Hot Times at Old Town

Appearing below are selections from the hard copy Hot Times. The objective is to highlight activities at the School and in the larger community, especially those featuring or of special interest to teachers and staff. Your suggestions are welcome. Enter a comment (under any item); it will come to me rather than automatically appearing.

Old Time Jug Band Extravaganza!

concert flyer - email

Join us at the School on Sunday, October 3rd, for a concert of hot U.S. jug bands including Chicago’s Bare-handed Jug Band, the NY-Based Second Fiddles, and the School’s own Hump Night Thumpers.

The occasion: honoring the McCoy Brothers, whose local resting place remains unmarked. Our hope is to raise enough to underwrite purchase and installation of appropriate gravestones — and to have a night of great music!

From string band music in Mississippi to country blues in Memphis to jump blues in Chicago, Joe and Charlie McCoy played important roles in several musical genres. Their careers not only mirrored the “great migration” of African-Americans to the north, but also the development of African-American music from its rural roots to the foundations of rock and roll. After 20+ year careers, they both died in Chicago in 1950 and were buried in unmarked graves. This project seeks to purchase grave markers for both of them and to raise awareness of their music.

Weekend events include:

• First Friday blues/jug band jam with former teacher Arlo Leach, who organized this concert;
6:30 to 8:30 pm on Friday, October 1st.
• Sunday – Papa Charlie McCoy Blues Mandolin workshop with John Hasbrouck, 1-2:30 pm
• Sunday – Kansas Joe McCoy guitar workshop with Chris Walz, 2-3:30 pm
• Sunday “Body percussion” workshop with Sule Greg Wilson, 3-4:30 pm
• Sunday Restvale Cemetery walking tour with Steve Salter

Tickets for Sunday’s concert and for the workshops are available at oldtownschool.org or by calling (773) 728-6000.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town,Uncategorized by Skip | September 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Learn to play the jug!

As w’re in the midst of a jug-band revival, you may have wondered how some folks get such great sounds out of a jug or a bottle. It’s not by blowing across the top (as one website claims), but by aiming right into the middle of the hole.

But rather than my telling you, check out the video newly posted on youtube, the first of a series of jug lessons: http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=5GcZdOJJIXk

Then, to apply your jug (or other) skills, think of signing up for Jonas Friddle’s jug band class, Wednesday nights at 8 pm.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | May 29, 2010 | Comments (0)

Laughter is the best medicine – Laughter Workshops

Yes, National Laughter Day was Sunday, May 2nd. But in the world of traditional music, dance, and culture, a couple weeks is like the twinkling of an eye. Accordingly, the School’s Laughter Workshop in honor of National Laughter Day was held a couple weeks alter.

Coordinating the activity was Judith Sample, a wonderful percussionist and superb leader of laughter workshops. Judith had given a free workshop at the School a couple months ago. The occasion was a First Friday, and the workshop drew perhaps 30 people. Afterwards, paper was passed around for comments; more than 20 stayed to write enthusiastic comments and urging that she’d return to do a workshop — and so we did!
All you need to know is that these workshops are NOT based on telling jokes — nor on telling you to “go ahead and laugh.” Yet you come out of the workshop having laughed hard, feeling wonderful, relaxed, and with a smile on your face. And you’ll realize how much you needed to laugh.

What fun! Watch for her next one, here or elsewhere!

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | May 2, 2010 | Comments (0)

Watch Aztec Ruins vanish at OTS!

Keep alert! These ruins will disappear right before your eyes! (And will fill yer stomach!)

Aztec Ruins are Tina’s newest combination at the Cafe. And what a mix! Picture this: the hot and spicy choriso rice (rice, choriso, red bell peppers, onion) topped with tuna salad (tuna, mayo, lemon juice). The effect of the spicy rice, served hot, with cool, comforting tuna from the fridge is amazing, almost addictive!

We’ve consulted labeling authorities and are told that this combination totals 604 calories and 18.5 grams of fat, plus various amounts of carbs and those other grammish things they put on labels. But, most important, Aztech Ruins are a whole bowlful of great eating! Tip: they’re available whenever you see choriso rice on the menu.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 16, 2010 | Comments (0)

Jugging forward!

The Chicago jug band renaissance continues with a monthly Jug Band Jam!

For great fun and wonderful music, stop by the Grafton (4530 North Lincoln Avenue) next to the Old Town School of Folk Music on third Monday of each month. You can join join the members of the Barehand Jugband in making that great old-time jug band music — one of the hottest bands in town, with that music that sets the toes to tapping!

This is the most recent development in the renaissance. Last November saw the Second Annual Chicago Battle of the Jug Bands, including a number of bands based at the Old Town School: the Hump Night Thumpers (winners of the 2007 Minneapolis Battle), the Schticklers (Chicago’s All-Jewish Jug Band), the Barehanded Jug Band (2nd place at the 2009 Minneapolis Battle), and Strictly Jug Nuts (the winners of the 2009 Chicago Battle).

Also keep in mind the jug band class — which is both an open enrollment class AND
the Hump Night Thumpers practice! Join the class, join the band! (Wednesdays at 8 pm!)

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 6, 2010 | Comments (0)

First Friday

Don’t miss the January First Friday — even though it skips a week, landing on January 8th.

As always, First Friday will offer all sorts of fun. Some examples:

- The Gather-All at 5:30 — Folks of all ages, including kids just learning an instrument, gather in the room
next to the registration desk to sing and play. No instrument? Just come and sing! Just learning an instrument? Bring it along — Jason McInnis will call out the chords! All-ages, all-skill levels are welcome!
But come early; the room fills up!

- Skip’s Back Porch Jam at 6:30 — Lots of blues and related music led by Skip Landt and a guest guitar teacher from the School. We usually have guitars, harmonicas, fiddles, mandolins, bass, accordian, keyboard, and even an occasional banjo. Singers are especially welcome, especially if they do blues (and bring the words/chords!)

Beyond this, there will be the usual variety of activities: a square dance, a fandango, other dance opportunities, song-writer’s circle, a singaround, and a feature performer. Want to jam? You can also
request a room where you can do your own thing! (Bob Ball is there to find you an open spot).

First Friday is part of the Old Town School experience — once you’ve been to it, you’re sure to come back. (The cost? You contribute $5 at the door).

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | January 5, 2010 | Comments (0)

Bottles go solo!

The School is now taking the next step in recycling — separate bins for bottles. Dawn Patch, one of the all-but-invisible-but-god-knows-what-we’d-do-without-her adminstrators, has found a recycler who will take our bottles. The message: bottles go solo (but please give them soft landings).

This is a followup to the enormous reduction in our paper usage by Todd Lido and the Marketing Department; earlier this year they moved from thick paper catalogs to the attractive single sheet class schedules.

Beyond this, Gail Tyler is working with consultants to explore other ways to reduce our environmental footprint; stay tuned!

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | September 27, 2009 | Comments (0)

What ever happened to the good ol’ gals?

Nothing — they’re still with us, their voices ringing out in their music! You can be part of this revival in a class with Peggy Browning, featuring their songs and stories, starting October 29th.

Peggy has started a new class, dedicated to the pivotal women who pioneered traditional folk music. She’s guiding the class through the music and history of greats including Elizabeth Cotton, Sara and Maybelle Carter, Ola Belle Reed and Hazel Dickens. The class will include creating arrangements of their music, focusing on rhythm, melodies and harmonies using both instruments and voices

What fun! The class will meet at 8:30 Thursdays, at the Lincoln Avenue location. It’s open to students who can change basic chords comfortably on any instrument.

Peg’s email is pbrowning@oldtownschool.org.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | September 24, 2009 | Comments (0)

Sorry!

The School has great concerts, and they’re in “the best listening room in Chicago” — that’s what the news media keep saying, and that’s the upside.

The downside is getting tickets: shows often sell out. Beyond that, they often sell out so early that only folks with memberships in the School can get a chance to buy them.

For example, tickets to these popular fall shows are already gone:

Leon Redbone – Friday, October 9th – sold out
Los Lonely Boys – Friday, October 23rd – sold out!
Leo Kottke – Sunday, November 1st – sold out
John Sebastian & David Grisman – Friday, December 11th – sold out

The lesson here? Look at the concert schedule. If you’re interested in any of the shows, call now for tickets: 773 728-6000. And to avoid this in the future, sign up and become a member. It gets you priority for tickets during the “members only” window, and it provides support the School needs to continue it’s great programs.

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | September 18, 2009 | Comments (0)

Truth about Old Town Revealed!

Read this now before it disappears!

The truth is that the “Old Town School of Folk Music” is NOT a school, at least by most traditional measures. Sure, some people come in, take a class, and go home. But they’ve missed the clues about what is really going on here; the “school” is really a cult. « Read more »

Filed under: Interesting at Old Town by Skip | August 30, 2009 | Comments (1)


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