TDawg Presents brings you the finest in music that heals the soul and brings life to your life. You KNOW that a TDawg show will always be a solid show!
Come on out for a special early weeknight show at The Red Light Cafe on Thursday, October 3, with one of the most dynamic bands touring these days in The Ragbirds! Fresh off having a baby in August, Erin Zindle leads these road warriors back on the road for the first time since that time on the proudly proclaimed “Brave New Baby Tour”.
They will be traveling in their new bio-fuel vehicle tailor made for including a new little family member! I personally am looking forward to welcoming them with open arms and an amazing audience Thursday night! It’s also my wife’s birthday, and The Ragbirds is one of her favorite bands. So if you know her, come on out and celebrate with us. If you don’t know her, come on out and celebrate with us! Below is a great video of the band performing one of my favorite songs by them, “Brave New Beat”, from Music City Roots. Enjoy!
——————————————————————–
On Saturday, October 5,Strung Like A Horse visits Music On Main Street for an evening under the large oaks in a beautiful backyard setting in historic downtown Lilburn, just 20 minutes east of the ATL. It’s an early show, starting at 7pm, and be ready for two sets of the some of the finest self-proclaimed “gypsy punk garage grass” you’re ever going to see! Cover is only $10! These kind folks are on a roll right now, doing good things, and are the top band out of Chattanooga right now. DO NOT MISS THEM! Music On Main Street is a very family friendly venue that is BYOB and you can bring your own dinner spread, too. Be sure to bring a blanket and/or chairs! Below is a video of their song titled “Gypsy Jane”, some of which was filmed at beautiful Cherokee Farms.
We had a fantastic time at Twain’s on Saturday evening for the inaugural edition of the Funk’n’Soul FallFest! Special thanks to owners and brothers Ethan and Uri Wurtzel for their willingness to try new things, and THANK YOU to all of you who made it out on Saturday for at least a part! The crowd flowed wonderfully all through the night, and there was always a steady audience for the music.
Jango Monkey kicked off the music shortly after 6pm for a rousing 80 minute set full of fantastic interwoven jams that kept everyone grooving. They certainly enjoyed the set, and let’s just say it was the perfect kick-off to the evening.
(Jango Monkey)
Grant Green Jr. followed, and his two sets were as tight and flowing as could be, even if we had to assemble a lineup for him last minute. He had some fine young players with him that didn’t skip a beat. I believe it’s safe to say that Twain’s stage is a perfect outlet for Grant, and I hope we can do more with master of the jazz & soul guitar. Quite a site to behold when you can catch him!
(Grant Green Jr.)
Young stewards of the funk from Augusta, GA, Funk You, closed out the night performing originals alongside tasteful covers by The Rolling Stones, Bill Withers, and Van Morrison just to name a few. I was extremely impressed by these fellas in their debut in Decatur and look forward to seeing them moving forward. I sat down at one point and pressed record on the iphone and got some good footage in the throes of a jam for almost 9 minutes. I hope you enjoy it!
Please mark down Thursday, October 3, on your calendar for An Evening with The Ragbirds! Advance tix are available by clicking on the link in the previous sentence. This is a special early show (8pm’ish start time), so come on out and see one of the most vibrant bands going these days, a band that describes their music as “infectious global grooves”.
The 15th edition of TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny brought together old friends, new friends, family, and the common bond of some amazing music to take us through two nights of notes ringing through the mountains both on stage and at the campfires. I don’t believe that the Hoot could have unfolded any better musically. A common trait from all the Hootenannies is all the artists brought their A++ games with them, and that energy was on display both on stage and in the connection with the audience – the audience reflected that energy right back onto the artists.
I know I say this after each Hootenanny, but this was REALLY the best Hootenanny yet! That is saying a lot! I’m finding it difficult to find words to describe what transpired over the course of last weekend, but the music, the jams, and the audience at Cherokee Farms was off the charts incredible! As always, the Hootenanny attracts a truly passionate music loving audience that loves to have a great time – much of this same audience brings their kids along to enjoy the great outdoors in an intimate environment, which is one of the key attributes to a small festival.
Below are some testimonials from attendees (and even one who didn’t!):
“What a HOOT!!! Everytime I think it just cannot get any better….IT DOES!!! Thanks for all the hard work Thomas. Such a fabulous weekend!”
=====
“I just wanna say what a deep, profound honor it was to be a part of this fall’s Hootenanny. Thomas, you must know, if anyone does, how special it was to be there at Cherokee Farms with you and our dearests again after so many years. Geez. I just can’t even put it into words…Truly a special phenomenon.”
=====
“I got to spend some really awesome quality time with folks I’ve known for years, but never really knew. I formed some really comfy new connections with some incredible folks. This weekend was amazingly refreshing. Thanks guys 😉 ”
=====
“Thomas this weekend was without a doubt the best TDAWG Hootenanny I have ever experienced and I have been to several. The weather was perfect, the music was incredible, great mix, great pairings and I got to spend a lot of time with some very special people. It is so cool to listen to the performance and then meet and talk with the musicians. I love that.”
=====
“Other life circumstances prevented me from attending the Hoot this year, but I would like to take the time and say THANK YOU for all of the live music, small festival supporters that I call my friends. What T-Dawg does and is doing for our community is remarkable and admirable. So thank you to TDawg for his vision and unrelenting pursuit to create this space for us and others.”
=====
“10+ hours straight of some of the best music I’ve seen all year for only $40… Thomas Helland you are a visionary, a music lover, a music maker, and a very dear friend. This Hootenanny was completely off the hook and into a whole other galaxy. I can’t wait til the next time!”
=====
“hoot hoot – home feeling like I got a fresh tank of gas, good oil change, new battery & timing gaps checked – life is gooder because of Curtis Burch & Bill Fleming & the hills are alive with sooooooooooo many magic peoples – thanks TDawg for your dream & Smokey the door to a little piece of heaven !!!”
==================================
You have to love attending a festival and every single performance is a highlight of the weekend. I can’t imagine that anyone who attended left without seeing something fresh and new this time around. Vagabond Swing left a lasting impression on everyone who saw them I’m pretty certain, judging from the number of folks who were getting their faces painted after the set ;-). Their official entrance to the Hootenanny family was a welcome explosion of klezmer, gypsy, bluegrass, and rock. What they present is truly unique. Strongly recommended!
(Vagabond Swing) (Dave Jordan/Bill Fleming)
Vagabond Swing was sandwiched between the rockin’ soulful blues of the Lefty Williams Band and New Orleans’ own Dave Jordan & his Georgia edition of the Neighborhood Improvement Association. Let’s just say that for about 3 1/2 hours, we had an insane happy hour! 😉 Between Lefty’s guitar and vocals, Dave’s “who dat” approach to the funk and Americana with help from the soaring sound of the pedal steel guitar by Bill Fleming, and the avant garde approach of Vagabond Swing, the middle of the day certainly didn’t disappoint! Gibson Wilbanks kicked it all off with their own take on soulful and bluesy – Carly Gibson’s powerful voice and layered guitar work over BJ Wilbanks slide playing was a wonderful sight to behold to get the day going, and their set in the early evening hours on the Grateful Fred stage kept that spirit alive, joined by a few friends.
(Lefty Williams Band – photo by Vickie Otts)
Speaking of the Grateful Fred Stage, I want to send a special shout out to my friends the Bibb City Ramblers, who not only rocked it out hard Friday night as headliner on the Shed Stage but also jammed as hard as ever on the tent stage with a slew of friends that included at-large artists Bobby Miller, Scott Warren & drummer Richie Jones AND provided the PA for the Grateful Fred Stage! These guys and gal are as true and pure as it gets. Below is a clip from their set featuring Bobby Miller joining on mandolin and Randy Steele from Slim Pickins on “Port Columbus Blues”.
We can’t leave the Grateful Fred Stage without mentioning the minstrel of the group, Ralph Roddenbery, and his set with his friends. Lemme tell ya, this set was one for the books, with sweat streaming from the top of his head as the music would climb and climb to that climactic point, and DAMN the jam was fine! An incredible tweener set that was between David Via & Curtis Burch and Larry Keel & Natural Bridge.
(Larry Keel & Natural Bridge) (Ralph Roddenbery)
These two sets on the Shed Stage were, for me, a pinnacle of the day. I’ve worked for many years now with both the Keel clan and Via & Curtis, although not in a while save for last year’s Atlanta’s Holiday Hootenanny when Larry joined the madness. Many great HarvestFest memories flooded my mind during these sets, and let’s just say these Bluegrass Buddies certainly didn’t disappoint. Curtis Burch’s dobro rang so loud and clear, moving between notes seamlessly. Via’s “Corn Liquor” and “Moonshine in the Moonlight”, with Larry & Jenny Keel on stage with them brought tears to the surface, emotions welling up in a big way thinking about all the times we’ve had and the part that those musicians in particular have played in my life. To be able to witness this pure and sanctified yet progressive acoustic music was incredible, and by the time Larry Keel & Natural Bridge were wrapping up with at least 6 buddies joining them on stage, all I saw around me were big grins and boogien’ folks. I have to say that Larry Keel & Natural Bridge is possibly one of the finest progressive acoustic/bluegrass/Americana acts you will see these days. Absolutely inspiring. The video below is of “Moonshine in the Moonlight” that closed out David Via & Curtis Burch’s set courtesy of Chuck Allen.
The night closed out on stage with Chattanooga’s Strung Like A Horse taking the TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny to the finish line, at least the one that is plugged in 😉 That band is one you need to pay attention to in the future. Let’s just say they’re moving in the right direction. You can catch them in the metro Atlanta area on Saturday, October 5 at Music On Main Street, a beautiful outdoor venue setting under the big oaks in the heart of downtown Lilburn.
I’m sending a big shout-out to all the staff and volunteers who help create the family vibe that is the Hootenanny family – namely Tamara, Linda, Cathy, Paul Diaz & the Tree Sound crew, Wildman Steve, and most of all Smokey & Debbie, who graciously open up Cherokee Farms for us to enjoy the peaceful environment for some of the best damn music you’ll hear all year long!
2014 dates are already in place, so mark your calendars NOW for April 4-5 and September 19-20! And don’t forget about the 3rd Annual Atlanta’s Holiday Hootenanny that is happening December 22 at the Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points Atlanta – well worth the journey! HOOOOOOOOOTENANNY Y’ALL!!!
I figure that this repost is relevant today 😉 In this crazy world that we inhabit, surrounded by so much wrong, it’s nice to have “it” right. The Hootenannies are right! If you’ve never been, you need to give it a try. The testimonials below are from the last Hootenanny back in April of this year. They’re a fun read! Come on y’all!!
Howdy y’all! We’re just over three weeks away from an absolutely incredible weekend of music at the serene property in the NW Georgia mountains known as Cherokee Farms on the weekend of September 13-14, and I thought I’d get you all fired up with some observations from enthusiastic musicians and patrons from the April Hoot. Dave Jordan(Neighborhood Improvement Association) summed up nicely just yesterday the feeling one gets about coming to a camping TDawg event:
“Looking forward to playing another one of Thomas Helland‘s festivals. I was on his first one, 15 years ago and it’ll be nice to catch up with some old friends. Rumor has it, Duane Trucks will be joining Gregory Hodges and Will Repholz and I to rock Cherokee Farms. Yeah u rite!”
======
Caroline Aiken – “A weekend full of family and friends, and the HOOTNENANNY was SO wonderful, the line…
Get your advance tickets NOW so you can be just as chillin’ as the mighty fine individual in this picture! Also, check out our own Ralph Roddenbery creating a “Hootenanny Song” 😉 And remember, you’ll receive a compilation CD from the 2nd Annual Atlanta’s Holiday Hootenanny on Dec 16, 2012 at the Variety Playhouse! Artists featured include Papa Mali, Larry Keel, Jimmy Hall, Grant Green Jr., Ike Stubblefield, Col. Bruce Hampton, Rev. Jeff Mosier, and many more!
FRI-SAT $50 ADV/$60 gate (includes camping)
SAT ONLY $40 ADV/$50 gate (includes camping)
SAT DAY passes are available at the gate for $40. Kids 13-16 are $20, Kids 12 & under are admitted FREE. NO DOGS PLEASE!!
Lodging
Key West Inn, 2221 N Main St LaFayette, GA 30728
PH: (706) 638-8200
Days Inn, 2209 N Main St LaFayette, GA 30728
PH: (706) 639-9362
Please welcome Vagabond Swing to the Hootenanny Family! I have not witnessed a Vagabond Swing concert, but by all accounts and from what I have found on YouTube, the 45-minute set from 4:15pm-5pm on Saturday afternoon under the Grateful Fred Tent is going to be bouncing all directions with creative musical anarchy – too much fun for your own good!
These fellas come from Lafayette, LA, and they are bringing their own unique sound to the table here. Instrumentation includes dual guitars, drums, mandolin, trumpet, and upright bass. I’m sure there are some surprises in there, too. With musical influences including gypsy/folk/bluegrass, punk/ska, avant garde/classical, and jazz, well, this is what you might get. They describe their music as “a surprisingly smooth mixture of progressive Gypsy/Experimental/Circus-vibe/Swing tunes.” That pretty much sums it up. The video below is a good indicator of the fun and intensity that is a performance by Vagabond Swing.
Vagabond Swing is going to stick around after their set, so expect them to pop up possibly on stage elsewhere! Y’all we’re going to have ourselves an incredible time this weekend, and you can purchase advance tickets until Thursday, Sept 12 @ 11pm EDT.
***All advance purchases will receive a copy of a compilation from TDawg Presents’ 2nd Annual Atlanta’s Holiday Hootenanny that occurred in December of 2012, featuring Papa Mali, Larry Keel, Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Hall, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Col. Bruce Hampton, Ike Stubblefied, Grant Green Jr., Deep Blue Sun and more!
Dave Jordan has lived and breathed the life & blood of New Orleans music. From the funk days with Juice and many different collaborations all over the Big Easy including the legendary Maple Leaf Bar and Tipitina’s to his current project that embodies what he calls “NOLA roots rock”, Jordan delivers REAL music with a genuine feel of where he is from and what he has been through.
I met Dave back in 1998 prior to the 1st Annual HarvestFest, which really was a glorified Hootenanny in the end 😉 Live and learn I guess! Anyhoo, we share mutual close friends who introduced us, and I featured Juice as part of a 2-part New Orleans happy hour (x2!). The other part was All That. Led by Jordan and the husky voice of big man and harmonica monster, Jamie Galloway (he recently departed this world waaaaaaaaay too soon, miss him greatly), Juice rocked it that day and at the 2nd Annual HarvestFest. Relentless road warriors, they took their brand of NOLA funk around the country, developing a nationwide following. I, along with a few friends of mine, was fortunate to coordinate, produce, and shoot a live a performance of Juice in the confines of the legendary Tree Sound Studios at their pinnacle when we were trying to create a live music show for TV. Juice did a few more TDawg shows over the years but this will be the first time in a long time that I have seen Dave in person, and for him it’s a family reunion as well. The HarvestFest spirit is alive and well in the realm of TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny, and Dave embodies that energy. Below is great jam from the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco that brings out the NOLA funk of Juice on one of their originals, “Work to Do”!
Dave’s recent path hasn’t been quite as funky, but it has been equally satisfying and gratifying for him. To me, Dave is one of those persons in life that defines where his roots are as much as his roots define who he is. You’ll definitely feel that energy in his newest solo effort, “Bring Back Red Raspberry”, named after his favorite flavor at Hubig’s Pies, a New Orleans institution that burned down in July, 2012. Below is a clip of Dave Jordan & The Neighborhood Improvement Association performing at Louisiana Music Factory during JazzFest 2013.
Dave’s set will begin shortly after 5pm, the perfect cocktail hour music! Bringing together that NOLA vibe for happy hour sounds just right to me! Expect some pedal steel to ring through the air…HOOT HOOT!!!
I have been fortunate enough to build not only music relationships but also long-lasting friendships with some pretty amazing musicians, and one of those, Curtis Burch, helped pave the way for much of the music and musicians I love. Click on the link below for a cool video featuring Curtis on stage with Sam Bush Band down under the oaks at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park a few years back.
(Burch on left w/ David Via – performing 7:15pm on Sept 14 on the Shed Stage)
As a founding member of the legendary band, New Grass Revival, back in 1972, Curtis Burch is regarded – along with fellow bandmates Sam Bush, John Cowan (joined in 1973), and the late Courtney Johnson – as a pioneer for the music known as “newgrass” then and “jamgrass” today. Combining elements of jazz, rock, blues, and bluegrass, NGR defied all that was traditional then. Burch, aka Dr. Dobro, left the band in 1981 along with banjoist Johnson, due to touring weariness. Before they departed however, NGR toured internationally with Leon Russell, backing him on dates worldwide and firmly establishing themselves as a top tier act.
By the time Curtis was a teenager, he was hook on the dobro having heard Flatt & Scruggs w/ Josh Graves, who is widely regarded as the inventor of the resonator guitar. His family had moved from Alabama to Brunswick, Georgia, and he met a dobro player from Milledgeville, GA, named Tut Taylor, who is also a great bluegrass legend and one of the greatest dobro players ever. Curtis moved to Nashville around 1970, and while working at a banjo/guitar shop co-owned by Tut Taylor, Randy Woods & George Gruhn, had met the great Norman Blake. Through Blake, he was able to enter the studio scene and met Sam Bush, who at the time was a member of Bluegrass Alliance. Curtis joined the band for a spell, which also included Courtney Johnson on banjo. For many reasons (good ones I’m sure!) they left Bluegrass Alliance and formed the band New Grass Revival. In 1973 and after a couple of lineup shuffles, the great John Cowan (currently the Doobie Bros. bassist) joined the lineup and the rest is amazing music history. Collaborations with the late, great John Hartford, Norman Blake, Leon Russell, and many others dominated their slate, not to mention their annual pilgrimage from the outset to a little festival known as Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado.
Much more recently, Curtis has recorded an album with Larry Keel, and he has continued to play out with Keel, David Via, and others. He still teams up with Bush and Cowan when the timing is right! Burch also won a Grammy, participating on a dobro compilation produced by Jerry Douglas called The Great Dobro Sessions in 1994. Rest assured that the two sets featuring David Via alongside Curtis followed by Larry Keel & Natural Bridge is going to set off some serious fireworks on the Shed Stage! I wouldn’t be surprised to see much of the same in different formations on the Grateful Fred Stage. HOOT HOOT!!!
ADVANCE TICKETS for FRI-SAT and SAT ONLY are available now at the links below.
***All advance purchases will receive a copy of a compilation from TDawg Presents’ 2nd Annual Atlanta’s Holiday Hootenanny that occurred in December of 2012, featuring Papa Mali, Larry Keel, Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Hall, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Col. Bruce Hampton, Ike Stubblefied, Grant Green Jr., Deep Blue Sun and more!
FRI-SAT $50 ADV/$60 gate (includes camping)
SAT ONLY $40 ADV/$50 gate (includes camping)
SAT DAY passes are available at the gate for $40. Kids 13-16 are $20, Kids 12 & under are admitted FREE. NO DOGS PLEASE!!
Lodging
Key West Inn, 2221 N Main St LaFayette, GA 30728
PH: (706) 638-8200
Days Inn, 2209 N Main St LaFayette, GA 30728
PH: (706) 639-9362
(706) 638-8200
TDawg Presents 