Jan. 2011

JANUARY 2011 E-ZINE
Happy New Year! The road beckons, new merchandise arrives (coffee mugs and car magnets will be on the website in the next couple weeks), new music on the way, new gear, new year - it's all here.

Concert details, latest news, much more at http://andrewmcknight.net
1. Upcoming Shows
2. Stuff for You - Free, Cheap and Good
3. Help Fill Out an Upcoming Tour
4. Updates on CD/DVD, Gone Wireless, and Other Tidbits
Song for the Month: "Last Call Waltz"
Essay: "Accepting the Gifts of the Muse"

Help a little or a lot by sharing the music via email or Facebook, hosting a house concert or something in between: http://andrewmcknight.net/help
Thanks most of all for reading this!
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1. UPCOMING SHOWS More details and links at website.
MO 1/10 * ANNAPOLIS MD - 12 Voices at 49 West, 7:30pm
Feature performance at David Glaser's monthly showcase, 49 West St., [ZIP 21401]

SA 1/15 * LURAY VA - BB&T Performing Arts Center (with Beyond Borders), 7:30pm
sponsored by Performing Arts of Luray and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, 1 E. Main St. [ZIP 22835]

TH 1/20 * HOUSTON TX - Anderson Fair, 8:30pm
Ken Gaines most excellent Songwriter Showcase, 2007 Grant  [ZIP 77006]

FR 1/21 * STAFFORD TX - Good for Something Coffeehouse, 8pm
At Henry David Thoreau U.U. Church, 3945 Greenbriar [ZIP 77477]

SA 1/22 * DALLAS TX - Labyrinth Walk Coffee House, 8pm
Emmeline Miles opens. At U.U. Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest Blvd. [ZIP 75233]

SU 1/23 * FT. WORTH TX - "The Inward Winter Dares to Bloom" Music Service, 11am
All are welcome. At First Jefferson U.U. Church, 1959 Sandy Ln. [ZIP 76112]

SU 1/23 * AUSTIN TX - Webb House Concerts, 7pm
Doors open 6pm. RSVP required - webbhouseconcerts@yahoo.com. [ZIP 75233]

MO 1/24 * WAXAHACHIE TX - In the Music Room, 7pm
Live performance and interview, guests welcome with RSVP rsvp@inthemusicroom.com [ZIP 75165]

TU 1/25 * JACKSON TN - House Concert, 7pm
RSVP required - hopestreet@aol.com. [ZIP 38301]

UPCOMING TOUR PLANS: February will likely be a late month visit to the Carolinas and maybe north GA, March is northern WV and hopefully eastern PA/NJ/NY, May to New England, end of July to Florida, to the midwest over the summer, and September to the Rocky Mountain states.

Host a concert or a "Songs in the Parlor" night, recommend a venue, talk a local organization into hosting a show - any and all of it would be a huge help and greatly appreciated. Please drop us a line.

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2. STUFF FOR YOU - FREE, CHEAP AND GOOD
Firstly, the stuff you can just have - four CD-quality songs at http://andrewmcknight.net/downloads, including a live performance of "Dancing in the Rain", the CD-version of "Times We're Living In", and the full version of "Made by Hand" including Chance McCoy's fiddle tag not heard on the Still Moving Mountains CD. Keep your money - it's our humble thank you for letting us stay in touch.

Then there's the stuff that costs next to nothing - the iPhone app, the car magnets and of course any song download. All of that plus of course the full CDs and album downloads, and the new coffee mugs arriving this week, you'll find them all at  http://andrewmcknight.net/buy. If buy you do, then our sincere thanks to you, as it all helps keep the music going and growing.

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3. HELP FILL OUT AN UPCOMING TOUR
Most of Andrew's cold weather tour itinerary is comprised of delightfully intimate performances. House concerts for 25-40 people and coffeehouse type concerts in a church basement or sanctuary are particular favorites. The proximity to the audience, the synergy between listener and artist, and the delicate nuances of wood, breath, and strings in rhythm and melody make for a truly special performance.

We'd welcome your help in scheduling, starting with central North Carolina late next month. The specific tour plans are above with the tour dates. You hosting a house concert in the northeast, Florida, southeast or midwest could really help make a tour viable. Three good shows on a long weekend makes it possible to travel most anywhere in the east or upper midwest. If you'd like to help us find a suitable concert in your neighborhood, we'd love to talk to you - and thank you for considering it.

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4. UPDATES ON CD/DVD, GONE WIRELESS, AND OTHER TIDBITS
After a short hiatus to upgrade software and chase gremlins out of the studio, Les Thompson and Dustin Delage are hard at work on the production for the Andrew McKnight & Beyond Borders live CD and DVD. Looks like we should have some exclusive teasers for the mailing list by the February E-Zine, if not sooner on the Facebook page.

Andrew is happily acclimating to a new AKG wireless mic and headset as well as an AKG wireless for his electric guitar, giving him new freedom to roam about. His Beyond Borders bandmates have taken the plunge for Shure in-ear monitors (they look like tiny hearing aids, and they are all prepared for the jokes and good natured-ribbing sure to come at shows). So the band show ought to be quite a bit different - come catch the maiden voyage with whatever technical glitches come along at their concert in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley this month.

And of course, we update the website and Facebook page with news items like Andrew's segment in a video podcast about the local Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, his music appearing in a new film and radio show, and much more. At the home page, the latest headlines show up on the left side, and to join us on Facebook or Twitter, click the icon on the right side.

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SONG FOR THE MONTH
"Last Call Waltz" from Where This River Runs; a metaphor, waltz and wistful sendoff to the unrealized potential that was 2010.
http://andrewmcknight.bandcamp.com/track/last-call-waltz
You can listen to the whole song, read lyrics, and share with friends via Facebook, email, blog and more.

Bandcamp.com is our preferred site for selling Andrew's CDs and downloads - they take a minimal percentage, it's easy to use, offers the best audio quality downloads, and allows us to personally ship your CDs.

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ANDREW'S ESSAY: "Accepting the Gifts of the Muse"
Confessions and resolutions on 1-1-11

"Tis' the time and season for resolutions. No doubt most wind up in some karmic scrap heap someplace. The laws of physics dictate that energy must be conserved - where it is spent, someplace it must be created - and for every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. I am somewhat amused at the possible existence in the universe of a giant heap of anti-resolutions left behind over the millennia by well-intentioned people, but somewhat fearful of the crisis its discovery might provoke.

I usually steer clear of resolutions, preferring instead to somewhat continuously set goals and make task lists that offer some hope for successful completion. I don't advocate that it is a better way, simply a different one. But for 2011 I have made a resolution, and one that I hope to truly honor in this coming year. . ."

[Read the rest at http://andrewmcknight.net/accepting-gifts-muse-jan-2011]

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