December 5, 2014

Gang,

At a big box store recently I saw that, along with the usual birdfeeders on display, they had a deer-feeder for sale. It was a large contraption that dispensed kernels of dried corn. “Well, isn’t that sweet?” I thought, skipping over the question of whether we maybe have enough deer already, perhaps even a surfeit by some reckonings. Then, upon closer inspection, I saw that this warm and cuddly contraption was made by the Remington Company, and that the feed bags were from a brand named “Record Rack.” I can tell you – I was disillusioned. Next they’re going to be telling me there is no Santa Claus and trying to sell me reindeer venison!

Tom And Matt Nakoa in the studio recording a “secret” YouTube song – December 3, 2014 Photo ©2014, Neale Eckstein

The Symphony Hall show is moving along well – I’m working with the other artists on possible collaborations. I’ve got some new songs to play for you and, in order to share them with my guests (Red Molly, Grace Kelly and Monica Rizzio) and the house band I went into a studio yesterday and did simple recordings – just me and a young keyboardist named Matt Nakoa, who happened to be in the building and volunteered his services. I’m putting up one of the songs on a secret YouTube page, for your listening pleasure. You can ONLY get there with this link: http://youtu.be/lVDkGd41Oc0. This is a song called “Life Is Fine,” and I can’t wait to hear it with Red Molly’s harmonies and Monica Rizzio’s fiddle!

In other news, the video documentary is flying off the shelves at TomRush.com – Christmas is just around the corner, after all! We’ve now set up a deal at the Symphony Hall box office so you can buy the DVD there along with tickets to the show.This may, by the way, be the last of these Symphony Hall shows for a while. For reasons having to do with the Hall’s logistics, the 28th is the only date that works. This year it’s a Sunday, but next year it’s a Monday, then a Tuesday, and so forth – so we may be on hiatus for a few years.

And I’m going to be on the radio a bunch in the coming weeks, fanning the flames, beating the drum, sometimes both at once. A list of those appearances is below. A lot of these stations also stream live, so you may well be able to listen in from Topeka, or Barcelona, San Quentin – or wherever you happen to be.

Upcoming shows this weekend:

Friday, 12/5, One Longfellow Square, Portland, ME (guitar wizard Eric Lilljequist will be backing me up, and I’m told a certain Jonathan Edwards might be stopping by).

Saturday, 12/6, The Bull Run in Shirley, MA, my annual get-together with Dean Adrien and the aforementioned Eric Lilljequist.

Sunday, 12/7, The Flying Goose in New London, NH, 2 shows, 3 and 8PM, both sold out, but it might be worth a call. In my experience “Sold Out” is a bit of a squishy concept.

Gotta get back to filling the birdfeeders. Thanks for reading!

All the best,

Tom Rush

Quote of the month:

“I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it’s such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.”

–– Ellen DeGeneres

Upcoming radio shows:

Sun Dec 7 – 6pm – New Hampshire Public Radio – Kate McNally’s Folk Show(http://nhpr.org/programs/folk-show)

Tues Dec 9 – 1pm – WUMB 91.9fm with Dave Palmater (http://www.wumb.org)

Thur Dec 11 – 1pm – WGBH Boston Public Radio with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan