Fiddlers' Summit Coming to Evansville

Many of you have heard about the Fiddlers’ Summit—Starring Ken Waldman with David Greely and Friends, coming to the Performing Arts Center on Saturday night Feb 25 at 7 pm. It’s going to be a great show and I hope you can attend. More information about the show and performers is below. I’ve attached a flyer that you can send to your email list or print and post, if you’d be so kind. You can get tickets—without charge—at Real Coffee at Daun, the Evansville Pharmacy or by calling 608.882.0598 to reserve them. You can also reply to this email to have tickets at will-call. We’re really hoping to get 600 tickets into the hands of people who will come and enjoy the show. Donations will be taken at the door and after the show. The show could also use a few volunteers. We will need two or three for will-call, three ushers, and several donation-takers before the show. We will also need people to take donations after the show as well. If you are willing to volunteer, please reply to this email. I’ll be away from the desk for a few days but I’ll get back to you early next week. Thank you Jim Brooks for E-Arts and ECP It will be One Hot Night In February when E-Arts presents The Evansville Fiddler’s Summit—Starring Ken Waldman, with the famed Cajun fiddler, David Greely, fiddler Brian O'Donnell and multi-instrumentalist Colin Bazsali of Madison’s own Barley Bros. on Saturday night February 25 at 7 pm. This most excellent string-band variety show, which will take you from Evansville to Anchorage and back, by way of Lafayette , Louisiana , is being staged for your free-will donation at the show. That’s right. Tickets can be had at no charge before the show and you can pay what you will at the venue. J im Brooks, speaking for E-Arts said, “We are bringing this family friendly show to the PAC and hope to give away all 600 tickets to people who will fill the hall for a wonderful night of energetic music. It’s a Cabin Fever-Reliever kind of a show and we want to make sure that everyone gets a chance to see it.” E-Arts is dedicated to bringing the best in live entertainment and the arts to Evansville . Their past shows have included Gaelic Storm with Rising Gael, The Second City and American English. The group has also been responsible for bringing Garry Wesley’s Elvis Tribute show, The Mad Hatters and Westside Andy and the Mel Ford Band to the PAC in winters past. This show will be a fun-for-the-whole-family variety show featuring Alaska’s Fiddling Poet, Ken Waldman, who has drawn on his 25 years in Alaska to produce poems, stories, and fiddle tunes that combine into a performance uniquely his own. A former college professor, Waldman has had published six full-length poetry collections, a memoir, a children's book, and has released nine CDs that combine old-time Appalachian-style string-band music with original poetry. Since 1995 he’s toured full-time, performing at some of the nation’s leading universities, festivals, arts centers, and clubs. David Greely took up the fiddle at 17, after hearing Richard Greene play through an amp with a wa-wa pedal in concert at the Warehouse in New Orleans, when Seatrain opened for Black Sabbath. The next day, in a Baton Rouge pawnshop a couple of blocks from where he was born, he bought a J apanese plywood fiddle and two brand-new $35 bows. Rosin applied, strings tuned to an open G chord, he figured out how to play a recognizable version of the “Sally Goodin” that he’d heard the night before, and made up two more tunes before supper. David and Steve Riley formed a band that became known as Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, and spent the next 23 years together traveling literally around the world, searching archives for tunes, writing songs, making records and getting nominated for Grammies. They spent half the year in Louisiana Dance halls, where audiences vote with their feet: on the dance floor or out the door. The other half was spent on the road, playing folk festivals and concert halls. Two members of Madison ’s own The Barley Brothers will join the fun onstage that night. Brian O’Donnell brings his talents on fiddle and guitar to our show while multi-instrumentalist, Colin Bazsali, will play banjo, mandolin, and harmonica. These two play a monthly gig at Madison ’s Malt House and played together for years as part of The Cajun Strangers. Ticket outlets are Real Coffee at Daun and the Evansville Pharmacy. You can reserve yours by emailing J im Brooks at ecpi@litewire.net. Only 600 tickets have been printed so E-Arts hopes that they all get into the hands of people who will attend. It will be a great show and fun for everyone. For more information you can call 882-0598.