Music Merriment and Assorted Amusements - David Roe - The Latest

Almost Faire Time

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

festfun.com The grounds are abuzz with the sounds of saws and rehearsals. Opening weekend is a month away.

Chippewa Valley Faire Grounds

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire

I am going back to the renaissance, again! John Mills has been named as producer for the Faire and Campgrounds in Chippewa Falls, WI, less than 2 hours East of the Twin Cities, and I will be your not so humble host and musical director. On weekends, from May 22- June 20, we will be opening the gates to a medieval wonderland, more spam, than cam a lot. I have assembled a musical cast that will include current and former members of The Gypsy Guerilla Band, Cantiga, New Minstrel Review, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Avenbury/Samirah, Celtic Stone, Hey Nunny Nunny, Boiled In Lead, Cafe Mundo International, Wolgemut and Small Potatoes, plus Billy Miller and a certain story telling monk. I believe the King not only sings, but also plays bodhran, bones, and over 50 jaw harps and mouth bows. There will be a full contact rock and roll joust, and the entire musical cast will assemble at the end of the day to become the largest 13th century bulgarian afro indo celt jazz rock orchestra in captivity, complete with the spinning WHEEL OF MUSIC, a relic of days gone by.

WILDER WEST & STEAMPUNK EXTRAVAGANZA

August 28 & 29- September 25 & 26

Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Ned Buntline and a Saloon full of singing, and dancing characters, PLUS a full on RODEO!

The Haunted Valley

October 14-31

The unusual. The creepy. The bizarre. All Halo's eve in the dark hollow.

found recordings on the net

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I gave a seminar a few years back in Minnesota for a music biz class. They recorded some of it. http://www.msbmusicbiz.com/news/artists.html
Save The Bones For Henry Jones
Sunny Side of The Street
Louisiana
You Don't Know What Love Is
All on guitar.

and then there is video from the inaugural DC Fringe Festival Chandler and Roe http://studioeight.tv/events/cabaradio_fringe_2006/videos/louisiana.mov

Tom Traubert's Tour of Bars Ballads and Blues

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

David Roe, Thomas Nuendel, Michael Huebner & Friends will play the music of Tom Waits from The Hill Country of Txas to the Florida Panhandle. Check the calendar for dates.

Saint Patrick's Day At El Diablo

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I'll be playing a mostly Irish set Tuesday night March 17th at El Diablo's in beautiful Idyllwild California. There'll be a couple other bands on the bill, so come on out and raise a pint or two.

Special dispensation for all those who gave up the drink for Lent.

THE SPEECH

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Don't Miss
Video coverage of Obama's inauguration
Monumental expectations for Obama's address
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations

Thanksgiving at the Yards

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

After a couple days digging ditches and laying electric lines with Ranger Ric, I headed up the mountain to Floyd on Thanksgiving morning. On Wednesday, Ric had loaded the pickup truck and headed to the dump, only to find a tangle of disgruntled pickup truck drivers milling by the locked gate. Shades of Arlo. He did not toss the garbage down the hill.
Anyway, as I meandered up the mountain, I lost the NPR blather regarding leftovers, and hit scan. Arlo was just finishing the first chorus, and I had 25 minutes of the greatest anti-war anti-littering storytelling to push me up to the top of Mount Crumpit. All the way to Floyd.
Now, I have known the Yards- Rob & Katherine, for decades, but have never visited their magical family compound, where wives are midded, babies born and raised, and miraculous salves and flutes created. Pulling up the drive, past the houses built by the Yard children, now grown, some with wonderful singing dancing free spirited children of their own, I park by the greenhouse, and nearly bump into a freshly killed and gutted deer hanging in front of the shed.
Inside, food covers every available surface. The 6 burner stove is not enough, and the wood stove is home to three boiling pots.
Children are everywhere. Friends arrive. Renee, Rick, sons and swordsalesmen, on their way back from Florida to Michigan, performing some reverse Rennie run on the season. Ric and Jacklyn walk in, then Will and Danielle, all the way from California, seeking a Currier and Ives holiday not to be found in the deserts of southern California.
The room, filled with folks I have known for a quarter of a century, bubbles with remember whens and what ever happened tos. I find myself sitting in amazement as I attempt to account the accomplishments of the now grown children in the room. Linda Damien's little goofy kid, hanging with one of the Yard babies, but now they run 2, 3, 4 businesses at each faire they work. Shanti is making sure his parents and sisters have enough firewood for the winter. Renee's boys running the family biz. Kalisha, following in her mother's footsteps. These are all good kids, Lake Woebegone good kids, DisneySundayMovie good kids. Rennie kids, raised right, by the village, for the village, and self reliant kids who actually care and are aware of the larger world around them.
Dinner comes. I fill my plate twice. I give thanks. Life is pretty good. Hanging with some of the wisest old fooles I know, warm stove and camaraderie inside, fire pit crackling outside. Pretty healthy, all in all. So what I don't have a car, or a gig, or a job. I did my little bit to help put the Barry O in the The White House, I don't own stock, or a credit card. I canned some veggies at Ric and Jackies. Winter won't be so bad in the trailer in the woods. Just live in the moment, be happy, be grateful.
...And then Will and Danielle and I started talking about opening their new store, so, Palm Springs, here I come.

Twas the Night Before The Election

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

I hope my front page returns to music news soon, but for now, it's one more plea to get out the vote for my man from Hope, Barack Obama. Wednesday can't come too soon.

The week before Halloween

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

And all is quiet in the house. Week 4 of the Carolina Ren Fest Sat and Sun. And this Friday- Oct 24- I am playing in High Point NC with Jeremy and Tasha for the Furniture Market Festivities.

From My Father, LtCol US ARMY (RET)

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"NINJA" loans. A bit of history: Banks used to map out 'red-lined districts' in which no mortgages would be written. So even if your financials were solid, you couldn't buy a home in those areas. And how do we characterize the citizens in red-lined districts? Black, Hispanic and other minorities. So congress required that banks write mortgages to people whose financials qualified them except for wanting to buy in a red-lined district.

I don't know this, but suspect that some run-down areas became Yuppified when banks began to write mortgages in them.

The real problem became the securitization of mortgages and the way that Wall Street firms wrote insurance policies on the securitized loans they sold, being very, very careful not to call it insurance so they could avoid regulations that required insurance to be backed with solid assets. So when it began to unravel, the whole thing fell apart (and Sylvia's and my CREF retirement income is taking a big hit.)

6 (or 7) Degrees of Separation.
Check out the literature that says you can connect anyone to anyone else within 6 or 7 links (a few years back it was a game to connect actors to Kevin Bacon.) So be very careful of guilt by association.
I'm connected to John McCain with just two: I worked for his father in Hawaii. And to Barak: we had dinner with his 7th grade teacher.

About Laureen's (his vociferously republican sister-DR) Chicago friends who were active in the 70s. I remember the late 60s and 70s. I remember saying that, if I were Black, I'd be in the streets, too. The change in our country during that time was remarkable and upsetting (no one ever described the South as 'the sunbelt' then.) The fight for equality (lunch counters, bus seating, schools, voting, drinking fountains) coupled with the revulsion of the middle and upper classes about the draft (the percentage of male high school graduates going to college zoomed to about 2/3 from under half!) made for exciting times.

A lot of people were 'radicals' then. But even those who participated in talking or committing acts of violence have long since become solid citizens, good members of their communities. And what Christian among us can naysay that our religion requires us to accept that people can repent, change their ways and be 'born again?' So cut those folks a little slack. Not everyone who disagrees with me is mine enemy.

So I am loath to condemn Barak for associating with other once radical people who care for the underclass or John McC who was a shameful part of the Keating mess. And I'm sorry the Rs brought up the folks in Chicago that required Barak to respond in kind.

Stan