Really December…you already?? Here’s the news!
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Greetings, friends and fellow music-lovers!
Really, December? You’re here already? I’m winding up a fabulous November, reflecting back on all of my adventures and looking forward to the coming holiday season. Here’s what’s happening..
1. GRATITUDE AND THE NEWS
2. TOUR DATES (scroll down for the juicy details):
11/30 – Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse – Dallas, TX
12/1 – Brazos Valley House Concert – Graford, TX
12/5 – UU Fellowship of Mountain Home – Mountain Home, AR
12/7 – Open Ears Concerts – Austin, TX
12/8 – Rear Window Listening Room – Ganado, TX
12/22 – Caldera Songwriters Group Concert at Tsunami Books -Eugene, OR
3. THE FUTURE
1. GRATITUDE…Special thanks to these friends, new and old, and venues for making this November wonderful…Tamara, G, Chris, Misti, the Husted Family, Jesse & Amber, John Platt, The Living Room, Bill & Pat Snow, Jim & Gordon & friends, Arrhe & Coffee with a Conscience, Tara & Kyle & The Burlap and Bean, Steve Monk and family and Bromilow’s Chocolates, and Ashara and friends. I got to share the stage with some fine folks in Nov and loved every minute of it! For that, I give special thanks to Ellis, Louise Mosrie &Anna Uptain for your artistry and friendship!
THE NEWS…The recording of my new song “Whiskey” with Tyler Fortier producing is going GREAT!! All we have left to do is mastering. I can’t wait for you to hear this! I’ll share as soon as we get it mastered and ready for all ears. The great Peter Perdichizzi added killer guitar parts and it feels great to rock out again!
This month I’m so excited to be a part of some awesome shows. Firstly I’m thrilled to be a part of Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse’s 30th anniversary celebration on Nov 30! The great Jack Williams and The Laws will also be playing so it’s gonna be a big night! I’m will be joined by Dirje Smith on cello, Bekki Frazier Smith on vocals, and Chris Smith on percussion. JOY! Dirje is a magical soul and her playing is so intuitive and dynamic it gives me chills just thinking about it. And many of you may know Bekki & Chris Smith from my “Woodwork” days!! Both Bekki & Chris contributed their talents to my first album and we have been making music together since the Rasberry Jam days circa 1993…wowza!!! Bekki is one of the finest singers I have ever met and is also a very gifted harmony singer, which is its own set of skills. Singing with her is like singing with my sister! And of course Chris (my original Obi Wan Kenobe) makes solid rhythm look easy and effortless, and his skill for arrangement is kinda scary. Bottom line…I love these people and I can’t wait for us to all play together!
Then the next night I get to return to Brazos Valley House Concerts with Dirje, Bekki & Chris in tow!! You may know that Brazos Valley House Concerts are hosted by my folks and their friends, and I am so proud of the series they have created and they way they support artists. This is my first time to play my own show there!
After that I will be headed to northwestern Arkansas for a retreat with friends RJ Cowdery, Louise Mosrie, and Kim Richardson. Last December, Kin invited us to gather for a few days in a cabin on the White River. We had SO much fun singing and playing and even wrote a song together in between all the cooking, eating, giggling, and whiskey drinking. We followed our retreat with an in-the-round concert at the UU Congretation of Mountain Home. It was a wonderful evening and I’m so thrilled we get to do that again on Dec 5!
On Dec 7 I am so excited to share the stage with RJ Cowdery and Jenny Reynolds at the Open Ears Concert Series in Austin! I played at Open Ears Concerts this summer and it’s a beautiful sanctuary with amazing acoustics…YAY!!
On Dec 8 I get to play at a new (to me) venue called Rear Window Listnening Room. I like it already! Check out the cool website…looks like my kind of place!
And finally, I want to tell you about a very special concert in Eugene on Sat, Dec 22. I am part of a wonderful songwriter’s group (we call ourselves Caldera Songwriters) that meets monthly for soup, song sharing and feedback. The group was started by Eugene area folks who met at the Sisters Folk Festival Americana Song Academy (which is held at a place called Caldera). We are putting on a concert on December 22 at Tsunami Books to benefit the Egan Warming Center. Cost is only $5 at the door, and we are requesting donations of clean, warm hats, gloves, blankets, coats, sweaters, toiletries, pillows, socks. The Egan Warming Center is a coalition of community members representing service providers, nonprofits, faith and social activists communities and local government who have come together since 2008 to ensure that homeless people have shelter during extreme cold weather. Named in honor of Major Thomas Egan, a kindly gentleman who froze to death during a cold spell in 2008, the Warming Center mission is simple: to ensure that homeless people in Lane County have a place to sleep indoors when temperatures drop to 30 degrees or below between November 15th and March 31st. So if you are near Eugene, please come out to help us celebrate the gift of song and give back to our community at the same time! Here’s a link to the Facebook invite.
2. TOUR DATES: THE JUICY DETAILS…Life is so uncertain…please call ahead!
Fri, Nov 30 – Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse – Dallas, TX. 214.363.0044. 9555 North Central Expressway. Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run live music venue, presenting concerts nearly every Friday night in the fellowship hall of Northpark Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX. Our goal is to bring you the best possible environment for listening to music, with clear, pristine sound, free of smoke, alcohol, and conversation. This will be 30th anniversary celebration concert co-bill with Jack Williams and The Laws!! $25 adv./$30 door. 8 pm.
Sat, Dec 1 – Brazos Valley House Concert – Graford, TX. Please email rwood555 [AT] aol.com for info and reservations. 8 pm.
Wed, Dec 5 – UU Fellowship of Mountain Home – Mountain Home, AR. 401 E. 9th Street. Special girl power concert with Kim Richardson, Louise Mosrie and RJ Cowdery (The Mountain Chickadees)! The 2nd Annual Winter Retreat show is set! Join us as we share songs and stories once again. This show was standing room only last year, so don’t be late. $15 suggested donation. 7 pm.
Fri, Dec 7 – Open Ears Concerts – Austin, TX. 14311 Wells Port Dr. Open Ears Concerts presents established and emerging acoustic musicians in a family friendly, listener-oriented environment. At St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church – 14311 Wells Port Dr Wells Branch, TX 78728. (512) 736-7001. Special girl power concert with Jenny Reynolds and RJ Cowdery! 6:30 pm.
Sat, Dec 8 – Rear Window Listening Room – Ganado, TX. 107 East Menefee Ave.The Rear Window Listening Room, as the name suggests, is a venue that provides artists a place to display their musical gifts and talents, and be heard in a comfortable, intimate and respectful listening environment. This a place to get together and meet others who share your enthusiasm for music and enjoy getting to know the people responsible for writing new music & lyrics, and, very possibly, the next hit song. $15 show only/$25 dinner & show. 7:30 pm.
Sat, Dec 22 – Caldera Songwriters Group Concert at Tsunami Books -Eugene, OR. 2585 Willamette. 541-345-8986. The Eugene Caldera Songwriters Group invites you to a community fundraising all-star concert event to benefit the Egan Warming Center. Performances by Jeffrey Martin, Beth Wood, David Jacobs-Strain, John Shipe, Melissa Ruth, Daniel Heila, Laura Golden, WJ McEachern, Left Turn Only, Ken Zimmerman, Della Perry, Sean McGowan, Kathy Marshall, Peter Newman, Curt Masterson, Michael Kevin Daly. More to come…all proceeds go to the Egan Warming Center. $5 at the door. Also, the Center would love donations of clean, warm hats, gloves, blankets, coats, sweaters, toiletries, pillows, socks. 7 pm.
Here I am playing the 100 year old piano at the Husted’s house concert…there was even a balcony!
Don’t tell Marble but this is my new boyfriend Copper the Irish Setter, with Misti at the Husteds’ house…
Guess what: I played at Kick Off Your Shoes House Concert in Topsfield, MA!
One of the many faces of Peter rocking.
There is a Whiskey lamp in Tyler’s studio. Coincidence?…I don’t think so.
I got to visit my friend Steve Monk & his family. Their business is Bromilow Chocholates in Woodland Park NJ. Check out the giant chocolate bunny mold!
This is my dream…I mean what a chocolate factory looks like. 
3. THE FUTURE…I can’t wait for some down time at home this winter! My schedule will be light, and I will be deep in contemplation as my next step reveals itself. This has been a wonderful year with some very rough patches on the biz front, but I remain ever grateful for this artistic life and for all of you who support me and cheer me on. Truth is I don’t know much of anything right now except for this: The songs keep coming and they bring me to life, singing brings me my greatest joy, the music is still calling me but the road – not so much, and the biz of making money from music will ever confuse and confound me and my little artistic brain. 🙂
So I hope we can all take some time to slow down this season, to listen to our hearts and to each other, to remember what we are grateful for and to express our gratitude. I hope we can celebrate the holiday season with loved ones and remember those in need. I hope we can remember what is important to us and honor that. I wish you all a joyful, peaceful holiday season!! As always, I welcome your comments and questions, and I am so grateful for you! With much gratitude and season’s greetings,
Beth Wood – traveling songwriter, joyful singer, barefoot acoustic enthusiast
BethWoodMusic, PO Box 864, Eugene, OR, 97440
lemme hear from ya:bethwoodmusic [AT] hotmail.com
BW World Headquarters: www.bethwoodmusic.com
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BOOKING:
Renee Gebhardt
Mountain Time Booking
406-587-9318 (Mountain Time)
mtntimerenee [AT] msn.com
Check out our Japanese Maple tree…so pretty!!