New England Music Scrapbook Newsletter
Alan Lewis, Editor

Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life

January 12, 2008
Issue 2008:257

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We've got Thrills, chills, Dirty Water
What more do you need?
When the big beat hits ya
Comin' from your transistor
Like the T at full speed
When the big beat hits ya...

-- "Boston Lullaby," Dudick/Naihersey.
Copyright c. 1980 by Camaraderie Music, BMI.
All rights reserved. Used with permission.


. . . . .


BRATTLEBORO, VT, January 11 - The holiday season, for us, may be over:
the volume of this week's incoming news mailings is about normal,
maybe better than normal. The only limit on the amount of news that
goes into this week's newsletter issue is based on the amount of time
I have to look through what we've got and to organize it into
newsletter form.

I have signed up for a number of additional mailing lists. With any
luck, it will help. One goal is to receive news from a good variety
of artists. It is not totally clear that all these lists are still
active. Time will tell. We were only sent a confirmation e-mail from
one list: Trey Anastasio (ex-Phish). Actually, since writing this, we
have received a second confirmation and are advised that, from here
on, we will be stumbling along with the stumbling Stumbleweeds. A tip
of the old NEMS hat to ex-Vermonter Kip McCloud.

DO US A HUGE FAVOR, would you? If you have any address for us in
your mailing list other than our

FredRemainsLost

address, please delete it at once if not sooner. I totally don't
understand this; but for some reason, a variety of people lately have
switched from our correct Fred address either to one of our old
addresses or to a wrong address altogether. But our

Fred Remains Lost at Yahoo Dot Com

address is the one and only address we have ever published for
correspondence in connection with this newsletter. It is posted,
among other places, on the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

Unfortunately, NEMS is much more nearly a one-person operation than I
would have ever wanted; and personally, being that one person, I can
say with authority that I can only check one address for newsletter
incoming news mailings, and that address is the one where the username
part is fredremainslost. News items sent to our other addresses is
going to be ignored because there is simply no other choice.

Back to stumbling. This week, in my research, I stumbled upon what
has to have been one of the most amazing stretches in the entire
history of American music: classical music and opera divisions. There
was an early 1853 series of New York City shows featuring the
principal founder of the New York Philharmonic, another New York
Philharmonic founder who would soon compose the first American opera
on an American topic, and one of two Fry brothers who were among the
earliest American opera impresarios. The opera composer mentioned,
George F. Bristow, developed music education programs in New York City
public schools. If any of you learned music in the NYC public school
system, you owe this guy. These esteemed musicians were soon joined
in their concert series by Max Maretzek, who I imagine must be
considered the first star impresario in the world of American opera.
Maretzek looms quite large in my current research. Incidental to this
were concerts at various halls around the city featuring the woman
who, years before, had been the principal soprano in the world
premiere performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Imagine. She was
Beethoven's lead singer on the biggest night of his life! Then out of
the blue came William Vincent Wallace, whose "Maritana" was one of the
wildly successful operas of the day. I don't know how "Maritana" did
in England, but it was a producer of hit songs on this side of the
Atlantic, just like a twentieth-century Broadway play.

It is positively and totally amazing that all of this music was going
on all at once in New York. And this is only as far as I have gotten
to date. There could be more coming up, for all I know, as I reel
through this particular roll of microfilm.

Did people at the time realize they were being treated to one of the
most extraordinary rosters of talent ever? I wonder.

And something very similar was happening in the world of theater at
the exact same time in New York City. I won't go into it except to
say that Wallack's Theatre had recently opened with Laura Keene as the
leading lady. Wallack's Theatre is now commonly considered to be he
most important theater in American history. In the late 1850s, Laura
Keene would produce the first Broadway play to have a long run. This
play was a great comedy called "Our American Cousin." These days it
is remembered for all the wrong reasons. No one will need to be told
about "Our American Cousin" if they managed to stay awake at all in
high school American history classes.

We actually have a small amount of additional news, but I am afraid I
am out of time. I've got to git. I've got some serious gittin' to
do. You can catch some of our late arriving information by checking
Tom Rush's Web site for details about his NYC show tonight, at which
he anticipates one of his backing musicians - quite possibly a
musician known to you - will turn age 60 right on stage and right in
front of the wondering eyes of the audience; and by checking Meg
Hutchinson's site about her forthcoming CD, along with vague hints of
the pitter-patter of little advance copies.


MARDI GRAS BALL 15
Shaun and Suzi

"Shaun & Suzi's
MARDI GRAS
BALL XV
Sat. Feb. 2, 2008
@T.T.The Bear's Place
A Benefit for The New Orleans Musicians Clinic

"Tickets Now On Sale
at the T.T.'s box office and via TicketWeb

"The Vudu Krewe All-Star Mardi Gras Band w/special guests: John
Powhida (Rudds), Peter Moore (Count Zero), Holly Brewer (HUMANWINE),
Chris Mascara, Jordan Valentine (World's Greatest Sinners), Courtney
Naliboff, Bo Barringer Plus: Corn Mo, The Jelly Rollers, & burlesque
by Boston Babydolls, and more!

"10 Brookline St. Cambridge. 9:00. $12. 18+"

http://www.mardigrasballs.com/

-- Shaun Wolf Wortis, "Mardi Gras Ball XV Is
February 2, 2008," January 8, 2008

I'LL BET PARTICIPANTS in these Mardi Gras celebrations have a
fantastic time. - Ed.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


STOMPERS, EX-STOMPERS

Can one ever truly lose one's Stompers status?

The following item broke up badly on this end. I hope I have
reconstructed it to something pretty close to the original. Either
way, if not for the fact that our outdoor temperatures are expected to
fall by the start of the coming week, I would break out my Stompers
T-shirt and swing into my version of "Ain't them cats the most..."

Here is word from Stompers headquarters:

New solo releases from Sal Baglio and Steve Gilligan "Memory Theatre"
from Sal Baglio. Available

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/salvatorebaglio/

and iTunes.

http://www.salvatorebaglio.com/

http://www.myspace.com/salvatorebaglio/

"Everything Under the Sun" is the new CD from Jon Macey & Steve Gilligan.

http://www.jonandsteve.com/

http://www.myspace.com/jonmaceyandstevegilligan/


DAVID JOHNSTON AND BAND
National Now Amped for Solo Shows

Tuesday January 8

starting this week i will be doing 8:30pm solo shows (finally got a
pickup for the national).

hope you will come down, check out the new menu and have a beer.

look for guests in the coming weeks. thanks dj
@tOast lOunge 70 Union Square (next to the Independent)

dAVIDjOHNSTONbAND
featuring........................
richard gates bass/vocal
billy conway drums
chris rival guitar
david johnston vocal/guitar
10pm

no cover

-- David Johnston Mailing, January 6, 2008


SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES
Homecoming Shows at the Lizard Lounge

Lounging lizards, Batman! Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles are
coming home! We are not told, coming home from where. But this news
inspired me to try once again to get on this outfit's mailing list.
Last time I tried, the mailing list subscription form was not working.
This time, the subscription looked to have gone through. So, it's
looking good for future Broken Singles mailings. Here is information
about the homecoming bookings:

Friday 1/18 - Night 1 of a 2 night homecoming show featuring
SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES!
with very special guests BLUEHEELS (Madison WI) and DANIELLE MIRAGLIA
$10 advance / $12 at the door
8:00 doors / 9:00 show
www.myspace.com/borgesrocks
www.myspace.com/blueheels
www.myspace.com/daniellemiraglia

Saturday 1/19 - Night 2 of a 2 night homecoming show featuring
SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES!
with BLUEHEELS (Madison WI)
and very special guest THE TEENAGE PRAYERS
$10 advance / $12 at the door
8:00 doors / 9:00 show
www.myspace.com/borgesrocks
www.myspace.com/blueheels
www.myspace.com/teenageprayers


FRANK CRITELLI
Taking a Break From That Ol'
Quicksand Two-Step

"The new record, 'Waltzing Through Quicksand,' is out now. Look for
it soon on Independisc.com"

-- Frank Critelli Mailing, January 10, 2008


JOHN BROWN'S BODY AND MORE
From Alex Toth

"I hope that your holidays were as exciting and intoxicating as me and
Kal's. We played and ate and drank a lot. From Maine to Vermont to
Jersey to Brooklyn to Geneva and more with John Brown's Body and a
little Lazybird action. As hundreds of people swarmed the opera house
stage in Geneva, New York to dance with JBB during the encore, my New
Year's Eve culminated in shoeing away drunken dudes trying to grind on
Kalmia while simultaneously playing my horn parts. Definitely a new
experience!"

-- Alex Toth, "Lil Kal 'n Al Update," January 8,
2008


CLUB 47 HISTORICAL MARKER

Do you have a concise text account you could send us about the setting
of a

CLUB 47

historical marker? If you do, please send it to the e-mail address on
the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


SESSION AMERICANA
This Ought To Be an Amazing Show

"[W]e will be playing at Natick Center for the Arts with Dennis
Brennan on Feb 8."

-- Session Americana, "Cambridge Vermont,
Northampton, New York City, Natick,"
January 7, 2008

A SHOW SPLIT BETWEEN Session Americana and Dennis Brennan ought to be
a wonder to behold. - Ed.


CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
President Steven Monder To Retire

"Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra President Steven Monder announced today
that he is retiring after 37 years at the orchestra, effective June
30, 2008. Mr. Monder, who will be 63 upon retirement, will continue
as a valued advisor to the CSO, assisting in the transition to a new
president."

-- Kirshbaum Demler & Associates, "Cincinnati
Symphony President Announces Retirement,"
January 11, 2008


THE KENNEDYS
"Better Dreams" CD

"Kennedys new CD 'Better Dreams' is released January 22."

-- "The Kennedys' E-Newsletter Message,"
January 5, 2008


BROOKS WILLIAMS
Looking Ahead

"We are definitely excited about the year ahead. With Brooks' new CD
there will be lots of travels, including Istanbul in May) - lots of
collaborations (watch for some cool shows with Gail Wade especially) -
and a hot new website design (coming soon!) complete with free
downloads and podcasts. Also in the works are a couple of
instructional DVDs. We look forward to seeing you out on the road in
2008. Keep in touch, stop by and say hello when you can.

"Thank you for making the music live."

-- Brooks Williams, "Red Guitar Blue Music
Newsletter," January 4, 2008


JOSH RITTER
"In the Dark" CD/DVD

"Due to popular demand, the live concert CD/DVD, 'In the Dark / In
Good Company,' will be available for sale in North America-compatible
format come early February.

"Filmed at Dublin's Vicar Street theatre and until now only available
in Ireland, fans have the choice to buy both the live CD and DVD
together, or just the DVD concert movie 'In Good Company' alone.

"It will be available in US stores and online.

"Pick yours up and enjoy!"

-- Josh Ritter Mailing, January 10, 2008


D-I-V-O-R-C-E

This is the peak season for divorces across this great land, from sea
to shining sea. Did you know? I have been around for a few years,
and this is the first I recall hearing of it. But according to CBS
Radio News in the Friday-Saturday overnight, the time between New
Year's Day and St. Valentine's Day is the most popular stretch of the
calendar for divorcing one's insignificant other. I'm getting in on
this, you may rest assured. If I can manage it, I'm getting married
as soon as possible so I've got someone to divorce before the February
14 deadline.


FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
The Check Is In the Mail...
No, Really

Here is one amazing headline for an Associated Press story which ran
via Yahoo News on Thursday, January 10:

Phone companies drop FBI wiretaps
due to unpaid bills

Does this mean that if the FBI taps my phone, I may get stuck with the
wiretapping bill?


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


REBECCA PADULA
"Margaret's Waltz" Documentary

THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT from the latest Rebecca Padula mailing starts
with an announcement of an event that has already taken place. But if
you bear with it, you will see this excerpt's relevance. I really did
not want to cut up this item any more than necessary.

"I know it's short notice, but if you're in the Burlington area and in
range of the new community low power FM station, 'The Radiator,' you
can catch me as the guest on the Fellow Traveler show with hosts Rik
Palieri and Ben Bergstein tomorrow (Jan. 9 at 4:15 p.m.) talking about
my documentary, 'Margaret's Waltz' and its subject, Margaret MacArthur.

"The film documents two concert performances paying tribute to Vermont
folksong collector and performer Margaret MacArthur with interviews
from performers, family members and a few clips of Margaret herself.
It won an award for 2007 Best Documentary Event from the Northeast
Alliance for Community Media and was featured in the Burlington Free
Press last weekend. You can check out the full article archived
already at

http://www.rebeccapadula.com/

"You can check out the film at a screening Jan. 18th at 8 p.m. along
with Jess Wilson's ACM award winning documentary, 'Winooski: City of
Reinvention' at North End Studio,294 N. Winooski Ave. in Burlington.
$5 suggested donation. For more info contact 802-863-6713.

"I'm also still playing music and working on the new album."

-- Rebecca Padula Mailing, January 8, 2008


EILEN JEWELL
"Heartache" and Other Numbers

"At long last, the 'Heartache Boulevard' EP has been added to the
Eilen Jewell store page at

http://www.eilenjewell.com/

"The EP features three tracks previously unavailable on CD, a cut from
'Boundary County' and the title track, 'Heartache Boulevard.'

"The tunes:

1. Heartache Boulevard
2. Fine and Mellow (Previously Unreleased)
3. The Flood
4. I'm Head Over Heels In Love (Previously
Unreleased)
5. Nobody's Business (from the 45 single,
'Heartache Boulevard').

"Grab a copy now by clicking on the store link at

http://www.eilenjewell.com/"

-- Eilen Jewell, "Heartache EP On Sale Now,"
January 7, 2008


ANTJE DUVEKOT

THE FOLLOWING IS A JANUARY 5 mailing from Ralph Jaccodine. Though
strictly speaking, it is not a press release, I am treating it as one.
This material would not benefit a lot from the time it would take to
cut it up the way I normally do with mailings to fans. So, here it
is, pretty nearly uncut:

Just wanted to give you a quick update on Antje Duvekot:

On TV

Antje's song, "Merry Go Round," can be heard in a high profile,
national, Bank of America ad campaign presently airing on ALL the
major networks. If you turn on your TV there is a very good chance of
you seeing the ad.

In the Press

Q. "Who will be the breakout singer-songwriter of the year?"

A. Antje Duvkot according to Ed Symkus a well respected syndicated
music/entertainment writer. "She's got a soothing voice, complemented
by melodies that flow, almost as if they've been made up on the spot.
Her songs are as lovely , dark and deep as a Robert Frost poem."

In the Movies

Tonight, Antje's music will be featured in the film, AMERICAN WAKE on
WNET/Channel Thirteen broadcasting out of New York City.

Two songs written by Antje Duvekot will be featured in the film
AMERICAN WAKE; the movie has been chosen to premier, (tonight),
Saturday, January 5th on New York's flagship PBS station as a part
WNET Channel Thirteen's new Saturday night film series REEL 13.

The two songs featured are HOLD ON found on Antje's debut studio
release, BIG DREAM BOULEVARD, which was produced by Seamus Eagan of
the musical group SOLAS. As well as the song "Enough Tears" which
Seamus and Antje wrote together for the film. Debuting with the
broadcast of AMERICAN WAKE on January 5, 2008, REEL 13 is a curated
film showcase for classic, short and independent films.

On Stage

Antje is currently in Italy writing songs for her next release. After
a tour of the Scotland and an appearance at the Celtic Connections
Festival in Glasgow, she will be back in the States.

For a full schedule on her shows please check out www.AntjeDuvekot.com
or www.MySpace.com/antjeduvekot


GUITAR HERO

IF LIKE ME, YOU DON'T play computer games, you may not know what a
huge phenomenon games such as "Guitar Hero" can be. Years ago I
shared an office with a computer users' help desk professional, and I
was talking with her this Friday morning, at which time I mentioned
Guitar Hero. She instantly showed awareness of how terrifically
popular these games are.

Game soundtracks provide one of the major ways young people today
learn about a good variety of types of rock 'n' roll.

Here is the latest e-mail we have received, from one of our regular
correspondents, about Guitar Hero. It, of course, represents a point
of view, and was not intended to do otherwise. Here it is:

There's news going around about four Guitar Hero games coming out in 2008.

It's being reported that Guitar Hero 4 will focus on Aerosmith, though
I think a more likely interpretation to the news is that Billboard,
the original source, was reporting something it didn't quite understand.

A Guitar Hero expansion disc featuring Aerosmith content sounds far
more likely than say, 60 'Smith songs or a focus on Aerosmith in the
fourth installment.

Electronic Gaming Monthly is the one reporting four titles this year.

In any event, this is bad news for people who purchased Guitar Hero 3,
as it greatly decreases the odds of songs in the form of Downloadable
Content.

A bit of an aside, but it looks like Activision's had the Guitar Hero
franchise for only a year, and they're already trying their hardest to
milk it to death. Expansions are wholly unnecessary with Downloadable
content as an option (Save for the Playstation 2, which does not
support DLC).


HERE IS ANOTHER E-MAIL, which came in a bit later, from one of our
regular correspondents:

[T]he February issue of "Official XBox Magazine" will include three
songs for Rock Band. The tracks are "Rock Rebellion" By Bang Camaro,
"Shake" by Count Zero, and "Sprode" by Freezepop. Both Bang Camaro
and Freezepop already have tracks in Rock Band, and Count Zero has had
also been a part of prior Harmonix titles.

The OXM content only applies to the XBox 360 version of the game, and
currently there's no information on availability for the Playstation 3
version.

Of course, all you have to do to get this free exclusive material is
buy a six or seven dollar magazine. Granted, the three songs would
cost six dollars total if they were up on Live Marketplace, so it's
likely a lateral move. OXM's website says the issue will be available
January 15.


NIBLO'S GARDEN THEATRE
Legendary Early American Playhouse

In the early days of the British North American colonies, Boston was
our largest city. Boston was soon overtaken by Philadelphia, which
remained the biggest American city for a while. It was later than I
would have thought that New York City became the great American
metropolis.

Strange to say, in the 1820s the Bayard Farm was still largely intact
on Manhattan. It was divided up and sold in smaller lots. Circus
grounds had been on one of these lots; and at the time, it was being
used for training horses. It was so far away from the settled parts
of Manhattan that people thought William Niblo was taking an
unnecessary risk by opening what was called a pleasure garden so far
out in the country. The location? The corner of Broadway and Prince
Street. If you are familiar with the area around the intersection of
Broadway and Prince, you might have trouble imagining that it was
thought, in the 1820s, to be too rural.

The old Bowery Theatre did William Niblo a huge favor by burning to
the ground. Niblo put in an open-air theater with unbelievable speed.
This he subsequently replaced with what was called a concert saloon
(more or less a nineteenth-century nightclub), to which he added a
large indoors theater. The Niblo's Garden entertainment complex was
off and running, and it would be an important center for the popular
arts for most of the remainder of the century.

It is really fun in the research I am doing to watch Niblo's Garden go
from being WAY off in the country (1820s) to the heart of the
fashionable entertainment district (starting 1837) to being a reminder
of Old New York just a few decades later, without ever leaving the
corner of Broadway and Prince Street. That first American opera on an
American topic, mentioned earlier, was premiered here. "The Black
Crook" - widely considered to be the first feature-length Broadway
musical - had its debut run at Niblo's, from fall 1866 to January
1868. The polka is said to have been introduced to American audiences
at Niblo's. No doubt the list goes on and on...


NEMSnews

New England Music Scrapbook
Brattleboro, Vermont

E-MAIL US via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

Please do NOT click the Reply button. Clicking Reply sends your
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It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


. . . . .


IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS WHO WOULD BE interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them. Thanks! We
believe this is one of the main ways we pick up readers.


As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS. The reason is quite
simple. Though our name is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, probably
an easy majority of our readers are based outside the six New England
states. The great majority of show listings would be of no interest
at all to the great majority of our readers.

We make exceptions when show listings are part of an item of more
general interest. CD-release events are great examples. For us, the
main point of an item of this sort is that an act has a new record.
The show being announced is of secondary interest to us - if that - as
far as the contents of our newsletter goes.

In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we post show
listings...


... Shows can be canceled, sold out, or even moved to another
date or location. We recommend checking the Web, calling ahead or
otherwise confirming details.


To SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/subscribe.htm

E-MAIL via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm
(Please do NOT click the Reply button.)

NEWSLETTER's Yahoo Groups Home Page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uridfm/

General CONTACT Information:
http://www.geocities.com/uridfm/contact.htm


Issue 2008:257

Published no less often than monthly.
We're guessing eventually we'll settle
into an every-other-week schedule.

Copyright © 2008 by the New England Music Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

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