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!
As live music (in person!) gratefully and thankfully makes its way back into our lifeline, TDawg Presents is excited to bring you Friday night music at The Marlay House, 426 W. Ponce de Leon Ave, in Decatur, GA on April 9, 16 and 30 as well as May 7! We are blessed with so much talent on the local level and it’s great to get our musicians back out playing. Music will go 6:30-9PM, and there is NO COVER. However, tips to the band are welcome! Music will be outside! There is ample space under an open tent and on the patio.
Enjoy a fine selection of draught and bottled/canned beers as well as wine and a full bar. The menu features traditional Irish and pub fare as well as weekly specials. Hope to see you there! Cheers!
Tickets: Gen Adm $35 ADV / $45 Door, Reserved $45 ADV / $55 Door. Available online through Variety Playhouse and at their Box Office (M-F Noon-6 PM and on show nights)
Things you should know about the 9th Annual Holiday Hootenanny
1. Every Holiday Hootenanny is different yet offers that same insane musical energy that has defined many of us here in the ATL. We continue to embody the spirit of the late Col. Bruce Hampton, who inspired so many of us to “let it ride, let it roll, let it flow!” I find it impossible not to live life with that as a premise at the top of the list. The Bruce banner will be hung!
2. The Johnny Knapp Tribute will be a two-part segment. The first will feature jazz the way that Johnny played it. This is going to be an incredibly special time. That portion will lead into the second half of the set featuring music that Col. Bruce and Johnny loved playing together. Those two gentlemen meant so much to each other and anyone around them or felt the magic created by these two masters of Zambi.
3. Expect the unexpected. For any of y’all who have been to all of the Holiday Hoots, a handful, or if last year was your first one, you know that is trademark. The final jam is going to be one for the books! I’ll leave it at that.
4. Jim Lauderdale will be performing a full set broken down into solo acoustic > bluegrass > full electric with horns. All of the songs featured he co-wrote with the late Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. This will truly be a remarkable experience to witness.
5. Jeff Sipe and the State Birds featuring Ike Stubblefield, Bryan Lopes, Neal Fountain, Mike Seal, and special guests is about as amazing a way to get the show going. Jeff is one of the finest drummers in the world, and we’re fortunate to have him on board fairly regularly with the Holiday Hootenanny! Check out this fine video of the State Birds minus Ike in an intimate setting. They have a vast knowledge of music so who knows (except for them) what they’re going to do! Soooo much talent.
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Holiday Hootenanny Schedule (subject to change)
6 PM: Doors open
7-7:55 PM: Jeff Sipe & The State Birds feat. Ike Stubblefield, Bryan Lopes, Neal Fountain & Mike Seal and some friends
8:10-9:25 PM: Jim Lauderdale (acoustic, bluegrass & electric), feat. the Zambi Horns and performing music co-written with the late Robert Hunter
9:55-10:55 PM: A Tribute to Johnny Knapp by Jez Graham + quite a few special guests
11:15 PM-12:30 AM: THE JAM feat. Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, Larry Keel, Steve ‘Big Daddy’ McMurry, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Jason Carter, Jeff Sipe & more!
Tickets: Gen Adm $35 ADV / $45 Door, Reserved $45 ADV / $55 Door. Available Friday, August 30 @ 10 AM online through Variety Playhouse and at their Box Office (M-F Noon-6 PM and on show nights)
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Holiday Hootenanny Schedule
6 PM: Doors open
7-7:50 PM: Jeff Sipe & The State Birds feat. Ike Stubblefield, Brian Lopes, Neal Fountain & Mike Seal and some friends
8:10-9:25 PM: Jim Lauderdale (bluegrass & electric), feat. the Zambi Horns
9:55-11 PM: A Tribute to Johnny Knapp by Jez Graham + quite a few special guests
11:15 PM-12:30 AM: THE JAM feat. Drew Emmitt, Vince Herman, Larry Keel, Steve ‘Big Daddy’ McMurry, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Jason Carter, Jeff Sipe, Jared Womack, Neal Fountain & more!
(schedule is subject to change)
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Enjoy this mighty fine full set video of The Larry Keel Experience from the John Hartford Memorial Festival in early June, 2019!
Click Here to get your tickets now! $20 Advance / $30 @ Door
Where: Terminal West, 887 W Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30318
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Schedule for Grizz Fest Performances
3 PM: Donna Hopkins Band 4 PM: Dotline Projekt 5 PM: Copious Jones 6 PM: Ain’t Sisters 7 PM: Deep Blue Sun with members of Apple Peru 8 PM: The Grapes 9:30 PM: Cleburne Jam. with Surprise Guests
Proceeds from Grizz Fest will directly benefit two music-based non-profits: 1)Gracenote Foundation,which is associated with Music on Main Street in Lilburn, GA and whose mission is to promote the role of music in child development, throughout adult life, and within communities. 2) Taproot Music Camp, continuing what Pepperland Music Camp started – a two-week overnight camp that provides instruction from professional musicians as well as traditional summer camp activities such arts & crafts with local artisans and of course swimming! No musical experience is necessary to participate.
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Deep Blue Sun @ 4th Annual Holiday Hootenanny 12/21/2014
Click Here to get your tickets now! $20 Advance / $30 @ Door
Where: Terminal West, 887 W Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30318
The 1st annual Grizz Fest is the brainchild of Grapevine Talent (Fortin, Davidson & Hurley) and talented musicians from all over the country who have been positively impacted by Robert Kevin Meaders (1961-2019), aka The Grizz.
Kevin was a key player in the L5P underground music scene in the ‘80s & ‘90’s, while playing in bands such as The KIND and YUR. He also was manager/sound man for The Grapes, and formed Odom/Meaders Music Business Management Company with Bunky Odom (The Allman Brothers Band). The roster included Derek Trucks, Col. Bruce Hampton, The Grapes, Dr. Dan, The Urban Shake Dancers, and many more. Grizz touched a whole new generation of Atlanta musicians by doing what he loved most – sound engineering, guiding careers & making tons of friends along the way.
Grizz Fest is a celebration of Kevin’s life, music, and friendships. Please come and help us celebrate the legendary life of Robert Kevin Meaders, aka Grizz.
This will be a very special concert for Grizz, and I want to send a heartfelt thanks to Terminal West for providing us a venue worthy of this jam! Enjoy the video featuring The Grapes from January 2014 at the Variety Playhouse. We’ll be feeling that wonderful healing energy in just about six weeks y’all!
Happy New Year y’all! I hope that everyone has enjoyed a happy holiday season! Having fully recovered from the 8th Annual Holiday Hootenanny as well as taken time for reflection time upon such a wonderful event, it truly warms my heart (and hopefully yours!) to be a part of something unique and special in a time of year that can be difficult for many. We had a strong turnout of 500 for the concert, and I am proud to announce a $6,000 donation to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, the largest donation yet! Let’s keep it up y’all and next year will easily be more! Thank YOU for caring enough to join us on a very rainy night and provide a filled room for our return to the Variety Playhouse. I felt like we were home again!
Jason Carter, Lyndsay Pruett, John Mailander
Thanks to our primary sponsor, Georgia’s own Spring Mountain Farms Chicken, all the musicians – especially Peter Rowan for flying across the country – and to Linda Brackner, Tamara Botkin, Brenda Stepp, Ben Brackner & John Griffin for their support and love of the Holiday Hoot movement. This show is indeed a labor of love that is so important in these divided times we live in these days. Can’t wait until next year!
The music was, as expected, completely over the top, as everyone brought
Jeff Mosier & Jim Lauderdale
their A-game to a night of jams that had no rehearsals, and it felt like they’d been playing together for years. It boggles the mind how good these musicians really are and how much they enjoy getting together for this annual gathering that I call OUR holiday office party on the big stage 😉 The mini set that started off the night paying tribute to the late, great Vassar Clements set the tone for the evening, featuring a fiddle trifecta that I’m sure had Vassar
Heather Gillis
flashing that smile from up above. Heather Gillis was sensational – gritty, soulful, vocals and some nasty, brilliant guitar play dominated her set. Can’t wait to do more with her in the future! Jim Lauderdale and Peter Rowan delivered exactly what you’d expect and more. You could tell that each of those two living legends were having a blast up on stage with such talented musicians surrounding them, and when Jim invited Peter on stage to sing “Sitting Alone in the Moonlight”, there was an incredible feeling of love and admiration between the two that anyone in the audience could feel. Jeff Mosier led the final set which was only fitting, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. His version of “Black Muddy River” is one of the best out there, and closing out the night with the fiddle anthem “Orange Blossom Special”, led by the incomparable Larry Keel with fiddles on fire, was the only way to go.
On that note, I really want to thank all the musicians who participated this year, it was a special one for certain. Peter Rowan, Jim Lauderdale, Heather Gillis, Larry Keel, Jeff Mosier, Jeff Sipe, Richie Jones, Bobby Miller, Jared Womack, Matthew Williams, Papa J, Bryan Lopes, Daniel Wytanis, Nick DiSebastian, Evan Sarver, Jason Carter, Lyndsay Pruett, John Mailander, Bill Fleming, Mark Henry, Franher Joseph, Kevin Thomas, and Wildman Steve. From top to bottom, what an amazing grouping of musicians to take this show on!
Stay tuned for details around the same time next year, same venue!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS: General Admission $35 Adv/$45 Day of Show, Reserved $45 Adv/$55 Day of Show (No service fee if purchased at the Variety Playhouse box M-F 12-6 PM or during all shows)
Folks, yet again, we have a wonderful variety of music centric items on the silent auction block! Here is a list of some of the items that will be present: Lock’n Festival: 1 Pair of General Admission passes w/ camping ~ Suwannee Spring Reunion: 1 Pair All-Access passes w/ camping ~ Widespread Panic New Year’s Eve at the Fabulous Fox Theatre: 1 Pair tickets ~ A signed-by-everyone guitar ~ Custom-framed concert photographs ~ Restaurant Gift Certificates ~ Jewelry, and more!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS: General Admission $35 Adv/$45 Day of Show, Reserved $45 Adv/$55 Day of Show (No service fee if purchased at the Variety Playhouse box M-F 12-6 PM or during all shows)
Vassar Clements was a dear friend to many, and I know I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with him professionally and developed a close personal friendship with the man in the final chapter of his amazing life. Vassar first performed with Col. Bruce Hampton at HarvestFest in 1999, with Col. Bruce introducing him to the stage as the King of Kings. What a fitting title.
Vassar & TDawg 2002
On December 20, the 8th Annual Holiday Hootenanny will pay tribute to this amazing American music legend who transcended genres and generations to create a mystique all his own, performing with everyone from Bill Monroe to Jerry Garcia to Stephan Grapelli and all points in between. We will be kicking off the show with a short set of fiddle jams by one of the finer trifecta of players – Jason Carter (Del McCoury Band), Lyndsay Pruett (John Stickley Trio), John Mailander (Bruce Hornsby) – and joined by Jeff Mosier on banjo, Mark Henry on the upright bass, Matthew Williams on guitar, and Nick DiSebastian on mandolin. What a great start to the evening! The adjusted schedule is below:
7:00 – 7:15 ~ Vassar Clements Tribute
7:20 – 8:05 ~ Heather Gillis
8:30 – 9:30 ~ Jim Lauderdale
10:00 – 11:15 ~ Peter Rowan
11:20 – 12:15 AM ~ Jeff Mosier leads Jam Finale
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Here’s Vassar performing Orange Blossom Special with an all-star cast, including Jason Carter!
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS: General Admission $35 Adv/$45 Day of Show, Reserved $45 Adv/$55 Day of Show (No service fee if purchased at the Variety Playhouse box M-F 12-6 PM or during all shows)
Wow – I can’t believe the time is almost here for another Holiday Hootenanny! What a great gift to give during this holiday season, one which supports a great cause AND provides the gift of amazing music to lift your spirits even higher! Each year I am amazed at the love and positive spirit that surrounds this event – it really is OUR holiday party and celebration. Everyone in attendance feels a connection to the music and to each other, creating quite a memorable evening in the process! Get your sitter if you need one, go ahead and purchase your ticket, and plan on coming out to the Variety Playhouse for a special night on Thursday, December 20. Zambi!
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Here’s a great clip from 2012 featuring the Mosier Brothers (Jeff & Johnny) & Friends, the last time the Holiday Hootenanny took place at the Variety Playhouse. It was an incredibly special evening with wonderful friends on stage and in the audience. See if you can name all the participating musicians 😉
Folks, the lineup is now complete for the 8th Annual Holiday Hootenanny, benefitting Atlanta Habitat for the sixth consecutive year! TDawg Presents is thrilled to bring the one and only Jeff Sipe (Apt. Q258) back into the Holiday Hootenanny mix! His many accolades include being a founding member of Col. Bruce Hampton’s legendary band the Aquarium Rescue Unit that also featured Oteil Burbridge, Jimmy Herring, Jeff Mosier, Count M’Butu, and Matt Mundy. He spent three years on the road with another one of my favorite bands, Leftover Salmon, and he was also a co-creator (along with the late great Ricky Keller) of the Zambiland Orchestra, a holiday extravaganza from which the Holiday Hootenanny is heavily influenced. This is Sipe’s fourth appearance in the Holiday Hootenanny and his first since 2013. I have to say that the rhythm section featuring Jeff Sipe & Richie Jones on drums/percussion and Kevin Scott & Evan Sarver on bass is as strong as it gets!
TDawg Presents is honored to bring back intact the horn section from last year’s show that includes Joey “Papa J” Sommerville on trumpet, Bryan Lopes on saxophone, and Daniel Wytanis on trombone. A common link among these three incredible horn players is their love for and friendship with Col. Bruce, as all three participated in the Hampton 70 concert in May of 2017. I remember fondly in the mid-90’s heading to Smith’s Olde Bar on rainy & cold weeknights to see The Apartment Project perform. Lineup included Jeff Sipe, Bryan Lopes, Ricky Keller, Count M’Butu, and an amazing assortment of musicians.
Folks, we are going to have an incredible time on December 20 at the Variety Playhouse! If you know you are going, then go ahead and purchase your tickets! Remember, no service fee applied if you pop by the Variety Playhouse box office during normal business hours or on a show night. This one’s gonna blow the roof off the place!
If you’ve not seen Heather Gillis before, you are in for a treat! Check this video out from Pisgah Brewing in NC from September of 2017. Enjoy!
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TDawg Presents 