April 2019 Issue #1
"A Jet Plane and a Big Idea"
Contents Avett Guild issue #1 3. Ramseur Records Artist on Tour 4. Avett Bros March Tour Review 5. Avett Madness 2019 6. Merlefest 10. Songs the Brothers Didn’t Write: Hard Times Come Again No More 11. Ten Millions Books and Books 12. Ramblin’ Jack Elliot Early Sessions CD 14. Talk on Indolence 16. Which Brothers Said That? Cover photo by Daniel Coston 2005 Merlefest When I was younger, I looked forward each month to reading any music magazine I could find. That included magazines dedicated to a specific genre or the fanzines devoted to particular artists. I always thought it would be fun to come up to be a part of making one so a few weeks ago I decided to make one. I made this in 7 days, and the speed at which I had to put this together had to do with the free trial time I had with the software I used to make it, so I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do. I had to leave out or cut short, several ideas. I also had no idea what I was doing as far as formatting it and putting it together. I just stayed up late making it and did the best I could. Avett fans are amazing people and thought it was a good idea to make something for you all and see what you think. I’m not sure I will ever make another one, but you never know. Tim Mossberger
Avett Brothers Upcoming Shows: April 2019 April 19 - Sweetwater 420 Festival Atlanta, GA April 20 - Brandon Amphitheater - Brandon, MS April 28 - Merlefest - Wilkesboro, NC May 2019 May 10 - Whitewater Amphitheater - New Braunfels, TX May 11 - Whitewater Amphitheater - New Braunfels, TX May 12 - Kaaboo Texas - Arlington, TX May 14 - BOK Center - Tulsa, OK May 16 - Bluestem Amphitheater - Moorhead, MN - SOLD OUT May 17 - Pinewood Bowl Theater - Lincoln, NE May 18 - Walmart AMP - Rogers, AR May 23 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA Up Coming Releases May 24 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA Avett Guild 45 - Soon May 25 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA May it Last DVD - Summer 2019 Pre-order Here Avett Brothers New Album - Summer 2019 Buy Tickets Here
"Like that actor said I don't wanna lose heart"
Ramseur Records Artist on Tour The National Reserve April 5 - Roy's Hall - Blairstown, NJ April 10 - Boone Saloon -Boone, NC April 11 - Barley’s- Knoxville, TN April 12 - Albino Skunk Music Festival - Greer, SC April 13 -w/ The Ruen Brothers - The Evening Muse - Charlotte, NC April 14 - Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House - Richmond, VA
Sammy Miller Congregation April 26 - Da Camera JAM at Discovery Green - Houston, TX May 3 - The Zeiders American Dream Theater - Virginia Beach, VA May 10 - LEAF Festival - Black Mountain, NC May 11 - LEAF Festival - Black Mountain, NC
Ruen Brothers April 12 - Albino Skunk Music Festival - Greer, SC April 13 - The Evening Muse w/The National Reserve - Charlotte, NC April 27 - Fordham & Dominion Brewery - R2Hop2 Festival -Dover, DE MAY 4 - Shaky Knees Music Festival - Atlanta, GA
David Childers April 7 - The Purple Onion - Saluda, NC, United States April 11 - Small Bar Matthews - Stallings, NC April 12 - Commonhouse Aleworks - North Charleston, SC April 13 - Resident Culture Brewing - CompanyCharlotte, NC April 19 - Legion Brewing - Charlotte, NC, United States April 20 - Freeman's Pub - Gastonia, NC April 24 - WiredCoffeeEspress - Kannapolis, NC April 25 - Brawley's Beverage - Charlotte, NC April 26 - Slow Play Brewing - Rock Hill, SC April 27 - Catawba Coffee Co. - Mt Holly, NC
Samantha Crain April 9 Union Chapel (Sold Out) London, UK April 10 - St George's Bristol - Bristol, UK April 11 - The Gate - Cardiff, UK April 13 - The Stoller Hall - Manchester, UK April 14 -Liberty Hall Theatre - Dublin, Ireland April 16 - City Varieties - Leeds, UK April 17 - Saint Luke's & The Winged Ox - Glasgow, UK April 18 - East Neuk Hotel - Crail, UK April 19 - Summerhall - Edinburgh, UK April 20 - Cluny 2 - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK April 28 - Ramsgate Music Hall - Ramsgate, UK
"A dollar for anything here on this quilt"
March Tour Review The 2019 tour kicked off with 7 shows starting in St. Augustine, FL on March 7 and ending with a two night run in New Orleans on March 16. Bonnie returns for her second year on tour and Tania still remains on leave, but Ketch from Old Crow Medician show continued to be a guest at a few shows just as he did in late 2018. Only Ain’t No Man, Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise and No Hard Feelings were played at all 7 shows. No Hard Feelings continues to close out shows the same as Salvation Song did for many years. For me, No Hard Feelings is a song everyone should hear and sending people home with the lyrics from that Photo by Laura Tulin song floating around in their head is a beautiful thing. Seven unreleased songs made setlists: Untitled Four, CSection and Railway Trestles, Neapolitan Sky, Roses and Sacrifice, Orion’s Belt, Trouble Letting Go and Who Will I Hold. Only 4 covers were played: Black Mountain Rag played 6 times, Old Joe Clark 2 times, Operator 2 times and Lucky Stranger 1 time. It will be interesting to see with an influx of new songs if the covers take a back seat to more originals making the setlist which is what happened in 2009. Totals Mama, I Don't Believe is the most 178 Total Songs Played underrated track on True Sadness and 62 Unique Songs it is nice to see it played a few times in March
Jenny and the Summer Day played for the first time since March 7, 2012
Always good to hear Left on Laura Left on Lisa
A new Tour Brings New Merch!
I've heard many complaints that there weren't many songs played from A Carolina Jubilee or Mignonette to start out the year. They have so many songs to fit in these 25-27 song sets. Since the catalog is so big, there are bound to be runs these days where songs don't get played but the tour year is just, and there are bound to be many surprises
"I've got an old ford pickup truck"
Avett Guild Madness 2019
I thought of not doing the bracket and polls this year, but then I remembered the fun and passion people show for songs. It's also fun to see what songs my friends vote for and read their arguments on why they choose a song. I decided to let the madness begin. First I sat down and looked at the list of songs 152 released songs a long list of unreleased songs. I had to cut that down to 64 songs which is not an easy task. While looking at the list, I’m genuinely amazed at the long list of great songs they have written over the years and the memories and feelings I have associated with so many of them. This year I decided to leave out the past winners and usual top songs. I went with 32 ballads on one side, and 32 songs I felt were underrated songs on the other and included the 3 newly released songs. I still made several changes leading up to the start day since I left out so many songs I wanted to include off. Before starting the voting I filled out 2 brackets, one was how I would vote, and the other is how I thought Avett Guild fans vote. Above is the bracket of how I thought Guild members would vote. Round one I was 23 of 32, the underrated side just got worse after that. I was two for 4 in my picks for the final 4, but I did get the champion right. It was a fun couple of weeks of voting. I don’t think it's important which songs win or if one song is better than another its the discussion about the songs and reading people’s views and why they feel connected to a song that is important. As of now, I’m all for doing it again in 2020, and we'll have songs from the new album to add to the mix.
"And Cupid's arrow is backwards and bent When it's flying for me" - Black, Blue
Merlefest, Avett Bros and Traditonal Plus In 1964 at 15 years old Eddy Merle Watson decided what he wanted to do. He wanted to play the guitar. His mom taught him some chords, and in June he would accompany his dad to concerts and join him on stage. In November, he recorded his first album, Doc Watson and Son. Merle would perform and record with his dad for the rest of his life. Merle tragically passed away on October 22, 1985, in a tractor accident. October 20th 1985 in Atlanta Georgia at the Moonshadow Saloon. The last song Doc and Merle played together on stage
In October 1987 Wilkes Community College decided to have a concert in November to raise money for several campus gardens including one for the blind. Doc Watson agreed to play, but it was decreed that there was not enough time to organise the concert so that the date was changed to April 1988. Doc had just asked that the garden for the blind named after his son Merle. It would be called the Eddy Merle Watson Garden for the Senses. So many artists agreed to play that it was changed to a two-day festival and was named the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Festival. It was held on April 30 and May 1. They sold out the Walker Center and at the advice of Cliff Miller who was the sound guy they added an outside stage at what is now knows a the Watson Stage. Doc’s wife Rosa Lee suggested they have a workshop so the artist can talk about their instruments and musical ideas, which was held at Mayes Pit-Cohn Auditorium. This one night concert had turned into a two festival with 3 venues. It would become an annual festival and become a 4 day one in 1991. In 1992 Bob Crawford would make the trip down from New Jersey to attend the festival. He would also attend 1993 and 1994, and in 1995 the name of the festival would be changed from the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Festival to Merlefest. Kay Couch of the band Strictly Clean and Decent, referred to the festival as Merlefest and the Watson Family was asked if they would like to change the name and they agreed. Scott would see Gillian Welch and David Rawlings in 1998 Merlefest which would help inspire him to keep going down the path of playing acoustic music along with another band that had a significant impact on the Avett Brother, The Blue Rags. Bill Reynolds was the bass player in the Blue Rags who would also go on to play in Band of Horses and co-produce Emotionalism. “I remember seeing this band, The Blue Rags, and they were young, and they were playing ragtime and bluegrass with such energy� Scott Avett
Tony Rice Jam at 1988 Merle Watson Festival
"My dream of all dreams and my hope of all hopes Is only to tell you and make sure you know How much I love you and how much I always did" Scott, Seth and John Twomey would record some acoustic songs in April 2000, and they would submit one of those songs into the Merlefest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. The Chris Austin Songwriting contest started in 1993, Chris was a singer-songwriter who died in 1991 in a plane crash along with six members of Reba McEntire’s band. They Submitted Kind of in Love, but it did not make the cut to even get to finals 12 songs in each category.
Merelfest 2006
First Merlefest Poster
Claire Armbruster booked the Avett Brothers for the International Bluegrass Music Association Conference in Louisville, KY on October 3, 2003. They set up in the lobby of the hotel to play as other musicians often did at the conference. The kick drum, the hihat and screaming didn’t go over so well with some of the bluegrass purists. Claire was in her room when she heard all this noise, so she looked over the railing to see the Avett Brothers. Claire was also the artistic director for MerleFest. She got Love Like the Movies on the Fresh Faces of Merlefest CD and booked them to play Merlefest in 2004.
Continued on the next page
"Midnight at the shoreline, fireworks above us
They found themselves back at Merlefest in 2005 playing several set and Scott also got to be a judge in the banjo contest. They would play a Thursday and Friday show in 2006 they would play the Watson Stage on Thursday night and for a long time that show was available on CD and on iTunes but is no longer. They would return in 2008 as headliners for the first time on Friday night. Early that day as part of the Merlefest Outreach Program to local schools that began in 1991 they would play West Wilkes High School - Millers Creek, NC.
Doc once described the music he and Merle made as traditional plus which was traditional Appalachian region plus whatever styles we were in the mood to play. Merlefest lineups are indeed traditional plus and traditional plus plus plus may be a good way to explain the Avett Brothers music over the years. The Avett Brothers continued to play 2010, 2013, 2015, 2017 as well as participating in workshops some of those years. They will play Merlefest again this year so the story of the Avett Brothers at Merlefest will continue.
photo by Kent Kessinger
The Avett Brothers will be at Merlefest this year on Sunday, April 28, 2019 @ 4:30 PM 6:00 PM @ Watson Stage
"If I ever have a son, If I ever have a daughter I don't want to tell them that I didn't give my all"
Show Lookback to April 15, 2007 Recher Theater Towson, MD Setlist 1. Nubbins (Everybodyfields Cover) 2. Go To Sleep 3. Distraction #74 4. Left on Laura, Left on Lisa 5. Signs (Jim Avett Cover) 6. Pretty Girl From Here 7. Paranoia in Bb Major 8. Denouncing November Blue 9. Please Pardon Yourself 10. Pretty Girl from Annapolis 11. Famous Flower of Manhattan 12. Love Like the Movies 13. When I Drink 14. If It's the Beaches 15. The Fall 16. At the Beach 17. Pretty Girl from Raleigh 18. Will You Return? 19. Old Joe Clark ( into How Many More Times - Led Zeppelin then back to Old Joe Clark) 20. Salvation Song 21. Talk on Indolence In was one month before the release on Emotionalism. There was no full drum kit, no piano, just Scott, Seth, Bob and occasionally joined on stage by Joe Kwon. The Everybodyfields opened the show and would join the brothers on stage for the opening song. This night in Towson the crowd came out to sing along and holler as you can hear on this version of Please Pardon Yourself from that night.
"Bring Your Love to Me, I will hold it like a dandelion. One I want to save, one I want to keep from the breeze. That follows me and no one else."
Songs the Brothers Didn't Write Hard Times Come Again No More Hard Times Come Again No More was written by Stephen C. Foster in 1854 and published in January 1855. Stephen known as the father of American music was born July 4, 1826, and died January 13, 1864. He wrote over 200 songs including Oh Susanna, My Old Kentucky Home and Hard Times which was not especially popular at the time. It was first recorded on wax cylinder by the Edison Company in 1905 and has been recorded several times since. In 1842 at the age of 16 he got to meet Charles Dickens in a Pittsburgh hotel and later the Dickens novel Hard Times would inspire the title of this song. During his childhood, he would often go to a black church with the family nurse Olivia Pise and he would base the melody of Hard Times Come Again No More on one of the songs he heard there. Near the end of Stephen life
Bob had missed 14 shows since Hallie presented on August 27, 2011. There was no way of knowing if or when he would return to the stage full-time. At the White Oak Amphitheater in Greensboro, NC on October 8, 2011. Bob walked out with an acoustic guitar. He stood in the center, Scott to his right with a banjo, Seth to his left. The crowd cheered, they almost started to play, but the crowd kept cheering. Bob hugged Scott then Seth then they began to play and sing. It was the only time Hard Times Come Again No More has been performed. A beautiful moment, many tears were shed and even watching it back on youtube will give you goosebumps.
"I ain't a gambler but I can recognize a hand and when to hold when queens are starring back at me"
Ten Million Books and Books and Books April's Book of the month is North Carolina Musicians Photographs and Conversations By Daniel Coston, released on July 22, 2013. Daniel moved to Charlotte as a young kid, and through high school and college, he was an aspiring filmmaker and was doing video work in Charlotte when he started writing for local magazines. When his photographer didn’t show for something he was working on, he decided to take them himself. He found himself backstage on October 12, 1997, at Farm Aid in Columbia, SC and he has been taking photographs ever since. He has photographed thousands of concerts, events and artist. He first met Bob when he was the bass player for Memphis Quick 50 and would first tack Scott and Seth’s photograph at a NEMO Show. He was there when Mignonette was being recorded, Emotionalism also and his pictures have been used in several Avett releases and promotional items. Dolph has said "North Carolina is one of the centers of the universe for music” and this book has fantastic pictures and interviews and a great look at those musicians that make up that universe. You can purchase this book on amazon.
Avett Related Projects A bunch of wonderful RTN episodes in March. and a Bob's RTN Theology episode. Please give them a listen and rate them on itunes. www. theroadtonow.com RTN Theology #8 Elizabeth Seton and Catholics in Early America w/ Catherine O’Donnell #125 When the Irish Invaded Canada w/ Chris Klein #124 Political Coalitions from 1990 to 2019 w/ Amy Walter #123 How to Tell a Good Story w/ Jakob Lewis
Pete Schroth the lighting and stage manager of the Avett Bros has some art for sale be sure to check out Pete Schroth's Art Here
"I have some "friends" they don't know who I am So I write quotations around the word friends But I have a couple that have always been there for me"
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott with Darrell Adams - Early Sessions Jack Elliot: guitar and vocals Derrell Adams: banjo and vocals
Tracklisting 1. More Pretty Girls Than One 2. Roll on Buddy 3. Death of John Henry 4. Salty Dog Blues 5. Talking Blues 6. I’m Gonna Walk the Streets of Glory 7. Cigarettes and Whiskey 8. Danville Girl 9. Worried Man Blues 10. San Francisco Blues 11. Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms 12. I’m Going Down the Road Feeling Bad Hard This CD is a re-release of the Everest Archive Of Folk Music LP Jack Elliot. Released in 1967. Initially, The Avett Brothers started out trying to emulate Ramblin Jack Elliot and a few other traditional artists. Bob’s audition in the media play parking lot couple of these songs were played, Going Down the Road Feeling Bad and More Pretty Girls Than One. Eventually, they started to work more and more of their original material into the sets, but this CD and Ramblin’ Jack had a significant impact on them, and over the years they have covered 9 of the 12 tracks. Woody Guthrie said: “ He sounds more like me than I do”. Born in Brooklyn in 1931 and at 14 he would run away out west to join a rodeo, learning guitar from rodeo clowns. His parents would find him after 3 months and bring him home. He heard Woody Guthrie for the first time in 1950, and everything changed. He would visit Woody at his home in 1951 which would lead to living with Woody for 2 years and travelling around with him for 5. The ramblin’ name came about because of the rambling on and on when he told a story. His friend and performing partner Darrell Adams would enter the picture in 1954 when they met in Topanga Canyon, CA. From the moment they met their playing and singing styles fit together perfectly, I’m Going Down the Road Feeling Bad, Cigarettes and Whiskey and Rollin in My Sweet Baby’s Arms have stuck around since those early days and occasionally make a setlist. This is one of the cd’s that helped shape those early acoustic days. Thought they didn’t need to imitate and try to be a traditional artist for long, but I do think it was an essential part of them emerging as a creative artist on their own.
" So many nights go by like a flash from a camera without any film."
"My mama told me last night, gave me good advice, said son you better quit your ramblin' round and find you a blonde headed wife. But there's more pretty girls than one"
"you're the back and forth sway of the hammock all day"
Song Breakdown: Talk on Indolence Appears on: Four Thieves Gone CD/LP Live Vol. 3 CD/DVD Live Vol. 4 CD/LP/DVD
This song deal with mortality and being aware of it.
The Avett Brothers first show in New York was in 2003 at Radio Perfecto, Langhorne Slim, Nicole Atkins, Regina Spector, and Paleface were in attendence
Seth Plays Tamborine
Originally titled Indolence Rap I’ve been locking myself up in my house for sometime now Reading and writing and reading and thinking And searching for reasons and missing the seasons. The Autumn, the Spring, the Summer, the snow. The record on stop and the record on go Latches latched, the windows down, When Scott brought the The dog coming in and the dog going out. words, he said the feeling of Up with caffeine and down with a shot and this has to be just super Constantly worried about what I’ve got. erratic, what the lyrics are talking about needs to be Distracting by work but I can’t make it stop matched by the tone of how my confidence on my confidence off we’re saying it” Seth I sink to the bottom I rise to the top And I think to myself that I do this a lot. And the world outside just goes and goes and goes And I witness it all through the blinds of my window. THREE, FOUR I’m a little nervous about what you’ll think Pool parties always scare me away - Nemo Lady Luck When you see me in my swimming trunks And last night in New York I got raging drunk Remember one time I got raging drunk with you I can recall a time when we made the city Streets our playground, kissing in the fountains Filled with cigarettes and bottles Sped through Italian city streets of cobblestone Because we had to Because I loved you Because the damned alcohol Because whatever at all Now I’ve grown to aware of my mortality e Seth throws Tamborin To let go and forget about dying Long enough to drop the hammer down And let the indolence go wild and flying through Because we had to Scott has been knows to Stage dive during this song. The last time being August 20, 2010 House of Blues Myrtle Beach, SC
“We’re bad to overwork ourselves and overthink things and that song is kind of a plea to just gorget about it and let it go and be lazy” - Scott
"Well my bottle of bourbon is gone it flew away all by itself"
Photo by Daniel Coston was taken in August 2004 in Seth's Kitchen while they were first working out Talk on Indolence
Lady Luck appears on Nemo Vol. 1
Music Video was directed by Tim Nackashi and Crackerfarm. Footage is from 2005 Merlefest and their shows at the Lincoln Theater
Talk on Indolence has been played over 671 times and is the 4th most played Avett songl Below the earliest video from Apirl 23, 2005 then is a video from March 7, 2019
"All Exits Look the Same" - I and Love and you
Which Brothers Said That? 1. "We're not trying to save the world with our songs,"but I think it's important to share warmth with people because there is plenty of coldness out there and in a lot of music, and we're not going to be a part of that. 2. "Back when I was listening to the Deftones and Faith No More, my mom couldn't understand all the screaming," I told her, 'Every emotion can't be expressed by singing it pretty!' " 3. "When people hear what we're saying in our songs and listening to things for the right reasons, when they get quiet when we're playing, it's a blessing, To know that somebody has a problem in their life that we can temporarily soothe... that's what it's all about." 4. "There was one time I helped deliver a horse" 5. "Folk music is just like early hip-hop. You're singing about where you're from, the hardships and the good times." 6. “I have been homesick since I was 12 years old. That is not a joke" 7. "It’s brought a lot of great things in my life, as I knew it would, and continue to expect it to continue to do. I mean I just love music so, so much. It’s a huge part of who I am.” Answers can be found at bottom of page .
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