Dana Lyons to appear, Thursday, August 18

Music No Responses »
Aug 062011

Don’t miss this last-minute show. Dana is big-league good and you will have a great time! He’s worked with Pete Seeger, and luminaries such as Dr. Jane Goodall; Dana and Dr. Goodall’s recent release, Circle the World, is a beautiful mix of Jane Goodall telling stories of chimpanzees and working for peace and environmental justice and Dana’s inspiring ballads.

Dana is best known for his dynamic performances and outrageous hit songs “Cows With Guns,” “RV” and “Ride The Lawn.” A global radio and web hit, “Cows With Guns” was #1 for the year on Dr. Demento, #2 on the Australian Country charts, #1 in Seattle and spent six months on the Irish Top 40.

Dana’s music style includes a bit of everything; his biggest radio hit, “Cows With Guns,” receives crossover radio play on country, rock, alternative, community, college and oldies radio stations worldwide. He has eight releases to date, including his latest, Three Legged Coyote, released in November 2009. He has shared the stage with many notable performers including Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Pete Sears of Jefferson Starship, Stephen Stills, River Phoenix, Nickel Creek, Country Joe McDonald, Utah Phillips and John Trudell.

“Every movement has its minstrel. The unions had Woody Guthrie. The peace movement had Phil Ochs. The environmental movement has Dana Lyons.”

-Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Dana Lyons in concert, Thursday, August 18

Potluck 5 p.m.
(Please bring a covered dish and your favorite beverage. No desserts please.)
Showtime 7 p.m.

Suggested artist donation: $15
To reserve seats in advance, please make a check payable to Dana Lyons and mail to:
7245 Lapwai Lane Darby, MT 59829
Questions/Directions: Contact 349-2943 or jay@jaytoups.com
Thanks for supporting acoustic music in the south valley. It’s appreciated!


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Cliff Eberhardt to appear at LLSC October 25

Music No Responses »
Aug 192009

This show has been postponed due to a prior date cancellation!

Cliff Eberhardt

Cliff Eberhardt knew by age seven that he was going to be a singer and songwriter. Growing up in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, he and his brothers sang together and their parents played instruments. His dad introduced him to the guitar and he quickly taught himself to play.

At fifteen, Cliff and his brother Geoff began touring as an acoustic duo, playing the Eastern club circuit until Cliff turned twenty-one and moved to Carbondale, Illinois. There he found space to develop his own voice within a vibrant and supportive music scene that included Shawn Colvin. After a couple of years there and a short stay in Colorado, Cliff moved to New York in 1978.

Because the clubs were great (the Bitter End, the Speakeasy, Kenny’s Castaway, Folk City) and the company amazing (John Gorka, Suzanne Vega, Lucy Kaplansky, Julie Gold, Steve Forbert, Christine Lavin, and Shawn Colvin), New York was an ideal musician’s boot camp. Though he put in long hours as a taxi driver, Cliff worked steadily on his music throughout the 80’s, doing solo gigs and studio work, and playing guitar on the road with Richie Havens, Melanie and others. Singing advertising jingles for products like Coke, Miller Beer and Chevrolet (“The Heartbeat of America” campaign) allowed him to devote more time to his songwriting.

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Pssst! Wanna see a great performing artist?

Music, Opinion, People, Tech, Unbelievable, Work No Responses »
Apr 222009

crowd_zachparrish081206

Come to my house for a very special concert on Friday night.

Last night I spent at least an hour swapping messages with a new friend on Facebook who happens to be the daughter of an interesting woman who lives nearby. I mentioned an upcoming concert featuring an internationally known fingerstyle guitar player at the absolute top of his game. And that she and her mother would be most welcome to attend. (This is outer Montana, very rural; every seat is a great seat, and every seat with a paying person in it counts. Which is why I work hard to sell the events. They wouldn’t happen otherwise.)

The artist in question is a music industry legend who fills concert halls and listening rooms and music festivals and who delights and thrills his audiences with every thumb-busting performance he gives. All over the world. This artist could easily win a place on a list of the top guitar players who have ever lived. At least among followers of fingerstyle guitar.

No kidding. This artist is easily a world-class performer, composer and musician, by any credible measure. One Google search would provide all the artist credibility needed to validate a decision to see the artist. But we’re not talking about what is credible here.

My new Facebook friend’s incredible ensuing interrogatory was predictable for someone who was looking—first and foremost—for a way out of “having to” attend a concert with an artist she did not yet know. She wasn’t interested in what she could learn about the artist by simply showing up, putting her butt in a seat and digesting every juicy moment of the show with the artist less than 8 feet away.

My Facebook pal wanted to know more about the artist: did he sing? Or does he “just” strum?

Continue reading »

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Gutpuppet to appear January 31

Music, People No Responses »
Jan 282009
Scot Ray and Bill Barrett
“Cross-cultural free folk genre bandits”

Gutpuppet is an LA-based acoustic duo, with Scot Ray on 6, 12, & 22 string slide guitars and slide banjo, along with the mind-bending chromatic harmonica playing of Bill Barrett.

Gutpuppet swings the sonic trapeze between Delta Blues, North Indian raga, Bluegrass, and Gypsy imbued transmutations. Watch the video or check out some glowing CDBaby Reviews here. Then come see the show if you’re in the area. If not, check back after the show for streaming audio of the entire shindig.

More info about the concert here.

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Definition of Personal Slime Trail

Environment, Music, Opinion, People No Responses »
Dec 232006

Harvey Reid is a successful independent musician who manages his own career. He’s a fabulous fingerstyle guitar player and songwriter with around 20 CDs to his credit and a busy tour schedule. An he was the first person I ever encountered who talked about personal slime trails as a way of describing all the trash and garbage generated by we humans (and by extension our respective businesses and institutions) as we go about our lives.

Slime trails are like farts. They’re only tolerable if they are yours or from someone you love very very much. But in the case of personal slime trails, the problem is that we all lead material-rich lives that create a huge amount of solid waste, along with huge amounts of air pollution ala CO2, particulates like soot, heavy metals like cadmium, lead, and arsenic. Do you drive a car? How many lights can you see burning from where you are seated?

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Chicks Like Boys with Guitars

Music, Opinion, People No Responses »
Sep 072006


Being a guitar-toting traveler who appreciates those who like guitar players enough to say so right on their chest, I spotted Rebecca’s shirt and asked her for a pic. She was gracious enough to consent and her friend took the pic. I hesitated to ask her for maybe 15 seconds since I haven’t been a boy in a few decades, but hey, she really was asking for it. :-)

Thanks, Rebecca!

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Gene and Annette

People No Responses »
Jul 212005


Gene Perry is an accomplished professional musician in England. He’s also my first cousin, whom I’ve never met as an adult. My mother and his father (deceased) were twins. We revived our acquaintance a few years back when I received an email (and a very enjoyable CD called “Acoustic Coyotes”) from him while working in Poland in 2002.

The portrait of Gene was done by Annette Fry, Gene’s SO and an equally accomplished artist in her own right…and I think she can sing too! Thanks for the images, Annette, I look forward to seeing more of your work.

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©1997-2011 Jay Toups :-)