Hatching Politics

This is admittedly a little off subject for this journal but as we near the finish line of this long and often agonizing race for the Presidency, I found this sidebar worth noting and there is a musical connection.  If you've watched any of CNN's election coverage, maybe you noticed the cool graphics that maybe reminded you of some great concert or festival you've attended over the past oh, century...it's because CNN commissioned Nashville's Hatch Show Prints to do posters in their low-tech, timeless letterpress style.  No computers, no PhotoShop, just hand set posters, nearly 30 of them, printed and sent to CNN to be scanned or captured on video to give their coverage a fresh but nostalgic look.  If you aren't familiar with what Hatch has done to chronicle country and bluegrass music in America in the 20th century, do click on the link above and enjoy the story.  It's a good one.  Hatch's Jim Sherraden, pictured above, hand printed the 3x4 foot Patsy Cline monoprint we used as the centerpiece for the Virginia Historical Society symposium back in April.   

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Congratulations to our recent ticket winners:  to Bill Rice, two seats for the Punch Brothers concert at UofR on Nov. 11th for being the first to enter Peter Wernick (Hot Rize's Dr. Banjo) as the producer of Leading Off, Chris Thile's phenomenal solo debut on Sugar Hill.  Quite a few of you guessed Sam Bush, who did produce his follow-up release, Stealing Second...Chris was also quite a star Little Leaguer back then.  Now he's a star of another sort...check out this insightful video featuring his collaboration with former idol and now contemporary Edgar Meyer.  Thanks to Jack Cowardin for the link and to Kathy Panoff at the Modlin Center for the tix.  Don't miss the Punch Brothers there, either on the 11th or the 12th.

And high-fives to Sandy Lux for scoring the Robert Earl Keen tickets for knowing that our lovers-on-the-lam in "The Road Goes On Forever" took a quart of Bombay gin to their Miami Beach motel by the water.  She would know.  Thanks to Erin Scolaro at Toad's Place for the comps and don't miss R.E.K. and his rowdy Texas road band on November 15th.

Gene Raney alerted me to what should be a memorable night of songs and stories at the Paramount in Charlottesville on November 20th.  Imagine Peter Rowan, Jesse Winchester and Guy Clark on one stage together.  Three of Americana's most insightful singer/songwriters sharing inspiration.  Get your tickets here.

And one last reminder...the young and frighteningly talented Infamous Stringdusters blow into Ashland Coffee & Tea tomorrow (Friday) night for what's sure to be a Halloween to remember.  Will anyone go as John Duffey?  Kay & Company have done so much for acoustic music in these parts for so long...let's show how grateful we are by taking in as many of these great shows as we possibly can.  If we don't, they can't.  Simple as that.

TT