|
Greetings, friends and fellow music lovers!
Well, here we go! 2017 is off to a grand rolling start. Here is what is coming up…I hope you’ll scroll down for graitude, news, random photos, musings, and show details!
Sat, Feb 4 – Interview on KBCS 91.3 – Bellevue, WA
Sat, Feb 4 – Seattle Folklore Society – Seattle, WA
Sun, Feb 12 – House Concert Fundraiser for Artichoke Music – Portland, OR
Fri, Feb 17 – Wolf Howl House Concerts – St. Petersburg, FL
Sun, Feb 19-Sun, Feb 26 – CAYAMO: A Journey Through Song – Leaves from Tampa, FL
Sun, Feb 26 – Among Friends House Concerts – Lakeland, FL
1. GRATITUDE. My heart is so overflowing with gratitude! Here goes…My first tour of the year was so wonderful despite the frigid temperatures and snow! Big thank you’s Jennifer and David, Tom and all at the Chosen Bean Series, the Spanglers, Randy and Johnsmith and all at the Acoustic Renaissance, Dave and Lori, Tim and all at Harmony for Mayo. Then I got to spend an amazing week at a special Artist in Residency program in Oysterville, WA. There were 6 of us songwriters and we each had a beautiful little cabin/living space. There was a main lodge where we ate our meals and communed in the evening to visit and share work. Our every need was tended to and I have never been a part of anything like it. It was a magical way to start the year! I spent many days working on poems and songs. And now I hope I to start every year with a writing retreat. Special thanks to Cyndy, Bill & Sue, Daris, and my fellow artists Ara Lee, Jen Hajj, Jeremy Wilson, Jaspar Lepak, and Dan Weber. Thanks to Rudy & Marilyn and all at Rudy’s Piano Bar, John and Gigi and friends in Sherwood, Marty and all at Brewminatti, and Carole and friends here in Portland!
2. THE NEWS…
Well folks, it’s time to celebrate!! In February of 1997, I packed up everything I owned that could fit into my little Honda Civic and moved to Brevard, NC to start my life as a full-time musician. I never would have dreamed that twenty years later I would still be getting to do what I love to do! So in that spirit, I am celebrating all year long with new works!! I am releasing 20 new things (songs or poems or videos) in 2017, and I’d love to share them with you! I’ve decided to call this project 20/20, and it’s sort of like my Song of the Month club that I did a few years ago, but with even more songs! 🙂
The first song I would like to release is my mission statement, called “Open Song”. Many of you have asked at shows if I have recorded it, and I finally did so with Tyler Fortier in his Eugene studio. It never seemed to fit on an album, and that makes sense to me now because I think it needs to stand alone. I would like everyone to have this song! You can download it here.
If you would like to sign up for 20/20 and get access to the 19 other new works I will release this year, you can do that on my website store page. I’ve thought about it a lot, and I want to leave it up to you to decide what you’d like to pay for this project. I had thought of asking $20, but I want to be inclusive. So when you check out, just click on the Paypal button and you can write in the amount. Any amount is great! No judgment, just gratitude! Then once you’ve signed up, I will send you the new works throughout the year (separate from my newsy newsletter). Let’s do this!
In other news, Cayamo is THIS MONTH!!!!! I am hoping I can keep it together because I am so flipping excited to be playing on my fourth songwriters cruise that I can barely stand it!! Hoping for some cool collaborations on board so I will take lots of pics! Who do YOU want to hear me sing with??
3. FEBRUARY SHOWS…Life is so uncertain. Please call ahead!
Sat, Feb 4 – Interview on KBCS 91.3 – Bellevue, WA. BW and Larry Murante will be guests of Ginger Hopper on the “Our Saturday Traditions” show! 11 am. Tune in online here!
Sat, Feb 4 – Seattle Folklore Society – Seattle, WA. At the Phinney Concert Hall, Brick Building, 6532 Phinney Ave N. (The Brick building is located down the hill from the Blue building. It can be accessed through the lower parking lot. Enter from 67th St.) The purpose of the Seattle Folklore Society is to preserve and foster awareness and appreciation of folk and traditional arts in the Seattle area. This non-profit folk organization, founded in 1966, has one of the largest and most stable memberships in the country, producing folk music concerts, dances, song circles, camps and more! This will be a co-bill evening with the great Larry Murante! Advance tickets are available here and at our concerts prior to the show. $8-$18. 7 pmdoors, 7:30 pm music.
Sun, Feb 12 – House Concert Fundraiser for Artichoke Music – Portland, OR. Please join us for an exploration of creativity and new music within the folk tradition, and a fundraiser for our beloved Artichoke Music featuring BW, Anne Weiss, and Avery Hill! Hosted by Sherrie Wolf and Peter Lovely. Light refreshments will be served. $10-$30 suggested donation. Opening set by Sherrie and Sarah. Seating is limited, please RSVP to bethwoodmusic@hotmail.com. 4 pm gathering, 4:30 music.
Fri, Feb 17 – Wolf Howl House Concerts – St. Petersburg, FL. $20 suggested donation. Please email bethwoodmusic@hotmail.com for info.
Sun, Feb 19-Sun, Feb 26 – CAYAMO: A Journey Through Song – Leaves from Tampa, FL. A Journey Through Song. A decade in the making, a story told by many, a story that changes those who hear it almost as much as those who tell it. These things are what make this story so special, so unique, and so unforgettable. The strength of the Cayamo family continues to flourish year after year. It’s the experiences built within this community that make this story so melodic, rich and full of life. Our journey begins February 19-26, 2017 in Tampa, Florida aboard Norwegian Jade sailing to Cozumel, Mexico & Roatan, Honduras. Join Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile, Patty Griffin, Richard Thompson, Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Kacey Musgraves, BW and so many more for seven days of music, storytelling, jam sessions and fellowship. BW will be joined by the great Ara Lee. Set times are Mon, Feb 20 at 10:45 am (Medusa Lounge), Tues, Feb 21 at 6:15 pm (Great Outdoors deck), and Sat, Feb 25 at 11:45 am (Spinnaker Lounge).
Sun, Feb 26 – Among Friends House Concerts – Lakeland, FL. Seating is limited, please RSVP. To reserve a seat and get directions to the show, call/text 863.640.1763 or email Becky@amongfriendsmusic.com. Bring an appetizer or dessert to share if you like. $15 suggested donation per person. 5:30 gathering, 6 pm music.
Check out the icy artwork on my windshield when I started the car one morning in Minnesota!
And speaking of icy, this is the winter wonderland of my neighborhood in Portland after over 12 inches of snow fell one quiet night. That’s not normal, y’all! (but it sure is pretty)
and this was my poor little car Sophia before I dug her out to head over to the Artist in Residency program on Willipa Bay!
At the retreat, organized by Bill and Sue Svendsen (wonderful folks who run the Peninsula Arts Center), they left us each a little jar of words in our cabin for inspiration. I decided one morning to put them all into a poem.
Sometimes a couple a girls gotta do some beer research and take a break from writing! Ara Lee and I did lots of singing together and some writing too with the wonderful Jen Hajj…we even sang a three part harmony version of “The Water Is Wide” in an empty church in Oysterville with a verse we made up in honor of MLK day. Pure magic!
Check out the stage at Rudy’s Piano Bar, a super fun house concert in Lincoln City!! Yes, that is Betty Boop and yes, she did hold my drink the whole time. 🙂
and there really is a Rudy!! (and a Marilyn too, behind the scenes, well actually that’s her hand…)
Ohmygosh y’all, my mom came up to Portland for a girls trip and we went to the Portland Women’s March together! It was one of the most powerful, positive experiences we have ever had! We froze our butts off but it was so worth it. Amazing day!! And an amazing experience to be with Ann!
Here’s the balcony view from our lovely Sherwood house concert (with my sweet niece Violet watching on)! We ate, drank, sang, laughed, and raised lots of money for a wonderful organization called Seva that works to restores sight to people in need around the world. Such an uplifting night!
I always love discovering new venues, and Brewminatti in Prosser, WA was one of my favorites in recent memory!! A killer vibe, wonderful food and drink, great sound, and appreciative folks and a family dedicated to bringing music to their community…plus getting to share the stage with Seth Walker’s band..made it a magical evening!!
Hey Portlanders, we’re doing a house concert fundraiser for our beloved Artichoke Music. Come join us if you can!
4. THE FUTURE…There is so much fun stuff coming up! I’m thrilled to be on staff for the Sisters Americana Song Academy for Youth in March, and I’m also thrilled to return to a true favorite, Home By Dark, for some shows in Roswell, GA. And then it is off for another midwest tour playing some shows with my friend and favorite genius musician David Stoddard! Life is good!
Well I can’t believe how you have cheered me on for twenty years. Your encouragement means the world to me, and I could not do this without you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for letting my art into your hearts. Thank you for opening your homes, your ears, and for showing up with applause and smiles and kind words. YOU ROCK! With much gratitude from your fan,
Beth Wood
World Headquarters: PO Box 10141, Portland, OR 97296
www.bethwoodmusic.com
Holler at me: bethwoodmusic [AT] hotmail.com
Here I am with my face on Facebook.
I barely know how to use it but I’m tryin’ on Twitter
Find me on Instagram! @bethwoodmusic.com
For the love of Pete, somebody please help me with Youtube!
Down the road a piece…
3/3-3/5 – Sisters Americana Academy for Youth – Sisters, OR
3/23 – Home By Dark – Roswell, GA
3/24 – Home By Dark – Roswell, GA
3/25 – Home By Dark – Roswell, GA
3/31 – Creekhouse Concerts – St Paul, MN
4/1 – Anchor Coffeehouse Concerts – Des Moines, IA
4/6 – House Concert – Lincoln, NE
4/7 – Venue TBA – Seward, NE
4/8 – Green Guitar Folk House – Lexana, KS
4/19 – Chemeketa Community College – Salem, OR
4/29 – Artichoke Music – Portland, OR
5/13 – Ocean View House Concert – Ocean View, HI
5/20 – Wildflower! Festival – Richardson, TX |
