Americana Gazette August/September 2008 Issue

MERICANA GAZETT E A August • September 2008

COVER STORY Peter Cooper RESONATORS FAT CAT ROUGHNESS GOOD SOULS ANNE SPENCER DEAR AUGUST BETH KILLE CD REVIEW BAM FEST

AMERICANA GAZETTE GREETINGS FROM THE PUBLISHER:

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Here’s issue number two! I hope this issue goes over as well as the first one did. The staff of the Americana Gazette were very pleased with the comments received after our first issue. We realize we made mistakes, and will continue to do so as we are all really new at this – please bear with us. We really do want to hear your comments – good or bad!

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This issue includes some new columns and some additional writers to our staff. We hope to add new features on a regular basis. We look forward to our continued growth as our readers become involved and help us with the future development of this magazine.

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Litt Dubay

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Mary Pauli

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At this time I want to thank our staff for all their hard dedicated work and to all you readers for taking the time to check out this new magazine and share your thoughts with us. Be sure to check us out online at www.americanagazette.net.

Please contact us (see listed emails,addresses etc) with article ideas or if you are interested in writing an article. We will need all ads, info by October 1st for the next issue. Also remember us for your advertising needs. We are covering a lot of ground in Southwestern Wisconsin.

Until next issue . . . enjoy the beautiful arts & entertainment in Wisconsin!

Joyce Ziehli

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR Ric Genthe rgenthe@charter.net

AMERICANA GAZETTE % ANDY & JOYCE ZIEHLI P.O. BOX 208 BELLEVILLE, WI. 53508 OFFICE: 608-424-6300 Andy Cell: 608-558-8131 Joyce Cell: 608-558-8132

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Welcome to

Americana Gazette TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE STORY 10 Peter Cooper Writer/Recording Artist – Nashville WHERE TO LOOK: 2

Bailey and Duncan’s Slant

3

John Wilde

4

Resonators

6

Fat Cat

8

The Roughness

9

Good Souls Band

12 Anne Spencer

1/2 Notes

Half notes is a new monthly column on arts and music happenings everyone should know about. If you know of such news tidbits such as non-profit shows, jam sessions, gallery openings, showings, band member changes, book signings,CD release parties, bands ending,new bands starting out, readings, etc. let us know and we will publish them in this column each issue for free. This is not a column for band playing schedules or club events (except to announce a new jam), or annual community events. We have advertising space at very affordable rates for that. You can email us the information at aziehli@advisorymgt.com or at jziehli@advisorymgt.com . We hope this public service announcement/update column becomes one of your favorite features of the Americana Gazette.

14 Dear August 15 Beth Kille 16 Resonators in Swiss Town 17 TOP CDs 18 CD Reviews 20 Man’s Trash 20 A Pet Note 21 BAM FEST

The Fall Short Tour is a tour of studios of working Wisconsin artists. It takes place October 17 – 18 – 19- 2008 in Baraboo, Spring Green, Dodgeville, and Mineral Point from 10:00 a.m until 6:00 p.m. daily. There are 52 artists and crafts people taking part in this year’s tour. You can find more info at www.fallarttour.com.

The Fat Cat Coffee Works in New Glarus will be hosting a songwriter’s night starting in October of 2008. Tentatively it is scheduled to be the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.

Further details will be worked out,but the plan is for songwriters to get together and play their latest material. There will also be time spent helping songwriters to learn and advance their craft. The Event will be hosted by different writers each month. These get togethers are open to the general public and will run from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Watch the Americana Gazette web page for further updates.

A new band is getting together and will be booking jobs from the Belleville/New Glarus area. Electric Blue will play 70’s rock & roll and

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blues rock material. Members are Dale Freidig, Scott Hare,Tony Dipofi, Franz Jaggi, and Derrick Hendrickson.

East Nashville music icons Peter Cooper and Eric Brace will be venturing north in November to play a Friday night at Puempel’s in New Glarus. Cooper & Brace will take part in a songwriters in the round show that will feature local songwriters, Rob Kosmeder, Marc Barnaby, Doug Sies,Joel Pingitore,Andy Ziehli,Steve Ringlestetter, Lisa Anderson, and Anne and Dan Sullivan. The duo will then perform a concert.

Check in next months Half Notes for a more specific date.

Rob Kosmeder is recording a 10 song CD at Sugar River Studios. He is hoping for a September 1 release. The Resonators are also recording a CD at Sugar River Studios. They plan to release their CD in September.

Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo are planning on recording a CD in the fall of all original music. We’ll keep you posted on the recording and a CD release date.

The Madison Area Music Awards (MAMA’s) announced that registration for the 2009 MAMA’s awards will open on October,10 2008.

You can get more information on the MAMA’s Myspace page.

Broadjam hosts a variety of song and songwriting contests. Some are annual, some are one-time-only, and these contests have varying sponsors and prize packages. However, every month, Broadjam hosts five individual song contests, including the Song of the Month and four other (primarily genre-based) contests.

Check out these contests and Broadjam at broadjam.com.

Green County Cheese Days will host an Art Show and Sale at the Monroe Middle School in Monroe ,WI on 09/19 to 09/21 2008.

Oregon Firefighter/EMT Craft Fair is being held at the Oregon Middle School in Oregon, WI 09/27 to 09/27 2008 Mount Horeb Thirsty Troll Brew fest will be held at Grundahl Park in Mount Horeb, WI 09/27 to 09/27 2008 Country musicians Danny Francois and Matt Sarbacker are trying to put together an Outlaw Country Band. They are looking for musicians that are between the ages of 19 and 36 years old. You don’t have to have a stage experience just a desire to play good country music. If you are interested you can contact them at: dan-2988@hotmail.com 3

Litt DuBay’s Slant

XXXX XXXXX XXXXXXX Howdy to you Northerners! I’m Buddy, a black Labrador retriever. I recently moved from Monroe, Wisconsin to Houston, Texas.

Wow – what a change! The Southern hospitality is great, but I haven’t been able to meet too many new four legged friends yet. In the past I have been quite a world traveler, visiting 13 states (I’ve even been to Canada). Yippee!!!

by Joyce Ziehli I am 8 years old, a slim 83 pounds, (a real tall drink of water) and came from a Black Lab rescue. Since 2002 I have been a faithful family member of the Tony & Beth Kille household.

If you read the July/August issue of the Ameri-

cana Gazette, there was a great story about my mom,Beth and her band Clear Blue Betty. (She really liked the article, she read it to me several times and even showed me the pictures.)

Now it will be my turn to “make her roll over” and make room for my story! Sorry - Just a little lab humor!!

I am quite a lucky fellow to be in such a talented family. Mom writes, sings and plays guitar along with other instruments, and Dad (Tony) plays drums and even sings and dances to a grand version of Feliz Navidad. Tony is a physician (I even find this hard to believe sometimes) and we moved to Texas for one year for his fellowship. We will be heading back North at the end of the fellowship where Dad will be working at UW Hospital.

I’m pretty active and a little tricky at times. If I sit and beg really cute, with my head tilted just the right way, Mom would take me along to her gigs because I just love to ride in the car and I don’t mind hanging out as long as the weather permits. This gives me a chance to sit back and relax while listening to my mom and dad perform. Mom’s songs take my mind off of the daily routine of chasing tennis balls, playing in the snow, and searching diligently for gophers and squirrels. (Rrrrr - Does it snow in Texas????)

In my spare time, I basically sit around and eat and sleep. I sometimes go on a run with mom or for a swim! I love to sit in front of Tony’s drums when he is practicing, if that gets too loud, I move onto the couch where Mom is playing guitar and I take a little snooze. I usually wake up when she quits playing. I always think someone turned off the radio.

Photo supplied by: Beth Kille

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Texas – it may take some getting used to. The weather is hot and I keep searching forTexas Longhorn steers and those Texas Rangers! In my“awake time”I’ve been working on my “southern drawl/bark”!!

Hopefully I will be traveling back to Wisconsin in the late summer or early fall. Watch for me - I will be the only black lab supporting a trendy Texas cowboy hat and barking in a southern accent!!!!

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Classic Comfort

by Stephanie Essex Elkins

Or a huge wall of sound comes at you in a big concert hall, created as dozens of instruments work together under a gifted leader.

Music lovers of all persuasions have a lot to choose from in the classical world this time of year. It’s season opener time!

Many organizations present concerts from September to May and kick things off with special guest artists and crowd-pleasing music.

Into pianists? The Madison Symphony Orchestra opens with superstar Garrick Ohlsson performing Rachmaninoff over the last weekend of September. The Beloit Janesville Symphony hosts Patricia Lee with music of Mendelssohn in early October.

When skilled voices come together in harmony, there’s nothing more inspiring.The Festival Choir of Madison’s October program will take you within for music meant to uplift the soul.

In Green County, the Monroe Arts Center opens their very affordable Sunday afternoon series with the acclaimed Ancora Quartet in mid-September. (Only $5!)

Stephanie Essex Elkins hosts Saturday Classics and is the co-host for The Midday with Norman Gilliland during the week on Wisconsin Public Radio. She also produces WPR's Music from Wisconsin and Madison Opera features.

Stephanie co-founded Broadjam, Inc. with her husband Roy. Based in Madison, broadjam.com is one of the world's largest web communities for independent musicians.

An incredible virtuoso performs in an intimate venue. You can see the movement of every finger and how her body channels the music.

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There are many other outstanding options, including the Karp Family’s 32nd Annual Opening Concert for the UW-Madison School of Music on Labor Day, September 4; and the Edgewood Chamber Orchestra on Sunday afternoon, October 5 – another $5 option.

Classy but Cheap Date: Any Sunday, head over to the UW Union in Madison and have an inexpensive brunch at the Lakefront on Langdon restaurant – omelets made to order starting at $2.30, and you can eat inside or on the Terrace.Then walk over to the Chazen Museum for a live radio broadcast of some of the best classical ensembles in the state from 12:30 to 2:00 (get there early!)

There’s no cost to get in,but a free will offering is taken.

BELLEVILLE AND THE “BLUES”

by Joyce Ziehli

The weekend of BAMFEST in Belleville brought truckloads of people and talent to Belleville. The “Blues” echoed through the streets of Belleville all weekend long. It was my honor to assist the entertainers at the merchandising table after their performances, and I have to say these were some of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. The entertainers were polite and professional in conduct, and all seemed happy to be with our little community.

F r i d a y night’s headliner, Sonny Landreth sat at the table until every last CD, hat or t-shirt was signed, visiting graciously with all the fans. Sonny stated that the Belleville people were great and he was treated like a king, he would love to come back anytime.

Jeremy Spencer was the headliner on Saturday night, and after his outstanding performance, joined his wife at the merchandising table and signed CD’s, ticket stubs, posters, etc. till wee hours in the evening even as the temperature dropped and the wind picked up, he stayed until the last item was signed. Then Jeremy and his wife ventured to the after party at the Dam Bar where we ate, drank and visited until 2:00 A.M. The stories and the conversation shared were priceless.

These Sunday Afternoon Live from the Chazen concerts get started for the season on September 7 with Paul Kosower, cello and Namji Kim, piano performing music of Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schubert.Visit www.wpr.org for details.

Stephanie Essex Elkins is a writer and classical music radio host.

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Steve Ringlestetter,

Spring Green Prairie Troubadour

Story by and photo by Andy Ziehli The first thing you notice about Steve Ringlestetter when you first meet him is his big smile and easy going manner. A very mellow guy who works extremely hard (he has a full time job, owns his own retail business, and writes and plays music) at whatever he does.

Ringlestetter is a modern day troubadour singing about the heartaches of life. His songs hit a spot in your heart and stay there. The 6

characters in his songs ask questions that many of us fear, because we don’t really want to know the answer. Playing a hybrid cross between folk and rock & roll, Ringlestetter paints the horizon with great melodies, superb lyrics, and the feeling that he is a man always searching for the reason why things don’t always workout.

Accompanying himself on both acoustic and electric guitar Ringlestetter on stage is very charismatic. His earthy voice cuts through the mix to bring his song’s characters story to life.

You can feel the pain and the contentment his characters sing of. Ringlestetter is a man who knows the hardships that life can lay at your feet. This past year he lost his sister to cancer and his house and property were severely damaged by the heavy June rains, and the end of w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

his 25 year marriage. Things one at a time that would bring most people to their knees, Ringlestetter soldiers on making the best of each day. As being a songwriter these things would be great inspirations and or great stumbling blocks. Ringlestetter just sees them as stones in the road of life that he needs to move beyond.

An entertainer in the John Prine stage mode Ringlestetter is not flashy. His songs talk the talk for him. Nashville club owner John Taylor liked what he heard from Ringlestetter when he played at Taylor’s club Tootsies with the Dixie Earthmovers in 2006. Taylor invited Ringlestetter back in 2007 to play his other club The Nashville Palace.

Content now to open for other bands and play a few solo jobs locally in Spring Green where he resides, Ringlestetter will be branching out and playing more solo jobs at bigger venues and hopefully working on his next CD this fall. He also was a contestant in the 2008 Colgate Country Showdown.

Below is a conversation I had with him.

You’ll find a quiet introspective man who only wants to bring his music to the people, even if it is one song at a time.

AG: What inspires you to write?

SR: Basically life inspires me. When I write it just comes to me. It has always been that way.

My writing is very spiritual. It is the everyday things in life that affects me.

SR: I went to Nashville the first time with the Dixie Earthmovers and just hung out and listened to all the great live music we could find.

The next year we went to play at Tootsie’s. I got up and played at breaks and did my solo thing. The bartenders really liked my material and they told John Taylor about me. It really gave me a lot of encouragement to hear that people actually liked my songs. The response from the crowd and the bartenders really gave me encouragement.

John told me to call him when I came back to town. I called before we left and he gave me an audition at his other club, The Nashville Palace. He liked what he heard and asked me to come back and play on weekends. John also said I should shop my songs around. John thought that there was a market for my material. I told him I could not come back every weekend, but I would try to get down there a few times a year. Work and everyday life has been so crazy these past 2 years I have not gotten back there yet.

AG: Is there a particular reason you play solo instead of with a band?

SR: It’s just a lot easier to go solo. I would love to play with a band and hope to again in the future. It’s just very hard to find the time right now.

AG: How and why did you start writing songs?

SR: Whatever is handy. I write mostly on an acoustic guitar, but it’s great to rock out on electric. Those songs seem to be more driving in nature.

SR: I started writing songs in grade school. I would write little poems and rhyming stories, Lyrics have always come easy to me. As I got older I wanted to turn my poems into songs. I saw an ad in a magazine for $78.00 I could send my lyrics to Nashville and they would set them to music. I did not have the money so my older brother Bob was home on leave from the Navy and he gave me the money to send a poem to them. Five weeks later I got a 45 record in the mail with my poem set to music.

It was terrible. Nothing like I had heard in my head. I got so mad that I bought a bus ticket to Madison and went to West Towne and to Music Land and bought a $24.00 guitar so I could learn to play to write music to my words. My mom tuned the guitar and broke a string, so I only had 5 strings to learn from until I got back to Madison to buy more. I saved my money and bought a better guitar and kept on learning. That’s where I am today.

AG: Tell me about Nashville and how you got to know John at Tootsies?

AG: Are the characters in your songs you, or are they just fantasy figures?

AG: What is the biggest block in writing for you, and how do you get around it?

SR: I don’t really get writer’s block. Most of my songs come quickly. Once in a great while I have one that takes awhile to finish. When I do get a block, I have to walk away from it and let it sit. Writing has to flow with me. Less thought and just writing works for me. My best material comes off the top of my head.

AG: Does the song dictate the guitar you use for writing, or is it whatever you have handy when a song hits you?

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SR: Mostly fantasy figures,but I do interject myself into some of my songs.

AG: What is your biggest inspiration for writing?

SR: Feeling good about what I can do with my music. It’s therapy for me. I like the response I get from people when they hear my songs.

It’s not about making money. It’s about entertaining and sharing my songs with others.

AG: You have one CD Emotions that you recorded in 2003 that is just you and a guitar.

Any plans for a new CD and if so will there be a band on this one?

SR: Yes I am planning a new CD. I did some recording with Doug and Dewey Sies last spring. I hope to work with them in the future on some new material.

AG: Dead man walking is a great song,how did that come about?

SR: I was sitting on the couch and just started out doing some picking on the guitar. Started playing around and melody came into my head.

Soon words started to flow. It really wrote itself.

It was inspired by an old man I use to know named Ozzie when I was growing up. He always had these sayings he would utter. They were very wise as I look back now. He inspired me with some of them, and that’s where this song comes from.

AG: What are your plans for performing in the future?

SR: I would like to perform and open with a national act. That’s my dream. I’m going to play as much as I can, hopefully 2-3 times a month. I just want to get out and make music for people and with my friends. Music is in my blood, so I need to share it with others.

AG: Thanks Steve for your time.

SR: You are very welcome. I’ll see you hopefully Saturday night, AG: I hope you can make it. (Steve was scheduled to play with Jug Prairie at the Dam Bar in Belleville on Saturday August 2, 2008.)

You can contact Steve at www.myspacecom/steveringlestetter

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Bass Man Extraordinaire

Mark Gruenenfelder

story & photos by Andy Ziehli Mark Gruenenfelder of Blanchardville, Wisconsin has an extraordinary talent. Besides being one of the best Bass players in Southern Wisconsin he is a talented lead and harmony vocalist. Gruenenfelder has been a working musician for over 30 years. He has played in numerous bands including Slider, Remuda, Toby’s Trailblazers, Swift Kick, Eric Nofsinger and Most Wanted, Dixie Earthmovers, Arnie Alme and the Country Kings, Greenfield Brothers, Backwards Glance, and The Invaders. He also plays with Roger and Ronnie Kittleson once a year in a Bluegrass combo that entertains at a Bluegrass church service in Blanchardville.

One of Gruenenfelder’s talents is his ability to instantly be able to adapt and play numerous styles and genres of music. Because of this talent he is constantly filling in with numerous 8

bands when he is not playing with the four main bands he is in (The Invaders, Greenfield Brothers, Most Wanted, and The Dixie Earthmovers). Gruenenfelder comes from a very musical family. His father Henry is a very accomplished guitar player and vocalist. He played in bands for many years in the Argyle/Blanchardville area playing barn dances and house parties. Mark’s older brothers Paul and Al are also very talented musicians and play with him in the Greenfield brothers.

Gruenenfelder started out playing guitar in the 7th grade. He played in local garage rock bands. His first guitar being a black Les Paul copy made by National. He quickly switched to bass his freshman year and has stayed with that instrument ever since. His first bands played Grand Funk Railroad songs along with top 40 hits of the day. The first pay he ever re-

ceived for playing was a cheeseburger, fries, and soda!

Opening for many national touring acts throughout his career Gruenenfelder has graced the stages of many of Wisconsin’s large summer music festivals. His unique thumb playing style sets him apart from his contemporaries, who choose the two and three finger picking style. He uses a Peavey five-string bass and a Hofner Beatle Bass. Gruenenfelder is also an excellent sound engineer. He owns and operated a sound company with his son Scott, G & G Sound that provides sound reinforcement for local bands and festivals.

I talked with him about playing, his rich musical history, and his future plans. Following is that conversation. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

AG:Who were your early influences in music?

Mark: Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, and the Beatles. My brother Paul had Buck Owens Live at Carnegie Hall that I listened to an awful lot.

AG:At what age did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

Mark: I was 16 years old. My brother Al was constantly playing his guitar when I was growing up. Paul and Al had started a Country band; Paul would let me fill in for him. He would go get a drink and be gone for half an hour, so I got a lot of stage time at an early age.

AG: Is it hard to play in so many bands?

Mark: I’m playing in four bands. Sometimes, not being able to put as much time into each band as I would like makes it difficult. Keeping the peace at home is difficult sometimes.

Kelly is so good about letting me play so much, but I know sometimes she wishes that I would just choose one band. It can be hard on the family life. You end up missing things AG: Why not just one band then?

Mark: I love performing too much. I also love different styles of music and each band has its own style. It would be hard for me to find a band that plays everything I like so three bands works. I will cut back in the future, but now it’s just such a blast playing.

AG:What is your favorite style of music?

Mark: Old and outlaw country is my favorite.

The 60’s and 70’s Country stuff I love to play and listen too. Sometimes though you just got to rock!

AG: Did you ever have aspirations to be a fulltime musician?

Mark: I thought about it, but I never thought I was good enough to make it. By the time I figured out I could make a run at it I had a family and commitments. To quote Elvis “regrets I've had a few, but too few to mention”.

AG: What’s the secret to your ability to play so many styles of music?

Mark: I think it’s because I listen when I’m on stage. There are only so many notes you can play. You just have to choose what goes with the song. If it’s a very simple song, play simple. More notes and flashy slapping do not belong in every song. I let the song and style of the band determine what I play. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

but very expensive.

AG: What do you think of Scott’s playing and his desire to be a musician?

Mark: He has a lot of talent. He can play multiple instruments well. When he started out playing drums he bought a very expensive kit.

I though he spent way too much money on it for a beginner. He learned to play very well,so it was worth what he spent on those drums.

I told him to learn as many styles as he could so he would always be busy and never have to look for work. He has mastered many styles and can fill in easily. I always knew he would be a musician. I am pretty sure that Emily will be a musician also.

AG: When you started out playing Country Music you played with your brothers Al and Paul. Was that hard to do being the little brother?

Mark: No not at all. Al bought a Harmony guitar and a Pencrest amp from J.C. Penney’s and he would play it every free minute he had. Paul bought a bass and taught himself how to play it. Al taught me three chords and I worked on them. Paul then taught me some bass runs.

The first time I got up and played was in 1974 at the old D a y t o n H i d e a w a y.

After that I was hooked.

I played as much and as often as I could.

AG: What is your current bass rig?

Mark: I use a Hartke bass head and a Peavey 4 10 bottom. I play a Peavey TL 5 String Bass guitar, a Hofner 64 reissue, and a 76 Fender Precision.

AG: What does the future hold for Mark Gruenenfelder?

Mark: I’ll play until I’m 90 years old. I’ll probably have a nursing home band then. I just love to play! I’ll cut back in the number of bands I play in when it gets to be too much for me.

Right now it’s working out great and I’m having a blast.

AG: Mark is an incredible player, vocalist, and person. He is one of the good guys, and I’m very proud to call him one of my best friends.

He gives back to the community playing many benefits, hosting a Country Music Festival in Blanchardville in August, and assisting in what ever way he can to help out his many friends and neighbors. Without Mark’s help we could

AG: Do you have a fee to open your case to play?

M a r k : (laughs) Yes I do. Its one million dollars! Just kidding. No I just love to play. If I like the music or job it doesn’t matter what I get paid.

AG:What’s your favorite bass guitar?

Mark: A Modulas II bass. They are great basses,

have never been as successful with the Belleville Country Music Show for the many years it ran. If a person is considered rich for his many friends Mark is a billionaire. Young musicians could learn a lot from Mark, both as a player and a human being. We wish him all the luck in the world.

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EXACTLY WHO IS JASON RINGENBERG . . . ?

past – HOG FARMER FROM NORTHERN ILLINOIS present – LEAD SINGER IN JASON & THE SCORCHERS future – FARMER JASON

Story by Joyce Ziehli Take a moment, close your eyes and think back about 25 years. You turned on your radio dial and out of those speakers came the sizzlin sounds of Alt-Country Nashville band, Jason & The Scorchers. In the early 80’s this was a common household name in our home. Did you ever wonder who Jason is and what happened to Jason & The Scorchers?

Well, I had the pleasure of talking with Jason Ringenberg, lead singer of Jason & the Scorchers and asked that very question. Jason in no way has become stagnant, he has many irons in the fire and we will be hearing much more of him in the future.

It all began back on a hog farm in Northern Illinois. Yes, Jason Ringenberg was a hog farmer, and he himself states that there is nothing wrong with that type of life. It was a good life. Growing up on the hog farm with his siblings, he listened to mostly Honky Tonk music on the radio, and his older sister was really into the 60’s music scene, beads and all. This is the 10

point in Jason’s life where he knew he wanted to be involved in music.

happy to be a farmer.

Performers that had a real influence on Jason were such musicians as Woody Guthrie, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and especially Bob Dylan. Of course, we can’t forget about the inspiring talents of Hank Williams and Merle Haggard too.

Jason is a pretty much self taught guitar player, learning the basics from watching his older sister play back on the farm, (between slopping the hogs and feeding the chickens). Jason’s family were very supportive of his musical talents, even stating, “Mom and Dad were just farm people, but told us kids to do whatever we wanted to do”. Lucky for all of us listeners, he indeed chose to pursue his music career. Although he says he would have been just as

In 1978,Jason ventured off to college in Carbondale, Illinois. Here Jason toyed with different bands for awhile. After a brief stint with a couple of different rockabilly bands, Jason headed South on July 4th, 1981. He packed up his equipment in his van and off to Nashville he went. Jason, being young, was vey ambitious and determined to make it. He worked odd jobs and rented out his PA equipment to other bands to pay his bills. He hit the circuit with both feet running, getting to know people and jamming with whatever musicians would let him perform. Well this worked, within a few short weeks of his arrival in Nashville, Jason had met his Nashville natives and Jason & The Scorchers were born. I guess w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

the infamous words of Jason Ringenberg, “I just wouldn’t take no for an answer” really paid off.

Jason & The Scorchers were ambitious and aggressive, touring the country, released 2 independently recorded records, playing what clubs they could – they knew they had something special going, so they went out to make sure they got discovered, and indeed they did just that! The rest is history as Jason & The Scorchers continue to perform and make great music today.

Now as far as Jason Ringenberg goes, he has taken on a new twist in his life. He has made a transition into Farmer Jason. You know I had to ask how this came about. What a switch in gears? Jason told me he has a young family, 3 daughters, and thought it would be fun for them if he made a CD for them to share with their little friends. Then in Jason’s words,“It just happened.” Many of the people attending a Farmer Jason concert are the parents that listened to Jason & The Scorchers when they were young. They bring their kids, even their grandchildren to see Jason perform. Three generations can be seen at a show - the circle has been completed. How cool is this?

Where would you expect to see a Farmer Jason show? Jason and I talked about this. Currently he is doing shows at such venues as libraries, schools, community performing art centers, birthday parties and even sometimes the rock clubs open up for a “kid’s night with Farmer Jason”. I inquired which hat Jason prefers to wear, Jason & The Scorchers or Farmer Jason? Jason replied,“I like them both but I tend to put a little more time and enthusiasm in Farmer Jason at this time.”

Of course the next question I had to ask was,what exactly happens at a Farmer Jason show?

Jason said they play his kid’s songs and there is a great deal of audience participation. Tractors are not yet part of the show, but would be cool to have one. (Jason says he does most of his traveling by airplane, and hauling a tractor just doesn’t fit into this plan.)

Performing with the band, doing Farmer Jason shows and writing songs and doing videos on the local PBS station between their regular programming, and managing a mini farmette in Nashville fills up most of Jason’s time. I couldn’t help myself, but had to ask if w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

he has hogs on his farm, and of course he laughed saying at one he time did. surely With this busy schedule, he still manages to find quality time family and continue to work on his music. He is working on a new CD as we speak. No wonder he has been nominated for the AMA (Americana Music Award) Lifetime Achievement for Perfor mance Award which will be presented on September 18th, 2008 at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville.

Jason & The Scorchers will be performing live at this event. What a night this will be!

When I asked Jason how he felt about this, he said,“I am deeply honored to be receiving this award, but I am not sure I am old enough yet to receive a lifetime achievement award.”

Jason & The Scorchers have been together for over 25 years making great music and at the same time remaining friends. If you have ever played in a band, you know that most musicians are intense and to have achieved this fate really takes some doings. I asked Jason if he had any secrets to share on this success and he responded, “when you are making good music, you learn to live with that other stuff. Keeping a band together is harder than keeping a marriage together” Amen to that statement!

Now you have your answer. Dig out those old albums or CDs and give a listen to Jason & the Scorchers. Bring back fond memories or

make new ones with their music. Jason is busier than ever,so be watching for his performances, and if you are in need of entertainment for a party or something for a children’s community festival, be sure to check out Farmer Jason. It would be well worth your time. We would love to have him visit us in Wisconsin, after all we were his next door neighbor when he grew up in nearby Illinois. He may live down south in Nashville now, but he is a very gracious man and has never forgotten his Northern roots. I asked Jason what he would like the Americana Gazette readers to know about him and he said,“I would be happy if people knew and felt that we always gave it our best.”

Please check out Jason Ringenberg @ www.jasonringenberg.com or Farmer Jason @ www.farmerjason.com on the Internet. I will be watching for him – you should be too!

Photos supplied by: Jason Ringenberg

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Bob Fest 08’

FAT CAT PARTY

by Rob Kosmeder An overcast sky was draped over the town of Spring Green, but no cloud was to be found over the General Store, a hot spot of artists of all genres. Spirits were high at the annual Bob Fest, even though rain continued to threaten throughout the day. The event started out with the sounds of gentle acoustic songs. Songs that spoke of love and injustice, but in true 1965 Dylan form a burst of electric music exploded from the stage declaring that there was another side to Bob Dylan.A rough jagged cynical side, but at the same time, playful. The musicians ranged from the young all the way to those who may have been with his music from the beginning. The diversity of the musicians was also vast, from locals to people from out of state, carpenters, to ministers. But they all shared the love for great music. This store at this moment was offering up nothing less.

It’s hard to give praise to any single singer or group, just for the simple reason they were all great. Dylan was greatly represented through the all of the artist’s renditions. Some played the songs exactly the way Bob did and some drastically changed them. It didn’t matter though, everyone new exactly what was being played. The music wasn’t the only draw of festival; the crowd was equally as entertaining. All singing along young and old immersed in the sounds floating from the dual stages. I spent 12

time talking to a few of the Spring Green locals and they made you feel right at home. They spoke to you as if they had just visited with you last week. This vibe is very different from a lot of festivals. Maybe it was a sense of community or friendship. Perhaps it was a sense of pride in their community or in Bob Fest, but whatever it was there was definitely a feeling of welcome ness that was given.

The General Store itself was also something to behold. Todd Miller and his family own and operate the General Store which offers a large variety of items including organic groceries, many different types of micro-brewed beer, toys, jewelry, and anything else you could ever want. They also offer great home-style cooking. There are quite a few different gourmet coffees you can choose from the simple but posted menu. No one at the festival was very far from anything they needed. What more would they really need? You had friends, good food, great beer, and of course the music. People from all walks of life, brought together by the music of one man, a simple man, born in Minnesota was able to create a sense of brotherhood between all these people filling up the back lawn of the General Store.Well done Mr. Dylan can’t wait to hear next year’s music!

Live music continues on Sundays at the Fat Cat Coffee House in New Glarus. These concerts are held every Sunday from 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. through August 31st. When Mother Nature permits, the entertainment is held out on the patio. If you are looking for something fun for the family to do on a Sunday afternoon, stop on over at the Fat Cat Coffee House, listen to some tunes, enjoy a Latte, Ice Mocha, Cappuccino or whatever!!!

Listed below is the schedule of entertainment and the dates. See you there!

FAT CAT COFFEE WORKS Sponsored by:

Fat Cat Coffee House & Americana Gazette August 24 11:00 - 12:00 Living Will 11:00 - 12:00 Living Will

August 31 11:00 - 12:00 Jug Prairie 12:00 - 1:00 Jug Prairie

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Belleville’s Fall Festival Remembered by xxxx xxxxxxxxx

There are moments in life that have a dreamlike quality to them. When we feel like sleepwalkers in another time.When real sights and sounds exist in the lights and the harmony of magic.”This is how the very first Belleville Parent-Teacher Association’s OldTime Festival was described. More than 20 years ago, Anne Spencer created the idea of Fall Festival. Barb Hillebrand was a member of the newly formed PTA and Chair of the Fall Festival and remembers it like yesterday. It was held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15, 1987.

Hillebrand recalls that Spencer wanted it on a Thursday night so that the children could talk about their experiences at Fall Festival with their teacher and classmates on Friday. “It was a culmination of all of the events with the Artist in Residence leading up to Fall Festival and the magic of being in Library Park at night,” said Hillebrand.“That was Anne’s dream.” “The middle school was ringing with sounds of banjos, dulcimers, guitars, harpsichords, children’s voices, and laughter as David Stoeri and Roxanne Neat led the first day session,” described the article in the Belleville Recorder. Other participants included “Kathryn Wittwer patiently teaching middle school students how to use the old-fashioned wash board and tub.

Willis Wittwer talked about farming equipment.

Marsha Hoesly displayed quilt pieces and demonstrated quilting. Carol Eberhardy showed children how to use an old-fashioned apple peeler.” Stoeri and Neat, local folk artists, also performed at the Fall Festival, along with Rick Francois and the Cactus Club Band, Maxine Marty, and Orville Fry. Those attending the evening’s event were encouraged to dress in “Little House on the Prairie” like clothes and were treated to brats, hotdogs, ice cream, caramel apples, popcorn, and a whole array of bake sale items. Blacksmith, spinning, and oldtime wash day demonstrations filled out the night. Hillebrand recalls being so understaffed for the first Fall Festival.

“We had no clue as to how many families would attend,”she said.“It was a huge crowd.”

Some of Hillebrand’s favorite Fall Festivals include when the Artist in Residence was Jonathan Wilde or watching the glass blowing w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

demonstration or when Joyce McKay received a grant to interview senior citizens.

“The senior citizens went right into the classrooms and talked with the students,”said Hillebrand. “The kids got so much from that.”

Another favorite was when Connie and Ron Pattinson opened their home for tour and explained to the children that“the county line divided their dining room table—one person eats in Green and the other in Dane.” Hillebrand added that as a group, the PTA received so much help and support from the entire community. She recalls that one of her right hand persons was JoAnn Tourdot among many others who helped throughout the years. “I don’t regret one minute of my involvement with Fall Festival,” said Hillebrand.“It brought the community of Belleville together for a magical moment frozen in time.”

Within the last 10 years, the PTO’s Fall Festival has ebbed and flowed like the tide. Celebrations of different culture, different times have cast their spell on Library Park in Belleville.With each Fall Festival one has taken home gained knowledge or an experience. The Indian culture was examined and the mysteries of Africa thought about. The Renaissance was a memorable time spent as the community was invited to cross over the bridge into a different time and a different place; another Fall Festival highlighted our technological world and how far we’ve come. A favorite and the most memorable Fall Festival was when we “toured China.” Dancers with ribbons flowing in the wind, moon cakes to celebrate, and a race to the Sugar River to send lit candles in walnut shells down the bright and shimmery river under the bridge in hopes that the wishes came true.

You can set your toes a tappin’ 11:00 a.m. from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. when members ofThe Green Field Bros.band will play old-time country music. Starting at 12:00 noon until 2:30 p.m. there will be horse drawn wagon rides around Library Park. At 1:00 to 2:30 various kids’ games will be organized including a pie eating contest,potato sack races,face painting, and a seed spitting contest. The PTO is planning a Fall Festival that will celebrate the harvest of Belleville. So bring your family, friends, and blankets and plan to sit and enjoy!

The PTO members will offer baked goods and a variety of meal deals; the members of Brownies and Girl Scouts will sell apple crisp; the members of the Cub Scouts will sell soda by the can; the members of the Boy Scouts are selling chicken and steak sandwiches with or without onions; the Dayton Dairylanders 4-H Club members plan on deep frying the world’s best cheese curds; the senior citizens will be selling pies by the slice; the Belleville Professional Police Association will be flipping hamburgers; members of the Primrose Lutheran Church will spin webs of cotton candy;and the Friends of the Belleville Public Library will pile toppings high on baked potatoes. Craft items will be for sale and on display. Each of the classrooms in the Belleville Elementary and the Intermediate Schools will be creating some project to simply amaze. So come to Library Park and experience a time like no other, see friends and family and celebrate . . . celebrate Belleville’s bountiful harvest.

This year like last, Fall Festival will celebrate Belleville’s bountiful harvest.

“Fall Festival is nearly here! Complete with toe-tapping old-time country music and horse drawn wagon rides!” The Belleville Parent−Teacher Organization (PTO) will celebrate the fall harvest in Belleville style when it sponsors the Fall Festival on Sunday, September 21, beginning at 13

“WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE THE WIFE OF A MUSICIAN?” “glamour or gloom?”

by Joyce Ziehli What could be more fun on a hot July morning than sitting around a table, drinking coffee and discussing what it is like to be married to a musician? Talk about a “hot day hot conversation” – No, I’m just kidding. Mary Francois, Kelly Gruenenfelder, Carrie Freidig, Kathy Sies and Joyce Ziehli met at the Fat Cat Coffee House in New Glarus for some band wife chat!

Mary Francois: Married to Gary Francois for 26 years. Gary comes from a very talented musical family. In the past, he has played with his Dad, Jerry and his brothers for a number of years. Some bands Gary performed in consist of Copper Head Creek, French Town Road Band and The Danny Francois Band.

Kelly Gruenenfelder: Married to Mark Gruenenfelder for 28 years. Mark too comes from a very musical family, playing for a number of years with his brothers, and even with his father, Henry. When I asked Kelly what band(s) Mark is playing in, she laughed and said they are endless. She can’t remember them all, but 14

to name a few, Greenfield Brothers, Remuda, Toby’sTrailblazers,Invaders,The Eric Nofsinger Band, Dixie Earth Movers, and when he fills in with others,Kelly said they just make up names as they go!

Carrie Freidig: Married to Dale Freidig for 18 years. Dale’s band days go back to the days of Red Baron, Toby’s Trailblazers, Summer Haze, Country Four Plus 1 and The Rain Dogs. Dale’s talents are ever evolving and he is now in a new band just starting up – currently unnamed at this time.

Kathy Sies: Married to Duane Sies (In Wisconsin we know him as Dewey) for 25 years.

Dewey is a wonder on the guitar and plays frequently with his brother Doug. Dewey has played in many bands such as Red Baron, Summer Haze, Country Four Plus 1, Backwards Glance, Dixie Earth Movers and filling in wherever the need arises!

Joyce Ziehli: Married to Andy Ziehli for 29 years. Andy is in a world all his own when it comes to music. He is multi-talented and has played in many bands throughout the years, including Copper Head Creek,Toby’s Trailblazers, Remuda,Jug Prairie,Dixie Earth Movers, Sundance, French Town Road Band, Open Sights, etc – there are way too many to list.

I posed the following questions to this group of women so that we could gather some info and share with the public just what it is like to be married to a musician. Between the five of us, there are 126 years of marriage – we just might know what we are talking about!!! (I promised to not quote anyone in particular because the Americana Gazette does not want to be responsible for any marital issues!)

AG: How long has your husband been playing in local bands?

WITR:“Forever! Once a musician – always a musician” The women reported that their husband’s had been playing ever since they got married with a couple of them even playing“at their wedding dance”!

(Those women should have known right then and there what they were in for.)

AG: How have your feelings about your husband playing changed from the early years to the present?

WITR: The women were all happy that their spouses were playing. They all see the enjoyment the “boys” get from this hobby. Most of the wives went along with their husbands when they first were married, but as children came along – things changed. Some wives felt that they had to be the responsible one to deal with the children and their school functions, as well as try to keep their husbands focused on family as well as their music. Some felt that this was a big change for the women, but not so much for the men. The women had to prioritize their husband’s time. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

AG: How then has their playing affected your family/personal life?

WITR:The women felt that the guys seem to miss a lot of family events (Could this be on purpose?). A lot of times the wives ended up attending school and family functions by themselves. “Being the wife, (the good wives that we are), when our boys get home late at night, we would let them sleep in the next day, keeping the kids away and quiet, so they could get some rest. Therefore not only the night that they play are they gone for several hours, but the next day is shot as well.”

AG: What are some positives that have come out of their playing?

WITR:The entire group agreed there was some extra money. Some of the couples used this for daily living,some used as a vacation fund,while others just said “it’s our Mad Money”. One of us was even able to quit her job after the children came along.

“If they are going to be out in a bar – at least we know what they are doing. They could have much worse hobbies, such as womanizing, gambling, drinking, etc.” (What a great thought!)

The camaraderie that these guys have between them can not be put into words. To watch them perform and to witness the fun and joy they have is priceless! What great friends they have become and remain after all these years. The women as well have remained friends over the years and have met so many wonderful people.

“When the guys opened for national acts,we get the perk of getting to meet them!”

If the wives didn’t go along to watch the gig, they felt that they were able to go about and do “their own thing”. “This was a part of all of our social lives as well. We could have a night out of fun!”

Musical talent has been passed down from generation to generation – Gary and Mark’s children are playing in bands now. Dale’s son loves to go along to band practice and would even sit out on his front porch with his guitar waiting for local musician,Arnie Alme to go by and notice him. It just can’t get any better than this. These are great stories!

We will be watching for these little musicians in the future. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

AG: Now for the negatives – any to share?

WITR:“The family and personal issues have already been discussed – no need to rehash.”

The guys have a tendency to spend a lot of time on the Internet – doing music stuff – then telling their wives,“I’m working!” “Cell phones are great at times, but sometimes when we want that alone time just to talk, their phone rings and it’s one of the guys wanting to talk music or book a job!” At these times the boys have to be reminded –“remember me,I’m right here?” A couple of wives mentioned that their spouse calls them from their regular job to ask them to read off a song list they left on the table or some other band related stuff. Do they forget they are working at their regular job?”

(I personally am so glad to see the positive list so much longer than the negatives – I guess the husbands will be too!)

AG: Did you personally ever want to be a part of it, perform, song write, etc?

WITR:“We are a part of it!” No one felt left out or left behind. The wives have been asked to listen to new songs, asked opinions about stuff, asked if it is ok for new equipment purchases , etc. “It has been great therapy for the men as well as us women!”

AG: Have you ever been jealous when you see those “young gals” dancing in front of your man, trying to catch their eye?

WITR:“Gosh,NO! Those gals may think it looks all rosy here, but it’s not such a pretty site the next day.” (What a great quote – but I’ll never tell who said this.) “Most of these gals aren’t even our guy’s types!”

AG:What are some reasons why wives don’t go along to playing jobs now that we are more mature? (Notice my word choice here, mature not older.)

WITR:“It was too hard when the kids were little.” “Now we can’t stay awake that long and the smoke in the bars really bother us. We have to stay while they pack up, we are the last to leave,driving late at night,when nobody else is on the road, and we feel like crap the next day.”

Nicely stated women!!!

AG:What if they would have become famous – how would your lives have changed?

WITR: “What do you mean – aren’t they famous?”

AG:Was your husband given support from his family when he was growing up?

WITR:“Yes, most of our families have musical backgrounds so of course they were supportive.” One band wife said that her husband’s grandfather bought him his first guitar.

AG: What about equipment – do the guys seem to have too much or does the band share this expense with the other members?

WITR: Most of the guys checked with their wives before purchasing equipment. A couple of them have way more guitars than necessary (this was an overall opinion of the whole group and you know which two guys you are).

One wife has even used an amplifier for a Christmas tree stand in the past and her husband didn’t even know it was missing. Now that might be just a little bit too much equipment lying around.

AG: How has playing all these years affected your spouse’s health?

WITR: “They can’t hear anymore.” (I always thought it was selective hearing – sorry about that.) Others mentioned their other halves have acquired asthma and arthritis. “The equipment seems to get heavier every year.”

AG: If you had a friend, or your friend’s daughter were going to marry a musician – what words of advice would you have to offer?

WITR:“He is a musician now and always will be - Be ready to be second – their music always seems to come first”. All the wives agreed it has been a great life, and we all love our husbands dearly, are very proud of every one of them and all said“we would do it all over again if we had to!” “The guys need us as much as we need them.”

Well to answer the question, glamour or gloom? It is not a glamorous life by any means, but it is a good life. You decide for yourself – life is what you make it!

I am looking forward to having a Women InThe Round discussion in every issue. I am open to thoughts and ideas. Please email any topics you might be interested in to: jziehli@advisorymgt.com.

15

t s e f BAM smeder Story by Rob Ko

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w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

T

he snap of a snare drum then the wail of a guitar followed by a perfect rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz” and that was only the sound check. The Belleville American Music Festival or BAM Fest as most call it was on its way. The festival takes place in Belleville’s Community Park, an island park which every summer is immersed in great music.

The crowd began to trickle in over the bridge and continued into the park to find that perfect spot for the night. Vendors lined the sides of the park which left the large outfield wide open. A bad spot to sit would be hard to find at this festival. The ground was a bit soggy from the night’s rain, but that would not deter the die hard blues fans.

Everyone moved a bit slower and sluggishly in the afternoon’s humidity, but once you found a seat the heat didn’t feel quite as bad.

The general speed of the day was a slow relaxed pace compared to backstage where a frenzy of activity was taking shape. Behind the fence that divided two worlds there was more action to be found. Vans pulling in and out, musicians moving here and there, and Geoff w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Wilbourn flying through the confusion on his ATV. Geoff is the co-founder of the BAM Fest, along with business partner Whit Lehnberg. Both were able to cut through the blur of the backstage with ease, quickly getting to wherever they

had to be. Soon music began to trickle from the stage. The first band, the Mud Angels took the stage in the early evening. A Madison favorite filled the air with their blues rock set. Being in the opening slot is hard at times, but the Mud Angels had the crowd dancing and clapping after their first number. Next up was the

Jimmy Voegeli Band. A large group armed with every instrument necessary to create their unique sound. The entire band flowed fluently, but it was hard to keep one’s eyes off of the group’s leader, Voegeli who was sometimes smashing the keys on his piano or organ, and

sometimes barely touching them, but both were done with intensity. I was able to speak to Jimmy briefly after his set. He had only good things to say about the festival.

AG- Tell me, what makes this festival

17

also toured the states, some of Europe, and did an extensive tour of New Glarus, Wisconsin as he put it. Jimmy couldn’t talk for long, for like most of us the backstage rush will eventually sweep you away. Next Wayne Baker Brooks was walking up the stage stairs ready to entertain the ever growing crowd. His music fused with his sense of humor made for a great performance. After a couple songs he had the audience singing along with him. To everyone’s amazement Brooks even played his guitar with his tongue! You have to give him credit for that!

The next band up was Eric Sardinas and Big Motor. There were rumors that came with them. “I heard that he sets his guitar on fire at every show” and “You never know what this guy is going to do” was the gossip I was hearing from the crowd. Both rumors were somewhat true. Yes, Eric has started his guitar on fire before, but sadly not for the BAM Fest. We definitely knew what he was going to do, and that was put on a great performance. It was a thrill to watch Eric run about the stage throwing his guitar around, but still hitting every note.

Sometimes he would stand so close to the edge of the stage you felt that he was going to fall into the crowd. I was able to talk to his drummer at the merchandise tent afterwards.

AG- What are your feelings about this festival?

ESD: It’s just a nice relaxed place.

Everyone is really friendly. The crowd is really attentive, and we’re near water. It’s great it’s not too steamy.

We’re just fine. different from all of the other festivals you’ve played at?

JV- I think what stands out for me is the way the musicians are treated as well as the people out front. There are so many festivals where you go and its get on, get off, get out of here. All the music on stage starts from behind stage.

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It comes from how the musicians are treated and what the vibe is. I played here the first year and I felt the exact same way.

Jimmy would know what he is talking about. He has been living the music for about twenty years. He has played countless shows and festivals. He has

It’s seems like Eric Sardinas and Big Motor were agreeing with what all the artists were saying that night, and that’s that the BAM Fest just has a great vibe to it. Sardinas and his band went to the Dam Bar for the after party. Sardinas got up on stage and jammed with local Blues favorites The Resonators. Eric Sardinas mingles with the crowd until w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

2:00 A.M. He will soon not be forgotten in Belleville. All the acts agreed that it’s a plus being next to water.

Closing the night was the legend Sonny Landreth, the slide guitar virtuoso. Watching Sonny play was mesmerizing. He’s known mainly for his slide guitar, but all around he is a great performer. He kept the audiences attention not by onstage antics, but by the sounds pulsing out of the speakers. The perfect end to the first night. The music and the crowd would keep getting more energized as the night progressed. Sonny Landreth brought them back down to a calm level with an accomplished feeling.

His skill and talent cannot be matched.

Even Eric Sardinas bowed to Sonny from the crowd when Landreth played.

Landreth signed autographs and talked to all who waited in line to meet him. He posed for pictures and joked with the crowd for an hour after the show. After all the handshakes and signing was finished Landreth sat and visited with Senior Editor Andy Ziehli for over an hour about Landreth's growing up in Louisiana and his early playing

days. Ziehli said “Sonny was the most gracious man to talk to.

You could tell that his friends and family meant a lot to him. His love for Louisianans and Cajun music was expelled upon throughout our conversation.” He told me that “the setting for this festival was the most beautiful festival site he had ever played.” Landreth said “our treatment by the festival staff and organizers was the best we have ever encountered. I would gladly come back to Belleville and Bam Fest and play again.”

The night wasn’t over for everyone though. The after party was just getting started at The Dam Bar, located only a short walk from the festival.

The music and fun continued on into the night, but that is another story in itself.

Day Two It had rained again the night before day two of the BAM Fest.

Guests were once again welcomed by the present of a pair of soggy feet. But everyw w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

one definitely knew which spots in the field to avoid, and the lesson was learned quickly. The day was started out by Queenie and the Blue Cats. The band that played a mixture of jazz and blues. Queenie’s voice was definitely what stood out to the crowd. Her rich, soulful voice stood out of the music and you couldn’t ignore it. After their set Queenie said, “This is an American music festival. There are infinite possibilities with it. It has focused, thus far, more on the bluesy end and being that the blues is oldest American music, it’s a good place to start”.

It was definitely a great way to start off the day, but it was bound to get better. Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo took the stage and gave us a great show. He offered us straight up-good time’s blues.

People were dancing throughout the festival, but when Aaron was playing he seemed to bring out the dancer in some of the more timid crowd.

Then the Crashers from Monroe took the stage. All around a great band, and 19

way Joel played cannot be explained.

Everyone was in awe of this young man.

To the crowd Joel’s fingers moved in some sort of chaotic fashion, but in his mind it was probably completely organized. This band was an unexpected gift in the aging afternoon.

The crowd probably needed sometime to recover from Joel, but did not get much of a rest, because Michigan Blues Man Larry McCray woke everyone back up! McCray a giant of a man wielded his Gold Top Les Paul’s and his Flying V Gibson guitars like Picasso wielded a paint brush. His backing band pumped out pure R&B and Blues music to the late afternoon crowd. McCray’s soulful big voice filled the afternoon air with enough smooth tones that you could have cut the air with a knife. Ever the showman McCray was anther excellent surprise on Saturday.

Next onto the stage came the mysterious Robben Ford. Before he appeared the audience was told that there were to be no pictures taken of Mr. Ford, or he would cease to play. For many of the attendees this left a bad taste in their mouths. He avoided looking at the audience for a large part of the show. These factors definitely cast a cloud over his performance. His playing although superior to most guitar players alive could not take away the bad taste left in peo-

once again another amazing female singer took the stage. Jennifer Deprez sang with such power and intensity you couldn’t take your eyes off of her. She was the one who treated us to Joplin during sound check, and throughout her performance you could see flashes of the late blues singer. The band was full of energy and was a sight to see.

The crowd had gotten much larger 20

since the gates opened before noon.

The crowd soon was beginning to press up to the stage. Then onto the stage came Livin’ Will featuring Joel Pingitore. As soon as Joel touched his guitar the audience was his. The

joyed quiet conversation with anyone who wanted to talk to him. He was gracious and kind, offering encouragement to those who told him that they played but not as good as he did.

Spencer took time to talk to a group of people about his Christian work in Mexico and his love of living in Ireland. Jeremy Spencer mad quite an impression on all that spent time with him. It was another perfect ending to a great night.

As the last chords echoed from the park and the last

licks from the hot guitars of the Dam Bar faded the weekend ended with everyone in attendance feeling that they had truly witnessed the best of the best.

No more loud, wailing, painfully truthful blues floating over Belleville. just the cool night breeze signally the end of the best Bam Fest to date. The people will have to wait until next year. The crowd grows larger in the park each year. With all the good vibes Bam Fest gives off to audience members and bands alike, it is a sure thing that it will continue to grow.

Like Eric Sardinas said, “You just have to experience it”

Pictures by Rob Kosmeder, Lynn Nimsomboon, and Andy Ziehli

ples mouths from his arrogance.

English gentleman Jeremy Spencer was on next. Only three American dates were set by this man, and he chose to come to Belleville. Jeremy’s most known for being a member in the original Fleetwood Mac, but he didn’t need any help from that. He chatted with the audience and even gave a “Guitar Name” quiz. His guitar playing was smooth and precise. The audience was pressed up against the stage and was taking in every note that Spencer played. The backing band was just as precise and smooth as their leader. Spencer played every note like it was his last. The tones he etched from his custom made guitar filled the night air with peacefulness and serenity. As good as Spencer was on picking the guitar he was just as good at playing slide guitar. His slide playing though not fast and loud was incredible!

Spencer had the crowd in his hands.

Spencer is quite a shy man and does not usually sign autographs, but this night he made an exception. He stayed until everyone who wanted to talk to him or get something signed was able to do so.

Spencer and his wife then attended the after party at the Dam Bar. There he enw w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

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What we are talking about

by Andy Ziehli We received some questions on just what Americana Music was,and how do we define it here at the Americana Gazette. Readers wanted to know what bands played Americana Music in the area, and if any radio stations played that format? Well to answer your first question, yes there are many bands playing and writing Americana Music in Southern Wisconsin. They just mix it in with a little country and Rock & Roll. Some great local Americana Bands are Dear August, Auburn, Blake Thomas, Jug Prairie, and many more. The closest thing to Americana Radio Stations are WORT on Wednesday mornings with the Bill Malone show, and Triple M sneaking one in every once in awhile.

We need an Americana/Alt-country radio station in Madison. It would fill the void that exists now in Southern Wisconsin radio. Many genres and sub genres of Americana could be played so the play list would never get old or boring. Write or email your local stations and beg them to switch formats. The only other alternative is web radio, where Americana music flourishes. We here at the Americana Gazette and Sugar River Productions are in the process of developing 4 web radio programs: • An Americana Music show playing the best in local and national Americana music.

• An Outlaw Country Music show playing the best in 70’s through now Outlaw Country Music.

• A Blues show playing the best in local and national Blues music • A Songwriter show with local and national songwriters playing and talking about their songs.

We hope that by doing so we will increase the demand for a commercial station in South22

ern Wisconsin to take the leap and become the first true Americana radio station in the area.

To better help you understand what detentions of music we adhere to at the Americana Gazette we have listed definitions from Wikipedia describing just what the heck we are talking about in our articles. We hope that these definitions will inspire you to check out local and national acts playing them.

Index of styles (from Wikipedia,) Americana = Americana is a loose subset of American roots music, that is perhaps best defined as "classic American music" — ranging in style from folk, country blues, bluegrass, alternative country, rockabilly, neo-traditional and roots rock. In recent years, the genre can be seen as being typified by artists such as The Be Good Tanya’s, Dave Alvin, The Band, Susan Cowsill,The Creekdippers, the Derailers, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Rosie Flores, Emmylou Harris, The Jayhawks, Jim Lauderdale,Will Oldham (a.k.a.Bonnie 'Prince' Billy),Otis Johnson Band, Tom Russell, Michelle Shocked, Hayshaker, Bobby Bare, Jay Farrar,The Cedars,The Greencards, Son Volt,UncleTupelo,Lucinda Williams, Victoria Williams, Neil Young, Martin Zellar, Kathleen Edwards, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Limbeck each of whom incorporate themes of cultural Americana in their songwriting. Americana music is more likely to be played on Triple-A, Internet radio or noncommercial college radio stations than on commercial country radio.

More and more people are tuning into alternative country, roots and folk, which all fit into Americana.In addition to the above mentioned artists there are many more newer and older artists who can be classified as Americana:John Prine,Todd Snider,Robert Earl Keen,Jeff Finlin, Telegraph Canyon, Shelby Lynne, Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Hayes Carll, Mando Saenz,

Adam Carroll, Sara Petite, Graham Weber,Wrinkle Neck Mules, Marty Stuart, Kris Kristofferson, Jim Lauderdale, Sunny Sweeney, Carrie Rodriguez,Eve Selis,John Stewart,Loretta Lynn, Iris Dement, Jim White, Gillian Welch, Mary Gauthier,Tom Fallon, Darrell Scott, Caleb Stine and the Brakemen and more.

Alt-Country = Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of country music sub genres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music.The term is sometimes known as Alt. country and has included country music bands that have incorporated influences ranging from American roots music, bluegrass, rock & roll, rockabilly, honky-tonk and punk rock. In the 1990s, however, "alternative country" came to refer to a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. In general, these musicians eschewed the high production values and pop outlook of the Nashville-dominated industry,to produce music with a lo-fi sound,frequently infused with a strong punk and rock & roll aesthetic, bending the traditional rules of country music. Lyrics are often bleak, gothic or socially aware.

Country = Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains.It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, hokum, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s.[1] The term country music began to be used in the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading, and the term was widely embraced in the 1970s, while country and western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is still commonly used.

Folk = In American culture,folk music refers to the American folk music revival, music exemw w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

plified by such musicians as Woody Guthrie, who is most noted for "This Land isYour Land."

Pete Seeger, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs,and Joan Baez,who popularized and encouraged the lyrical style in the 1950s and 1960s.

Outlaw Country = Derived from the traditional and honky tonk sounds of the late 50's and 60's, including Ray Price (whose band, the "Cherokee Cowboys", included Willie Nelson and Roger Miller) and mixed with the anger of an alienated subculture of the nation during the period, outlaw country revolutionized the genre of Country music. The term "Outlaw Country" is traditionally associated with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Billy Joe Shaver, and was encapsulated in the 1976 record Wanted! The Outlaws.

Bluegrass = Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and it is a sub-genre of country music. It has its own roots in Irish, Scottish and English traditional music. Bluegrass was inspired by the music of immigrants from the United Kingdom and Ireland (particularly the Scots-Irish immigrants in Appalachia), as well as jazz and blues. In bluegrass, as in jazz, each instrument takes a turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others revert to backing; this is in contrast to old-time music, in which all instruments play the melody together or one instrument carries the lead throughout while the others provide accompaniment. Traditional bluegrass is typically based around acoustic stringed instruments, such as acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, and upright bass, with or without vocals.

Blues = The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes. It emerged in African-American communities of the United States from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads. The use of blue notes and the prominence of call-andresponse patterns in the music and lyrics are indicative of African influence.The blues influenced later American and Western popular music, as it became the roots of jazz, rhythm and blues, and bluegrass. In the 1960s and 1970s, a hybrid form called blues rock developed from the combining of blues with various rock and roll forms.

w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

The Birth of

ROCK N ROLL--by Bob Hoffman

For Me!

The idea of this article gave birth during a visit to the Monona Terrace and a recent concert there by Clear Blue Betty. The music was obviously rock and roll. Some people call their music Midwest Rock, but as I sat there that summer night and glanced around the crowd, I noticed that many in the audience were older than what one expects at such shows. Then in the center of the crowd attendants from some health facility pushed out a half dozen wheelchairs each containing a resident of the facility.

The people in the chairs were soon waving their arms to the music, some tapped their feet on the foot rest, and it was obvious the music was getting to them. At first it was almost a shock, but then within seconds I realized that most of the audience had grown up with rock being their music. And thus my mind went into overdrive: I had grown up with the radio meaning the weekly HIT PARADE show that counted down the top songs of the week, and on Saturday morning local stations counted down the top thirty or so songs.

You found yourself rooting for certain songs and frowning in distaste at others. The radio in those days often featured novelty songs. They seemed to sell well, and that trend continued into the early years of television, too.

But what did we listen to in those pre-rock days? Here are some of the people that sang our favorite hits: Teresa Brewer, Jo Stafford, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, and a personal favorite of my Vaughn Monroe. I could not get enough of listening to GHOST RIDERS IN THE SKY. I would surf radio stations (and we didn’t call it surfing then) to hear that song over and over. And I was so delighted when the song was on the weekly countdown for weeks upon weeks.

How and when did rock and roll come into my life? It is simply—the same way for many of us.

Attending a movie in Madison was a real special treat for us, but once I had my driving license, it became more common. On one of those trips I attended a screening of BLACKBOARD JUNGLE. My interest in being a

teacher no doubt brought me to that movie.

And the sound track of that movie featured Bill Haley and the Comets playing and singing ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK. I was hooked. I was almost spellbound by this new crazy beat.

The next day I was back in Madison to buy the 45 of the song, and once I was home, I played it over and over again.

No doubt my family must have soon hated the song. But rock and roll was born for me. It became a part of my life. And guess what? All those fears mentioned in the days after the song came out did not happen. The world did not end, riots did not break out, and most of us kept our morals, too.

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The Dang-Its live at The Grumpy Troll July 2, 2008

by Lindsay Olig Since their beginning in 1998 The Dang-Its have created their own unique sound playing a mixture of Americana, alt-country, country, and roots music. Based in Madison WI, the Dang-its play shows all over the state. They are equally at home on a concert stage or honky tonk.

Members are Tom Waselchuk, Sheila Voss, Rick Nasser, Mark Luhring, and BiL Solomon. I recently caught up with them between sets at the Grumpy Troll in Mt. Hoerb. Below is a short interview: AG: How often do you play with this band in particular?

Tom:About 2-3 times a month, and more in the summer AG:What drew you to this kind of music?

Tom: Well, I started as a side man for famous bands on tour in the 1980s and 90s. I really liked the roots to original country and blues, and decided to keep with something I already knew and liked.

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AG:What kinds of places do you find yourself playing at most often?

Tom: In the summer and warmer times of the year, we play a lot at community concerts outside. In the winter and cooler months, we play much less and it’s at small pubs and bars.

AG:What have you found to be the most successful way of getting word out about your band?

Tom: Word-of-mouth, good performances, email list, public service announcements on radio.

AG: How do you balance life between your other bands and with personal life?

Tom: I’m a professional musician, so I don’t have a daytime job to interfere with band life.

However, with my other band, Harmonious Wail, we book 6 to 18 months out, and that helps with scheduling practices with each band, and also gives us a good look at what is coming up.

The Dang-Its have released two CD’s Don’t Mean Maybe in 2000 and Our Way in 2006.

They have played many Performing Arts Centers throughout Wisconsin includingTrueblood Performing Arts Center,Washington Is.,Mineral Point Opera House, Mineral Point,WI,Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, Green Bay WI, and the McMillan Memorial Library Auditorium, Wis. Rapids WI., along with numerous community festivals and local honky tonks.

The Dang-Its are a great band that blends the sounds and songs you don’t hear on Top 40 local radio. Please check them out when they come to your area.

Spinning

Creatively Designed with YOUR Band in Mind!

One reason we develop hobbies is because we are interested in using old crafts. Our family went to a neighbor’s auction. One bundle had parts of an old spinning wheel. It belonged to Mrs. Levis Freeman. She and Lewis were pioneers in the neighborhood and her great grandson was retiring and moving to town.

The Freemans lived where their farm bordered an IndianTrail to the Sugar River. Indians lived Southwest over the hill from their farm.

Our older neighbors shared much of the folklore of the area with us “newcomers”.

We bought the pieces of Mrs. Lewis Freeman’s spinning wheel. My husband is a wood worker and enjoys new challenges. The “Foxfire” books were very popular at the time and the library made them available to us. The book told how they were made in the Georgia hills. My husband had to remake the wheel spokes because they were broke off from the hub of the wheel. The four foot wheel was made of 2 thin, ¼ inch strips of wood glued together with the spokes going into the first strip. The bundle came with a covered wood screw as a tension release in the front. This style of spinning wheel often had a child making the wheel go around. Another neighbor told how when he was a boy in Missouri, he had to spend afternoons to help move his grandmother’s spinning wheel go around.

That’s hard work for an active young boy. He’d rather be raccoon hunting or squirrel hunting.

Grandma made him warm stocking caps, mittens and sweaters.

Our son, Joel, made a colonial wheel of red cherry wood. I did a lot of learning on this spinning wheel. The painter Leonardo Da Vinci made drawings of this operating spinning wheel and is given credit for inventing it. It works faster than the old wheel and winds yarn on a bobbin. The wool is carefully fed into the orifice of the hollow bobbin spindle which is traveling at a high rate of speed driven by the bigger wheel. This twists the fiber into a yarn that is put on a bobbin.

The Palmers had sheep and I bought a fleece of one sheep for $10.00. This was many

years ago. The fleece was washed and dried outside. You need cool water so the lanolin doesn’t leave the wool and it keeps the natural oil. The wool needs to be carded. Cards are available to clean sheep for fairs as well as spinning. Sheep’s wool collects many weed seeds as well as dirt. The carding develops a rhythm when they are used and the wool ready to spin is called a rolag.

Later my husband made me a castle spinning wheel. This wheel is smaller and can be put in a car with the seat belt around it and rides reasonably well. It’s made of black walnut wood from our farm. Both spinning wheels are pretty.

Every breed of sheep had different wool.

Merino is the best known but some of my wool is Romney and Lincoln as well. Someone asked me to spin buffalo hair for a stocking cap. I used the hair clipper to cut the hair from the fuzzy part of the buffalo hide. It spun well.

Since then I’ve read of Native Americans using drop spindles to spin.

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A Tale With MARY PAULI

by Mary Pauli

906 4th Street • Brodhead, WI 53520 608-897-2233 • rgenthe@charter.net

A woman game me sacks of dog hair which spun well. This dog hair was made into a sweater. Llama and alpaca spin very well. The alpaca is a very soft yarn.

Linen was introduced to me. It just didn’t go well at all. Then I found out it needs to be spun wet. It’s a very strong fiber. Some people mix wool with other fibers. Angora is very soft and is often mixed with wool.

Dying wool is another challenge. Golden Rod flowers make a yellow dye. The black walnut gives 2 shades of brown. Poke weed is a deep red or wine color. I use alum and cream of tartar as mordants. The natural dyes sun bleach easier than the commercial dyes. Sometimes wool needs two batches of dye. The water needs to be kept hot but boiling is too hot and makes movements in the water.

Sheep’s wool dyes the easiest.

These last years I’ve been spinning for Dane County RSVP Program. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the students and schools of Dane County.

• Accounting Management • Bookkeeping Services • Business Plan Creation • Freelance Writing • Grant Writing • Human Resource material creation • Planning • Research (business, funding, historical) AMRS, Inc. specializes in working with small businesses, non-profit agencies, entrepreneurs, artists, and musicians. No business or project is too small for us to help.

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resource corner!

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In today’s information overload society that we live in, it’s very easy to miss important information that can help us to succeed in our artistic endeavors. The Americana Gazette has put together a list of organizations, websites, and individuals who you can contact to help you with your artistic future.

Artsbuild Artsbuild is an organization of artists in Southwestern Wisconsin. It is funded by the U.W. Platteville Office of Continuing Education. Its mission is “Utilize the arts to foster economic development in rural Southwest Wisconsin.” Since its formation in 2004,Artsbuild has built and maintained a large database of artists, writers, musicians, sculptors, poets, and painters. The program focuses on four components. They are networking, education, marketing, and partnerships. Each component has a specific submission to help area artists succeed artistically, financially, and educationally. Town hall meetings are held to educate its members and the general public about Artsbuilds mission and the artistic opportunities available. Artsbuild has created a plan of action and it is listed below along with contact information.

SMART PLAN FOR ACTION: •

Engage in conversations integrating arts and culture into community economic development plans.

• Identify and preserve the regions artistic,

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cultural, historic and creative assets.

Recognize and support the artists and creative entrepreneurs who are part of our region's creative identity - attend performances & events - purchase & display local artist's work.

Collaboration and partnerships between area artists, arts organizations, local businesses and institutions.

Advocate for and support arts education in your community.

Public investment in the arts, culture, creativity and innovation strengthens the state's competitive edge in economic development, downtown revitalization, educational advancement, tourism opportunities, and community engagement.

nities focused on independent music, Broadjam.com hosts a massive online database of searchable songs by artists from all 50 U.S. states and over 150 countries worldwide.The Broadjam Pro Services group designs and builds custom technology for music industry clients such as Warner/Chappell, Academy of Country Music, Peavey,Yamaha and others.

Members can create a playlist of their favorite songs and bookmark favorite artists on his/her profile page for fast access. Fans can also review songs, buy merchandise from their favorite artists and design their own merchandise in our store.They can also watch and review artist videos on Broadjam TV.

Lawyers CONTACT US! For more information about ArtsBuild and ArtsBuild Smart Communities: www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed/artsbuild at 608342-1314 / 1-888-281-9472.

Broadjam If you are a songwriter, play in a band, or just love music you need to know about Broadjam.

Broadjam is the brainchild of Roy and Steph Elkins. They are two of the nicest people in the music industry today. They and their organization strive to help musicians get their music heard by the masses and the “right” industry people. Starting out in New Glarus they eventually had to move to Madison because of the need for faster internet service and capabilities.

The Elkin’s laid back manner, and super casual offices are the perfect fit for musicians. Roy’s expertise and connections have helped to build Broadjam into an industry leader. Their young computer savvy staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and are always eager to help out their members when they have questions.

The website is to navigate and their explanations of just what they do say it much better than I could.

“Broadjam is an international web community for musicians and their friends. It's a place to discuss music, collaborate with other artists and submit songs for exciting professional opportunities. Their mission is: “Broadjam strives to be a highly ethical and useful services company in the music industry while creating value for our users, employees and shareholders.”

You love them or you hate them depending on the circumstances you encounter them, but everyone knows you need them. Finding a good Entertainment lawyer in Southern Wisconsin use to be like trying to find a snowball in Death Valley at high noon on July 31st. IT could not be done. There are numerous good lawyers in this area,but none had the expertise to help out artists and musicians with their legal questions and problems. Now we are fortunate enough to have two law firms that have both experience and the desire to work with artists and musicians in Entertainment Law. Elizabeth Russell of Russell Law Offices in Madison, WI serves musicians, writers, visual and performing artists. She is highly qualified to practice Entertainment and General Law. She is a lecturer, writer, and musician herself.

Her contact information is Russell Law, 402 Gammon Place, Suite 270, Madison,WI 53719, Telephone: 608-833-1555.

The new kid on the block is Faun Phillipson of Phillipson & Uretsky, LLP in New Glarus,WI. Faun offers the opportunity for artists in Southern and Southwest Wisconsin to deal with an experienced entertainment attorney besides being able to help them with their other legal needs including wills, probate, copywriting, business setup, etc. Along with her partner located in their New York Offices, Phillipson & Uretsky, LLP can assist local artists and residents with all your legal needs. You can contact Faun at Phillipson & Uretsky, LLP PO Box 148, New Glarus,WI 53574 608-527-2752.

Repairs for Instruments Broadjam Inc. provides web-based promotional tools and services for independent musicians, the music industry and fans around the world. One of the world's largest web commu-

Do you know where I can find a good repair man for my guitar, amp, or other band equipment? If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been

asked that question I would be a very wealthy man. Well the answer is yes. We are very fortunate to have some very qualified repair shops and individuals in this area. Depending on what you need done, what kind of instrument you have, and how far you want to drive, there are great reasonably priced repair shops here.

Below are a few of them: •

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GOOD N LOUD MUSIC, Madison,WI there are two locations one on Atwood Ave. and the other on University Ave. 1-800-236-5990 Email: sales@goodnloud.com GINTER GUITAR SHOP on Atwood Ave, Madison WI. (608) 241-8448 Email : elvis@chorus.net DAVE'S GUITAR SHOP, 3rd Street South, LaCrosse,WI 54601 (608) 785-7704 JIM LAABS MUSIC, 1055 Main St., Stevens Point,WI 54481 (715) 341-1666, 1-800-657-5125 WARD-BRODT, 2200 W. Beltline Hwy., Madison,WI 53725 (608)271-1460, 1-800-369-6255 SPRUCE TREE MUSIC & REPAIR INC. East Johnson Street, Madison WI 53703, 608-255-2254 Email: sprucetree@sprucetreemusic.com BARABOO MUSIC, 3rd St, Baraboo,WI 53913, (608) 355-0207 LANE’S LUTHERIE & VIOLINS, W. Beltline Highway, Suite B, Madison,WI 53711 (608) 442-0315

Business Plans If you are going to have a career in the arts you need a plan. If you plan to apply for grants, bank loans, or credit cards you need a plan. A business plan for the arts is no different than a business plan for a retail, service, or manufacturing business. If you want to succeed you got to have one. Now you can write one yourself, or you can take a class form your local Tech College or the SBDC that is at your local University or you can hire a consultant to construct one for you. Business plans are the most important item you can have to get your career or small business off to a great start.

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Southwest Wisconsin SBDC, 1 University Plaza, Platteville,WI 53818-3099 Phone (608) 342-1038 , Fax (608) 342-1599

UW Stevens Point 2100 Main Street, 103 Old Main Building, Stevens Point,WI 54481, Phone (715) 346-3838/800-898-9472, Fax (715) 346-4045 • Advisory Management & Research Services, Inc. PO Box 208, Belleville,WI 608-424-6300, 608-558-8131

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Marketing Marketing is very important. If you don’t sell you don’t eat. Artists need to create a brand just like other businesses. Creating a marketing plan or strategy takes time and expertise.

Guerilla marketing works best for artists and musicians. Learn and study this art to bring financial rewards your way. If you are a musician or writer and cannot create your own marketing tools hire someone to do it for you. There are many local artists and advertising folks to help you create proper materials to get your product noticed.

product sounding the way they want it to sound,not the way you want it to sound. Many studios do not have experience recording large groups, acoustic instruments, certain styles of music,and do not have the ability to bring qualified staff musicians in to help make the recording process go quicker and sound better. You alone as the artist need to make those decisions. Set up a budget on what you can spend and stick to it. A good studio owner and operator will find a way to do this with you. It’s your money being spent. Make sure it is being spent and you are getting the results you want, not the engineer. There are many studios around southern Wisconsin as I have said before. Do your homework and find out which is a good fit for you. Then if you choose to go this route you can sleep at night knowing that you are getting what you wanted at a price you can afford.

There are many other points I could cover, but for this issue I hope I hit on the areas most artists and musicians have questions on. Good luck on your careers.

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Ric Genthe & Associates,Advertising, Design, and Marketing, 906 4th Street, Brodhead,WI 53520 608-897-2233 • Advisory Management & Research Services, Inc. PO Box 208, Belleville,WI 608-424-6300, 608-558-8131 • See SBDC’s above

Recording Studios The final piece for many songwriters and musicians is to get their music recorded. Home studios are numerous, and most have a computer and can record themselves. Making the all important demo for a job, CD deal, or promotion is a time consuming project that needs attention to detail. Putting your promo pack together with the right components and a great recording needs to have your full attention. Can you make quality recordings on your computer? Yes. Will they be accepted by the music industry? Yes. So why do you need a recording studio.

You need a recording studio because you may not be able to make your music the best you can on a home system. You could need better mics, more space, vintage instruments, the noise and bleed level may not be what you need to have to make the recording the best you can. Mastering needs to be done by experts. If you come to this decision,you need to find a recording studio that will produce the product you want. Many studious produce a

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success of the project.

The Arts in

Southern Wisconsin

by Andy Ziehli

The arts as a source of revenue, tourism, business opportunities, and economic development for small towns in Wisconsin have never been greater or has it ever been easier to tap into than now. The Wisconsin Arts Board following a Legislative directive joined forces with 156 other communities to participate in Arts & Economic Prosperity III study. Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton stated“across Wisconsin the arts and culture industry does mean business”. In fact the Wisconsin's non-profit arts industry generates $418,055,786.00 annually including: • 15,103 fulltime jobs • $276,424,120.00 in resident household income • $27,402,880.00 in local government revenues • $34,437,520.00 in state revenues The $418,055,786.00 total also includes $247,127,217.00 by arts organizations and $170,928,569.00 in event –related spending by arts audiences - excluding the costs of admission.

Nationally according to the report the nonprofit arts industry generates 5.7 million jobs and $166.2 billion in economic activity every year. This report can be accessed on line at http://artsboard.wisconsin.gov/static/study/pr 061207.htm Why the arts are important The arts improve our quality of life in Wisconsin, especially in Southern Wisconsin. This is quite evident in most small towns with their community theater, arts & crafts festivals, the revitalization and rehabbing of old theaters and opera houses,music festivals, and the local coffee house concert happenings.

The arts are also important in creating the 28

Social Infrastructure needed to attract and keep businesses. With the arts come retail shops, coffee houses, tourists, and an appreciation of local talent and what it brings to the community at large. Many organizations will not relocate or expand in communities where these amenities and the arts are absent.

Arts Build Arts Build of Southern Wisconsin is part of U.W. Platteville Extension. Its efforts have focused on assisting artists and creative entrepreneurs in Southwest Wisconsin. Their mission is to “Utilize the arts to foster economic development in rural Southwest Wisconsin.” Their purpose is to improve the economy of the region by expanding existing and developing new art-related businesses and partnerships.

Since its beginnings as a grass roots organization in Southwestern Wisconsin, Arts Build has focused its operations on assisting artists and creative entrepreneurs in Southwest Wisconsin. In response to survey feedback from participants, Arts Build has sponsored workshops, training, topical conversations, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Increasing its visibility and connecting local artists with each other,Arts Build has strengthened the organization by networking with local, regional and statewide arts, business & economic development resources. The first ever directory of local artists was printed in 2005. The online version can be viewed on the Arts Build website www.uwplatt.edu/conted/artsbuild.edu Using strong working partnerships with area arts organizations, Main Street programs, Chambers of Commerce, County UW-Extension offices, regional economic development organizations and statewide arts agencies,Arts Build has grown into a strong organization.

Keeping these partnerships contributes to the

Through Arts Build many projects and workshops have developed in promoting Southern Wisconsin Arts. Many communities are including the Arts in their Smart Community discussions, grant writing, providing business classes for artisans, and serving as a think tank for the local arts community.

Communities that get it Many communities across the United States have taken steps to create an economic base with their local arts community. Spring Green is a community that uses its local artisans and their ability to draw tourists and create economic impact. Festivals, a professional theater group, galleries, music, and local artists help to makeup this diverse thriving community.

Throw in a gathering place like The General Store where artists can gather and mix with both locals and tourists it is a formula for success. The Spring Green Area Arts Coalition (SGAAC) strives to build enthusiasm for and accessibility to the arts. Spring Green and its Arts economy brings in over 10,000 visitors a year.

Paducah Kentucky is a large metropolitan area that actually recruited artists to come to their city to create a new economy. City leaders, educators, business owners, landlords, and bankers worked together to create this economy to fill the void after textile mills and factories shutdown or moved away. The development of the interstate mall economy also helped in motivating leaders to work together to solve a deteriorating downtown and loss of tax revenue.

Steps you and your community can take to get started • Form a 501 (c) 3 non-profit arts organization • Put the arts in your smart growth and strategic plans • Hold a meeting with all local artisans and offer them TIF funds, revolving loan funds, etc to help them start galleries, workshops, and stores • Promote free concerts in your parks in the summer featuring a local and regional act weekly • Hold a music or arts festival • Start a Folk School locally • Meet with Arts Build to help you get started.

25 acts you should check out... ...on My Space

by Andy Ziehli

The following are 25 Wisconsin based Country, Alt-country, or Americana based bands and performers you should check out live and on My Space.com. They are both cover bands and bands that play originals. Each is unique and worth the effort to listen too. They are not listed in any particular order. Some of these acts have the ability to be playing in the“big time”soon,so take a listen to them so you can say I knew them when!

1. Emmettivlle from Madison,WI. They play Americana,Alt-Country, Folk music. Tom Dehlinger on Steel guitar, say no more! A great band.

2. Corey Jenny from Southwest WI. Play Alt-Country and Americana music.

3. Back Home Boys from Prairie du Chien,WI. They play Top 40 country music. They are an awesome band to see live. Lead guitarist Tim is one of the top guitar players in Wisconsin.

4. Blue Heels from Neenah,WI. They play AltCountry music. They are different than most Alt-country outfits.There seems to be a lot of hype about them. Hope they can live up to it.

5. Dirty Shirts from Madison,WI. They play Honky-Tonk country music. These guys sound great. A little out of tune, but they play it proud. If you like Hank Williams music you’ll love these guys.

6. Brown Derby from Madison,WI. They play Americana and Alt-country music. They are all over the web.

7. Desperate Otto’s from Waupaca,WI. Great old style Honky Tonk music. They are probably too cool for Madison audiences to get.

8. Shilo from Madison,WI. They play Top 40 Country Music. Great vocals! They were the Q-106 Country Pickoff winners in 2008.

17. Chasin Mason from Milwaukee,WI. They play Top 40 Country music. A lot of talk about them. Not my cup of tea, but I’ve been wrong before.

9. Oklahoma Dumpster Kitty from Madison, WI. They play Alt-Country music. Very earthy sounding. They remind me of early Whiskytown.

18. Brain Daniels and the Barrel Boys from Racine,WI. They play Top 40 Country music. Very talented bunch. People love them on the coast of Lake Michigan.

10. Auburn from Madison,WI. They play Alt-Country music. These guys rock! Very talented, sound like Wilco or Son Volt.

19. Dear August Madison,WI. They play Americana music. One of my favorite bands of all time. Check these folks out.

11. Blake Thomas from Madison WI. He plays very Americana/Alt Country music. He is a great songwriter. Thomas has the chops to go somewhere where he can really shine.

20. Pat Watters Sparta,WI. He plays Top 40 Country music. Great songwriter. Watch for him.

12. Krause Family Band from Middleton,WI. They play Bluegrass music. They are very talented.

13. Honky Tonk Twisters from Hooterville, WI. Look out Buck and Merle! These guys are incredible. My vote for best band on My Space. Cool bowling shirts! True Honky Tonk Bakersfield country music.

14. Cross County Junction from Waukesha,WI. They play top 40 Country music. Two female vocalists. Seven members total.

They are very, very good at what they do.

15. Rachelle & the Red Hot Rattlers from Madison,WI. They play Country Music.

Have been a staple in the Country Music scene in Madison for years. Dave Ahrens and Steve Gunlach are great musicians.

16. Madison County from Madison,WI. They play Top 40 Country music. These guys are the Super Tuesday of Country Music in Southern Wisconsin. Kevin Hendrickson is one of the best Country drummers playing today. People love these guys.

21. The Bar Tab Band Green Bay,WI. They play Alt-country and Country music. A more earthy style Country band.

22. Kerry McConaway and the Element Milwaukee,WI. She and the boys play Top 40 Country music. A WAMI winner.

Great original songs.

23. The Thompson Brothers from Sturgeon Bay,WI. Old timey Country music and Bluegrass. They are phenomenal!

24. Big Butt and the Brew Masters Eau Claire, WI. They play Country and? Great pickers. A little different, but that’s okay 25. Spittoon Madison,WI. I don’t know what to call their music. They are really, really different. I don’t know if this is on purpose, or if paint chips were consumed as children. It’s country but not your Daddy’s country. Check out I’m on a jag and Bender. Let me know what you think.

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CD Review

holds the Steel Drivers together. Their vocals are clear as a mountain stream and just as pure.

I suggest you buy this CD. Even if you are not a huge Bluegrass fan I’m sure you’ll find a tune on here that will make you want to start clogging, watching the Beverly Hillbillies, or have a shot of corn whisky. It’s that good.

Andy Ziehli

The Steel Drivers, The Steel Drivers Rounder Records www.myspace.com/ The Steel Drivers Style: Bluegrass Can Mike Henderson do no wrong? The man’s a music machine. Ace country guitar picker, chainsaw ripping Blues player, and now backwoods bluegrass super picker. Henderson with fellow Dead Reckoner Tammy Rogers, along with Richard Bailey, Mike Flemming, and Chris Stapleton make up the Steel Drivers. This out of this world Bluegrass combo is sure to set the Bluegrass world on fire. Playing original material that sounds like it was written in the 30’s and 40’s in the backwoods of Kentucky they are sure to apprise even the staunches Bluegrass aficonado.

The title cut Henderson and Stapleton’s Blue side of the Mountain sets the pace for a raucous ride through the backwoods and hills of the Smoky Mountains. Drinken Dark Whisky another tune written by the pair is excellent is its simplicity. The rest of the CD rocks! If you are a Bluegrass snob you’ll even like this CD. Rogers sawing fiddle along with Bailey’s banjo can’t help but make you tap your foot.

Henderson is no slouch on the mandolin. He is just as proficient on eight strings as he is on six. Stapleton’s guitar playing is the glue that

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Last Train Home Last Good Kiss Red Beet Records www.LASTTRAINHOME.COM Style: Americana/Folk/Rock Okay I’m a sucker for great guitar. Not 100 notes a minute or heavy distorted metal crap.

Just good lean guitar that stands out and makes a song. That is the kind of guitar playing on the latest CD from Last Train Home out of East NashvilleTennessee. Lead guitarist Steve Wedemeyer should get an award for being the best minimalist player on the planet. His playing hits all the right spots and brings these 11 songs to a very high life.

The CD starts out with the title track Last Good Kiss. This song rocks! The opening rhythm guitar riff and the great accordion fills by ace keyboardist Jen Gunderman makes you want to leap from your seat. The lyrics tell of a man who finds out that his relationship is not what he thinks it was and has to move on, but he still wants one more kiss. Great story and melody. Wedemeyer’s single note guitar riff keeps you hanging until he really opens up for a blazing solo where he shows why he is one of the best East coast guitar slingers today.

Anywhere but here is a quiet song. It is subtle in its performance but the message Brace writes about screams loudly in the chorus.

Wedemeyer’s gem Can’t come undone is a masterpiece like the title cut Last Good Kiss. His chord structure though basic aligned with his superb lyrics makes this cut a real winner.

Brace’s strong clear vocals bring this track to life with an air of humility, that you just know that the main character is feeling. You can’t help but feel it too.

The rest of the tracks on this CD are all excellent. If you have not heard of Last Train Home or don’t own any of their previous work this is a great place to start. There is also a live DVD available of them performing at their favorite hangout The Iota Café in Washington D.C. You can purchase all of these through CD baby, Amazon, and at Red Beet Records.com.

Last Train Home deserves to be noticed. America stand up and demand your local radio station to play this CD and Last Train Home’s previous work, because I’m going to! It’s one hell of a CD!!!

Andy Ziehli

Eric Brace is the leader of Last Train Home (LTH) and its chief songwriter. The band has released seven previous CD’s, all which are superlative in song content and instrumentation.

In the past LTH has covered other writers including Dylan with the best cover of Tonight I’ll be staying here with you you’ll ever hear, but this time around Brace has written all the songs except Can’t come undone which was written by Wedemeyer. w w w. a m e r i c a n a g a z e t t e . n e t

Bryan Anderson and The Older Budweiser Blues Band Think Twice Style: Blues Rock This CD is made up of some originals and a lot of covers. It’s a cross mix of Blues Rock and old Top 40 R&B tunes. My personal favorite on the CD was Anderson’s cover of Delbert McClintons Roll the Dice. It was covered well and had the original punch that McClinton intended.

I’ll be honest I did not like this CD. It reminded me of a Holiday Inn Lounge band from the 70’s trying to be rockers. The guitars were recorded way to thin. There is nothing I hate more than a Strat recorded straight into a mixing board. Talk about cheese cloth. These guys are average players and if they made this CD for their own enjoyment, well that‘s fine, but if they planned to sell this I would rethink that.

It says on the CD back cover “Blues that still has its teeth”. I think it would have been better stated “Blues that is gumming it, with no Fixodent in sight”.

Litt Dubay

The Honky Tonk Twisters, Jukebox Therapy Twang Brothers Records www.honkytonktwisters.com Style: Real Country Music/Honky Tonk My God it’s Christmas in July! I just got the Honky Tonk Twisters CD Jukebox Therapy. I

couldn’t be more excited if I found out that Emmylou Harris loved fat guys and I was her first choice (sorry Joyce). Saints be praised someone gets it! This is honest to God Country Music. It twangs, swings, and shuffles in all the right places. These Lohrenz brothers are the true saviors of Country Music in Wisconsin.

The CD starts out with She hates the twangy kind, a great tribute to the new breed of Country Music lover, the kind that thinks the crap being played on Country Radio is real Country Music. You know the Boy Band loving Carrie Underwood, Sugarland set. This song helps to explain what real Country Music is.

The twelve songs here are all well written well played songs. Real twangy Fender Telecasters, whiney steel guitars and a Bass Guitar that sounds like a Bass Guitar not a low tuned mandolin like the crap on current Top 40 Country.

The drums sound just like Biff Adams and Willie Cantu drums from the 60’s. My favorite song is Whine, big wheels whine a trucking song like you would have heard in the late 60’s on AM radio. It has lots of twang and attitude.

This whole CD is truly filled with great hooks and melodies. It sounds like the stuff I grew up on listening to WTSO and WMAD in Madison, and WMAQ out of Chicago on the big AM dial. Now you may say I’m a dinosaur and you are probably right, but there are a whole lot of people out there that love this kind of stuff and only hear it on Sunday mornings on WJVL and Q-106 (hint radio guys play it more that one day a week). The only other place you would hear this great music would be on an internet station or an Americana station. It’s too bad that Country Radio forgot about this great music.

AD

The rest of the CD is filled with shuffles and two steps right out of Bakersfield California in the 1960’s. I have not had a chance to see these guys live,but I will definitely be checking them out. Check out their MySpace page and their web site. Most of all buy this CD! If you love Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Bill Kirchen, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons, and early Dwight Yoakam you will love this CD. Thumbs up guys,Mighty Fine Mighty Fine. The ole Road Hog gives it a 5 star review.

Litt Dubay 31

O K T O BE R F E S T N e w Gl a r u s, W I Se p t e m b e r 2 6 - 2 8 , 2 0 0 8 Fr e e A d m i ssi o n t o t h e f e st i v a l t e n t a l l w e e k e n d !

Be e r Te n t , K i d s Ga m e s, Gr e a t Fo o d !

Fu n f o r t h e e n t i r e f a m i l y !

Li v e M u si c i n Fe st i v a l Te n t a l l W e e k e n d D o w n t o w n N e w Gl a r u s!

We're kicking off Okt oberfest wit h a bang or a t ap t his year. Dan Carey ( Award Winning Brew Mast er, New Glarus Brewing Com pany) will t ap a wooden keg of his award winning Okt oberfest beer "St aghorn" Be sure t o purchase your aut hent ic Okt oberfest Bier St ein in t he fest ival t ent . Dan will t ap t he keg Friday night at 9pm under t he fest ival t ent .

Sat urday we have Mast er Chef Mike Nevil and Mast er Cheese Maker Bruce Workm an m elt ing up a big pot of t heir fam ous Cheese Fondue. We'll st art serving at 3pm unt il it 's gone. You won't want t o m iss t his!

Sunday t ake a st ep back in t im e wit h t he Swiss Hist orical Village Museum . Old World dem onst rat ions, Mast er Cheese Makers, Sausage Makers, Black Sm it h, Basket Weavers, Quilt ers, Spinners and so m uch m ore!

Fri. Beer Tent opens at 6pm , Music at 7pm wit h Jim m y Voegeli- West side Andy and t he Mel Ford Band ht t p: / / www.west sideandy.com Sat . Beer Tent opens at 11am , Music at 12pm Wit h Max Drexler's Bavarian Brass Band, 4pm wit h t he Raindogs ht t p: / / www.kcraindogs , and 8pm t o Midnight wit h Pink Houses, a John Mellencam p t ribut e band ht t p: / / www.pinkhouses.net Sun. Beer Tent opens at 12pm , Music from 1- 5pm wit h t he New Glarus Polka Kings.

Sept. 26-28, 2008 Oktoberfest is a multi-event weekend in New Glarus. Oktoberfest presents many activities in Downtown New Glarus throughout the weekend including live music in the festival tent, kids’ games, rides, and great food. Other events customarily include tractor-drawn wagon rides, Swiss Historical Village events with local historical displays and craft demonstrations and plenty of other family fun.

Sept. 28, 2008 Swiss Historical Village Events The Swiss Historical Village will present a live cheese making demonstration Sunday, Sept. 28th, beginning at 9 a.m., in the Historical Village cheese factory.

Cheese Masters from around Wisconsin will make Swiss and other favorites in the antique copper cheese vats using production methods dating to the 1800's.

For details of these events, call New Glarus Visitor Information at (800) 527-6838 or (608) 527-2095.