December 22, 2014

Gang,

I want to wish you all very happy holidays and a marvelous New Year. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your sticking with me over the years, coming to the shows, listening to the recordings, reading the newsletters. Someone asked me recently when I planned to retire – I don’t think they were hinting or anything. The answer is, as long as I can have fun doing it and you keep showing up, I’ll keep on keeping on.

On a helpful note, if you’re just stuck for that last minute Christmas gift — DON’T buy the Chia Pet!! Just say NO!! I can sincerely say that the upcoming Symphony Hall show on Sunday, the 28th, will be a musical night to remember — some of the best young talent in the world, Red Molly, Grace Kelly, Monica Rizzio — soaring harmonies, hot instrumentals, old and new songs, all in one of the world’s premiere concert halls set up cabaret-style — and tickets are just a mouse-click away. Also, the brand new video documentary on yours truly, “Tom Rush – No Regrets,” is available at the web store AND at the Symphony Box Office. These are so much classier than that Chia pet, and you don’t have to water them!!

And here’s a present for YOU, a secret link to a secret page on YouTube. I premiered this song at last year’s SH show and have been tweaking it since. Hope you enjoy it!
Stay warm, Gang, and thank you, too!It’s that time of year when I thank all the good folks who keep me up and running. Dan Beach keeps the website humming and gets the newsletters out, but also gives me good advice which I actually take most of the time. (When I don’t I usually regret it.) Rob Stegman and Todd Kwait have labored long, hard and to good effect putting together the video documentaryAND producing this Symphony Hall show. Thank you, gentlemen, for all you do. Mr. Tim Burke has kept the vending operation running smoothly for lo, these many years and I greatly appreciate the time and effort he’s put in. Andrea Sabata, Katy Cates, Crandall Rogers and all the jolly crew at Skyline Music, my booking agency, keep me gainfully employed, for which I am eternally grateful.

All the best,

Quote of the month:

“No one ever pretended that shopping for anything is a rational experience. If it were, would there be Fluffernutter? Laceless sneakers? Porkpie hats? Would the Chia Pet even exist?”

–– Jeffrey Kluger