Tag Archives: Events

A TDawg Reflection – HOOT HOOT!!

26 Aug

Little King Trio

This past weekend marked a very special time for me personally and professionally.  I started in this crazy music business back in 1998, and a few of those original folks who helped me get going back in the day were at the Clear Mountain View Music Festival at the Elliott Family Farms in Polkville, NC – what a fantastic reunion!  I value my friendships greatly, and when there is an opportunity not only to renew those relationships and create new friendships but also to rejuvenate myself musically and spiritually, that’s the perfect storm for one helluva time!

TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny lives by this formula, and if you don’t feel this energy, we’ll help you get there!

It was fantastic to see our good bluegrass buddy David Via back on stage after a horrendous attack left him a large stack of medical bills, including a reconstructed jaw.   He sounded great, looked great, and it was too bad the only storm of the weekend came during his set, because it was fantastic!  Big Daddy Love followed by Yarn provided a framework for some remarkable jams, instrumentation, collaboration, and songwriting.  Music for the soul.

Via & Padgett   BDL_Yarn   Steep Canyon Rangers

Good times with the Steep Canyon Rangers!  They’ve come quite a ways, obviously, and they sound incredible!  Woody looked sharp up there as the ring leader – if you haven’t heard about or are considering going to Mountain Song At Sea, GO!  There are some great acts booked in addition to Steep Canyon Rangers, including the David Grisman Folk Jazz Trio, The Seldom Scene, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Travelin’ McCourys, Kruger Brothers, Trampled By Turtles, Larry Keel & Natural Bridge, Greensky Bluegrass and more!  I’m certain there will be additions to the lineup coming soon!

Following the Steep Canyon Rangers was Acoustic Syndicate, one of my acts for the very first HarvestFest in October of 1998 plus three out of the next four (had to cancel in 2001 when they were invited to perform at Farm Aid).  Needless to say, seeing them after a few years of not having the opportunity to do so was extremely rewarding.  Emotions swelled inside of me as I was taken away by the family harmonies and tight, tight musical interaction that transcends description until you see it live.  The family connection (two brothers and a cousin) in that band is strong, and it’s exciting to have them doing some shows more frequently as well as releasing a new album (very inspiring release and highly recommended) shortly after Labor Day!

Acoustic Syndicate

PLEASE consider coming to the upcoming Hootenanny – I know from my own experiences that this is not a Hoot to be missed – this one, perhaps more so than any previous one, really instills the original HarvestFest spirit from ’98-’02 at the old location in Fairburn, Atlanta’s Back Porch.  Below is ticket information for you – I hope you can make it out!

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTENANNY!!!

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)

PayPal logo

SAT ONLY $40 ADV/$50 gate (includes camping)

PayPal logo

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

TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny is 3 weeks out!

21 Aug

Hoot_Late afternoon shot

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!”

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Caroline Aiken – “A weekend full of family and friends, and the HOOTNENANNY was SO wonderful, the line up was so great with the Ragbirds, Strung LIke A Horse, and so many others…. my band made me so proud: John Pagano , Eddie Glikin and Bob Glick and with the “musicians at large”: (indeed LARGE!!) Donna Hopkins and Ralph Roddenbery, floating and soaking everyone with musical love….it was an honor to be included in the weekend, Thanks Thomas Helland!!!”

Lefty Williams – “Thanks for an awesome time! I had a blast sitting in with everybody.”
Wildman Steve – “A GREAT Hoot, thanks to TDawg, Tree Leaf Sound, all the great musicians and all the beautiful people who came! We had us a TIME!! Love y’all!”
Jake Pelham – “Even though I couldn’t make it, I just wanted to thank T-Dawg and his entire crew for a most excellent HOOT! Because they always are……”
Dan Davidson – “A weekend at the hootenanny makes a return to the “real world” a little easier to handle.”
Mitta Chestnutt – “Happy Hootenanny ! My kids and I had an amazing time. Sending love and blessings and see ya in September:)”
Conner Allred – “Wow what a weekend in Lafayette GA mtns, celebrating Missy’s birthday weekend camping out with friends and enjoying some of the best bluegrass music we ever heard. Thanks Thomas Helland for putting all that together!”
Shawndell Natter – “Since the days at the old Back Porch venue, to the here and now at beautiful Cherokee Farms… My goodness!! the music, the love, the gathering of all the beautiful people with such amazing energy is spectacular! You did it again!! 🙂 We had a blast! THANK YOU ~ THANK YOU ~ THANK YOU!!! We are very grateful! Keep em’ coming!!! HOOT HOOT!!”
Debbie Yancey – “Thank you so much T-Dawg. It was more fun than ever!!”
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Alright now – make your plans now to attend the HOOT in mid-September!  It’s going to be quite the throwdown of music, folks are fired up!  Expect the unexpected and embrace it all.  You WILL hear something new and explosive; you WILL be blown away by the jams created onstage and off; you WILL feel the raw energy of the Grateful Fred Tent and feel his presence even if you didn’t know him; you WILL leave Cherokee Farms with the feeling of anticipation for the spring Hootenanny next April 4-5!  HOOOOOOOOOOOOTENANNY!!!
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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)

PayPal logo

SAT ONLY $40 ADV/$50 gate (includes camping)

PayPal logo

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

Final Lineup for TDawg’s Back Porch Hootenanny, April 5-6!!

13 Feb

Hooooooooootenanny

We’ve put the finishing touches on a stellar lineup for this spring by adding Chattanooga favorites STRUNG LIKE A HORSE to the Saturday night lineup and Hootenanny stalwart RALPH RODDENBERY as an At-Large participant.  I feel like this always brings the best out of Ralph! 😉

The lineup is as follows (and is always subject to change): The Ragbirds, Strung Like a Horse, Rev. Jeff Mosier, Caroline Aiken, Bibb City Ramblers, Scott Warren & The Booze Moutaineers, Red Clay Revival (FRI), and Nothing & The Nobodies (FRI).  

Artists At-Large: Donna Hopkins, Lefty Williams, Ralph Roddenbery

Advance tickets are available through the Hootenanny page at tdawgpresents.com.  FRI-SAT passes will be $55 at the gate, $45 for SAT ONLY, and $35 for a SAT day pass.  Kids 12 & under are admitted FREE, ages 13-16 for $20.  For more information, links, and videos, please visit the Hootenanny page.  We also have an event page on FaceBook.

Folks, we’re gonna have ourselves a freakin’ great time!