,
starting with a series of splendid folk albums for Philo and moving
through flirtations with country, pop, and rock in the '90s. After two
discs' worth of covers done in collaboration with guest artists,
Griffith returned to her own impressive catalog for her latest release,
Dust Bowl Symphony, a collaboration with the London Symphony that she
largely reprised at Ravinia. 

In recent years, Griffith has often strained her voice to shouting level
to overcome the increasing volume of her accompanists. This time out,
the contributions of both her own electric band and the orchestral
musicians were more subdued, allowing Griffith's delicate voice, which
sounded better than it has in years, to remain the musical focus. The
Ravinia Orchestra, conducted by Peter Bay, opened the concert with a
brief overture comprising snatches of Griffith's songs. Throughout the
concert, the orchestra was principally employed to add body to the
songs, although it added some classy embellishments such as the brief
Dixieland interlude in "Love at the Five and Dime" and John Hagstrom's
silky muted trumpet solo on Frank Christian's jazzy ballad "Drips From
the Faucet." Griffith's band, led by keyboardist James Hooker, offered
sympathetic instrumental and vocal support. Harmony vocalist and rhythm
guitarist Lee Ann Etheridge, playing her first concert as a member of
the band after the sudden departure of Lee Satterfield, sounded like a
veteran and blended smoothly in. 

The bulk of the concert consisted of familiar Griffith staples like
"Trouble in the Fields" and "It's a Hard Life," many of which focus on
small human dramas that Griffith brings into sharp focus with her
novelist's eye and her expressive, passionate singing. The one new song
Griffith sang, "Traveling Through This Part of You" is a vivid portrait
of contemporary Vietnam, which she visited last year as part of the
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's land mine removal program. 

Griffith paid homage to fellow Texan Buddy Holly by covering two of his
tunes, the sentimental ballad "Tell Me How," which Holly never recorded,
and a warm, affectionate encore of "Well All Right." Griffith introduced
Julie Gold's anti-war ballad "From a Distance," which she made her own
long before Bette Midler made it a hit, by saying "This song changes
lives." Griffith, in her own quiet, beguiling way, changes lives herself
with her unabashedly sentimental and enduring music.

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: The Interlochen Experience
   Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 10:04:06 -0400
   From: nmrs@freeway.net

Interlochen, for those not familiar with it, is a music school/camp
located in Northwestern Michigan and is probably most famous at the
moment because Jewel went to high school there but many, many performers
have come out of their programs.

The campus is situated in a beautiful woods and you get to walk through
much of it on your way to the concert hall, Kresge Auditorium.  Since
programs are run year round, you usually see and hear all kinds of
practicing and performances on your way to the main event.  Last night a
classical choral concert by students finished up just as we got there.
It was a sparkling Northern Michigan summer night with lovely lake
breezes blowing throughout the concert (the hall is covered but the
sides are open).  And Nanci was just as sparkling as the place she was
in.  She looked and sounded even better than we'd hoped.  My husband,
who's never seen her live in concert, commented that you have to see her
live; there is no recording equipment that can capture her strong voice
and true committment to her music.

She followed pretty much the same playlist as the other recent
concerts.  She wore one of the scarves around her neck for the first
half; after intermission the scarf was gone and her LBJ button was quite
evident.  She had on white capri pants and a white halter style top with
a filmy black jacket over it.  Her band was dressed up, too, in contrast
to the performance I saw at Villa Montalvo last year where they looked
like folksingers!
The Interlochen orchestra seemed to be enjoying their time with her and
it showed in a lovely performance.  And I am one who love nanci best
when its just her and her guitar.
But like Dustbowl Symphony, some of her songs do work well with
orchestra.  And I agree with the Ravinia "reviewer" who liked the live
"Drops in the Faucet"; her voice just seemed to shine with that song and
she had so much fun singing it.

In short, anyone living near anywhere she is scheduled to perform this
summer, go!  You will not be disappointed.  And I like Lee Ann Etheridge
( I saw her last summer, too) although I wished I'd gotten to see Lee
Satterfield once.

She spent some time talking about her committment to the land mines
banishment movement and the vietnam veterans efforts to help and
introduced a new song she has written about the subject which was quite
moving.  She also had to touch on her Crickets and give them their due.

Oh, celebrity sighting:  we saw Michael Moore of  "Downsize This", etc.
fame come in just before the concert started and sit down near the
front.  He is pretty hard not to recognize...

Anne in Michigan

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: "Lou-a-vull" Saturday Night
   Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 02:55:52 -0400
   From: bucky (bucky@aye.net>

  Nanci and the reconstituted Blue Moon Orchestra took the Louisville
Zoo's 'Roarchestra Stage' Saturday night and captivated a crowd of about
5,500 under a perfect star filled sky.  The mild summer evening, the
Canada geese flying formation overhead, a picnic basket filled with
tasty surprises, and a full orchestra backing up Ms. Griffith and the
BMO ... it don't get better than that.

  The play list duplicated the Ravinia concert and the voice was in full
range from the start, too bad the sound board wasn't ready until the end
of the 1'st number 'Trouble In These Fields'.   That was the only glitch
in an otherwise well paced, eclectic and thoroughly enjoyable concert. 
Ticket holders in Palo Alto and Utah are in for a unique show when the
group comes to a symphony venue near you.

  Sitting about a football field away, the only fashion report I can
verify is that all performers were fully dressed in clothes appropriate
for the weather.  Nnaci and Lee Ann both wore silk scarves similar to
those auctioned off at the Atlanta and Chicago concerts.  The last three
scarves were sold at a 'silent auction' here in Louisville with funds
going to Nanci's latest cause; Worldwide Ban of Land Mines.

  After the second set, Nanci had time for one last encore before the
group was whisked away to a 'Late Night Grand Hotel' or possibly an
'Outbound Plane' for Sunday' benefit at Stanford University.  

  Tonight's 'Dust Bowl Symphony' was a two hour retrospective of Nanci's
career.  It was 'One Fair Summer Evening' that I will long remember, but
I still wonder what she is going to do next.

_________________________________________________________________


     Subject: NN: Re: Strawberry Pie
        Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 11:08:47 -0400
        From: "Donate von Bredow-Gardner" (dvbgardner@genelogic.com>

>    lippert@pgh.nauticom.net wrote:
> (((Growing up a middle class white yankee in suburban America in the 60's>>>

Being a digester, my responses to messages are always delayed -- sorry about
that.
Kenn -- thank you for this wonderful account of your personal history.   Having
grown
up in the 60's and 70's in Germany, many of our "modern" musical idols were
Brits and
Americans.    A scholar of  humanistic studies, Latin, Goethe, the classic
literature
and daily immersion in classical music and jazz, the "other" kind of life that
transpired from the English-speaking worlds of those days fascinated us
greatly.
While we had quite a bit of our own cultural influences and passions -- much of
which
with a heavy political slant -- I do remember being so in awe of the life
across the
pond, that seemingly easy-going and carefree lifestyle, those 4th of July
barbecues,
the beach life on the west coast, hot dogs and grossly delicious looking
colored
icing on cakes, those HUGE cars y'all drove, the passion of the anti-war
movement,
that national pride and reverence to the American flag (in my country, national
pride
was taboo after WWII), and so on and so on.......   In the eyes of this
teenager in
Europe, life in the U.S. seemed so much simpler and so much more sparkling
then.
(Later on,of course, I became aware that Germans weren't the only ones with
horrendous baggage -- but that didn't always pop up in the music I adored so
much in
those days).
I, too, ended up packing my 12-string and hitchhiking up to Holland, France,
and
other places (it was still okay for a young woman to travel that way in those
days).   I was a free spirit and had no fear of sitting down just anywhere and
playing for and with anybody that asked  -- not for money, just to connect with
other
like-minded spirits.     Just like the people that crossed your path, Kenn, I
fancied
myself some sort of a trobadour and dreamed of a life designed around music.   
Alas,
life got in the way later on, as most of us have experienced.   Well, my point
here
is that your first-hand account of a young person's life in "Amerika" in those
days
has truly warmed my heart and brought back some of those feelings that the
American
singers/songwriters used to evoke in me and other European youth.
Now I'm living in America - enjoying it, really - but nostalgically remembering
my
teenage and college years back in Europe where we embraced life so
differently.  When
Jackson Browne, Dylan, Guthrie, Joan Baez et al were "exotic" of some sort and
I was
blessed and fortunate to speak the English language and sharing much of that
music
with the people in "my world".   Your wonderful story, Kenn, has closed a loop
in my
life.  Thank you and God Bless you.

Donate "had it both ways" von Bredow-Gardner

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Great folks
   Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 11:10:52 EDT
   From: "nathaniel calhoun" (natecalhoun@hotmail.com>

I have been lurking on this list for the past several years.  I had the 
distinct pleasure this past weekend of meeting Donna and several NNetters 
from out of town at the Kate Campbell show. (I was also at Nanci's show the 
night before) I just want to say that as a Catholic priest it is wonderfully 
inspiring to know there are people who do such wonderful things to help 
others out.  Chipping in for Bill's trip was moving and I regret that I 
didn't hear about it in time to be a part of it (since I haven't been 
reading the digest very often lately).
I was glad to make the contacts and get the great NN t-shirt from Donna.  
Thanks a mil.  I look forward to getting some of those cool Kate stickers 
soon.
Keep spreading the love around,
Peace
Fr. Nathan (or just plain old Nathan)


_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Send shoes
   Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 12:14:10 -0700 (PDT)
   From: JoMo (jdtsp@yahoo.com>

I was in a used record store and came across another
copy of Nanci Griffith's "Revisited" (for only $7.00,
I don't think they knew what they had)  I already had
the Cd so I thought what a steal, so I bought it. 
So, I started thinking about the landmine free world
campaign that Nanci supports and thought about putting
the two together in a fun way. 
If you follow this web site:
http://www.vvaf.org/htdocs/landmine/us/can_do/1997/sendthemshoes.htm
It has a list of place to send shoes as a reminder of
victims of landmines.
So I'm running a contest. The person who pledges to
send the most shoes wins my extra copy of Nanci
Griffith's Revisited. (So honor system)
(P.S., not to play favorites, but since the
corporation is in the same area as me, I'd prefer the
shoes to go to Alliant Tech, plus, the stinkier the
better).
Even if you have the CD, this is a great cause to help
out with. 
I'll send out the CD next Friday to whomever pledges
the most by then.
Good Luck!
-jomo

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: Kasey Chambers
   Date: Fri, 14 Jul 00 23:35:54 +0100
   From: John Edward Graveling (kai21@dial.pipex.com>

Kevin Montgomery & Pettibone's tour of the UK is their first with a 
full band and features Pat Buchanan on guitars and the Mavericks rhythm 
section of Robert Reynolds (bass) and Paul Deakin (drums). They should 
all be rockin' good shows, kicking off with the country festival of the 
year with Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, plus of course Little Feat.

By the way, the question I asked prior to Atlanta last weekend about 
Kevin's link to Nanci. Well lots of folks said it was because they both 
had tracks on the Buddy Holly tribute cd, where Kevin sang "Wishing" with 
Mary Chapin Carpenter. That is true, but not what I was after. Kevin's 
dad, Bob Montgomery (writer of "Wishing") was Buddy Holly's original 
music partner, they were Buddy & Bob, before the Crickets. The Crickets 
are like uncles to Kevin, he grew up around them as his dad made his mark 
as a famous Nashville writer ("Heartbeat"/"Misty Blue", amongst a host of 
others) and producer (Shelby Lynne/Joe Diffie). Kevin introduced a friend 
of mine from England to all the Crickets on a recent visit to Nashville, 
apparently my friends face was worth a thousand pictures and the look was 
of total disbelief at meeting them. It was a nice touch, but that's 
Kevin, a nice guy!!!

John "ready to hit Nashville anytime now" Graveling

_________________________________________________________________


   Subject: NN: Re: Wishes and changes
      Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 14:03:40 +0800
      From: "Bob McConnochie" (rsm@ppp.com.hk>


Possibly by way of the flip side to "unabashedly sentimental and enduring",
I would like to share the following quote, attributed to Janis Joplin, from
the June issue of the superb "Mojo" magazine;

"That's the good thing about women, man. Because they sing their ****in'
insides, man.Women, to be in the music business, give up more than you'd
ever know. She got kids she gave up......Any woman gives up home life, an
old man probably. You give up a home and friends, children and friends. You
give up an old man and friends, you give up every constant in the world
except music. That's the only thing in the world you got, man. So for a
woman to sing, she really needs to or wants to. A man can do it as a gig,
because he knows he can get laid tonight."

Thought I'd share that with you, as we sit here in homage to the commitment
of Nanci Griffith and so many others.

Have a great weekend;
Bob Mc

_________________________________________________________________


    Subject: Re: NN: Re: Wishes and changes
       Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 07:33:41 -0500
       From: Sarah Wrightson (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com>

The Joplin quote reminded by of a Townes Van Zandt quote:

"Young people ask me sometimes, 'Well, Mr. Van Zandt, I would like to do
what you do.  How do I go about it?'  Well, you have to get a guitar or
a piano.  Guitars are easier to carry.  And then you have to blow
everything off.  You have to blow off your family.  You have t blow off
comfort.  You have to blow off money.  You have to blow off security. 
You have to blow off your ego.  You have to blow off everything except
your guitar.  Sleep with it, learn how to tune it and no matter how
hungrey you get, stick with it.  You'll be amazed at the amount of
people that turns away."

Sarah

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Re: NanciNet #00712
   Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 19:03:01 EDT
   From: Rocalittl@aol.com

Hey gang,
    Have absolutely loved hearing all the details of what sounded like a 
memorable and truly special musical Atlanta weekend which made me wish that I 
had been able to go. Ya gotta make it an annual affair! 
    Also have enjoyed the wonderful Nanci concert reports, and it sure sounds 
like Nanci is in top form, even with the departure of the gifted Lee S. I 
wish Nanci would reconsider her statement about DBS being her last release 
for a while, although we all know she is prone to change her mind on this 
issue :-).
    Hope to get my Nanci concert fix next weekend at The Lancaster Festival 
in Ohio, not to far from my hometown of Pittsburgh, and perhaps even 
venturing to Philly next month to catch her show at the Philadelphia Folk 
Fest. I wish I could make it to the Rocky Mt. Folks Fest in Lyons, CO next 
month too, but I will have to wait for next summer on that one. Anyone else 
planning on going to Lancaster or Philly?
    Bill P., not to belabor the subject but you do an outstanding job 
moderating this list, and don't let a few petty folks get you down :-).
    Shawn, please keep us all posted on the date of your CD release for 
Mountain Soul. After all the overwhelmingly positive reviews of your band's 
shows so many of us are looking forward to it's release.
    Take care everyone. Back to lurkdom.... 
                                        ~Lisa Cain

_________________________________________________________________


   Subject: NN: Re: Re: NanciNet #00712
      Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 20:53:02 -0300
      From: "Douglas Dick" (cddick@viaccess.net>

We will be going to Philadelphia Folk Festival. We have tickets for Sunday
afternoon whenNanci is scheduled to play.

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Lee Ann, Travelgate
   Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 19:31:09 -0700
   From: "Julie Broyles" (Julie@bmhm.com>

Steve Hale wrote:
>What is the scoop on Lee Ann Etheridge? Has she joined Nanci on tour already? Not familiar with her, where might we have heard her (toured or recorded with)? Julie, or anyone else, please tell us what you know.

I've heard her live just once, with Nanci last year, and boy does she have a
purty voice, and she plays well.  I think she was playing bass guitar when de
la Vega was on cello, and rhythym guitar otherwise.  And, yes, Nanci said Lee
Ann and the great percussionist McInerney are married.

Julie Anne

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Gigabeat.com--spiral view of artists similar to NG
   Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 20:18:54 -0700
   From: "Peter Kretzman" (kretzman@speakeasy.org>

Just saw this interesting web site referenced in a magazine: it's a site
where you can type in an artist and get a spiral view of the names of
similar artists--better-known artists land in the top half of the spiral and
lesser-known ones land in the bottom half.  Interesting.   You can also do
some customization of the criteria it uses.  Here's the link for the Nanci
spiral:

http://www.gigabeat.com/cgi-bin/searchMP3.cgi?qa=Nanci+Griffith&fa=1&mr=trun
cate&ea=1&pt=disc

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Concerts in Sheffield UK
   Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 19:17:34 +0100
   From: "Robert Greene" (robert@chemcheck.freeserve.co.uk>

For those who live in the North of England there are some good concerts
coming our way.
   Steve Earle, Sheffield City Hall, 28 September
   Kate Rusby, Sheffield City Memorial Hall, 28 October
   Lucy Kaplansky, Sheffield City Memorial Hall, 13 December

   Box Office 0114 2789789
   
Bob Greene

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Tickets to Nanci's Performances with Utah Symphony
   Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 12:22:30 -600
    From: "KEITH ZAMZOW" (keith@aged-ims.tamu.edu>

Nanci Netters:

I have two tickets (Section OR B, row 10, seats 1&3) to Nanci's 
August 4, 2000 performance with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel 
Hall in Salt Lake City and two tickets (Reserved seating) to the 
performance the following evening (August 5) at Deer Valley.

Unfortunately, my wife and I will not be able to make these 
performances, and therefore, would like to offer them to anyone 
interested.  The tickets to the SLC performance were $42.00 each.  
Those to the Deer Valley performance were $24.00 each.

Anyone interested please email me privately, k-zamzow@tamu.edu

Thanks

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Vince Bell concert news
   Date: Tue, 18 Jul 00 21:44:59 +0100
   From: John Edward Graveling (kai21@dial.pipex.com>

Well friends out in the madness I am proud to announce that Vince Bell is 
playing a special concert at Douglas Corner on Wednesday 9th August. It's 
still a few weeks away, so it gives y'all a chance to plan a trip to 
sunny middle Tennessee. 

I know there are many new converts to Vince's music after his recent 
performance in Atlanta, and this provides people with a chance to see him 
play his full set. 

There will be many industry folks present as well as Vince's contempories 
in the songwriting art from Nashville, as well as people from Europe.

It promises to be a unique and fulfilling evening and I know Sarah and 
Vince will look forward to meeting as many people as possible, who can 
make it.

See y'all there!!!!

John "about to cross the pond" Graveling

// again?!?!?!?!? [BP]
_________________________________________________________________


Subject: Re: NN: Vince Bell concert news: CORRECTED
   Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 18:51:36 -0500
   From: Sarah Wrightson (sarahwrightson@vincebell.com>

Ah...sorry for the spam folks...but I have to correct an impression. 
This is no up-town industry night.  This night is for friends...any of
you that can come!...to welcome the Gravelings, and David Riley also
from the UK, and Joanna Serraris (many of you will know her as editor
and publisher of the exquisite book Steve Earle in Quotes) from The
Netherlands.  The wonderful Jamie Hartford Band is also playing.

Just for fun, and with love, for making and renewing friendships, and a
lot of music.

'nuff said,

Sarah "who the heck said Englishmen were reserved???" W.

_________________________________________________________________


Subject: NN: Vince Bell
   Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 16:29:32 -0400
   From: "Richard" (rweintraut@msn.com>

>Well friends out in the madness I am proud to announce that Vince Bell is 
playing a special concert at Douglas Corner on Wednesday 9th August. It's 
still a few weeks away, so it gives y'all a chance to plan a trip to 
sunny middle Tennessee. (

And if you haven't seen Vince Bell... you are missing one of the best.

Hope to see some of you there.

Weintraut

_________________________________________________________________

Questions about NanciNet?  Send e-mail to bpage@scctel.com