Hello!
We have just gotten back home after an amazing Folk Alliance International conference in New Orleans in mid-January. Three thousand folk musicians, venues, DJs and assorted music industry people, all gathered together for a business conference. It’s all about community, networking, and truly amazing music for four solid days. And we even got to see a Mardi Gras parade put on by the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus! Yes, a science fiction themed Mardi Gras parade was a not-to-be-missed event for us science fiction geeks. Though we skipped the post-parade “Chewbacchanal” as we had stuff to do back at the conference. The amount of imagination and creativity on display from all the sub-krewes was outstanding!
We’re back home in New Hampshire in plenty of time to play the Peterborough Farmers Market (indoor!) in Peterborough, NH on Wednesday, February 18th. We’ve played their outdoor summer market many times since moving to NH, but this will be our first visit to their indoor winter market. We know there will be baked goods, canned goods, and likely crafts. Past that, it will be an adventure for us all! Come do some shopping and stay for some music! Market runs 3-5pm at the Community Center on Elm Street.
This winter has so far been a mighty cold one across much of the country, including along the Gulf Coast where we’ve spent the last couple of weeks. Not everyone wants to go out in the cold, snow, and ice this time of year, but you can always snuggle up under a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa and watch Joe Isaacs’ Music Matters Zoomcase. Joe runs these online song circles several times a month. We’ll be among the 6 to 8 acts swapping songs on Sunday, February 22nd from 1-3pm Eastern time, a nice early timeslot. You can watch it live on Joe’s YouTube channel (click on the Live tab), or you can drop Joe an email at jcisaacs@gmail.com and ask him for the Zoom link. If you come in on Zoom, you can add your applause between songs to the live broadcast! If you’re not available during the Zoomcase times, you can catch the recording later on Joe’s YouTube.
February is Black History Month, a fact which has sadly become a lot more controversial in these times when the teaching of the true history of Black people in the US has been politicized. The stories of enslaved people from the early days of our country running to the north to escape their brutal treatment at the hands of the slave owners of the south are reflected in the music they shared, the coded phrases in their spirituals sending hope and guidance to those left behind. Crossing the Jordan River symbolized the crossing from oppression to freedom, and following the north star led them toward that freedom. We often finish our live shows with Dan’s a cappella song On My Way, two voices raised in hope at the start of such a journey. This recording of On My Way, from our Seeking album, includes a full gospel arrangement.
Our albums Who We Are, Then and Now, Seeking, and Simple Grace are available from us at shows and on our website, through Bandcamp, or you can find them at iTunes and most other online music stores. Our music is also available streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
As always, you can find additional schedule information on our website. For additional content, follow us on Patreon. For more frequent news updates and information, check out our Facebook fan page.
Stay warm, stay safe, and support your local musicians and venues!
Dan & Faith