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!
Next week at the Red Light Cafe, the Frank Hamilton School is proud to bring two stellar concerts to you featuring some of the finest, most soulful songwriters and musicians you’ll come across. Expect the real deal blues – raw, genuine passion combined with amazing guitar play and a special guest or two is just the right formula!
On August 30, Australian blues guitar virtuoso and gifted songwriter Geoff Achison will be joined on stage by pedal steel guru Bill Fleming (pictured here at TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny in April 2015) for an incredible evening of interplay with perhaps a sit-in. This will be Geoff’s final performance in the Atlanta area until next spring, so come see for yourself why he is one our adopted “hometown” gems.
The beginning of September starts up with a concert featuring two of the most gifted southern songwriters in Donna Hopkins and Daniel Hutchens. Donna digs deep into her Alabama/Georgia roots for an incredibly soulful performance. While being the frontman for critically acclaimed Athens, GA-based Bloodkin, Hutchens also has penned many songs for Widespread Panic over the years and has co-written with the likes of Jerry Joseph. His latest release (Feb 2016) titled “The Beautiful Vicious Cycle of Life” was produced by Widepsread Panic bassist Dave Schools and features all originals. It is his first solo-release in 10 years. This show truly combines two amazing musicians in a wonderfully intimate environment. Nights like this don’t happen too often!
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Sunday, September 4 ~ The Frank Hamilton School will perform a special set on the Community Bandstand Stage at the Decatur Book Festival from Noon-12:45 PM. The Book Festival is a Labor Day tradition here in Decatur and is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. Spread the word, come on out, and bring your instrument, too!
The Frank Hamilton School has been invited to perform at the Center for Civil and Human Rights as part of their World Music Day event on Saturday, August 20! We will be performing at 11:30 AM for approximately 40 minutes. Being that Frank is copyrighted on the civil rights anthem “We Shall Overcome,” this is most appropriate I believe. Frank will discuss his part in the movement, linking the rise of folk music in the 50’s and 60s to tensions surrounding civil rights in that period and also perform some civil rights songs in additional to some traditional. Joining him on mandolin will be Trey Gibbs from Smokeys Farmland Band! Please come on out and support this amazing event and the Center for Civil and Human Rights!
Sunday, September 4 ~ The Frank Hamilton School will perform a special set on the Community Bandstand Stage at the Decatur Book Festival from Noon-12:45 PM. The Book Festival is a Labor Day tradition here in Decatur and is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. Spread the word, come on out, and bring your instrument, too!
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The Frank Hamilton School Concert Series continues with two evenings showcasing the blues and soulful Southern songwriting at the Red Light Cafe. You don’t want to miss either one!
I attended the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association meeting yesterday evening and really enjoyed both introducing myself and delivering the message that is the commitment of Frank Hamilton School to some individuals who truly care about community. Attendees were encouraged to come by and check out the School on a Tuesday evening and experience a lesson and the bonding Second Half. I encourage y’all to do the same! 7 PM group lessons, 8 PM Second Half at Oakhurst Baptist Church. Visit the Frank Hamilton School website for complete information about classes, volunteering, and news!
The Frank Hamilton School will be participating in the following events from mid-August through Labor Day Weekend, beginning with this weekend. Stay tuned for more We are thrilled that everyone has been so receptive and welcoming towards us, and we’re only just beginning to plant our roots!
Friday, August 12 ~ Frank Hamilton & Friends performing as part of the Pre-Fest Jam at Mojo Pizza N’ Pub, 657 East Lake Dr., from 5-7 PM. There’s a nice little stage in there, the food and beverages are outstanding, and it’s an extremely family friendly environment, so come on out and enjoy some music from Frank and a few of his fellow teachers in addition to some delicious food and drink!
Sunday, September 4 ~ The Frank Hamilton School will perform a special set on the Community Bandstand Stage at the Decatur Book Festivalfrom Noon-12:45 PM. The Book Festival is a Labor Day tradition here in Decatur and is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. Spread the word, come on out, and bring your instrument, too!
The Frank Hamilton School Concert Series continues with two evenings showcasing the blues and soulful Southern songwriting at the Red Light Cafe. You don’t want to miss either one!
We’re extremely excited our upcoming term that begins tomorrow, July 26, at 7 PM at Oakhurst Baptist Church! Sign up now for group lessons in Guitar 1 & 2, fiddle (with Mick Kinney), vocals, mandolin, ukulele, and vocals! The Second Half, where everyone joins in together for a jam led the teachers and occasionally a special guest (Casey Cook from The Dappled Grays joined in a couple of weeks ago!), is a wonderful way to close out the evening and really leaving you looking forward to next week! Come and check it out for yourself. Oakhurst Baptist Church is located at 222 East Lake Dr., Decatur, GA 30030, directly across the street from the East Lake MARTA Station on the College Ave. side. Register online NOW!
Advance Tickets (Reserve a table for front and center viewing!)
Core Musicians include (counter clockwise from top left): Casey Cook – guitar, Keith Morris – bass, Michael Smith – mandolin, Andy Carlson – fiddle
The Frank Hamilton School Presents an outstanding night of music that pays tribute to legendary mandolinist/composer/producer/collaborator David Grisman. Join us as members of Atlanta’s top bluegrass band, The Dappled Grays, and a multi-state fiddle champion perform music from the different styles of the David Grisman Quintet as well as various projects over the years. These sessions include (among many) his legendary Garcia/Grisman recordings, Tone Poems – a duet between Grisman and Tony Rice, the jazz and Latin infused acoustic music known by many as Dawg Music, and the bluegrass side of David Grisman, highlighted famously by his collaboration with both Doc Watson and Del McCoury and his participation in the legendary bluegrass group Old & In the Way that also included Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan, Vassar Clements & John Kahn.
Our goal at the Frank Hamilton School is to create a sense of community around music, and this show is no different. We are thrilled to be a part of the Decatur and Atlanta communities, contributing to the teaching of playing music together in addition to exposing you to the finest in real music, music that touches the soul and inspires. Please visit http://frankhamiltonschool.org for complete information about how you can become a part of the new folk movement, which is as diverse as ever! Come play with us!
Get your Advanced Ticketsnow – reserve a table or do general admission! This is truly going to be a memorable night featuring some top notch Atlanta area musicians and some special guests. A portion of the proceeds benefit The Frank Hamilton School.
Acclaimed songwriter Martha Scanlan (from Reeltime Travelers), Sun May 14 in a backyard concert setting! Complete information Click Here!
Beautiful weather is forecast for this weekend in Atlanta with highs in the 70’s and low 80’s, so don’t be bashful about getting on out and enjoying community, exercise, or whatever floats your boat! If the masses at Shaky Knees Festival in Centennial Park aren’t your thing, there are some fun options in which The Frank Hamilton School are participating, and they’re FUN!
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Saturday May 14
Kirkwood Spring Fling FREE – We will be located at the entrance to the festival on Kirkwood Dr., come visit us! 20 minute performances featuring Frank Hamilton will happen at Noon, 1 PM & 2 PM. There will be one more performance at 3:30 PM featuring contributions from the music community. Please visit the website for complete information including directions, live music offerings, food vendors, etc. It’s a wonderful local event! Come on out y’all!
Tucker Day FREE – Frank will head from the Kirkwood Spring Fling straight on over to Tucker Day, happening just east of Decatur on Main St. between Lawrenceville Highway and Lavista Rd. (dead-ends into Tucker High School). Frank will be performing in the Food Court Tent at the 1st Ave./Main St. intersection from 3:30 PM-4:15 PM. Another wonderful local festival!
~ Gate opens 5 PM, Showtime 6 PM. BYOB, bring a chair, bring a grillable if you like, some apps will be available but feel free to contribute! Bring your instrument for some after show jamming!
On behalf of The Frank Hamilton School, TDawg Presents is excited to bring you the acclaimed and gifted songrwrtier Martha Scanlan, formerly from the Reeltime Travelers, for a Sunday backyard gathering. This concert is a benefit for the Frank Hamilton School, so come on out and support a wonderful cause while witnessing magic on the stage with Martha’s presence. Martha hasn’t been around these parts very much in recent years so this will be a special performance!
This week marks a big step towards our commitment to the development of The Frank Hamilton School in the greater Atlanta community as we hold court for the unforeseeable future at our new location, Oakhurst Baptist Church, in Decatur! The next six-week term commences tomorrow, Tuesday, April 19th. Our new address will be:
Oakhurst Baptist Church
222 E. Lake Drive
Decatur, GA
30030
Register for classes at FrankHamiltonSchool.org – or join us Tuesday night for our first class. Classes are available in Guitar Levels 1-3, Banjo, Fiddle, Ukulele, Mandolin, Vocal Harmony.
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Check out this wonderful interview with Frank Hamilton conducted by Boyd Baker of the Good Gracious Show on his podcast. We had a great time talking at the Kavarna Coffeehouse in Oakhurst just about three weeks ago – Boyd is a true patron for the arts and we appreciate his taking the time to sit down with Frank and me! He’s always on the lookout for unique contributors to the greater Atlanta community.
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May is filling up with activities for the Frank Hamilton School! Please see below for festival, concert series, and house concert dates!
Well we had quite a HUGE time this past weekend – friends gathered that span the entire era of HarvestFest (and before!) and the Back Porch Hootenanny movement, creating for me an emotional and joyous occasion that everyone from loyal Hootenannigans to the musicians, staff, volunteers, and Smokey & Debbie simply couldn’t get enough of! I know that I shed many a tear over the course of the weekend, as it did mark the end of an era that involved a great investment of heart & soul, not just by me but by everyone who has been along for the journey. The Hootenanny instills a family energy that will sustain and serve as a springboard for the next chapter at Cherokee Farms involving the Frank Hamilton School. I ask that you please continue to follow and support FHS, as it will serve as a catalyst for continuing to bring great music to the community through concerts and public events music education.
Ralph Roddenbery Band
I know I say it every time but the music was REALLY off the charts, knocking the bar way off already high expectations! Every set was extremely special, and they all featured sit ins by fellow musicans, which made for very spontaneous moments of musical ecstasy. There were so many highlights it’s hard to single out even a couple of them – Blackberry Possum kicked it off right on Friday night under the stars and the largest Friday night attendance yet. From the first notes on Saturday with Smokey’s Farmland Band and through the entire day’s performances from the MOMS All-Stars, The Rickety Crickets, The Ain’t Sisters, Ralph Roddenbery Band,
Donna Hopkins & Friends
Brian Ashley Jones, Caroline Aiken, Donna Hopkins, Rev. Jeff Mosier and finally Strung Like A Horse to close it out, the energy one felt throughout Cherokee Farms was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. THANK YOU from the bottom and top of my heart for the music, friendship & LOVESTORM that transpired.
I was particularly caught off guard by a little ceremony that occurred prior to introducing Strung Like A Horse and featured the dedicated Hootenanny staff, volunteers & people who have been a part since 1998. If you have a few minutes, I recommend you watch the video below courtesy of my friend Jessi 😉 :
Two big THANK YOU’s right now – the first to Beth & Randy Judy, life friends and creators of Suwannee SpringFest and MagnoliaFest down at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. Without their inspiration in the mid/late 90’s with the inaugural Sunshine Daydream Weekend (became MagnoliaFest), I don’t know if I would have ever meandered down the crazy path that is the music business and festival industry. Their vision is my vision, as music farmers growing fresh sounds for the ear with amazingly talented musicians. I love y’all to the moon and back, as do many many others!
The second THANK YOU goes to Roy, Rebecca & Dave, who are the masterminds behind High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, CA and DelFest in Cumberland, MD. They joined forces with TDawg Presents in 2001, and we were able to continue the magic that was Blue Ridge HarvestFest, taking the festival from a popular regional festival to one of national stature. Unfortunately the hurricanes from 2001-2005 won the battle, but the magic produced despite the setbacks was unrivaled, and it was a fantastic experience to host Bob Weir & Ratdog and John Prine, among many, many others. I love what High Sierra has continued to do through the years and hope our paths will cross once again!
On that note, I hope you can make it out Thursday night for the third installment of the Frank Hamilton School Concert Series featuring Dangermuffin at the Red Light Cafe! Showtime is 10PM, and trust me when I tell you that these fine fellas from Folly Beach, SC will simply blow your mind with their of level of talent and amazing instrumentation.
We’re just over a week out from the final Back Porch Hootenanny, and it is going to be an amazing time had by all, from the musicians to staff & volunteers to the patrons who have supported the Hootenannies all these years and HarvestFest before that! We all WANT to be there. The music will be continuous, first from the stage and carrying over to the late night acoustic jams! We will celebrate all that has been, that has brought an amazing group of individuals together to form an extra special potpourri of family and friends for so many years already and for the unforeseeable future. The message of bringing together community through music via TDawg Presents events doesn’t end; there is simply a change of venue in the Frank Hamilton School that will continue the trend of outstanding performances and on a more regular basis! Meanwhile, HOOOOOOOOOOTENANNY y’all!!!
Y’all we’re going to have a fantastic time of it in just TWO weekends! There is some great energy in the air around this last edition of TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny; I am so very thankful for having the opportunity to be an enabler of such amazing music with soooo many amazing musicians and like-minded individuals, as both groups have continued to support these wonderful small festies over the years and that is what has kept the spirit alive. Small festivals are becoming a thing of the past, I feel, so come experience why they’re so special! The journey will certainly continue in the new position as Director for Concerts, Community Outreach & Development for the Frank Hamilton School!
Scroll down for a great raw clip from Hootenannies past of Ralph Roddenbery on stage backed by the grooves of the Atlanta’s own Moontower.