This site serves as world-wide headquarters for the Goodtime Stringband and reports on local music happenings and other items of interest. Thanks for stopping by!
Amy’s fulfilled a lifelong dream to record and release her very first CD – a compilation of 12 covers (Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, Kep Mo/Johnny Cash) as well as a couple of astoundingly good originals.
To celebrate this accomplishment, Amy’s bringing together a hundred or so of her best friends & fans for a CD release party next Saturday:
When: Saturday, Jan. 23rd
Where: Old Court Irish Pub
Address: 31 Central Street, Lowell, MA
Web-site: http://www.facebook.com/TheOldCourt
Phone: 978 452 6969
Start time: 8:00 PM
Why: Because Amy loves you, that’s why.
I just wanted to share this video produced by George DeLuca showcasing the “Lowell Dreaming” artwork exhibit by Linda McCluskey and a performance of “Milltown Moon” by Melvern Taylor (unplugged). Great stuff, showcasing the architecture, art and music of our mill town!
Join us at the Hyatt in Boston this Valentine’s Day and meet New England’s finest eco-conscious wedding vendors. These are folks that can help you plan, organize, and green-up your big day… and your new life together. The Goodtime Stringband will be appearing as special guests, and will be providing our special blend of fun music for the crowd.
Couples can attend educational seminars, book signings, and tastings, tour the green Hyatt Harborside with the Hyatt staff, talk to and buy directly from green designers and exhibitors, see the up close informal fashion show throughout the day. It will be a fun day for sure!
A couple of opportunities to study bluegrass music locally with professional musicians are happening. Thought we’d help spread the word by writing about it here!
1. Master Classes at Joe Val! Boston Bluegrass Union has announced that once again, master classes will be offered the day that the festival begins, Friday, Feb. 12th.
They have Jimmy Heffernan on dobro and Greg Cahill on banjo confirmed….and more on the way!!T hey have also announced a banjo fast track class for beginners that day, taught by Rich Stillman.
Keep an eye on the Master Class Page on the BBU website for more details, coming soon.
2. The Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center is offering a “Beginning Bluegrass Mandolin with Jiro Kokubu” course.
Jiro Kokubu, of the David Wax Museum, will teach a bluegrass mandolin class for beginners – no experience necessary. Jiro will start with the very basics, and you’ll learn how to hold a mandolin, how to hold a flatpick, and how to tune your instrument. As you learn to pick and strum, you’ll learn some traditional fiddle tunes and variations for mandolin. Through these songs, Jiro will teach you the chords and scales. At the end of each class, he will give you exercises and tabs to practice each day.
Jiro, a phenomenal multi-instrumentalist from Osaka, Japan, found a home in the Japanese bluegrass community, and on his band’s first tour of America, he met his hero Bill Monroe. He later returned to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music, graduating in 2008. In The David Wax Museum, Jiro’s breath-taking dobro solos and spectacular mandolin ability make him a thrill to take in.
3. Boston Bluegrass Union’s Bluegrass Academy will offer Tony Watt introductory courses for mandolin and guitar (rhythm and lead)
Amy and the RCRs will bring the good music down to Southboro, MA on Saturday night January 9th. This will be the band’s first appearance at the Steeple and it should be a pretty special night!
The non-profit all-volunteer Steeple Coffeehouse contributes to Pilgrim Church’s Outreach Program. Proceeds are donated to benefit various local and regional charities
In case you missed it, Bob Sevigny and Amy Black appeared on WUML’s Almost Acoustic radio program this past Saturday to promote the release of the new CD and a fundraising event for the Merrimack Valley Food Bank. Bob and Amy performed a few Christmas songs!
On Wednesday, December 23rd at 11am – Bob and Amy will be on the radio again. This time they will be broadcasting from WCAP 980AM in downtown Lowell during Merrimack Valley Radio Midday (with Teddy Panos, Dean Johnson, “Wireless” Mike Flynn, and “Everyday” Evan).
Thanks in advance for you support. We worked hard to make a great CD that you could enjoy and had a lot of fun doing it. We hope you enjoy listening to the music as much as we enjoyed making it!
You know that hard times are upon us when Trent is forced to sell off his prized six string banjo guitar on eBay! I guess That’s what happens when you give away your latest album for free on the internet. Maybe he’ll write a song about it.
We’ve been going through the NIN touring and studio rigs and are getting rid of a large selection of gear and equipment the band is no longer in need of. It’s being listed on eBay here. We do not know which (if any) tour these items are from unless specified, nor can we get any items autographed, so please do not ask. Hundreds of items will be listed over the next several weeks such as guitars, keyboards, amplifiers, drums, staging, anvil cases, cables, rack/outboard gear, guitar effects, and pedal boards. Check the eBay page regularly for new listings, or follow @nineinchnails on Twitter for updates. More information can be found in the descriptions of each item.
