The Tom & Anita (SLAKFAC) Show: Guitars & Ukes!

Anita Kinney and I are gonna be on the radio at 4:30pm Friday, May 4. Jim Maxwell has kindly offered to spend some time with us on his afternoon WVEW 107.7 FM show.

Anita and I are gonna rock the double hockey sticks out of Metropolis on Monday, May 7 from 8pm – Midnight. Some Anita time, some Tom time, some double-barreled Anita & Tom time. You’ll hear familiar Anita stuff and familiar Tom stuff. And you’ll hear new stuff from both of us. The real treat will be hearing us together. We tried some stuff out at that open mic last month (such a treat) and we’ve worked on some more stuff since then.

I’ll probably have a longer post pretty soon about what I’ve learned from playing and singing with Anita. This isn’t it.

Anita will bring her lovely voice and a guitar and some ukes. She’ll make you laugh and make you cry, all at the same time with her wonderful original songs as well as beautiful renditions of some classics. Think Patsy Cline meets Nancy Sinatra, but with more sass.

Facebook Messaging and Me (and You)

So, you’d think that a facebook “page” could send a message to everyone who “likes” the “page.” Well, you’d be wrong. But don’t feel bad; I’m pretty sure it’s them, not you. The logical Plan B would be for the “admin” of the “page” to be able to send a message to everyone who “likes” the “page.” Again, you’d be wrong. And again, I think it’s them, not you.

I ran into trouble when I tried to implement Plan C. I (the “admin”) started sending individual messages to everyone who “likes” my “page.” I was just getting started when an angry red window popped up, telling me that I was behaving inappropriately and potentially bothering people. Something, something, something, block your account, something, to avoid disruption, something, something, must slow down immediately, something …

All this is by way of letting you know that if you’re a facebooker who “likes” my “page,” I’m trying to “message” you with something cool. I hope I’ll figure out the pace that will let me get to you all without forever losing my facebook privileges.

My Town is Sad

A couple of days ago a major historic landmark in my town burned. This was a six-alarm fire that dispossessed almost 60 people and businesses right downtown on Main Street. So, my town is sad. My town is also resilient. Being the great community that we are, the big benefit show is already in the works. Saturday May 7. Y’all should go. It will be a terrific show, but more importantly, it will benefit a good cause and it will be a piece of community, which is so important at times like these.

I’ll be in Portland, OR that day, looking for an open mic or a gig so I can send a shout-out (did I really just say that?) to the folks back home.

I’m leaving the CD (and downloads) on sale at cdbaby.com and I will give 100% of the proceeds to the benefit fund, when there is one. That’s 100% of what you spend: my cut, cdbaby’s cut, shipping, whatever. Please, this is an even better reason to buy my CD than last month’s “birthday sale.” And I’ll probably throw in the “birthday sale” proceeds as well.

My alter-ego, Woodbury Solutions, has already started talking with folks about donating some computer gear and config to WVEW 107.7 FM, one of the businesses that’s now homeless.

So, you buy or download the CD, I give the money to the good cause, we all get to feel good about ourselves. Who’s in?

“Prairie Dogs” on the radio today!

So, there I was, minding my own business at the local Cooperative, when what to my wondering ears should appear? “Prairie Dogs.” It took me a second for it to register. I recognized the guitar part as something really familiar, then I realized what it was, then my voice came in.

Let me just say, it is still shockingly cool to hear myself on the radio, randomly and unexpectedly. I may try to be cool, but inside I’m doing that scene in “That Thing You Do.”

WVEW: “The Climate” Live Radio Appearance

On the radio again! Zeno and Hotdog are having me back in the WVEW studio next Wednesday, September 30, at 6:00 pm for “The Climate: A Tsunami of Rock and Romance.” I’ve promised them a “dramatic build song of the week” this time. That’s 107.7 on your FM dial, wvew.org for you computer streaming audio types.

Car Talk!

They played “Broken Wheels” on Car Talk today, the 12th. Oh my Gawd! How cool is that? Right there, from the top of Car Talk Plaza. Show #200937. There will just be no living with me now…

Car Talk

Sent “Broken Wheels” to the top of Car Talk Plaza today. And sent the CD, with emphasis on “DTYH,” to NPR for “All Songs Considered” and “Second Stage.”

WVEW: “World of Music” Live Radio Appearance

Next Sunday, April 19 at 12:00, Tom Grasso’s “World of Music” radio show on WVEW 107.7 – Brattleboro Community Radio will have a live, in-studio guest: ME! So tune in, ‘kay? It’s always a treat to visit with Tom, in person and on the radio. They also have streaming audio for you computer folks at www.wvew.org.

WVEW: “The Climate” Live Radio Appearance

I’m gonna be on the radio again this Wednesday, January 21 at 6:00 pm. My guitar and I (and my just-graduated-from-occupational-therapy hand) will be joining Messrs. Bay and Hotdog during their regular Wednesday night show, “The Climate: A Tsunami of Rock and Romance.” Looking forward to it! That’s on WVEW 107.7 – Brattleboro Community Radio. They also have streaming audio for you computer folks at www.wvew.org.