Tom in his kitchen.

Big, big news!

Hey Gang, I have some BIG BIG news!!

I’m planning to go into a recording studio very soon to make my next album — featuring never-before-recorded songs of mine. Songs you may have heard at shows: “Siena’s Song”, “I Quit”, “To See My Baby Smile”, “Won’t Be Back at All”, “Nothin’ but a Man” and more.

 

Get "Stewed" with Tom Rush, photo of a young Tom in a giant copper cauldron, which was used as a promo poster for early new Years Eve concert.

To make this possible I’m launching a Kickstarter campaign to try to put together the resources it will take to pull this off.

This campaign ends on April 27th, and the way Kickstarter works, if we have not reached our goal it all just goes “poof” — nobody gets charged, no rewards are sent out, and … the album doesn’t get made.

I honestly feel that this will be my best work yet (Matt Nakoa will be producing, and you know what a monster talent he is). I greatly appreciate whatever help you can give! Go to Kickstarter and check it out.

All the best,


Tom Rush

PS: The picture of me sitting in a giant copper pot (that I bought at a yard sale) was used way back in history in an ad for a New Year’s Eve concert. The caption was “Get Stewed With Tom Rush!!”

Quote of the Month:

“To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.” –– Mark Twain

Tom & Mat recording Nothin' But A Man

Happy New Year & Suspicions About Rudolph

Gang,

Happy 2021, everyone! It’s getting a bit brighter every day — have you noticed? But … I’ve waited until after the holidays to report this, as it’s somewhat distressing, even for me, and I’m hard-to-distress: _Rudolph is a fraud_.

On the one hand, Burl Ives’ song is brilliant in that it poses a problem (based on social angst) in the first verse, and then solves it in the second. Done! Very economical.

BUT … if you think about it, having a bright red light on your nose is not going to help you see through the fog any more than your high-beams would. To the contrary, it would totally blind you, causing you and the sleigh behind you to fly into a power line, and there goes Christmas!

My other problem, leaving aside the physics behind flying reindeer (where does the jet propulsion jet come from? I don’t want to know, but I really wouldn’t want to be sitting in that sleigh!), is that the reindeer who shunned and reviled “poor Rudolph” now love him to bits simply because he was useful. Not because he was smart, or good-hearted, or funny, or hot. No, they would have loved a _GPS_ even more.

But let’s turn to the positive. This is the time of year when I thank all the folks who’ve been helping me do what I do (and will hopefully continue to do so for years to come):

Andrea Sabata, my booking agent at Skyline; who has been doing the emotionally exhausting (and unpaid) task of moving show after show down the calendar — and then moving them again. And again. (Someday this will end, Andrea!);

Ben Rush, my eldest son, who has faithfully designed and run TomRush.com and all its various permutations for the past decade or so;

Katelyn Larson, who has been guiding me through the Social Media side of things, keeping me on track;

Mark Steele, who has taken on the job of videotaping my Rockport Sundays subscription series at my kitchen table (or my living room when Matt Nakoa stops by to play along);

Matt Nakoa, whose accompaniment on keyboards and vocal harmonies never fails to make songs sound better than I ever thought they could;

Rob Stegman who runs the fulfillments side of the TomRush.com store. (We don’t have our own fleet of delivery trucks yet, but look out!!);

My friends and family who have supported me over some patches of rough road, and … far from leastall of you who have been my companions through one musical adventure after another over the years.

Speaking of which, for those of you who have not yet subscribed to the Rockport Sundays series, here’s a taste of what you’re missing — free for nothing!! (I’m clearly hoping to tempt you on board — c’mon, you’ll love it!!)



My friends, here’s to a safe, sound and vastly-improved New Year!

All the best,


Tom Rush

Quote of the month:
“The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live!
–– George Carlin

Come on into my kitchen for Rockport Sunday(s)

Come on into my kitchen for Rockport Sunday(s)

Hey Gang,

Random thought of the month, isolation inspired: I’ve done the math. This $18 box of wine contains as much as four of the $20 bottles I used to buy. Therefore, I save $62 for every box I drink. Conclusion: I must drink more wine — I need the money!!

I want you to know that I really appreciate you — the support and encouragement you’ve given me over the years! Now there’s something new I really want to do, and I’m going to need your help to do it. I’m inviting you into my kitchen:

I’m embarking on a new adventure, a series of weekly online offerings — kitchen-table videos of songs and stories, pages from a book I’m working on … and more. Since they’ll be coming out of my kitchen in Rockport, Mass, I thought I’d call them “Rockport Sundays”, after that instrumental I recorded way back when.

OK, here’s how it works: I’m doing this through a platform called Patreon.com/TomRush, and it’s easy! You sign up and every Sunday I’ll send you something. One week a Kitchen Table Video (KTV) recording of an old song with some back story about the song.

The next week, a KTV of a brand-new song (I have almost enough already for a new album!). Then a KTV of a story from my 50+ years on the road (I have a list of about 30 so far — Skinny Dipping with Janis Joplin, Steve Goodman and the Giant Rabbit, Clint Eastwood and the Hashish Brownie— some fun stuff!), pages from a book I’m writing. AND, from time to time, some Wild Card thing that will be a surprise for all concerned, including me.

Now, these won’t be super-slick. This is me at home, after all, and believe it or not, my life is not highly polished! But you’ll be joining me for some seriously casual fun, AND you’ll be giving me an incentive (an imperative, really) to keep on creating — and to finish up the odds and ends I’ve had lying around for years.

The price tag is a mere $10 a month, and I’ll do my level best to make sure you get more than your money’s worth. If you’re having a good time (and I’m quite sure you will), please help spread the word — the more the merrier! And if you have friends or family who might enjoy this adventure, forward this email on to them (or give it to them as a Christmas surprise!). And if you have friends or family who might enjoy this adventure, forward this email on to them (or give it to them as a Christmas surprise!).

 

Check it out! And thank you!

All the best,


Tom Rush


Tom Rush

 

Quote of the month:
If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.
–Yogi Berra

 

Philly Folk Festival online concert

Tom Rush Plays the 59th Annual Philidelphia Folk Festival (virtural event)

Join Tom Rush and Matt Nakoa for an evening virtual concert on Saturday 11/21 at 8 pm as they help celebrate the 59th Annual Philidelphia Folk Festival!

During difficult times, we turn to music for joy, comfort, inspiration, and to feel connected to a larger shared experience. Building community through music is at the core of the Folksong Society’s mission. While our venue and school remain closed for the safety and health of our patrons and staff, our work continues behind the scenes bringing you music and events that can be enjoyed online from your home, and planning for the future, when our doors finally reopen.
–– folkfest.org

See the festival website for details on how to take part in a virtual green-room post-show meet and greet with Tom & Matt.

Tickets at folkfest.org

Philly Folk Festival online concert

Walden 1120 FM Open House Folk Festival, 1989

Walden 1120 FM Open House Folk Festival, 1989

 

On October 1, 1989, the owners of new commercial AM folk radio station WADN out of Concord Massachusetts celebrated their recent launch with a free live on-air concert. Performing were: Chris Smither, Cheryl Wheeler, Sally Rogers and Howie Bursen, Bill Morrissey, Christine Lavin, Patty Larkin, Northern Lights, Shawn Colvin, and Tom Rush. This video of that concert was produced by volunteers from Boston’s public access TV station, BNN-TV – Boston Neighborhood Network.