Send this story to a Broadway producer.

Author: Oct 06

A while back, my good friend Annie Bacon got an idea while on vacation, and during the next six weeks, shaped it lovingly into an operatic work of art. It is a piece which is both funny and tragic, compassionate and sublime, and speaks to us of the fragility of our time on this earth. It is astounding in it’s selection of memorable songs and characters, and I believe has all the ingredients of a hugely successful Broadway play. The problem for Annie and her Folk Opera is the placing of this gem in the right hands in New York or Hollywood, so it can be transformed into a well deserved production the masses can thoroughly enjoy.

Here is a delightful video of the music of the Folk Opera, as performed aboard my beloved Barkissimo this past July. The songs will glue themselves to your brain’s musical pleasure centers, and you will find yourselves deeply caught up in the story (once you figure out the characters, that is), riding the emotional waves of the characters as the opera delivers each delicious course of the sumptuous plot.

To make the characters easier to grasp quickly, I’ll help you out. The lady on the left of your screen (Elizabeth Greenblatt) is Elizabeth, who is having car troubles, and finally finds a mechanic in the small town she escaped from as a teen. She had not returned since then, and now is charged with the care of her aunt Sarah (played by violin virtuoso Savannah Jo Lac, screen right), who is plagued with senile dementia. Elizabeth has to take her elder back to the town where they both once lived while the car is to be repaired. When they arrive at the repair shop, they find it deserted. Elizabeth takes her aunt to the town’s diner (a gathering place for the community), owned by the waitress Rita (The effervescent Annie bacon, with ukulele resting on her baby bump).

Once seated with her aunt in the diner, Elizabeth and Sarah notice an old man (sung by Joel Dean, center screen) staring at Sarah as if he’d seen a ghost. While he tries to talk to aunt Sarah,  Elizabeth telephones the mechanic (also sung by Joel Dean).  The other voices are those of the townsfolk, and from there, you will be able to easily enjoy the beautiful story as it pulls your heart strings to and fro.

So why am I sharing this? Not only do I think it’s one of the most beautiful and creative works I’ve ever experienced, I also have great confidence in the networking ability of you, your friends, their friends, and the internet, and I am confident that this amazing work will soon find the right person; one who will have the resources and power necessary to turn the Folk Opera into the next winner of a boat load of Tony awards. So please help a friend out and send this to everyone in your list of contacts, and know that your effort will soon get this work of art turned into something we can all be proud of.

Please click on the link below to see this very special video, or read on and click the same link at the bottom of the post…

Annie Bacon\’s Folk Opera, featuring Savannah Jo Lac, aboard Barkissimo

Below is a recent review of the Folk Opera by San Francisco based writer Geoff Bouvier:

 

Announcing The Folk Opera, from San Francisco-based musician Annie Bacon

Written and composed on the ukulele during a 6-week trip on two distant continents, recorded live at The Tower Studios in SF’s Mission District, and released digitally and on vinyl in December, 2010, Annie Bacon’s The Folk Opera is an extended musical suite written for ukulele, upright bass, fiddle, trumpet, and multiple voices.
With its haunting and simple melodies, beautiful soaring harmonies, interesting song forms, and captivating folk and bluegrass rhythms, The Folk Opera brings an entirely new sound to the Americana and world music scenes.
Described by various delighted listeners as a diverse and eclectic cross between A Prairie Home Companion, Neko Case, Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” traditional American folk musicals such as “Oklahoma,” Jeff Darnielle, Patty Griffin, and Bob Dylan’s “Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid” Soundtrack, Annie Bacon’s The Folk Opera is, in fact, a musical world unto itself, with few, if any, antecedents in musical history.
In just over a year and fewer than 20 performances, The Folk Opera has achieved a grassroots following so dedicated that the live recording sessions were fully funded by donations from avid fans. Mixed and mastered by ex-Fantasy Records staff engineer David Luke (who worked with Jefferson Starship, Mike Marshall, and The Grateful Dead, among others) The Folk Opera translates equally well to recorded media as it has to the live stage.
Featuring some of the Bay Area music scene’s most up-and-coming stars, the recording and live show highlight Joe Lewis on the upright bass, Elizabeth Greenblatt singing the lead character, Joel Dean vocalizing the Old Man and the Mechanic, Savannah Jo Lack giving voice to Aunt Sara and playing fiddle, and Annie Bacon herself, playing the ukulele and singing Rita, the waitress.
The catchy, toe-tapping songs are memorable after only one hearing, the characters are so indelibly drawn, you’ll feel like you know them, and the story – tracing the events of a single afternoon that expand into life-changing moments for a few different people in a small town – is as timeless as classic literature. Described by reviewers as “transfixing” and “almost indescribably poignant and beautiful,” The Folk Opera is a comedy, a tragedy, and a love story. It will make you smile, and it will likely make you cry. And in the meantime, you’ll want to sing along and maybe even get up and dance.

For more information on Annie Bacon’s Folk Opera, please visit http://anniebacon.me/Annie_Bacon/Folk_Opera.html.

For booking, sales, and other information, please contact Annie Bacon at anne.bacon@gmail.com.

 

Annie Bacon\’s Folk Opera, featuring Savannah Jo Lac, aboard Barkissimo

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Going home

Author: Aug 26

Well here it is late August once again, and I am busily preparing for my annual trip home. I’m going back to Burning Man for the fourth time, and for me it really is a journey homeward. I will be camping with some of my best friends in the world, a group of extremely talented folks who come from all parts of the world to form our little, 80 person community which we affectionatly call the Decadent Oasis.

A handful live here in the Marina, others nearby in Berkeley and San Francisco, and others come from as far away as England and Africa to be a part of our family every year. This community is a part of the larger whole which makes up the community of Burning Man, and the place called Black Rock City, which, for one week each year, is the third largest city in Nevada.

I cherish the time there. We are without cell phones, internet, and all manner of businesses devoted to capitalism. The society in Black rock City is rich in an economy of gifting, which in itself promotes grand feelings of love, compassion, and caring. My group sets up a public Oasis, complete with palm trees and a huge lounge. People are constantly stopping to relax, dance, or use a hula hoop. It’s all quite Utopian, but I think that’s the beauty of it, it becomes a giant demonstration that an economy based on giving freely for the good of all can actually thrive and perpetuate itself.

last year one of my friends made the following video of the experience, our camp, and our little family. I want to share it with you while I’m away, in the hopes that maybe next year you might think about coming home to this place of amazing energy and love.

See you back in the default world next month…

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2011 concert season, second half announced

Author: Jul 05

Dear friends,

 

After the last few months of amazing shows here aboard Barkissimo, I thought we had reached the zenith of talented artists performing here, but my quest to bring quality music to the yacht has surpassed my expectations, and the second half of this season will be as filled with talent as the first. I can’t wait to share these events with you all, and hope you will be able to attend a few shows.

For the upcoming holiday weekend, we will be having a big Bar-B-Que on the yacht, followed by some soulfull jazz performed by the Randy Moore Trio and guests. Randy played aboard Barkissimo last fall to a full boat, and was one of the best shows of alll last year. The Pot Luck will start at 2:00pm on the 2nd of July, with the music beginning at 7:00pm.

On July 10th, we will present Nashville singer Eve Fleishman performing songs written for 13 pieces of art on display aboard Barkissimo. An original concept, to be sure, and after hearing her lovely voiceI am ready for an enchanting show. along with the art and song, we will have a wine tasting from one of our local vineyards for oiur guests. it should be a great sunday afternoon.

On Friday, the 15th of July, we will be hosting the amazing Ruth Gerson here on Barkissimo. She has appeared on the tonight show and the late show, and is one of the most talented artists I’ve heard in a long time. this show will coincide with the full moon that night, always a beautiful time to be on the water

The following week, on July 24th, we are featuring the music of South America with two amazing artists, Jackie Rago and Claudia Gomez. Jackie has played Barkissimo before as a member of the VNote Ensemble, and I’ve been looking for a way to get her back here ever since. Claudia is one of the most famous singers in Columbia, regularly filling large auditoriums there and throughout that region. she happened to be planning a visit with Jackie, and I convinced them to play on the yacht during her vacation. This sunday afternoon concert should be unforgettable for our afficionados of la Ritmo Latina. This one will surely fill the boat, so be sure to reserve your seats now.

In August we will once again celebrate the full moon with the hip/funk sounds of Con Brio, coming on august 13th. When I first heard them, my memory filled with the music of Gil Scott Heron, War, and other activist funk styled bands of the era. this band will rock the boat

September opens with a return to our Americana roots as we feature The Hopeful Romantics on the 10th of the month. They are world renown for their elegant style and mastery of their instruments. This will be classic Americana at it’s finest.

In October we will feature the talented singer/songwriter Jesse Terry, who is rumored to be touring this fall with his father. The duo will be playing aboard Barkissimo on the 7th of October.

October 15th brings the return of Napa’s Buckeye Knoll, who coincidentally played that same date last year on the yacht. I felt then that this band had a unique talend and song writing ability, and should be way more famous than they are. This is a fun and fresh pop sound, and if they weren’t really great, I wouldn’t have invited them back.

On October 29th, we will be presenting the group Janam, whose Eastern European traditional influence has given their sound a fresh and vibrant expression I’m sure you will enjoy.

The 2011 music on the water concert series will end on November 12th with one of my favorite groups, 77 El Deora, whose blend of Americana, old school country, and excellent and heart felt song writing combine to delight the audience. Maurice Tanney and Jenn courtney have a stage presence which will enchant the listener and captivate the audience.

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The Best Jazz Club Ever!

Author: May 23

I know, I know… it’s a huge statement to make, but trust me, I’ve been to clubs all over the world, and the one I keep thinking about, the one I go out of my way to visit often, is the Spotted Cat Music Club in New Orleans, Louisiana. Of all the juke joints in all the world, this one has the best vibe, energy, and personality.

There are classier places, to be sure, as well as clubs with a better caliber of music. Some places are beautiful, and some are really fun to be in, but none have the right blend of all those qualities like the Spotted Cat. First, it’s not fancy, which immediately calls to one to leave their Jazz snobbishness at the door. Then, there’s usually not a cover charge, which rates highly in my grading scale. I remember going to one of the fanciest clubs in New York, The Blue Note, and being hit with a $50.00 cover charge and a two drink minimum, only to walk into a stereotypically normal jazz club to listen to stereotypically normal quartet playing all the standards I’ve heard a zillion times, and the drinks were lightly poured as well.

I have been to an amazing, cave-like club in northern Spain that featured stunning Flamenco, but it was just a show, after all was said and done. It was classy in its own way, and moved me deeply, but afterwards, I didn’t think back on how much fun it was, or how wonderful the vibe felt there. And so it goes for all the other clubs in my world: the mix was never perfect, until I discovered the Spotted Cat.

In New Orleans there is a part of town called the French Quarter, which is an ancient and beautiful place. In the French Quarter there is a particularly unique street called Frenchmen street, about two blocks long, filled with a dozen music clubs of all varieties, and on this short street some of the best Jazz in all the world is born, flowing out onto the street as you walk along, capturing your soul and heart and beckoning you to enter and immerse yourself into the sensory treats they offer up.

On this street, next to a vacant lot, resides the undisputed home of the New Orleans Jazz sound, a place the others on this street, as well as the rest of the state, emulate with the utmost respect and verve, the Spotted Cat Music Club. It is a relatively small place, with a compact stage which spills out onto the dance floor, a bar with about twenty seats, and a handful of tables in the back corner of the place. the decor is shabby, but not disconcerting. The place is old and hasn’t been remodeled in forever, but that’s to be expected in NOLA, where most buildings are more than a century old. But what makes this place special, as with most really cool places, is the energy within, the people that come here, that play here, that drink and dance here; they come for the sheer love of music.

The musicians all play the old style New Orleans type of Jazz, something you’ll likely never hear on any radio station. they play with all their heart and soul, and only for tips. The bands line up to play there, one every hour or so, all night, every night, seven days a week. Their talent is unmistakeably top shelf, and many of them have toured with the best and most popular musicians of our time, while others are ‘cutting their teeth’ on the live music scene, tempering their awesome talent to the constraints of working as a group and sharing the limelight with others. It is an impressive display of talent, and their love of their art shines with every note.

The staff there is overworked and happy to be there. Last night’s bartender, Jenny, moved like a tornado, never stopping for a second, taking care of a hundred and twenty thirsty customers in short order, serving hundreds of drinks each hour and hollering every now and then for her bar-back to restock the cooler and refill the ice bins. She always had time to chat for a second, which was enough for everyone to feel well tended to and cared for. Her hand at free pouring was very heavy, leaving almost no room for the mix in a mixed drink, and in New Orleans, the heat requires one to drink much more than normal, so she never slowed down.

But the most important part of the formula which makes a Jazz club the best is the patrons. The place is always packed full, but there always seems to be a seat here or there for a new customer. The crowd is extremely mixed, with young and old, locals and tourists, jazz aficionados and the musically uninitiated all mixed in to form an exceptionally eclectic gumbo.

Then there’s the dancing, which always blows me away. In front of the stage, the guests clear the floor to let people dance, and dance they do, with an energy unsurpassed in the most drug induced rave. Young and old meet on the dance floor and swing to the beat, dancing the Charleston, the Lindy, and all manner of these old time steps, spinning and dipping in synchronized rhythms so fast it’s hard to watch it all and not get swept away in the footwork and gyrations. The energy is electric and contagious, and the smiles of the dancers and the observers are genuine, born of pure delight in their participation in the moment.

So, with the Spotted Cat, we have an exceptional club on one of the most famous streets in the musical world, no cover and bands who line up to play for tips, heavy handed bartenders that always have a smile and cheerful word for the guests, music which is rare and fun, complete with tubas and washboards, and a clientele which brings an overwhelming energy of joy to the scene, making the Spotted Cat my pick as the best jazz club ever.

 

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My Daughter, the great photographer.

Author: May 13

My daughter, Deniss, sent me another of her amazing self portraits today, and I was blown away at the technical skill level of this amazing young lady. she continues to grow in her craft, with a talent i have seldom seen before.

As a former multi-award winning photographer, I recognise the nuances which make up a great photo. In journalism, it’s the ability to tell a story that is compelling and evokes an emotional response. The same with fine art photography, but with a different emotional goal within the shooter’s work. Here, in the piece below, we see the subtle and haunting use of framing and composition which pulls the viewer into the world of the subjects and mesmerizes us with it’s powerful message of the life of today’s youth.

enjoy this portrait of herself in action…

Portrait of youth

Deniss-Noodles

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Drag Racing in Key West?

Author: May 11

While on my tropical vacation, I happened to be present for the start of the annual celebration of the secession of the Conch Republic from the United States, which apparently occurred unbeknownst to the Federal and State Governments which oversee Key West, but the locals celebrate their independence anyway, and with a lot of zeal too.

One of the things they were planning were a series of drag races along the famous Duval street, right in the midst of sightseeing tourists just one margarita away from stumbling right into the middle of that very same road. I saw this as a very dangerous event, and decided to go there and see how the organizers planned to keep the tourists from getting run over by those super fast cars. Maybe I might just be in the right place to save a life…

So, off I went to Duval street, where there were no cars in sight. I guess the people in charge wised up and forgot to print a retraction in the local newspaper. Once on Duval street, I noticed a crowd gathering just up ahead, so I went to investigate. There I found a group of nice young girls in the midst of a dance demonstration for about a thousand onlookers. Now that looked a lot more wholesome and safe than a bunch of hot rods peeling rubber in match race competition.

Drag races in Key West

As I watched, I realized that although some of the girls were practically professional dancers, others could barely walk in those high heels they were wearing. Some of the hair styles were a little suspect as well, and I eventually came to the conclusion that some of these ladies might be wearing wigs.

But they all danced to the best of their abilities, and the crowd roared with happy laughter and applause as each one took to the stage and showed off her moves. Being naturally curious and friendly, I went right into the tent they were using as a staging area, where I met a couple of really nice girls. They chatted me up and down, and even started flirting with me, but then they got serious again and for some reason took to the idea that I was unemployed. They started talking to each other about the possibility of giving me a job, then they both insisted that if I was willing, that after the dance thing was over, they  would both take me to where they lived and give me a job. I couldn’t believe how friendly the locals were in this tropical paradise, but here we all were, dancing and offering employment, all at the same time.

My new best friends

People are so friendly here

As luck would have it, I ran into my pal Bretton, who told me I probably wouldn’t be comfortable with the kind of job they were offering me, and he insisted we leave that place and have a drink to cool off. Reluctantly i left, saying to my new friends that I would hopefully see them later, but feeling within my heart that I might be missing out on a beautiful friendship with a couple of very sweet gals. Sigh… Who can predict the future; I figured that if this budding, flirty friendship was meant to be, then it would work itself out. meanwhile, I often find myself reminiscing about what might have been with  my friends, Emma Mann and Heidi Balls…

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Too good to be true?

Author: May 05

while researching my key West vacation, I decided to look at housing in the keys via Craigslist, my personal assistant for most of my purchases these days. While there, I went to the “Vacation rental” section of the Florida Keys edition of Craigslist, and found some really good deals. some were so good that I was able to convince myself that I could afford a private home with pool and hot tub. Hotel rooms were running around $160.00 and up, so when I found several homes in the $200.00 range, it seemed like the way to go while there.

What a wonderful idea, sitting by the pool with my trusty laptop to keep my privates from getting sun burned, rolling off the lounge chair into the pool to cool off, then back to writing until I got warm again. Yup, I could repeat that process many times during the day, without fear of someone running off with my computer or calling the cops because I was nude. The photos of the house I decided on were beautiful, showing a tropical home with overgrown greenery and wide verandas all around, and a pool with waterfall and hot tub right in the totally private back yard. tile floors and wicker furniture combined to give the place a cool and tropical feel, much better than any hotel I’d seen in that price range.

The description said it was located on Duval street, which is the main tourist drag in town, but the agent assured me, via email, that this area was very quiet and tranquil:

florida keys craigslist > housing > vacation rentals

$170 / 3br – 3 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms (Duval, Key West, FL)

Date: 2011-05-02, 9:05AM EDT
Reply to: hous-evxbv-2357633885@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

 

Our fully furnished home is a bright and spacious 3 bedroom, 3 bath home has the best of everything with a private pool surrounded by lush foliage and an extensive deck area with covered pavilion for outdoor dining. The large living room has 3 sets of glass doors that view the privately enclosed yard and pool. 1 bedroom is on the 1st floor with a full bath, and the 2nd floor bedrooms are spacious with arched cathedral ceilings, private baths and balconies that overlook the compound. 

  • cats are OK – purrr
  • dogs are OK – wooof
  • Location: Duval, Key West, FL
  • it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2357633885

 

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Here’s some of the photos Nickie Geewalker sent me:

Patio area duval home

Private Pool at the duval street house.

Front of house with driveway and veranda.

Pretty fantastic, huh? well, I got all excited and told the agent that we had a deal, so he sent me a rental contract, which I needed to send back signed, along with a deposit of $1,000.00, to be sent via PayPal. I talked with a friend who had rented a place for a month in another town, and

Nickie Gee Walker

she said that a big deposit via PayPal was what they had asked for as well, and that she had called the agent and talked to him several times, and that the phone number was of a realtor’s office. that reassured me, so I sent my funds to my new friend, Nickie Gee walker as he requested. He told me that everything was in order, and offered to pick me up at the airport and take me to the property, and on the way, show me the touristy sights of old town, the southernmost point, and the Truman Annex.

This last place was an odd addition, as it was simply a housing area just off old town, with nothing to boast of, except that the land was once the southern white house of Harry S. Truman. My red flag hit me in the back of the head, so I called Nickie, and left a message, then called PayPal, and asked the operator if the person I sent the funds to was accustomed to receiving large sums of money like this. After all, if she was renting her key West home, PayPal would have records of her getting lots of $1,000.00 deposits from rentors. Scott, the representative from PayPal, told me that he could not discuss the details of the sellers with me, and when I told him I didn’t care about details, just a trend of big transactions and no flags, he reassured me that the seller was a good bet.

I checked on PayPal’s policy regarding refunds, and relaxed. And yet, I still felt that there was something too good to be true with the house, so I want to Google Earth and typed in the address, 1075 Duval street, key West, Florida, and was shown an image of a Circle-K convenience store where my house was supposed to be. I emailed Nickie gee and asked about the disparity, which he sidestepped by telling me of the low crime issues of that block.

The next day, my buddy Nickie Gee told me a tragic tale. there had been some damages in the home, and he needed the balance of the funds right away in order to get the place in shape for my arrival the next week. I told him that the owner should pay for it, and that the deposit of the other rentors should cover damages as well. he immediately emailed me back, saying that the owner was in “sugery”, which I took to mean surgery, and couldn’t afford to pay for the damages. I asked him to call me, and he told me of a crash he suffered in 2009, which left him almost totally deaf. He would, however, try to get the hearing machine up and running that evening, so he could talk by phone.

Of course, there was no call. He told me his machine (hearing aid?) was broken down again. I replied that I had wired the money to a friend who lived in Key West, who would meet him at the property and give him cash upon inspection of the property. that was the last contact from Nickie Gee Walker.

Meanwhile, I filed a claim with PayPal, who contacted Ms. Pamela Robison Carpenter to dispute the claim. She replied that she knew nothing of me or any $1,000.00, then later, replied that she took a payment of $1,000.00 for her friend, Mr. James Butler, who was moving away. He had asked a friend of his to send money to her account so he could cover his moving expenses, and as soon as the money came into her account, she gave it to him. with that, I escalated the dispute to a claim,reiterating my conversation with Scott from their company, my faith in their policies, and the address which was a convenience store, and waited for the San Jose company to replenish my account.

So, just in case Nickie wasn’t able to make it down from Seattle to pick me up at the airport as scheduled, I made other arrangements with a couple of B&Bs, which I’ll tell you about in another chapter.

i also went to the police, and called the chamber of commerce and the local newspaper. I told the Chamber of Commerce that they should post ads to Craigslist warning folks of these “too good to be true” rentals. turns out that I was one of a couple dozen victims of these guys, and still today, the same ads are there, all over the Key West Craigslist vacation rental section.

My call to the newspaper did pique the interest of a reporter, and his story put my story on the front page: http://keysnews.com/node/31530

After that incident, I researched other vacation rentals through licensed sites, and saw that similar properties go for more than twice as much as I was thinking of paying. while Craigslist is great for many things, I won’t use it for things I can’t actually touch before buying. The other lesson I learned, once again, is to trust the little voice within me when it tells me something.

 

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Greetings from the tropics…

Author: May 03

Picture this:

I’m sitting on the big front porch of a southern mini mansion with breezes caressing me as I write to you, the front yard filled with tropical trees and birds, including a twenty foot tall plumeria filled with flowers, and an iced refreshment on the table by my side. The street beyond is mostly quiet, and the view of the other homes across the street brings me back to my summer in the Bahamas; Chesapeake green with white trim, light grey with navy trim, they all have verandas and white picket fences that call to their past on this beautiful island.

The Atlantic ocean, where it meets the gulf of Mexico, lies two blocks away. Huge butterflies dance through the air while they watch me type, and I feel the accumulated stresses of the default world melting by the minute. I have arrived in Key West, Florida, for some well deserved rest and relaxation, and although I’ve only been here a couple of hours, I can feel it working it’s magic on me and my tension, muscles, and soul.

Back in the day, I used to live in south Florida and take quarterly vacations to the Keys, usually towing my boat behind my little convertible and camping at a fishing camp about a half hour north of here. This time I took a jet to the Conch republic, and actually walked down a set of stairs and onto the tarmac in order to get into the terminal, something I thought was only to be found in old movies. Yes, it is a step back in time, and one that I am grateful; exists right now.

dinner in Key West

Dining on the beach in Key Ewst

I am here to do some writing and resting from my more than hectic work schedule back home in the San Francisco area. I’ll be here for more than a week, so stay tuned as I tell of my adventures in paradise. I always like sharing my encounters with you.

So, it’s my first day here and… Oops, the glass is empty, time for another fruity rum drink. I’ll write more later…

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Music on the water returns for 2011

Author: Mar 07

Well, I’m back from my writing hiatus and have saved up lots of fun stories to share with you all, but first I want to tell you about our favorite happening aboard Barkissimo, the 2011 Music on the water concert series. I’ve been working these past few months on getting more amazing music on the yacht, and so far the effort is paying off wonderfully.

Craig Caruthers aboard Barkissimo

My daughter Deniss and I with Craig Caruthers aboard Barkissimo

We started our second season with the Nashville resident and famous song writer Craig Caruthers this past Tuesday, March 1st. On that evening we also announced the release of out compilation CD, featuring 17 songs from last year’s shows. The CD was produced to raise funds for a charity I am involved with, which I’ll talk more about in another post.

Craig’s show was great, and we had a good mix of old friends and new guests here on Barkissimo to enjoy his talented artistry. I made a vegan curry and quinoa for the guests, and the night was a beautiful start to this 2011 season.

Coming up this year we continue on the 12th of March with something completely different, a spoken word

Geoff Bouvier of the Rap Epic, in poet garb

piece written by the former Poet Laureate of the University of California, Geoff Bouvier. It’s called “The Rap Epic”, and is a blend of Hip Hop and Epic poetry which spins a tale of the search for the meaning of life, among other things. Geoff and troupe will tell the story, then we’ll follow the piece with a set from DJ Miah, who will spin his distinctive style of techno while we dance the night away.

March 18th will see the return of Adrienne Shamszad to Barkissimo, this time with New York song writer Ben Carroll in an upbeat display of original talent and freshness. You’ll see what I mean when you hear them. The combination should be a wonderful contrast-and-complement type of evening.

Pete Kilpatrick

On April 9th, I’m hoping to sign the Pete Kilpatrick band. They are very famous, opening for the Dave Matthews band on their last tour, and have a powerful adult contemporary sound which, by the way, reminds one of the Dave Matthews band… Go figure! I am going to need some encouragement to sign them, as they are demanding a huge minimum, so we’ll need to sell the show out in order to afford them. I do think it’ll be worth it though, if for nothing else than to say that we saw them here on Barkissimo just before they became world famous! so let me hear from you all. let me know if you’ll support that caliber of music by committing to come to their show.

April 17th brings us a fiery storm from the frozen north in the form of Bill Bourne, one of Canada’s most

Bill Bourne

popular artists. He is known for his unique style, and for captivating the audience and taking them on an amazing journey of musical riches. He isn’t known as huge here in California, but back east and in Canada, he’s a star. He reminds me of the early Neil Young, except with a thousand times more talent, a way better voice, and much more captivating style. See him perform here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE5yDI9_lQw

Anne Bacon

Annie bacon Performing the Folk Opera aboard Barkissimo

May is my month for my personal favorites, a month of youthful exuberance and world class talent. We will start off on May 28th with the renowned Annie Bacon performing her Folk Opera, which will surely move you to tears. it’s the story of a car in need of repair, a small town, and undying love which sees through time and infirmity in its purest, most powerful form. Annie’s ensemble is awesome, with beautiful voices and heartfelt lyrics, the opera is not to be missed. Annie will be joined that night by the famous violinist Savannah Jo Lack, who will mesmerize you with her magical command of her instrument.

May 20th will feature the Santa Cruz band Audiafauna. They are

Audiafauna

indescribably delicious, with an intricate blend of rock and indy, with a caress of classical cello and violin. The lead singer, adorable Kelly Koval, will melt you with her range of vocal dexterity and angelic power, while the band swirls behind her with some of the most original beats I’ve ever heard. I don’t know where we are going to fit the six of

them on the yacht, but if you can get a ticket, be prepared to be blown away…

George Cole Quintet

June will bring us more amazing and provocative shows, starting on the11th with the George Cole Quintet, whose music is ALL ORIGINAL, written by George Cole. The music can in no way, shape, or form be described as mellow. His music is muscular and visceral. There are a couple waltzes in the repertoire but by and large the show is high energy and amazingly virtuosic.  The Quintet has been blowing away audiences coast to coast with standing ovations and rave reviews.

 

Nate from Con Brio

On Saturday, August 13th, we will be having a full moon concert featuring the jazz funk fusion of San Francisco’s own Con Brio featuring the amazing voice of Xandra Corpora. The East Bay Express writes “…the band’s sound is that of seasoned musicians balancing respect for technical composition with a healthy love of improvisation — and clearly having a blast with it.” There’s nothing sexier that being aboard Barkissimo when the full moon rises off the fan tail and Con Brio is playing.

We’re amazingly excited to be able to offer this incredible lineup! To RSVP for any of the shows or find out more about the artists, please join us here http://www.meetup.com/Music-on-the-water-concert-series/ or e-mail at Barkissimo@gmail.com

That’s only the first taste of the season. We will be adding more shows as opportunities arise to sign great talent. I hope you’ll be able to attend some of the shows and help support this wonderful community we are building together. Stay tuned for more good stuff.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-01-23

Author: Jan 23

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