From: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org (good-noise-digest) To: good-noise-digest@smoe.org Subject: good-noise-digest V4 #52 Reply-To: good-noise@smoe.org Sender: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-good-noise-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk good-noise-digest Tuesday, March 13 2001 Volume 04 : Number 052 Today's Subjects: ----------------- RE: Indianapolis concert ["Martin Jones" ] Re: Indianapolis concert [Robpiper@aol.com] Re: Indianapolis concert ["Bunny Hutchinson" ] Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, March 11 [ThePsyche@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 23:23:49 -0000 From: "Martin Jones" Subject: RE: Indianapolis concert Robbie, Who were the English couple and where in the UK were they from? I saw John in London back in '92 in a tiny club - not many people there at all! Martin - -----Original Message----- From: owner-good-noise@smoe.org [mailto:owner-good-noise@smoe.org]On Behalf Of Robpiper@aol.com Sent: 12 March 2001 02:01 To: good-noise@smoe.org Subject: Indianapolis concert On Saturday, March 10, I attended my very first John Gorka concert. It was everything I expected -- and more. My husband and I arrived before the doors at Rehearsal Studios opened and claimed seats in the first row. Mark Butterfield, the man who arranged for the concert, introduced a couple who, he said, had traveled the most distance ever to attend a concert at Rehearsal Studios; they had flown from England. Alice Peacock sang four songs to open. She has a lovely voice. As I remember, two of the songs were love songs, one was a unrequited love song and the other was about her first apartment. I am rather jaded, I suppose, and do not like a steady diet of love/unrequited love songs. As Alice ages, maybe she will have more to say. After the intermission John appeared in his trademark gray shirt and black jacket, pants and shoes -- with red, red shoelaces. The set list was thus: When She Kisses Me I'm From New Jersey ("on the right hand side", he said as he introduced the song) A Saint's Complaint ("more about digging in than settling down") Where the Bottles Break Let Them In (as he sang this, I did something I have never done at a concert; I wept. Tears rolled down my face.) Mean Streak (John claims he has one but it takes a lot to get him rilled.) Blue Chalk (About a couple of his friends in trouble with legal and illegal substances.) Silence People My Age (He said it is a horrible song but too true to leave out. My husband and I -- as well as the rest of the audience -- howled with laughter.) I Saw a Stranger with Your Hair (with Alice) Growing Houses in the Fields (with Alice) Oh Abraham (with Alice) Lightning's Blues (with Alice) When You Walk In When He Cries Semper Fi (with Alice) As encores: Night Is a Woman Love Is Our Cross to Bear Alice's harmonies with John were quite lovely. After the concert we spoke with the English couple. They planned to attend the concert in Chicago on Sunday, then spend a few days in Chicago. This is the third year they have traveled to the U.S. expressly to attend John Gorka concerts. Being a pushy broad, I arranged to have a picture made with the couple and John in the center. It was a wonderful night! I'm looking forward to many more. :^) Robbie ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 19:49:53 EST From: Robpiper@aol.com Subject: Re: Indianapolis concert Martin wrote: > Who were the English couple and where in the UK were they from? I saw John > Bev and Graham. (I didn't get their last name.) They live in Guilford, Sussex, just south of London. They said they saw John as an opening act for Mary Chapin-Carpenter several years back. And fell head over heels for John. (Not their very words; the English are too reserved for that.) I have her e-mail address and plan to send them info about the John Gorka site (tho I think they said they already know about it) and the JG listserv. Robbie Since they try to come to the U.S. to see JG every year (on frequent-flyer miles, she noted), it would be great to try to get JG for a house concert at Bryn's and have them fly over for it! (I did say I am a pushy broad; here I am, a new JG list member, trying to plan for the group!) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 20:52:11 -0500 From: "Bunny Hutchinson" Subject: Re: Indianapolis concert "! (I did say I am a pushy broad; here I am, a new JG list member, trying to plan for the group!)" Gee, Robbie... I never noticed all this assertiveness on the DW list. : ) You go, girl! Please, Bryn, what can we all do to make JG house concert happen??? Bunny ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2001 23:24:41 EST From: ThePsyche@aol.com Subject: Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, March 11 Before I started writing this I sat downstairs listening to the new Gorka CD trying to figure out how many of John's shows I have attended. By my count, last night was # 14. My first was in August of 97. That is important to know as you read this because unlike Robbie and Kellie, who just had indoctrination into the experience known as Gorka....Talk about an addiction. I can recite the scriptures by heart. Yes, I am a disciple in the Church of John Gorka. John was in rare form last night. He fielded audience requests with grace and humor and the walls in that theater must still be ringing with that rich baritone voice. Mustard's Retreat opened the show and sounded almost as good as they did when the played my house concert in January. Do yourself a favor and bookmark their itinerary and watch when they might be in your area. You will not be disappointed. Especially if they ever learn Muskrat Love. After an intermission filled with familiar faces and meeting new Gorka fans, John came on stage in his Folkie Uniform (as Robbie pointed out) and in that quiet, deliberate way of his, looking askance, got lots of laughs and drew us into his orbit. The song of the night for me was Part of Your Own. I have heard that song before in live performance and is a favorite Gorka tunes, but lately, my parents, my Mother especially have been on my mind. As they are growing older the inexplicable sense that I am growing older too hits me and there is nothing I can do about it. I guess I don't like believing that I am a grown up. And then John sings that song and it makes me feel better because I know I am not the only one who worries about such things or feels stuff so deeply. It is in those moments that I find that feeling of community and being a part of something bigger in life is strongest. John's music does that to me. As a long time Gorka junkie, besides enjoying songs from the new CD, I was especially happy to hear some songs not in usual rotation: Heart Upon Demand in particular was extraordinary. We almost got through the whole show without hearing either Stranger With Your Hair and Love Is Our Cross To Bear until right at the end when someone yelled out Stranger and he did it. Now...don't get me wrong, both of those songs are Gorka classics, but for me, I want to hear him do some of the other stuff that are also Classic.....like the songs of Crime and Punishment. The moratorium on those songs has been long enough! Since discovering John's music in 96, I have changed and grown and matured and found my faith and changed the company I keep and like that John's music is moving into new territory. I like the direction the music is taking. The show last night was one of the best I have every seen him do. He was relaxed and seemed more comfortable in his own skin than ever. He signed my CD, even drew a little drawing of himself which I told him would bring a pretty penny on ebay. Any takers? So Kellie, shame on you for not letting us know you would be there! I would have loved to meet you! Robbie, I look forward to talking with you about 'all things gorka' when we share a house concert in your neck o the woods this weekend. Susan, it was fun sharing the experience at Old Town with you and your husband but it was especially fun doing U-turns on Chicago streets as we made our way to the venue. Shirley, our Gorka Journeys are returning to our life now that your damn baby is older! Bunny....a house concert huh? Who knows, stranger things have happened huh? Would you guys want to come to something like that? I would be a nervous wreck having John in my house. Thanks for letting me ramble a bit. Nice to see you all. Namaste, Bryn, music junkie ------------------------------ End of good-noise-digest V4 #52 *******************************