BETH WOOD

There is so much goodness coming up – here’s what’s happening. I hope you’ll scroll down for newsy news, musings, gratitude, random photos and show details. Thank you for reading!!

Tue, Aug 29 – Al’s Den @ The Crystal Hotel w/John Statz – Portland, OR

Sat, Sep 2 – Songwriters Workshop – Enterprise, OR

Sat, Sep 2 – Juniper Jam – Enterprise, OR

Tue, Sep 5 – Fri, Sep 8 – Americana Song Academy – Sisters, OR

Sat, Sep 9 – Sisters Folk Festival w/David Stoddard – Sisters, OR

Sun, Sep 10 – Sisters Folk Festival Community Celebration – Sisters, OR

Sat, Sep 16 – Uncorked Wine & Music Festival w/Bruce Hayes – Lake City, CO

Sun, Sep 17 – Big River Music w/Bob Hemenger – Creede, CO

Thu, Sep 28 – Private House Concert – Iron River, WI

Fri, Sep 29 – David Stoddard CD Release Concert – Fergus Falls, MN

Sat, Sep 30 – The Warming House w/David Stoddard – Minneapolis, MN

Sun, Oct 1 – Winona House Concerts – Winona, MN

1. GRATITUDE. Oh my heart is so full of gratitude! Thank you to all these folks who made August so incredible: The Pederson family and all their wonderful friends and neighbors, Bill Donovan, Wayne & Debbie and everyone at Lyons fork, James & Karen and the Home By Dark family, Artichoke Music, Brad & Karen and everyone at Eurosports in Sisters, PJ & Obi, Margaret & Bill & Cody, Judy Beaudoin and Carl Solomon and the good folks at Paradise House Concerts, Amanda & Nathan & Nola & Finn & Clara Baker & Wilhelmina and everyone at the Harris Bridge Vineyard eclipse eve party, Pat & Mark and all their lovely friends and family!

2. THE NEWS.  Fall festival season is gearing up! I am insanely excited for my first trip to Enterprise, OR for Juniper Jam. This festival celebrates songwriting and songwriters and I am honored to be leading their first ever songwriting workshop in the morning before playing my 6 pm set! Then it’s off to Sisters for another year of inspiration, community, and musical mayhem! I am SO excited to be on staff again at the Americana Song Academy. We’ve been working on the schedule and I’m getting fired up! And then for a very special treat I am so excited to be playing a set with David Stoddard at Sisters Folk Festival! As you know Dave and I have played many shows together and done several tours where we laugh until our faces hurt. Dave is so talented and one of my favorite writers and singers and humans and I can’t wait for the good folks of Sisters to hear him, too! I’ve also started dreaming and planning the SFF Sunday Community Celebration and I can barely contain my excitement and anticipation…woop! The Sunday community show is FREE and open to all so come join us, y’all! And I’m stoked to return to beloved Lake City, CO for their Uncorked Wine & Music Festival!! I am thrilled that one-man-show Bruce Hayes will be sitting in on my set! And then the next night I get to return to wonderful Big River Music in Creede with my buddy the amazing Bob Hemenger on saxaphone. Somebody pinch me please!:)

The eclipse viewing at Harris Bridge Vineyard was beyond amazing! We had the sweetest evening under the oaks with music and picnics and blankets and good food and children and dogs running around…and then the next morning we all watched the total eclipse together. I did not anticipate the silence (once everyone had stopped cheering) and it was truly a moving experience. I was amazed at how much light our sun gives us with just a sliver of herself showing. What a gift to witness these moments!

Many folks have asked me about my mission statement song, “Open Song”. I don’t have it on any of my CDs, but I have made it available as a single if you would like to download a copy! I have also ordered download cards, which means I wil have them available at shows. Heck, I could just give them away to people who say nice things at the merch table…because I think if you go to the effort of coming to a show and saying nice things, you deserve a little thank you! 🙂  Click here to download your copy!

I just sent out a song of hope for my 13th installment of my 20/20 project. This has been such a fun way to gather stray songs and give life to new ones. Now I am starting to look forward and imagine a possible album from these offerings. It is fun to see the threads and themes that run through these songs, and it feels natural to make an album of songs that helped me celebrate my 20 years in music. Seems like it should be called “The Long Road” (one of the song titles from 20/20)! I will keep you posted as this develops! Here’s how The Long Road goes…

Speaking of developments, I had a great trip to Wimberley, TX to meet with Nathan Brown and Ashley Stanberry Brown about Mezcalita Press and my second poetry book! They are doing such great work with songwriters who write poetry and beyond, and they just launched their killer website! I have a first draft of the book and I’m in the process of proofreading as we speak. I just changed the title today so who knows what it will be in the end?! So exciting!

What do y’all think? Should I make a Dogs of the Road calendar? Proceeds would go to Oregon Humane Society, dog rescue, etc.

And finally I’m so excited that my childhood baby grand piano has a new home! My friends Do Mi and Tricia were kind enough to take care of it after I left Eugene, and it had lots of love from kids and adults of all ages at the Drinking Gourd school. I am so grateful for their care and generosity. And now I couldn’t be happier that my piano is in the new space at Artichoke Music! I don’t have enough space for it where I currently live, so the folks at Artichoke agreed to let it be a resident piano at the new cafe space! Not only am I thrilled that I will get to play it from time to time, but I’m also thrilled to think of all the talented hands that will tickle those keys. It’s a win/win and I’m so grateful to Artichoke Music and also to NW Piano Gallery for moving it so beautifully (again!).

3. SHOW DETAILS…Life is so uncertain, please call ahead.

Tue, Aug 29 – Al’s Den @ The Crystal Hotel w/ John Statz – Portland, OR. 303 S.W. 12th Ave. Al’s Den is the basement bar of the Crystal Hotel. BW will play a set during singer-songwriter John Statz’s residency. Music starts at 7 pm. BW downbeat at 8. Free. 21 and over.Â

Sat, Sep 2 – Songwriters Workshop @ Juniper Jam – Enterprise, OR. At Stockman’s, 111 W. Main. Juniper Jam is focused on original music, and BW is delighted and honored to offer a Songwriting Workshop to start off festival day. BW will engage with aspiring and experienced songwriters to dig into the craft. Fee for the workshop is $20 per person. from 10:00 AM until noon.Â

Sat, Sep 2 – Juniper Jam – Enterprise, OR. Wallowa County Fairgrounds. The Sweetest Little Music Festival in Eastern Oregon! Enterprise, Oregon is a small town of less than two thousand people, yet it is the heartbeat of a community brimming with arts and culture, and yes, music. Juniper Jam is a celebration of musical diversity, dedicated to showcasing a variety of musical genres while honoring the song and the songwriter. Tickets $15 advance, $18 at the gate. Kids aged 12 and younger free! Gates open at noon – Music starts at 1PM and continues to around 10PM. BW plays at 6 pm on the Tunesmith Stage.  Â

Tue, Sep 5 – Fri, Sep 8 – Americana Song Academy – Sisters, OR. The Americana Song Academy inspires people to believe in their creativity and helps develop a community that supports that pursuit. Artists performing at the Sisters Folk Festival arrive 4 days early to teach all aspects of music, songwriting, performance and singing. Participants deeply engage and nurture their music, songs, and aspirations. Private concerts, open mics and mentor sessions are all part of the experience. The musical alchemy of the festival artists from “Song Camp” helps inspire collaborations and exceptional performances at the festival each year.Campers participate in workshops, communal meals and activities at the performing arts camp “Caldera”, a stunning location on the edge of Blue Lake, high in the Cascade Mountains. With an extraordinary caterer, a beautiful and powerful location, and a unique, intimate experience, the event continues to be highly anticipated and sells out each year.Â

Sat, Sep 9 – Sisters Folk Festival w/David Stoddard – Sisters, OR. The Sisters Folk Festival is a three-day celebration of roots music from blues to bluegrass, held the weekend following Labor Day in beautiful Sisters, Oregon. The Festival hosts eleven stages, including an 900-seat venue at the Village Green Park in downtown Sisters, and 1,100 seats at Sisters Art Works. Sisters is located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range and the Three Sisters Wilderness Area, the community of Sisters is a wonderful place to live and visit. Outdoor recreational opportunities in and around Sisters are endless, with mountains, rivers and lakes at your back door. Bike or ride horseback on the many beautiful mountain trails, or golf at any number of first-rate courses. Gift, home & garden, clothing and antique shops abound for the shopper in your group, or just relax and enjoy the clean air and incredible mountain views. There is truly something for everyone in Sisters. BW is thrilled to play a duo set with the great David Stoddard at the Open Door stage (303 W. Hood Ave) from 9-10:30 pm!Â

Sun, Sep 10 – Sisters Folk Festival Community Celebration – Sisters, OR. BW will host the Sunday Community Celebration — it’s FREE and open to all! At the Village Green Stage. 10 am.   Â

Sat, Sep 16 – Uncorked Wine & Music Festival w/Bruce Hayes – Lake City, CO. Town Park. Lake City Uncorked Wine & Music Festival is hosted by Lake City DIRT, a 501(c)3 dedicated to historic preservation and economic revitalization of the community of Lake City. Join us for good music, good food, good wine, and good friends…. Beneath the fall aspens of the San Juan Mountains – in Historic Lake City, Colorado! Gates open at 10 a.m., Music starts at 11:00 a.m., Wine flows at noon. BW plays at 12:15 with Bruce Hayes!  Â

Sun, Sep 17 – Big River Music w/Bob Hemenger – Creede, CO. 117 N Main Street.  719-658-2100. BW returns to beautiful Creede and Big River Music for an intimate evening of song with the great Bob Hemenger on saxophone! Call 719-658-2100 for ticket info. 7 pm.  Â

Thu, Sep 28 – Private House Concert – Iron River, WI.

Fri, Sep 29 – David Stoddard CD Release Concert – Fergus Falls, MN. Details to come!

Sat, Sep 30 – The Warming House w/David Stoddard – Minneapolis, MN. 4001 Bryant Ave. South Minneapolis, MN. The Warming House was established in May of 2016 as a true listening room in the heart of South Minneapolis for the purpose of developing and promoting the appreciation of folk, singer-songwriter, Americana, and similar music as an art form through education, performance, exhibition and related activities. Its mission is to foster these musical arts by inspiring and engaging it’s multiple participants and audiences to listen to, create, perform and enjoy compelling musical performances and creations. The Warming House creates access for musicians and others of all levels and backgrounds, educates and enriches the public’s connection with musical arts experiences and contributes to the cultural vitality of the community. With the great David Stoddard! $15. 8 pm.

Sun, Oct 1 – Winona House Concerts – Winona, MN. Connie and Ray host house concerts in their grand living room overlooking the park. Bring a bottle of wine, some beer or your beverage of choice.  We will have glasses, ice, mixers, etc.  If you want to bring something to share as a snack, you are welcome to, but it’s not necessary. Please arrive 30-45 minutes early for social hour and let’s visit before the music starts. 6:30 gathering/7:30 music. See www.winonahouseconcerts.com for details!

Our Pederson backyard concert in CO Springs turned into a garage concert!!

well we set up outside just in case…it’s such a beautiful backdrop but not meant to be this time. Thank goodness we had a plan B cuz it rained, and then it cleared up, and then it rained, and then it cleared up, you get picture! 🙂

It was so much fun to return to beloved Lyons and see old friends at The Fork! The food’s so good I can barely concentrate…

and this was the greeting committee when I got to Georgia!

view from the stage at Home By Dark…

those gorgeous clouds were building in the background and once it got dark the fireflies came out and the lightning put on quite show!

Home By Dark family…finest musicians and humans on the planet! The other guest songwriter, the amazing Michael Logen and I were wishing every gig could be like this one!

Oh what fun we had at the Eurosports beer garden in Sisters! Karen and Brad took such good care of me and Karen took me on my first mountain bike ride…such a blast! It was super smokey from forest fires but the good folks of Sisters braved the smoke to give me a warm welcome!

and then after the show Karen told me and Coach Bob the story of how she bought Dave Carter’s old ghourd banjo at Artichoke Music many years ago! We couldn’t get over it!

 you wouldn’t believe how gorgeous this setting was for Judy’s Voices on the River house concert…aptly named! It was super fun watching rafters float by and wonder where the music was coming from.

Oh the beauty of Harris Bridge Vineyard where I got to play a the eclipse party! Here is the namesake bridge…

 and the lovely setting for our concert…

and here is the insanely talented Clara Baker in eclipse twilight. We both sat in awe as the sky grew dark and everything got quiet. I’ve never been so caffienated in the dark!

The guys from NW Piano Gallery took such great care of my piano!! And it is happily nestled at Artichoke music while they are readying the cafe space. Woohoo!

 Seriously y’all, who doesn’t need a Corgi parade?? Oh how it lifted our spirits to see hundreds of Corgis parading down the streets of Portland! Corgi Walk in the Pearl is an annual tradition and fundraiser for Oregon Humane Society and Corgi Rescue.

4. THE FUTURE. I feel like I’m at the top of the roller coaster, I’ve been climbing there all summer, and I’m peeking over at the wild ride ahead! It’s going to be a crazy fall touring season but I am excited and ready! I’m thrilled to have some  pacific NW shows, some midwest shows, a couple CO and AZ shows, one very special southeast show, and a trip to the northeast – it’s been too long!

I am sending prayers to friends in Texas, please keep them in your hearts. Texans know how to take care of each other, and I know the rest of the country is trying to figure out who to wrap its arms around those in need. Much love to friends in Texas.

I hope to see you out there on the road. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for supporting my creative dreams. I am ever grateful! Your fan,

Beth Wood

World Headquarters: PO Box 10141, Portland, OR 97296

 www.bethwoodmusic.com

Holler at me: bethwoodmusic [AT] hotmail.com

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Down the road a piece…

Oct 4-6 – FAR-West Conference – Bellevue, WA

Oct 7 – Concerts in the Woods – Coyle, WA

Oct 13 – Cary Theater – Cary, NC

Oct 14 – Nasty Woman Video Release/Planned Parenthood Fundraiser – Portland, OR

Oct 17 – White Eagle Saloon – Portland, OR

Oct 20 – Underground Oasis House Concerts – Gilbert, AZ

Oct 21 – Private Party – Phoenix,  AZ

Oct 28 – Concerts at the Barn – Kingston, WA

Nov 1 – Club Passim – Cambridge, MA

Nov 2 – The Albany Pump Station – Albany, NY

Nov 3 – University Club – Albany, NY

Nov 4 – Burlap & Bean – Newtown Square, PA

Nov 8 – The Parlor Room – Northampton, MA

Nov 9-11 – Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference – Stamford, CT

Nov 11 – Private House Concert -West Chester, PA

Nov 19 – The Open Door Coffeehouse @ Ascension – Portland, OR

Nov 20 – Olympia House Concerts – Olympia, WA

Dec 1 – North County Rec District Theater – Nehalem, OR

Dec 2 – The Cape House Concert Series – Arch Cape, OR

Dec 5 – Triple Door – Seattle, WA

Dec 10 – Songwriting Workshop w/Matt Meighan – Portland, OR