Singing Can Be Fun . . .
It's just the listening to myself part that I have trouble with.

George Kantor writes:

The December Songwriter's Circle is next Tuesday, Dec. 6,
at 7pm at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern. The topic is "songs
that are fun to sing".

As a special treat, George Salamacha and Nancy Deckant will
share the featured songwriter spot, so be sure to plan to
stick around to hear them play!

Heather Kropf and More, Tonight!
Bettye LaVette, a Detroit Soul/R&B/Blues artist who was recently awarded W.C. Handy's "Blues Comeback Album of the Year" will be performing at Moondog's tonight, 8 p.m. She's 57 and touring AND I hear she can put on a powerhouse soul show.

I'll be bringing the white-girl-mellow-with-the-piano vibe, and play a short opening set for her. Brad Yoder is stopping down to play soprano sax.

For info and directions to Moondog's

For info about Miss Bettye LaVette

Tickets for the cd release party, and advance sales for "What Else is Love" will both be available at tonight's show.

Hope to see you!

Heather

Some Thoughts from Annette Dietz

Annette's an artist, poet, and Three Penny fan. The following is a great meditation/manifesto on what the Three Penny can become:

Dear Songwriters,

I have enjoyed attending your performances for a year now and just wanted to make some friendly suggestions on possibly increasing your audience.

In this past Sunday’s PG, Lawrence Ferlinghetti said, “today poetry is more or less restricted to poetry journals. I think the real poetry today is with music. Bob Dylan was a real poet. There’s the poetry of folk singers, bluegrass, and country western...”

Ferlinghetti is confirming a belief some of us hold that poets and songwriters have much in common. Yet as I move in the circles of poetry, art, and music in Pittsburgh, I am continually surprised at how insular creative folks can be. And while most poets know and love Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, few know of Gram Parsons or John Prine – let alone any of you!

More's the pity because the few poets that I have introduced to Pgh. songwriters have loved them and now follow their performances.

Poets and other writers appreciate a well-turned phrase, the passion, humor and seriousness of good songwriting but they do not know what is going on right here in the songwriting community of Pgh.

With the release of the Pgh. Songwriters’ cd compilation, I would suggest you tap into your inner matchmaker and clearly spell out the similarities between these two
groups, hopefully bringing them together for mutual appreciation and collaboration. Hey, maybe a few creative babies, as well.

Please remember that people are busy these days, they need things clearly explained – what should they expect at a concert? The tiny mention of your name under ‘acoustic’ in the newspaper is not enough in most cases.

I will give you a concrete example: some time ago Dennis Candy and Karl Mullen had a performance called Confluence at the Pgh. Center for the Arts. It alternated fiction and poetry readings with music. The readers were from Pitt and the acoustic musicians played in a circle format. The room was filled even with a cover fee – and it brought together the followers of the various performers – gently introducing them to something new – either the craft of acoustic songwriting, or the spoken word.

The advertising and the flyers clearly explained their vision and what to expect, with bios of each reader and performer on the back.

Some of the groups that I think would enjoy your work if they would attend just one time are: The Pittsburgh Poetry Society, the Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange, Mad Women of the Attic, the Squirrel Hill Poets, and the Monroeville Poets. Their meetings and info. can be found on the web. But some of you already know one person in these groups that could deliver flyers and introduce you.

Reading spots that have standing room only would be great places to pass out flyers, introduce yourselves. (not merely advertise – but explain what is happening in the songwriters circles.) Many of them are connected to or have members in the University communities. The Slaughterhouse Choice Cuts reading series, the Gist Building reading series, Paper Street readings in Mt. Lebanon. The Brewhouse artists’collective also hosts readings. Your flyers should be there, in my opinion.

I wonder how much any of these places charge to use their cool spaces? More than one CD release party with various performers would be great. Poets often have multiple readings when they release a new book. Why does there only have to be one CD release party?

I think you should spread flyers in all the book shops, coffee shops and at the universities. There are folks among you who are in these circles and enlisting their help might be valuable. The initial foot work is worth it till you build a regular audience.

Once these folks understand and attend, sign your email list, all the foot work isn’t as necessary.

I think the various papers should do an article about what is happening at the Starlite, and esp. seizing the release of the CD. Don’t overlook the Valley, the Gateway Presses.

One last possible audience that I have found, are those folks in senior communities. They prefer their music acoustic. Hearing aids can’t handle loud venues and these folks would love a night out if they only knew about it. Many of them were involved in the arts and we forget them. They have transportation available money to attend. These communities have staff people that are more than willing to post a flyer and encourage it.

Thanks for listening! Keep shining!

Love,

Annette

Jack Erdie Sez . . .

You think you know folk music?

I've been peripherally involved with Three Penny Opry,
the brainchild of Robert Wagner, since its conception.
We had a strong start. The Opry has given a lot of local
acoustic (and some electric; and ALL eclectic) performers
a venue when they otherwise may have been at home, woodshedding
with instructional DVDs.

Anyway, it might be time for a blood transfusion. Some new faces
in the audience.

Here's what I propose:

A Musical Public Forum on Folk Music, (or a FOLK OFF!).

I'd like to invite you, and all your friends to invite all their friends,
enemies, associates, to come and state their views, ask their
questions, make their arguments for or against the continued
existence of folk music.

We, the performers, including John Wells, Robert Wagner, and
myself, will respond to all heckling and serious queries. We will
sometimes respond with debate and facts, and other times we
will respond with a song that seems to answer, abet, or refute
your contribution to the discussion.

So, invite the hip-hoppers, the punkers, the rockers, the jazz purists,
the classical afficionados, the goths, the technos, the rockabilliards in
your lives to come out and square off against FOLK MUSIC, the mother
of you all!

And if you think you know folk music, think again.

Your Servant in Song,

Jack Erdie

And if you're interested in my new lyrics and stories
jump over to www.jackerdie.com and peruse my blog!

Something Else to Digest

Don't forget POST TURKEY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2005's THREE PENNY OPRY at the STARLIGHT!

This show will feature:

the dark tainted love songs of BECKY CORRIGAN

the complete and in their Diasy Dukes THE DELIBERATE STRANGERS

and unfortunately some fool named JOHN WELLS


Showtime is 9:00 PM

When the featured performers get tired, there will be a mandatory song swap. Remember, SWAPLIFTING IS A CRIME and will be PROSECUTED to the fullest extent of the lawn.

Doug McCarty at the Starlite, October 29

Dirt Road

Twang Me

Rick Malis writes that this Saturday night's edition of Americana Night will be called Twang Night. Twang Night will feature Rick with Pete Freeman backing on pedal steel guitar and doing new and old original material; country blues troubador Rodan with Strangers in This Land; and Pete Freeman playing original songs and instrumentals on pedal steel guitar with Rick backing him up.

Some Music News from Gerard Rohlf

My friend, Art Gazdik, and I are performing our usual arcane acoustic music set at the Starlite Lounge on Friday.

Our endearing cast of characters includes:

1) John Hayes - our friend, and journalist for the Post Gazette, who hosts the Calliope Songwriters ForumOpen Stage at The Bloomfield Bridge Tavern on Tuesdays, and has 4 critically acclaimed CD's to his credit.

2) Margaret Menamin - our Poet for the evening - You may have seen her work in the Post-Gazette, Iambs And Trochees or The New Formalist. For 10 years Margaret produced a weekly radio program on WDUQ.

3) Gerry Kuncio - also our friend, and fellow St. Bede's Chorister, whose soulful interpretations have entertained us over the years - Come out an show your support - he's shy!

Drummers Have All the Fun at the Starlite Lounge
The Threepenny Opry is taking Friday off this week to celebrate the open-house at the new Calliope offices.

On Saturday, though, the Opry returns with a bang. And a boom. And a couple of pa rum pa pum pums with Two Fifths of Jack, The Renaissance Drummin' Wimmin and Clark Slater. The show starts around 8:00, and you CAN bring your kids. (We've had a number of children at our recent shows!! Thank you!!)

The Drummin Wimmin is a drum circle with about a dozen members. Big drums, little drums, and everything in between. They put on a great show composed of tribal,hypnotic rhythms that are guaranteed to take you to another spiritual plane.

Clark Slater is part jazzy hipster, part folk singer. Traditionally inspired acoustic music with a smooth and groovy twist.

Dave LaRose and George Kantor will finish off the evening with some new originals, stripped down Jack tunes, and whatever else comes into their minds.

Hope you can make it!!
www.threepennyopry.blogspot.com
www.calliopehouse.org

Swing with The Mavens
The Mavens will be playing a swing dance this Sunday at the Edgewood Club. Dance instruction begins at 7. Music starts at 8. The Edgewood Club is located at 1 Pennwood Avenue in Edgewood. Click here for directions. Dance instruction fee with admission, $8.

Kate McDonnell in Friendship
Friendship House Concerts is proud to present
Kate McDonnell

Sunday, November 6, 4:00 p.m.
Contact: altes at potomac dot net

Kate McDonnell, a singer-songwriter who plays upside-down and backwards guitar, is perhaps the musical lovechild of Bonnie Raitt and Leo Kottke. Fearless and funny on stage, she’s been wowing audiences all her life with her heart-stopping voice and jaw-dropping guitar work.

Congratulations, Jack!
Jack Erdie won the Acoustic Challenge at Sing Sing at the Waterfront. Of course we all know Jack is terrific, providing transcendant moments, communicating life's essentials, and tapping into the comedies and tragedies of life. Now we know he kicks butt with just his voice and guitar. Let that be a lesson to you other finalists — Rubbie Greenwald, JD Strum, Waldo Young and Todd Edwards — that it probably wouldn't hurt to have your songs on the 3P blog.

This Weekend

On Saturday, we celebrate GUY FAWKES NIGHT with Rachel Allen, John Wells, Pete Grubbs, and Robert Wagner. In 1605, Guy Fawkes was a member of the group of Roman Catholic conspirators who attempted to carry out the Gunpowder Plot, planning to assassinate King James I and all the members of both branches of the Parliament of England by blowing up the House of Lords. He was caught, and the whole gang was executed. People all over the world celebrate Guy Fawkes Night with bonfires and fireworks. We'll be celebrating with great music.

Earlier this year, Rachel Allen performed as part of Calliope's Emerging Legends series. She is known for her strong vocal delivery, versatility and range, and the sheer joy of her performances. She enjoys connecting with people. She also directs the adult and children's choirs at Christ United Methodist Church in the Moxham section of Johnstown and works with children of all ages, adults with mental illness, and facilitates several community drum circles.

Pete Grubbs will be driving down from Brookville, PA. He's well known to FILK audiences. (FILK is the folk music of science fiction and fantasy.) He's a great picker and a fun, insightful, intelligent guy.

John Wells would be a worthy subject for a Martin Scorcese movie. He has been playing folk music in the Pittsburgh-area since the early 1960s but has never released a CD. The only way your're going to hear him is if you come to a show (Unless you take him up on his standing invitation to visit his Lawrenceville home).

As you know, the backroom of The Starlite Lounge is smoke-free. The music starts at 8:00 pm. Children are welcome if accompanied by a parent. And there is no cover-charge.