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< Off Topic ~ Spirit Family Reunion |
| GumboStu |
 Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:30 am |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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just back from the beach! Yes - great set - sometimes they hit a quite mellow groove (which i also love) so it's great to hearing em tearing loose - thanks rodge  |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:03 am |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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Spirit Family Reunion cover Johnny 99 from Springsteen's Nebraska album on the 100% for charity tribute album
http://longdistancesalvation.bandcamp.com/ |
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Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 8:57 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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| Sweet! Wish I could hear it |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 7:12 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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Saw Spirit Fam twice yesterday at Bristol RRR. Didn't repeat one song. It was really great!
They are about to take off in a big way! After that Newport folk Fest, they got a tour manager and regular manager. They said he was the president for Atlantic records for 10 years. Pretty awesome.
They are playing NPR's Tiny Desk on Tuesday. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 1:21 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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| lbrod |
| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:41 pm |
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*Bloodshot Hot Rod*
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: Beneath Pacheco Pass
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| therodge |
| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:00 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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You can thank Buggin and GumboStu for showing me the way  |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 11:06 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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Spirit Family Reunion Welcomes Everyone via CMT Edge
The gospel-influenced old-time string band Spirit Family Reunion is all about encouraging audience participation. Their energetic performances and debut album, No Separation, are filled with harmonies that seem to come from a more primitive, communal time.
“There’s a line [in ‘No Separation’] that says ‘I don’t need no invitation,’” explains washboard percussionist Stephen Weinheimer. “And no one needs an invitation to be part of what we do.”
The crowd at last summer’s Newport Folk Festival certainly joined in, and since that blazing-hot performance, interest in the New York City-based group has grown enormously. Fans have started to discover fetching original tunes like “100 Greenback Dollar Bills,” as well as the obscure praise-song covers that the band unearths in places like thrift-shop bargain bins.
“We don’t want to be revivalists,” he says. “We like a song, and we make it our own.”
Now Spirit Family Reunion is feverishly touring the country, screaming their “open-door gospel” from the top of their lungs and seemingly the distant past.
Recently Weinheimer called in to CMT.com and provided a little background on the young band. In the process, he may have revealed the secret of their haunting sound and also implicated the whole group in nearly killing Jackson Browne.
CMT: Growing up like you did in New York City, what drew you to those old sounds and wooden instruments?
Weinheimer: I think it honestly had to do with where we were playing at first. We were playing on the street, in train stations, in farmers markets. We needed stuff we didn’t have to plug in. And we also liked the idea of the bluegrass tradition where there’s one microphone and everyone plays around that.
There’s a definite gospel element in your songs. Were any of you active in the church growing up?
I think I am the only one. My dad was actually a Catholic priest, and he left the priesthood to marry my mom, so I went to church until I was probably 13 or 14. But we always like to say we’re not a part of any religion. The main reason we have a gospel influence is because we love gospel music.
Your bio says you strive to break the divide between performer and spectator. How do you try to accomplish that?
I guess there are a couple of ways, but I don’t know if they are conscious. We just smile and act goofy, and I think some musicians take themselves so seriously that they put that divide between them and the audience. I think that’s just terrible.
We also are really good at getting people to join us with singing. I mean, it’s about honesty, and that’s the thing, you know? I would say everybody else in the band is a pretty amazing musician, and I’m a freaking washboard player. (laughs) So it’s like I’ve found my place in the world and it’s with the washboard yelling on a stage. And people are like, “If that idiot can do it, I’m pretty sure we can sing along and connect.”
The band is a certainly a collective unit, but I think the harmony between Nick [Panken -- guitar], Maggie [Carson -- banjo] and Mat [Davidson -- fiddle] is central to your sound. What do you think makes them so special?
I think it’s because there’s a competition, and I don’t mean on a personal level. We used to only have one microphone, so actually it’s a competition between them all singing into one mic. And if they want to be heard, they’ve got to be loud. You can see they’re giving all they have into that, and that’s why it comes across so great. Plus, I don’t know many bands where the guy sings higher than the girl, but Nick sings in the middle and Maggie sings higher than him — but still lower than Mat. Mat sings higher than Maggie, which is pretty awesome.
Your performance at Newport Folk Festival over the summer really drew a lot of attention to your band. What do you remember about doing that show?
I think it was the first time we were nervous. I listened back to it, and we played every song so freaking fast. What I remember is we showed up about six minutes before we were supposed to play and almost hit Jackson Browne with the van on the way in. (laughs)
I was just like, “These people don’t know who we are, and I want them to know who we are when we’re done.” After the first song, I heard the crowd, and I’ve never heard a crowd sound like that for us before. So we kinda knew what we were bringing to the table, and we just pushed it harder and harder the entire set. It went by so fast.
Afterward, I think we were all emotional in our own way. But when Nick and I first started this thing, I don’t think we ever thought we would make it to Newport, so it was big. Especially for him, Newport was a big part of his life when he was a kid.
Do you all write songs as a group?
Nick mostly writes the songs, but honestly, they are not really songs until we are all a part of it. And we don’t really practice. We just play songs live until we get them how we want them. So we actually had our first practice two months ago, and it was great. It was really inspirational because we were all bringing ideas to the table, and Maggie and Mat write beautiful, beautiful songs on their own, so finally having everyone working together on stuff will be amazing.
So you literally have never rehearsed as a band?
Nope. We used to work at this bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and we asked different people we worked with to play with us. It was like three chords and a song, so it was like, “Whatever.” Finally, we got to a point where it was me, Mat, Maggie and Nick, and we kind of had this residency there. We played there every week, so we just built songs there. So we just now started building songs for real together and it’s been amazing. I think we’re going to keep doing it. (laughs) |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:23 pm |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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Nice one, rodge. just one question - are wooden instruments really that unusual these days?  |
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Walkin' the line between faith and fear. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2012 4:49 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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or have they ever been?
NEW YORK CITY?! Get a rope! |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:50 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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New Tour Dates
Feb 20 The Columbus Theatre Providence, RI
Feb 21 The Log on Spring Street Williamstown, MA
Feb 22 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
Feb 23 Widowmaker Lounge Carrabassett Valley, ME
Feb 24 The Press Room Portsmouth, NH
Mar 05 The Club @ Water Street Rochester, NY
Mar 06 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, OH
Mar 07 Woodlands Tavern Columbus, OH
Mar 08 The Southgate House Revival Newport, KY
Mar 09 12th and Porter Nashville, TN
Mar 10 Newby's Memphis, TN
Mar 17 Siberia New Orleans, LA
Mar 20 Smith's Olde Bar Atlanta, GA
Mar 21 Suwannee Springfest Live Oak, FL
Mar 22 Suwannee Springfest Live Oak, FL
Mar 25 Barley's Taproom Knoxville, TN
Mar 26 Legends @ App State Boone, NC
Mar 27 The Evening Muse Charlotte, NC
Mar 28 Kirk Ave Music Hall Roanoke, VA
Mar 29 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Apr 02 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
Apr 03 Historic Blairstown Theatre Blairstown, NJ
Apr 04 Cafe Nine New Haven, CT
Apr 05 The Sinclair Cambridge, MA
Apr 06 Bowery Ballroom New York, NY
Jul 25 FloydFest Floyd, VA
Go See Them If They Are Near |
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| lbrod |
| Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:28 pm |
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*Bloodshot Hot Rod*
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: Beneath Pacheco Pass
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Dammit, Rodge, you went and got me all excited.
Of course they are not coming anywhere near me.
One of these days... |
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| Chigger |
| Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 6:13 pm |
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*Lucky No. 7*
Joined: 30 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: McMinnville, Tennessee
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Mar 09 12th and Porter Nashville, TN
Rodge, you goin' to this one? Holla at a brotha. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:16 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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| Definitely! Come on up! |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:15 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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Listen HERE to Spirit Family Reunion's Daytrotter Session
Irwin Shaw's short story, "Strawberry Ice Cream Soda," begins with a scene dedicated to the disgust of a boy depressed about his rural setting. It reads:
"Eddie Barnes looked at the huge Adirondack hills, browning in the strong summer afternoon sun. He listened to his brother Lawrence practice finger exercises on the piano inside the house, onetwothreefourfive, onetwothreefourfive, and longed for New York. He lay on his stomach in the long grass of the front lawn and delicately peeled his sunburned nose. Morosely he regarded a grasshopper, stupid with sun, wavering on a bleached blade of grass in front of his nose. Without interest he put out his hand and captured it.
"'Give honey,' he said listlessly. 'Give honey or I'll kill yuh!...'
"But the grasshopper crouched unmoving, unresponsive, oblivious to Life or Death. Disgusted, Eddie tossed the grasshopper away. It flew uncertainly, wheeled, darted back to its blade of grass, alighted and hung there dreamily, shaking a little in the breeze in front of Eddie's nose. Eddie turned over on his back and looked at the high blue sky.
"The country! Why anybody ever went to the country…What things must be doing in New York now, what rash, beautiful deeds on the steaming, rich streets, what expeditions, what joy, daring sweaty adventure among the trucks, the trolley cars, the baby carriages! What cries, hoarse and humorous, what light laughter outside the red-painted shop where lemon ice was sold at three cents the double scoop, true nourishment for a man at fifteen."
The songs of the Spirit Family Reunion, a band from the New York City that this character thought he longed for, seem to have caught a different kind of yearning. It's one of the glorious country that the boy couldn't see surrounding him. He couldn't appreciate the way that the days and the nights gave him the space to think such thoughts. His dreams about lemon ice, sold at three cents the double scoop, wouldn't have been possible if all he heard was honking and swearing and barking and people on all sides of him - their clanging, their murderous and fidgety clanging, cycling through the air at all hours. Nothing would be so clear to him, there amongst the polluted crush of society.
The people that Spirit Family Reunion give to us are tantalized by the frostiness of a pre-dawn or sunset morning. They're intrigued by the simple knowledge that this could all be gone in a heartbeat. They're interested in the pace and the gait of their troubles. They've been tracking them forever. They're unsure about what heaven could be and admission seems cloudier by the day. The one thing that they seem to be okay with is the understanding that this is all they get and if it's not satisfactory, there will be no one to whine to. They aren't oblivious to Life or Death. They are as sure as anything about them. One just feeds the other, all the while dancing across the dirt and grass, stepping on rocks, staining the feet green and bleeding through the stains every so often.
Y'all come see them this Saturday in Nashville. We'll have a good ol time! |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:44 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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Hey folks! I'm going to stream the LIVE audio to y'all tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. central!
Y'all keep a look out for the link... still working out the tech side of it but got the all clear from the band and venue. |
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| lbrod |
| Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:59 pm |
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*Bloodshot Hot Rod*
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: Beneath Pacheco Pass
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| therodge |
| Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 7:00 pm |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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| clover |
| Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 6:21 pm |
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Lil' Birdie
Joined: 25 Aug 2011
Posts: 12
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lbrod, please tell me you caught them on their (almost over) trek to CA. Otherwise I'm going to feel bad that I didn't check their schedule one week sooner. If it makes you feel any better, I missed the Felice Brothers by one week when they were here a couple of months ago and they haven't been to my state in 4 years.
They're finally crossing the Mississippi and coming near enough to me to drive to, so that is exciting! Thanks to this forum for turning me on to this band in the first place.
Tue 05/07/13 - Arcata, CA - Jambalaya
Wed 05/08/13 -Cottage Grove, OR - Axe & Fiddle
Fri 05/10/13 - Hood River, OR - Cebu Bamboo Lounge At Best Western Inn
Sun 05/12/13 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
Tue 05/14/13 -Missoula, MT -Top Hat
Wed 05/15/13 -Bozeman, MT - Filling Station / VFW
Thu 05/16/13 - Billings, MT - The Railyard Ale House
Sat 05/18/13 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
Sun 05/19/13 - Madison, WI -The Frequency
Tue 05/21/13 - Ames, IA -The Orange Gentleman
Appearing at "Summer Camp Music Festival"
Thu 05/23/13 - Chillicothe, IL - Three Sisters Park
Fri 05/24/13 -Chillicothe, IL - Three Sisters Park
Appearing at "Duck Creek Log Jam"
Sat 05/25/13 - Logan, OH - Duck Creek Campground & Outdoor Events Area
Appearing at "Delfest"
Sun 05/26/13 - Cumberland, MD -Allegany County Fairgrounds
Tue 05/28/13 - Evanston, IL - SPACE
Fri 05/31/13 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
Appearing at "Wakarusa Festival"
Sun 06/02/13 - Ozark, AR - Mulberry Mountain
Appearing with Pete Seeger
Sat 06/08/13 - Milford, PA - Milford Theatre
Sun 07/14/13 - New Windsor, NY -Storm King Art Center
Thu 07/18/13 - Dewey Beach, DE - Bottle & Cork
Fri 07/19/13 - Teaneck, NJ - Mexicali Live
Sat 07/20/13 - Amagansett, NY- The Stephen Talkhouse
Appearing at "Green River Festival"
Sun 07/21/13 - Greenfield, MA - Greenfield Community College
Appearing at "Floydfest"
Thu 07/25/13 - Floyd, VA - Blue Cow Pavilion
Appearing at "Newport Folk Festival"
Sun 07/28/13 - Newport, RI -Fort Adams State Park
Appearing at "Flood City Music Festival"
Sun 08/04/13 - Johnstown, PA - Peoples Natural Gas Park
Appearing at "Live At Peck Pavilion"
Tue 08/20/13 - Milwaukee, WI - Peck Pavilion
Wed 08/28/13 - Portsmouth, NH - Prescott Park
Appearing at "Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion"
Sun 09/22/13 - Bristol, TN - Downtown Bristol |
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| lbrod |
| Posted: Mon May 06, 2013 6:44 pm |
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*Bloodshot Hot Rod*
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: Beneath Pacheco Pass
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Good call, Clover. I was coming here to say what great fun I had last night in SF.
I had been waiting for this show for a long time, and my anticipation was rewarded.
Now I can't wait for them to come back. I passed up an $85 Stones ticket to see SFR. |
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| clover |
| Posted: Tue May 07, 2013 6:33 pm |
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Lil' Birdie
Joined: 25 Aug 2011
Posts: 12
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| Yay! Glad to hear you made it. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 8:29 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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Wow, awesome ibrod! Hope you liked it, brother! They live up to the hype?  |
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| GumboStu |
| Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 2:20 pm |
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*Irish Stew*
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 3666
Location: Joe's Cornfield
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| Good choice, lbrod |
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| lbrod |
| Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 2:49 pm |
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*Bloodshot Hot Rod*
Joined: 02 Jul 2008
Posts: 1358
Location: Beneath Pacheco Pass
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| It was awesome fun. I knew it was the place to be when I walked in and heard Felice Brothers as pre show music. I ended up a happy sweaty mess, and my legs are almost recovered three days later. |
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| therodge |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 10:42 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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| Spirit Family Reunion are coming back to Nashville June 4th at The High Watt and June 5th at Music City Roots. Stoked! |
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| atomicpope |
| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:59 pm |
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Charlie
Joined: 30 Sep 2009
Posts: 783
Location: Knawksville, TN
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| atomicpope |
| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:03 pm |
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Charlie
Joined: 30 Sep 2009
Posts: 783
Location: Knawksville, TN
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looks like something s up....
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| therodge |
| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:28 am |
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*Law Dog*
Joined: 17 Oct 2004
Posts: 6602
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
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Spirit Family is opening up for Old Crow in Central Park NYC August 8!
A long trip on the open road sounds really promising |
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| old-mose-harper |
| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:29 pm |
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Old Crow
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 658
Location: Spindale, NC
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therodge wrote: Spirit Family is opening up for Old Crow in Central Park NYC August 8!
A long trip on the open road sounds really promising
I think its August 4th Rodge... And Pokey will be there too!! |
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| old-mose-harper |
| Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:33 pm |
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Old Crow
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 658
Location: Spindale, NC
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| Not Pokey, I meant Langhorn Slim. Must have glanced over something. |
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