san diego folk heritage – San Diego Folk Heritage

That’s What Banshee Said

On Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 7:30pm, San Diego Folk Heritage is happy to host the touring Celtic band Banshee in the Kitchen. The all ages event will take place at San Dieguito United Methodist Church (170 Calle Magdalena Encinitas, CA 92024). Admission is $15 for members and $18 standard – tickets are available at the door or online.

About Banshee in the Kitchen: Banshee in the Kitchen play Celtic music with eclectic skill and merry abandon. Touring and recording since 2002, this group has delighted audiences in festivals, theaters, living rooms and countless other venues from New York to Los Angeles, and as far as Japan. They take traditional Celtic tunes, find the sweet spot between old and new, stirring it all up with trademark playfulness and musicality they term “banshee-fying.” On stage, National Champion hammered dulcimer player Brenda Hunter (fiddle, hammered dulcimer) and Jill Egland (flute, accordion, whistle) trade off inspired flights of lead and counter melody over dynamic backing by Kat Edmonson (six and twelve-string guitar, bouzouki) and Kris Weber (bass). No strangers to the microphone, the three trade off lead and backing vocals on a choice selection of songs, as well as jocular commentary in between.

Behind the Name: In a happy coincidence of co-location, Jill, Brenda and then-guitarist Mary Tulin met years ago in that hotbed of Celtic music, Bakersfield, California. Brenda and Jill moved to town first, and met at local musical gatherings, yet joined different bands. Mary arrived soon after and joined Jill’s band, and later (finally!) so did Brenda. The three discovered a strong musical and personal synergy, and were soon off on their own. The name came easily. Brenda wanted to be in a band called Banshee. Jill liked the feminist ring of Barefoot in the Kitchen. Mary offered, “How about Banshee in the Kitchen?” And so they were. When Mary’s doctor husband retired in 2009, the two headed to the wilds of Washington State. Just when Brenda and Jill thought all was lost, Kat, who had taken dulcimer lessons from Brenda, mentioned she played guitar, and… well… you just don’t mess around with providence. She was in.

Behind the Music: San Diego Folk Heritage had the opportunity to chat with Kat Edmonson, asking her to list three interesting non-musical facts about herself and the group. She shared:

1. Both Jill and Brenda lived in Indonesia at one time (though not at the same time) and speak the language.

2. I used to drive heavy equipment in Arizona, carpentry in Wyoming, and had a brief time of doing stunt work for commercials and television in Hollywood.

3. Everyone has been married at one time except Jill, who stubbornly refuses too. All of us Banshees have little Banshees (sons and daughters).

For more information about our upcoming concert, please visit our upcoming event page. Looking forward to seeing you all in Encinitas this weekend!

Additional links:
www.sdfolkheritage.org
http://www.bansheeinthekitchen.com/
Media Kit

First Thing’s First with Reverend Stickman

We’re getting excited for this week’s concert featuring Robin Henkel and Reverend Stickman at Templar’s Hall in Poway, CA! Last week, we learned about some of Robin Henkel’s musical influences. Today, we get a look at one of Reverend Stickman’s first songwriting memories:

RS: “My first songwriting memory was when I was 11 years old. I had been playing guitar only a couple months. I was sitting up in my room and I started writing the lyrics, some of which I still remember today, and it remains one of my father’s favorite songs even though I really can’t perform the whole thing anymore. It was called ‘Sometimes.’ The chorus went like this:

I know and you know
Complaining does no good
I just wanted to tell you that I love you
Sometimes”

We love Reverend Stickman all the time, and we’re glad he continued to follow his passion for playing and songwriting! Check out this 2011 performance of “Let’s Do Wrong” at Claire de Lune with Jenene Lambert on background vocals:

We hope to see you Friday, August 7th in Poway, CA for what we know will be a wonderful evening of music from two very talented local acts. Click here for more information and tickets!

Under the Influence with Robin Henkel

Greetings, music lovers! Welcome to another edition of Under the Influence, where we discover some of our favorite artists’ favorite artists. Today we’re featuring Robin Henkel, a beloved staple of the San Diego music scene. The Los Angeles Times called Robin both a “futurist and a historian,” but we’d also add that his live performances are about as in-the-moment as you can get. Robin’s sound and style meanders down various musical avenues, so we were excited to learn about some of his influences:

Robin Henkel - photo by Dave McGhee — Robin Henkel – photo by Dave McGhee

RH: “When I was eight to ten I heard a fair amount of Pete Seeger as well as other folk singers of the late 50s early 60s. About 1962 I heard Josh White. He knocked my socks off. Josh was not only a great performer of blues and spirituals, he was also a force for social justice. Years later I found out about the earthy visceral sound of the country blues–artists such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Lightnin Hopkins, Skip James and Mississippi Fred McDowell. These bluesmen have had a strong influence on the way I sound today. Why? There is something moving and special about the primitive unrefined roughness of the rural blues of the Mississippi Delta. It reflects the harshness of the environment this music came from. It is a deep and influential root in American music.”

Interested in hearing more of these influential artists? Check out this playlist!

San Diego Folk Heritage is honored to host Robin Henkel with fellow local artist Reverend Stickman on Friday, August 7th. The all ages event will take place at Templar’s Hall in Old Poway Park (14134 Midland Rd. Poway, CA 92064). Admission is $15 for members and $18 standard – tickets are available at the door or online. See you there!

Songs I Wish I Wrote: Brian Davies of The Sonoran Dogs

TheSonoranDogs

San Diego Folk Heritage is looking forward to hosting Arizona-based bluegrass band The Sonoran Dogs on Saturday, July 11 at San Dieguito United Methodist Church.

We’re always interested in learning about a bands inspirations and aspirations, so we invited band member Brian Davies (bass/vocals) to share a few songs he wishes he penned. Enjoy!

I once heard that “Margaritaville” is played on the radio somewhere in the US every minute and a half. Just think of the royalties…

One of the greatest songs ever written is Woody Guthrie’s, “This Land Is Your Land.” It will go on forever as a mainstay folk tune.

“The Times They Are a Changing” by Bob Dylan, is as poignant today as it was in the 60’s. Great tunes! Wish I had penned them all.

Hope to see you all in Encinitas for a great evening of bluegrass music with The Sonoran Dogs. Click here for more info and tickets!

First Thing’s First with Eve Selis

This Saturday May 2nd, San Diego Folk Heritage is excited to welcome not one, but five stellar musicians to our Encinitas stage in the form of local Americana act Berkley Hart Selis Twang, featuring notable songwriters Jeff Berkley, Calman Hart, Eve Selis and Marc “Twang” Intravaia and special guest opener Barbara Nesbitt (a former San Diegan who now calls Austin home).

In the interest of folk heritage, we challenged each songwriter to revisit their personal music heritage and recall their first songwriting experience. So far you’ve heard from Barbara, Jeff, and Calman. Here’s Eve’s first songwriting memory:

Eve Selis: The first song I ever wrote was with my older sisters and our neighbor. It was 1971 and I was 8 yrs old. We wrote it as a surprise for our dad’s 38th birthday. My mom paid $100 for all 5 girls to go into a recording studio and then had a 45 rpm record made for our dad. My sister Lee played guitar on it. I can’t remember what it was called – possibly “Laugh, Sing, Live.” But I do remember the lyrics. It’s very cheesy and sugar sweet but the entire experience obviously made an impression on me even if I didn’t know it at the time.

The first record I ever bought was Jesus Christ Super Star and I loved to listen to Simon & Garfunkle, Loggins & Messina, Seals & Crofts and of course, Barbara Streisand because my older sister Gabrielle owned every album of hers and was in charge of the record player! It wasn’t until I heard the song “You’re So Vain” on the radio that I knew I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. My sister Jeanne found the original recording reel while moving my mom and gave us all cassette tapes for Christmas one year.

Chorus:
Laugh and people will laugh with you
Sing and people will sing with you
Live and people will live with you – ooh
AhAhAh

Share your love my friend
And it will never end
Give all the love you can
And lend a helping hand

Chorus

Here’s more from Eve on the topic of songwriting and performing…

First Thing’s First with Calman Hart

Calman Hart: The first song I remember writing was called “I Love Her”. It was 1970 and I was 11 years old. This was when pop radio wasn’t broken down by genre. In one afternoon you would hear The Beatles, The Guess Who, Bobby Sherman, Santana, The Kinks, The Temptations, CSN&Y, Elvis Presley and Anne Murray, all on the same station. “Fire and Rain” was big. I decided I wanted to be James Taylor. 1970 was also a year when Walter Cronkite was coming on the TV each night and showing us horrible pictures of the Viet Nam war, which was in full swing. As a kid in the fifth grade, it was hard to fully understand all that the war meant, but I understood enough to be terrified that I might one day be drafted and sent off to fight in a war that no one seemed to believe in. The words are understandably corny and juvenile; yet they are also charmingly heartbreaking to me because when I think of them, I remember the anxiety I felt. I still remember the melody and all the words:

When they took me away from my broken down shack
I told her that I’d be coming back
And she said she’d wait for me till she died

I love her, yes I do
I love her, more than you
I love her, yes I do
I love her, more than anything else

All you are is a bloody fight
You really don’t know what is wrong or right
And you’re gonna keep going till one side dies

[chorus]

Here’s a lovely live performance of Calman’s song “It’s Going to be Okay” from last year’s Acoustic Alliance anniversary party.

First Thing’s First with Jeff Berkley

In the interest of folk heritage, we challenged each songwriter to revisit their personal music heritage and recall their first songwriting experience. Over the next few days, we’ll be revealing their answers one by one!

Jeff Berkley: “I do remember writing my first song. Maybe I was 17? It was about love and loss. I don’t remember it or the title even. I recorded it on my dual cassette deck that had an input for mic’s and guitar cables. I’m not sure where that is? I was inspired by so much different music from Bauhaus to Dylan. From The Replacements to Woody Guthrie. Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, James Taylor, ACDC, all sorts of stuff. A song called “Not My Heart” I wrote when I was 19 was the first time I wrote a song that I thought was good. That song ended up on a Berkley Hart record called Crow that came out just a couple years back. It was inspired by The Waterboys Room To Roam Record! There’s a song called “A Bang On The Ear” that I love!!!! It moves the same as “Not My Heart” did when i wrote it in 19…”

Here’s one of our favorite Jeff Berkley-penned songs from a 2014 house concert performance:

Check back in tomorrow for the next installment of our series with Calman Hart! For more info/tickets for Saturday’s concert, click here.

First Thing’s First with Barbara Nesbitt

Barbara Nesbitt: “The first original songs I was singing were written by the guitar player in my first band when I was 16 and were based on things I shared with him about my life mixed with imagery from incredibly vivid dreams I had (still have). It was a few years later that I wanted to learn to play guitar so that I could write songs myself. The first song I really wrote for the band was inspired by the relationship (or lack thereof) I had with my estranged father. It was an appeal for understanding and a statement that my heart was open and was called, “Where Are You Now?” I wouldn’t say the sound was inspired directly by any artist but I was listening nonstop to CCR, James Taylor, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan among many, many others! It wasn’t until i moved to San Diego about 10 years ago and was inspired by the creativity of my friends and support of my writing that I really began to open up as a writer and I hope never to stop!”

We hope so too! Here’s a great 2010 live performance of one of Barbara’s many wonderful songs, “Message to You,” performed with her full band in San Diego.

Check back in tomorrow for the next installment of our series with acclaimed songwriter and producer Jeff Berkley! For more info/tickets for Saturday’s concert, click here.

Four Play with The Dustbowl Revival’s Z. Lupetin

We had 4 questions for The Dustbowl Revival’s founder Zachary Lupetin. He had 4 answers. Lupetin and his Venice Beach-based band of merry men/women are headed to San Diego this Friday, April 3rd to perform at Templar’s Hall in Poway. This energetic young roots/jazz collective was named LA Weekly’s “Best Live Band” so we’re definitely looking forward to a barn-burner!

1.I see from your press page that many media outlets have used some fun descriptive words and metaphors to convey the essence of your band and your music. Now I’d like to hear how you describe The Dustbowl Revival.
I would describe The Dustbowl Revival as a brass band and a string band who had a baby. It’s a great confluence of roots music sounds that have been forged through five straight years of playing on the road.

2. Your tour schedule is packed! What’s one city/country you’ve never played in but would love to?
We have never played in Austin or New Orleans – love to make the pilgrimage down there soon.

3. Is there any song that has been banned for life in the tour van?
We try and avoid any smooth jazz in the van at all times.

4. It’s been a while since you’ve played in San Diego – what can first-time attendees expect from your award-winning live shows?
Our show in San Diego will showcase some of our newest material we are passionate about now – we never make a set list the same twice so it’s a discovery process we play with the audience.

THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL “RIVERBOAT QUEEN” from The Dustbowl Revival on Vimeo.

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San Diego friends, we hope you’ll join San Diego Folk Heritage in welcoming The Dustbowl Revival to our Poway Stage for a wonderful evening of live music. For tickets and information, please visit www.sdfolkheritage.org. Full Press Release: http://bit.ly/1BmjVrV.

Catching Up with John McCutcheon

It took everything we had not to name this blog “McCatchin’ up with McCutcheon.” Everything! But since we are true professionals, we showed some restraint. We will not show restraint, however, when it comes to our excitement in welcoming the incredible John McCutcheon back to San Diego on Saturday March 21st for a performance at San Dieguito United Methodist Chuch in Encinitas, CA!

John has graced us with his stories and songs many times, developing a strong fan base in San Diego. We took a moment to ask him about his upcoming performance.

What might die-hard John McCutcheon fans find familiar or comforting about next week’s performance in Encinitas? What might they find different or unique about the new album you will be previewing?
One thing different is that, for 30 years, I’ve always come in January. So the weather will be a little nicer. I’m always packing a new quiver of songs and stories, everything from childhood remembrances to musings on the day’s news. This year you all will be one of the very first concerts I’ll be doing supporting a brand new album. The SDFH audiences know my debt to those who’ve come before me. I learned from some of the great musicians of Appalachian music. Without them I’d simply be another white guy with a guitar. But I was also mentored by many of the greats of contemporary American folk music, Pete Seeger, Utah Phillips, Tom Paxton, and more. Many, though thankfully not all of them, are gone now. But they learned from those before them…and I’ve been honoring those writers and musicians, as well.

Back in 2012 I released an album celebrating Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday. 2015 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Joe Hill…the “I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night..” Joe Hill. He was a songwriter for the IWW, the Industrial Workers of the World, at the turn of the 20th century. Mastered the art of writing parodies of popular songs to be used in labor struggles. Woody learned from him. Dylan and Seeger from Woody. I learned from all of them. And this year I’m releasing Joe Hill’s Last Will to honor this songwriting pioneer and, not incidentally, show how many of the things ordinary people and workers were dealing with a century ago are still relevant today.

So, lots of new stories and songs, a new album, but still my usual arsenal of instruments and guaranteed good time.

For those handful of San Diego folk music lovers who perhaps haven’t yet heard your music, please give them the “John McCutcheon 101” crash course…List 5 of your songs you’d suggest they check out to get a sense of your journey as a songwriter.
Someone once described my shows as a mini-folk festival: a half dozen different instruments (fiddle, banjo, guitar, hammer dulcimer, piano, autoharp), singer-songwriter, traditionalist, political commentator, storyteller, stand-up comedian, song leader, keeper of the flame. It’s hard to compare it to anything or anyone because I’ve forged a pretty unique route over the past 40+ years. Songs? All of these should be available on Youtube…

And they were!

Christmas in the Trenches

Kindergarten Wall

Leviathan

Pretty Boy Floyd

Not in My Name

We hope you’ll join us in Encinitas on March 21st! Visit here for more information and tickets!