garagecow ensemble

official blog of the garagecow ensemble at www.garagecow.com

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Making Music on 'Music from the Mountains' this Friday

I'll be the feautured performer on Joe Dobbs' weekly show "Music From the Mountains" on W.Va. Public Radio from 9 to 10 p.m. this Friday, Jan. 11. Joe interviewed me live, guitar in hand, at his Studio B in the back of his Fret 'n Fiddle shop in St. Albans, W.Va., some weeks ago. I played a boatload of tunes, so it'll be interesting to see how they edited down the material.

I've known Joe for more than 20 years and, in fact, bought my first "serious" guitar from him: a 1963 Martin dreadknought with a Brazilian rosewood top. I later traded it (with his son, Dale) straight up for my current Taylor 314 (plus a set of Elixir strings), a guitar I dearly love that has a primo sound for my kind of acoustic, amplified rock-ish folk and baladeering.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Dreamy Night with The Dreamsicles

Musical mate and fellow garagecow ensembler , Bob Webb and I opened up last night for The Dreamsicles in the Clay Center's Walker Theater in Charleston, W.Va., in a Woody Hawley Concert Series show. The evening was musical church for me (and the 50 or so folks there, I think, may agree). I love the songs, stage vibe and the funny/sweet/feisty/deep show put on by Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper. The songs "Christmas in the Ashram," and "Worthy," among many, were spirit-lifting delights. One of a succession of highlights was the whole room singing along to Tom's Christmas-meets-Vishnu-meets-the-Buddha holiday song, which had the whole room chanting the holiday mantra: 'Ooommmmmmm.... Ba-Rump-a--Bum- BUM! Pictures will be forthcoming in this blog shortly.

Until then, below are shots from the August 2005 Mountain Stage NewSong Festival where I hosted the Sunday Morning Somewhat Spiritual Song Circle at Morgan's Grove on the final day. This year, The Dreamsicles joined the circle along with Anna Wolfe and others. This year's Mountain Stage NewSong dates, by the way, are: NewSong Academy/ Aug. 23 to 25. NewSong Festival/ Aug. 25 to 27, 2006.

NewSong Pix 05: Somewhat Spiritual Circle

Photos by Ray O'Neil


>>----Tom Prasada-Rao's fingers do the walking and the talking.


>>----It's a party for microphones at NewSong 05's Somewhat Spiritual Song Circle.


>>----Anna Wolfe introduces her piano-graced songs

NewSong Pix 05: Somewhat Spiritual Song Circle


>>---- Cary Coopeer and Tom Prasada-rao, a.k.a. The Dreamsicles, sing out during the Somewhat Spiritual Sunday Morning Song Circle, Morgan's Grove in Shepherdstown, W.Va., on the final day of the August 2005 Mountain Stage NewSong Festival.


>>---- Song Circle host Douglas Imbrogno looks out at the world through banana-colored glasses.

Friday, October 07, 2005

Invite to 'Calabrian Journal'



The quick link: www.hundredmountain.com/calabrianjournal

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

NEXT GIG: Dec. 3 at Clay Center, Charleston, WV

DreamsiclesI'll be opening for The Dreamsicles -- the wonderful duo of Tom Prasada-Rao and Cary Cooper -- on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2005, as part of the Woody Hawley Memorial Series, in the intimate Walker Theater at the Clay Center for the Performing Arts, Leon Sullivan Drive and Washington Street, Charleston, W.Va

Tom and Cary were featured performers at the 2005 Mountain Stage NewSong Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. They also took part in the Somewhat Spiritual Sunday Morning Song Circle I hosted on the final day of NewSong at Morgan's Grove Park. Photos to come shortly of that Song Circle and the wonderful time we all had at this year's NewSong.

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Excerpt from may 19 script, spoken by 'The Performer'

"... This third eye is the one that can’t be hypnotized by fearless chickenhawks whose bold, confused wars annihilate sons, daughters -- just like yours at home! -- neighbors, parents, uncounted strangers who simply do not count but die bloody just the same. It remembers as we bury without honor our youngest dreams. It sees when like Peter the Apostle we do not stand for what we love because our hearts are small as thimbles, our blood as thin as broth. Resolve fails and so faithfully we retreat to the organized religion of small comforts..."

Flyer for may 19 'Briefs & Shorts' performance


Saturday, April 23, 2005

May 19 Briefs and Shorts staging of 'Dream' Excerpts

Chief Garagecow Douglas Imbrogno will perform excerpts from the stage version of "Saint Stephen's Dream" in the conclusion of the Briefs and Shorts season of The Kanawha Players, in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, at 8 p.m., Thursday, May 19. The garagecow ensemble's debut CD,"Saint Stephen's Dream" is both a recording to be enjoyed by itself and the soundtrack to a performance art, folk-rock music theater piece. I'll stage excerpts from that show at the hour-long Briefs and Shorts event in the Charleston Ballet Building, 820 Virginia St. E., in Charleston. The evening will features some ad hoc additions to the garagecow ensemble, a floating band of musical, theatrical and improvisatory players, who for this show include Ukulele Girl, DJ Smack, Douglas Eye and others.

On stage, “Saint Stephen’s Dream” is a semi-biographical, performance art experience, featuring live music, pre-recorded songs, masks and alter egos, readings, declamations, incantations and (possibly) free pie. Adult themes in places. Very limited seating, so get there on time. Admission is $5. This is a workshop excerpt of a full staging of “Saint Stephen’s Dream,” a Third Eye Café production to be featured as soon as the stars align properly and the Third Eye opens for business again. For more on garagecow ensemble’s soundtrack to “Saint Stephen’s Dream,” see www.garagecow.com.

P.S. The Briefs and Shorts folk, in honor of the conclusion of their successful season, will mark the occasion by selling Briefs and Shorts shorts, so there's really no need to wear underwear to the show. Your call.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

'Allen Ginsberg' goes to New Hampshire

The garagecow ensemble song "I Never Slept With Allen Ginsberg" is featured on an Oasis Acoustic Music Sampler (Vol V). We're happy to report that Jay Apicelli, Music Director for WPCR (91.7) out of Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire, heard and liked the tune and asked for a garagecow CD to play on the station. A shout of thanks to Jay! And a reminder: anyone who needs an extra copy of the CD to pass on for potential airplay or review, please give me a holler at garagecow@verizon.net and we'll zip it right on out.