http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html Barry Walsh: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sat, 04 Sep 2010 01:03:21 -0700 http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#26
I'm Heading to Tucson in a few days to help Tom Russell with his next CD. We're working at Wavelab with the boys from Calexico, and it's always a great time. Updates to follow...]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#26 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#25 Venue:The Sage
Town:Gateshead
Date:17/05/10
Website:www.gretchenpeters.com/ & barrywalshmusic.com

Over the past fourteen plus years, Gretchen Peters has become one of the most revered artists to play in the UK, year after year. Her love affair with the UK has become apparent for all to see, and it is clear that she loves playing over here, as does partner Barry Walsh. With this in mind she wanted to bring her ever growing fanbase here in the UK, something unique and very special; thus her latest tour was her first ever all request tour, encompassing all of her work. There were only two rules: fans had to write in with their request ahead of the show, and tell her their story or connection to the song, and it had to be a song she had written or performed. It promised to feature the stories behind the songs, personal anecdotes and glimpses behind the scenes of her 20 plus year career. The set list would change daily, dependent upon requests. None of it would be rehearsed beforehand and a lot would be improvised. A little mad — maybe, but if anyone could pull off such a tour, Gretchen could. Something of a risk — maybe, but I think Gretchen knows her fans here in the UK well enough to know that we’d be right there with her, however it turned out on the night. The idea alone held so much promise, it could only be an amazing experience; how amazing, we could not have predicted.

It is no secret, I am sure, that The North East, and more specifically, The Sage, Gateshead, is one of Gretchen’s very favourite places to play and it was obvious from the outset that she was ecstatic to be back and to be sharing this unique experience with us. She introduced the evening by telling us if we didn’t enjoy the setlist we only had ourselves to blame; typical Gretchen humour! Above her head was a huge screen, with the image from the Circus Girl CD, with the added wordage of ”˜Without a Net,’ the name of the tour. Launching into Room With a View, it was obvious we were in for some more obscure songs, alongside some faithful ”˜friends.’ My request came next in the form of ”˜Let That Pony Run,’ a song made famous by Pam Tillis, which she introduced by telling how I had first seen her fourteen years ago, back in a room of 40 people. How times have changed for her, but it’s been amazing watching them change! As for her performance of this stunning song, what can I say, but ”˜Wow!’ It reminded me, once again, that there really is nothing like hearing the writer sing their own songs as they intended them

At this point, Barry Walsh came out to join her onstage, adding brilliant piano accompaniment to a great version of Steve Earle’s I Ain’t Ever Satisified. Firing up the screen, images were projected of her childhood, and her family. This led to one of her father and his comrades; he was an RAF pilot and the subject of ”˜The Aviator’s Song.’ Preceeded by the funny story that had gone with the request for this song, Gretchen pointed out which on the picture was her father and told us a little about him. Just a couple of years ago, Gretchen ”˜sent him on his way’ on that very stage, with that very song, the day after he had passed away. I found it incredibly emotive, to now be hearing that song, on that same stage, whilst looking at his picture above.

Sunday Morning, Up and Down My Street,followed a set of images of their neighbourhood in Nashville, and their dog,Nigel, who is back home. Somehow talk of their English breed dog, led to talk of the recent elections; ”˜What’s up with that?’ before she moved on to talk about Nashville and the recent devastating floods. Credit to her that she wanted people to see what has happened, and the damaged caused to so much of ”˜the home of country music.’ (To that end, they had a top hat on the merchandise table and over the course of the tour raised over £800 to take back for the Nashville flood relief fund.) Dedicating it to her ”˜hometown’ (anyone who read her recent website entry will understand), a stunning version of Revival followed, with an almost haunting image of the backstage door of The Grand Ole Opry underwater, on the screen. Even more haunting was the beautiful addition of a chorus and verse of Randy Newman’s Louisiana 1927, about the New Orleans flood, ”˜...the streets of Evangeline,’ seeming an equally apt description of the city of music.

The Secret of Life, of course, recorded by Faith Hill, came next, which she admitted she wrote to prove that she could write a song about men, though it didn’t quite end up what it had started out as! Starting in the wrong key, she joked, ”˜Well, now you know what we mean when we say without a net!’

Showing us some old photographs of her early days in music out in Boulder, Colorado, including her ”˜rock phase and kiss phase,’ she explained that this song from the ”˜Circus Girl’ bonus disc was never actually meant to see the light of day. That song was the gorgeous Black Eyed Susan.

Moving onto more recent works, she talked of her recent CD project with Tom Russell, One To The Heart, One To The Head, she talked about how a cowboy project maybe wasn’t the most obvious choice for her. She then brought up some pictures which proved that she really does have an inner cowgirl, before showing us a childhood picture of Barry in cowboy attire. This of course, led to Guadalupe, during which you could have heard a pin drop. I have to agree with her that this is the best song Tom Russell has ever written, and as for interpretation of it, well, it could have been written for or by her.

Next came the song which first brought her name into the spotlight, really; Independence Day, of course made a hit by Martina McBride. Gretchen’s delivery is slightly different, but equally passionate. A Wine, Women and Song flashback ensued (for anyone who doesn’t know, this is the name used when Gretchen plays with Suzy Bogguss and Matraca Berg — not to be missed!) and she mentioned that Suzy would be touring here soon, ash cloud not withstanding! Speaking of Suzy, she then explained that the next song, Waiting For The Light to Turn Green, was written with Suzy when their ”˜clocks’ were talking to them; having hit 30 this year, this song has taken on a whole new meaning for me, and I am sure I am not alone!

Something they have realised on this tour, it seems, is that some songs have never been played live and they have no idea why that is the case, it is no longer the case for Summer People, which got its first live outing at The Sage. Halfway through we were all laughing with her as she sang, ”˜...and I can’t remember the words...’Halfway through we were all laughing with her as she sang '...and i dont remember the words...'Halfway through we were all laughing with her as she sang '...and i dont remember the words...'Halfway through we were all laughing with her as she sang '...and i dont remember the words...'

Following some good humoured jokes about whether we were in Gateshead or Newcastle, it was Barry’s turn to wow us, with an offering from his CD of piano music, The Crossing; his love song to the Northeast, Leaving Newcastle. Quite simply, breathtaking. This theme was continued ”˜as it is about here,’ with England Blues, which of course mentions the River Tyne so is very popular at The Sage! We all ended up laughing when Gretchen switched the line to ”˜..leave the ash cloud way behind...’ It felt like a three minute celebration of their relationship with England.

Showing us some pictures from UK tours of old, including a couple I had taken at that first local show at The Ropery, all those years ago, Gretchen moved into the song most loved by radio 2’s Terry Wogan and Bob Harris, ”˜the song which started it all’ in terms of radio play; When You Are Old. On the subject of radio play, she then thanked local Radio presenter, Brian Clough, who was in the audience and has long supported Gretchen’s work.

Another song which hadn’t been played in a while was Like Water Into Wine, recorded by Patty Loveless, although, as Gretchen reminded us, she omitted the third verse, finding it too controversial. Gretchen, however, sang it in all its glory, ”˜the unexpedited version’ as she put it, and it was all the better for it.

Moving back to Barry for a while, Gretchen told us of the huge list of people with whom he has worked, from Waylon Jennings to The Boxtops. As a tribute to the latter’s Alex Chiltern, who passed away recently, they had, following someone’s ”˜brilliant idea,’ reworked a beautiful version of The Letter. Barry himself said later that he had never heard a woman sing it, but Gretchen really made it her own. Alex Chiltern would be proud.

Talking about the whole concept of undertaking such a daredevil feat as ”˜Without a Net,’ she said it seemed time to play the most requested song of the whole tour ; Circus Girl. It seemed fitting this should be so, since this was the name of the whole project. Gretchen also spoke about how this song was originally written after taking her daughter to the circus, but over the years it has felt increasingly that it is about her life on the road. Next came Bus To St Cloud, which is always especially poignant as Gretchen has always felt this song took on a life of its own here, after she was disappointed by its reception in the USA following Trisha Yearwood’s fabulous version. This song, without a doubt is one of Gretchen’s most beautiful pieces of writing and there was an almost reverent silence around Hall 2, as everyone listened, obviously moved by the lyrics.

Showing pictures of places they have visited, from Paris, to Route 66, and talking of how, even though they miss Nigel and home, she confided that she knows how blessed she is in this life to get to see these places. Firing up a final image, she told us that despite it all, that is her favourite place in the world. The picture? Her back to us, looking out from the stage. In that moment, I was never in less doubt as to her reasons for coming back time and time again; simply, she loves what she does as much as we love what she does. Thanking us, clearly from a very deep place, she and Barry launched into To Say Goodbye; absolutely fitting as not one of us in that room was ready to do just that. Not yet, despite the duo leaving the stage to rapturous applause.

Returning to the stage, Gretchen told us that despite it being a joy to look back and rework old songs, she could not be in this place without looking forward just a little; thus we were treated to a stunning new song; Woman on the Wheel. Certainly a good omen for the next CD. The final flourish of the evening came in a totally rocking version of Over Africa, which is somewhat ironic as that was my request way back at that first gig of Gretchen’s 14 years ago. All too soon, the night was over, and I don’t know who was more disappointed; us in the audience, or them onstage. Gretchen thanked us once again, and left the stage to a thoroughly deserved standing ovation.

Somehow, she just gets better and better and I suspect this is just the beginning of something, though what I have no idea. I was reminded during the course of the evening, of something a lady said to me on a Greyhound bus in North Carolina; that during our lifetime, as we cross paths with people, whether we meet again or not, we become a part of each other’s stories and therefore a part of each other’s lives. Whilst Gretchen’s music has long been a part of many people’s lives, without a doubt, in Hall 2, Gretchen and her audience became a part of each other’s stories in a very special way. Suffice to say that it was a magical night and we all have taken away some very special memories of having spent an evening in a ”˜room with a view’ of musicianship at its finest. I know there is already talk of Gretchen and Barry and of Wine Women and Song returning, but for now all I can say is a huge thankyou to Gretchen and Barry and wish them safe travels and a speedy return. The Sage and your audience are ready when you are...

Helen Mitchell]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#25 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#24
We put together the walk-in music for the tour this morning. It's one of our favorite things about touring. We get to showcase some things we've been listening to lately, as well as some old favorites. This list is a little different. If you'll notice, there's a lot a songs about rain. We put them on the list to honor the victims of the biggest flood in our town's history. Many people were affected by this flood, and some of our town's landmarks sustained serious damage. There's also a Big Star song on the list, "The Ballad of El Goodo"; in memory of our friend and my Box Tops bandmate Alex Chilton, who passed away much too young on St. Patrick's Day this year, and who is the writer and singer of this beautiful song.

So here's the list, and the tour dates are below it. Hope you can make it out to see us. It's always the highlight of our year.

GRETCHEN PETERS “Without A Net” UK Tour 2010
Walk-in Music:

John Boy - Brad Mehldau
Rainy Night In Georgia - Hem
Early Morning Rain - Eva Cassidy
Im On A Roll - Over The Rhine
Oh Cumberland - Matraca Berg
Without Jesus Here With Me - Holly Williams
The Ballad Of El Goodo - Big Star
Buckets Of Rain - Neko Case
Every Time It Rains - Randy Newman
Box Of Rain - Grateful Dead
Why Does It Always Rain On Me? - Travis
Dreamville - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
We’re Gonna Pull Through - Over The Rhine
Still Learning How To Fly - Rodney Crowell
Birds - Holly Williams
Let Him Fly - Patty Griffin


“WITHOUT A NET” TOUR 2010
May 12: Bilston, (Midlands): Robin 2
May 14: Glasgow, (Scotland): King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
May 15: Cheadle Hulme (Northwest): Chads Theatre
May 16: Selby (Northeast): Town Hall
May 17: Gateshead (Newcastle Tyneside): The Sage
May 19: London (Notting Hill): The Tabernacle
May 22: Milton Keynes (Wavendon): The Stables
May 23: Bristol (Southeast): The Tunnels
May 25: Cambridge: The Junction
May 26: East Grinstead: Chequer Mead
May 27: Derby (Midlands): The Flowerpot]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#24 Sun, 09 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#23 Barry

My Home Town

I've always struggled with the question "where are you from?". For as long as I can remember I've never felt I had a home town in the sense that most people do. I never felt a strong sense of rootedness in any one particular place. I was born in Westchester, New York and lived there until I was 13, and I still feel in some ways like a Northeasterner, if not a New Yorker. I have family ties there, and probably the most important tie, childhood memories.

Last weekend, my adopted home of 22 years, Nashville, Tennessee, endured a flood of biblical proportions. Fifteen inches of rain fell in two days. At first we made light of the situation; we even went to a party in the midst of the torrential storm that raged that Saturday night. We kept an eye on the weather report, but flash flood warnings around here are as common as biscuits and gravy. The rain kept falling on Sunday, in sheets. The word started to trickle out that the flooding would be bad. Still, we thought that would only mean a few flooded basements, maybe a couple of road closures. We'd seen it all before.

Except we hadn't. There's no way to describe the surreality of waking up on a Monday morning to a perfect, blue-sky spring day, and utter devastation. Water was everywhere. We took a walk in our neighborhood, and saw crazy, impossible things - traffic lights hanging just a few feet above water, entire cars submerged to their roofs. Rivers where our neighborhood streets used to be. People boating across soccer fields. By Monday morning we knew that the river was still rising, and according to the cruel physics of flooding, would continue to rise until late that night, when it crested at 12 feet above flood stage.

As the waters ravaged the downtown area, Opryland, and countless outlying suburbs and surrounding towns, we realized that almost no one from the outside world knew. And it did feel like the world was somewhere far outside of this sphere of death and destruction - there was a strange sense of isolation, even though cell phones were working (sporadically) and a few of the lucky ones (us included) never lost power or internet. No one seemed to have noticed that Nashville was drowning. Normally when a natural disaster happens, the media coverage is obsessive, and if you're in the vicinity the telephone calls start coming in almost immediately. On that Monday, the only calls we got were from friends in Nashville, checking to see how we made it and letting us know they were OK. Other news stories, deemed more important, took precedence, and we were left to our own devices (fortunately, the reaction from the White House was not slow and FEMA was here almost immediately - it was the media that was absent).

This is where it began to dawn on me how much I love this city. I can't explain exactly why, or how, but seeing the Opry stage door, which I've been privileged to walk through several times, up to its doorknobs in water - knowing the beautiful pipe organ at the Schermerhorn Symphony Hall, which I heard played magnificently at a concert last year, was severely damaged - all of this terrible destruction bestowed an epiphany on me. This is my home town. These people, who put on their waders and work clothes and face masks and got to work Monday, because things needed doing and people needed help, are my fellow Nashvillians. All of us cried at the sight of the Opry under six feet of water. All of us felt outrage that the media wasn't paying attention to this, our worst crisis since the Civil War. All of us beamed when the local telethon, star-studded and led by Vince Gill (who else would step up to lead yet another benefit, this time maybe the most important one he's ever done) raised $1.7 million in a few hours. I've never been so proud of my city, from the micro-local level (on Monday night, at least half of my neighborhood was out sandbagging at a nearby waste treatment plant) to city-wide (there was virtually no looting or other opportunistic crime - just neighbors, asking what they could do). I felt a sudden and deep stab of love for this city and all its familiar and now endangered landmarks, the beautiful ones, the historic ones and the cheesy ones alike. This city, which has by turns frustrated and charmed and ignored and loved me - just like a spouse - for better or worse, was mine, too. I have history here. I have roots here.

Nashville will recover. It's a great city, and great cities draw creative, talented and energetic people. We have those in abundance, and they will rebuild Nashville, and in some ways it will be even better. Nashville would recover with or without me. But I'm here, and one week after the flood, I know the answer to the question. I'm from Nashville.
Gretchen Peters]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#23 Sat, 08 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#22
]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#22 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#21 ]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#21 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#20
We Came back to Nashville and played the Bluebird last night. Here's a review Janis Ian just emailed me:

"Well, the fantastic foursome (Janis Ian, Gretchen Peters, Tony Arata and Craig Carothers) blew the room away...again...and those who were there can see why these musicians sell out the venue in less than 30 minutes when they appear there.

The intimate setting of the Bluebird Cafe (21 tables and some seats at the bar) is the perfect place to see singer/songwriters tell their anedotes regarding their songs, listen intently to their interpretations and meet the players afterwards.

Janis looked and sounded great, as usual. Gretchen's voice was in top form, as was her guitar playing. Tony's bluesy romps kept the place jazzed and Craig's tongue-in-cheek lyrics added the humor. As a side note, accordianist Barry Walsh accompanied on some songs, even on "At Seventeen", which gave the song an international feel -- and it worked.

Each singer gave the crowd seven songs, more than worth the $15 cover charge...and watching them play since you are so close to the "round arena" allows you to see just how magnificently these musicians crank out their songs. And they provide accompaniment and background vocals on each other's songs too. In essence, you saw a solo concert and a group performance at the same time. What more could you ask for?"

Here's a pic:


See you in DC this weekend, Illinois next weekend, Boston the weekend after that, or somewhere in Europe after that, where we'll be for a month starting on October 28 in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. We travel throughout Northern Ireland, play for a week in England, another 10 days in The Netherlands, and then one last gig in London at Bush Hall on November 22. See you there!]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#20 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#3
"The Crossing" has been nominated for Whisperings Solo Piano 2009 album of the Year. See:

http://www.solopianoradio.com/favorites.htm

The Solo Piano channel is also featuring six of the tracks from the album at:

http://www.solopianoradio.com/]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#3 Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#4

Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell, "One To The Heart, One To The Head", produced by Gretchen and Tom, and recorded last summer in Austin at Mark Hallman's Congress House Studio (with additional recording in Nashville at Nigel's House Studio). Released early this year. Gretchen's voice has never sounded better on this collection of Western themed covers that begins with my own "North Platte".


Nanci Griffith's "The Loving Kind", to be released on June 9. Recorded in early December, we started recording the morning after I got back from Holland. Great songs, great sounds, and Nanci singing at her finest. I've been a fan since of hers since the 80's.


Tom Russell's soon to be released "Blood and Candle Smoke". Wow. This one is going to be a classic. We recorded it in February at the famous Wavelab Studios in Tucson (Neko Case, Calexico, Giant Sand....) with an additional song called "Guadaloupe" (maybe Tom's best song) that I produced here in Nashville at David Henry's True Tone Studio. It's one of the most unusual recordings I've ever had the pleasure of working on. Very creative stuff all the way around- songs, sounds, instruments, vocals and most importantly, approach. Can't wait for this one to get out there.



Dave Zobl's fine new CD called "And So It Goes", produced by Will Kimbrough. Dave is a Denver based singer-songwriter. I played accordion on it, and a rockin' good time was had by all.


Tori Sparks third CD, "The Scorpion in the Story", produced by David Henry at True Tone. I think it's Tori's best album yet, and I loved working with her.


Stay tuned for more...]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#4 Sat, 23 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#5
Here's four early reviews of the new Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell CD "One To The Heart, One To The Head", currently climbing the Americana charts. It includes my song, "North Platte".

From the El Paso Times:

http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/pullen/2009/04/gretchen-peters-eps-tom-russell-evoke-old-new-west-on-new-cd.html

From Americana UK:
http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4479


From Pop Matters:
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71632-gretchen-peters-with-tom-russell-one-to-the-heart-one-to-the-head/

And finally this one from TwangNation:
http://www.twangnation.com/2009/04/03/album-review-gretchen-peters-with-tom-russell-one-to-the-heart-one-to-the-head-scarlet-letter-recordsbuddy-and-julie-miller-written-in-chalk-new-west/

Enjoy every sandwich!

bw]]> http://barrywalshmusic.com/news.html#5 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Barry Walsh Music - Barry Walsh - News