house concerts and 21st century touring

 

 

“May you live in interesting times.” — proverb

“Been there, done that.” — Thom Bresh

 

 

He ditched his old man’s last name so he could make a name of his own. Despite the fact that he’s accomplished that and more, you can’t read more than two sentences about Thom Bresh without hearing about his legendary dad, Merle Travis. See?

 

You know that thumb-and-two-finger picking thing, where the thumb bounces alternately between two strings? That’s Travis picking, and you can’t throw a rock in Nashville without breaking someone’s thumb in the middle of that picking pattern. Of course, “Bresh” is a master of it, taking it far beyond where his dad ever did, and honoring his dad in every show with some notorious tunes built upon that style of thumb-picking. They put him in the “Thumbpicker’s Hall of Fame” in 2001 as well. I’m guessing Merle isn’t far from that spot either.

 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Thom Bresh over the phone, shortly after he joined ConcertsInYourHome to bring his act into some hip living rooms. I asked about his early days as a movie stuntman, why he ditched the last name, and I managed to keep enough self-control not to ask him to do his well-known impressions. You can see many of them in his funny-as-hell EPK video below. 

 

Have a look/listen.

 

 

 

 

F: Hi Thom

T: Hi Fran, I’m a big fan of your music. 

F: I thought you would be. Think anyone can tell I’m making this up?

T: Not at all. 

 

(reality sets in.)

 

F:  Is Bresh a stage name from your stuntman days, or were you embarrassed to be associated with an unimpressive finger picker like your dad? 

T:  It didn’t take long for me to notice that the name “Jr.” didn’t seem to help anyone in this business. Bresh was my step-dad’s name, and Merle even agreed it was a good name for me to use. 

 

F: You did some stuntwork for movies?

T: Yeah. I was just a kid, and back then “westerns” were the action movies. So I did things like fall off a horse onto a dirt-covered mattress, hitting my head on a styrofoam rock, stuff like that. 

 

F: Does your stuntman experience ever help you onstage? 

T: Only when I fall off the stage. 

 

F: Have you done a few house concerts?

T: Yes, lots of fun, and I’d like to do more. Did a couple with Lisa Carver in England. Wait… that didn’t sound right. 

 

F: Thumbpicker’s hall of fame? Is it really all about the thumb? I seem to hear fingerpicker more often than I hear thumbpicker. 

T: They like to put up buildings. Who can argue? Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland? Why? They put the National Musical Instrument Hall of Fame in Vermillion, South Dakota. Seen it? Didn’t think so. 

 

F: You emphasize the fact that you are an entertainer, first and foremost. What’s the best advice you’ve gotten in that regard?

T: From Roy Clark: “Ok after you do that line, do it again but double pick it and stick your tongue out -  they’ll think you’re really doing something difficult.”

 

Check out Thom’s page at CIYH, and email directly from that page to inquire about his house concert performances. He’s based near Nashville, TN, and will most likely require a bit of a financial guarantee. It’s my guess you’d have a hard time finding someone who felt they overpaid for a Thom Bresh performance. 

 

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This post was contributed by Ron Olesko, DJ for WFDU-FM’s Traditions and The Session.

Vic Heyman passed away on Tuesday, and the folk community is mourning the loss of one of the most supportive individuals to have graced our “family”.

Vic and his wife Reba were folkies who were so much more than just enthusiastic supporters. For a number of years they ran a very successful concert series in the Washington DC area, but their love of the music AND the people who make music would bring them to all corners of the globe. You would see Vic and Reba at every Folk Alliance conference and many regional events as well. Vic was a former board member of the Kerrville Folk Festival and they attended numerous festivals across the country each summer. Vic and Reba also wrote reviews for Sing Out! magazine.

But that is just the surface contributions. Vic and Reba became “parents” to many of the musicians that make up our wonderful community. Their support and encouragement went beyond the casual service that most people give. Vic and Reba embraced this community and the individuals that made it - and I sincerely think that it is because of people like Vic and Reba that in recent years we have been treated to some of the most powerful songs and artists. Their nurturing of their “children” helped many artists gather the courage to go out on a stage and to realize a dream. Their support and endearing friendship was legendary.

I had the pleasure of serving with Vic and Reba on the formal showcase committee for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. I remember one year a certain songwriter won the hearts of Vic and Reba, and also myself. The other judges were not as thrilled. Vic and Reba created t-shirts with this artists picture and wore them during the weekend, always cheering her on whenver she performed in a showcase.

The last few years had been tough on Vic, but he still kept going. They were at Falcon Ridge this year, and in November we had a chance to see them at NERFA. I don’t think anyone thought it would be goodbye.

For those of you who know Reba, I’m sure she would appreciate hearing from you at this difficult time. If you would like her address, please contact me.

My thoughts, prayers and love are with Reba and her family. I will always remember Vic with a deep fondness. He was an inspiration and I hope I can give back some love to this wonderful folk community as he did every single day.

–

We welcome your kind comments and wishes below.

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Message from Fran:

I’ve decided that 2009 will be a fantastic year, both personally and professionally. One of the greatest benefits of the internet is that you can find the right coach, teacher, article, and technical device to help you through ANYTHING. You may feel isolated, but you are not alone. Every day I find new resources of hope, change, and goodwill, and I can easily subscribe, connect, or reach out to most of them. I no longer let NBC dictate what goes into my head when I want to chill out and absorb. Hopefully, this website and blog will be a positive resource for you in 2009.

If you want to connect in a big way this year… you must join us at the Folk Alliance conference in Memphis, from February 18th-22nd.

I can’t say enough good things about this conference, and what a resource it is for house concert hosts, artists, and anyone interested in roots music. The term “folk” gets stretched like a pair of Oprah’s underwear, and otherwise upstanding people go home looking like they just spent a week at Burning Man. Good times.

The extraordinary discount they are offering to CIYH members expires in just a few days!

On a sad but expected note, I just learned that Vic Heyman, one of the most beloved and supportive people in folk music, just passed. Our condolences and long distance hugs go out to his amazing wife, Reba. I met them, of course, at Folk Alliance. You probably did too.

CIYH improvements:

Argh! So close, but not yet. Great new stuff in the works. In the meantime, hosts can now upload a picture to their profile - it was a goofier setup before. 8^)

New CIYH Hosts: (artist members can search “member since 2008-12″ on the advanced search page.)

(ON) Stonecroft Folk, (Ireland) Two Worlds Theatre, (CA) Cardiff Concerts in the Home, (CA) Crescent Moon, (CA) Starfields, (CA) Greene House Music, (CA) The Penthouse Retreat, (CO) MyBackPorch, (CT) Song Birds, (FL) Music4meAndU, (FL) The Hub, (FL) Fodor’s Grove, (MA) Patti’s Place, (MO) Rock House 41 High St., (NC) Circle Entertainment, (NY) Acoustic Artists Coalition, (NY) Pinewoods Folk Music Club concerts, (NY) hills of music, (OH) Kiko’s House Concerts, (TX) San Benave Home Sounds, (VA) House Concerts at Rocky’s Run
New Talent Agencies:

We’ve come up with some attractive packages for agents who represent 2 or more artists. We’d like to welcome Scott of AllSpice Music Agency to the CIYH family.

New CIYH Artists: (A big thank you for your support.)

Look for these new artists here!

Amilia K Spicer, Beaucoup Blue, Ben Hassenger - Blue Jello, Byron Walls, Carrie and Michael Kline, Carrie Catherine, Chris Vallillo, Coco and Lafe, Cowboy Review, Cyd Ward, David HB Drake, Midwestern Troubadour, Emily Arin, Fine Arts Ensemble, Grant Peeples, Holly Reed, Jazz Vibraphone and Steelpan, Jeff Pearce, Jenna Mammina and Brian Gore, Joe and Vicki Price, Judy Insley/ Almost Perfect, Kacey Jones, Larry (Cord) Cordle, Mason Douglas, Miche Fambro, Mya Elaine, Nesta: Steel drums and World Percussion, Norman Taylor, Paul Sachs, prattle on, rick., Project Natale, Ragged But Right, Rebel Red, Rick Nestler, Robert Bassett, Robert Greene, Stephanie Bettman & Luke Halpin, The Points North, The Stellanovas, Thom Bresh, Tom Acousti, Tommy Talton, Tori Sparks

Renewed Artists: (A HUGE thank you for your continued support!)

Tim Bays, Blame Sally, Drew Nelson, Vanessa Peters, Tim Miller, Eric Roberts, Carolann Ames, Bill Toms, Austin Cunningham, Christopher Ames, Emily Henry, Michael Tiernan, Billy Bensing, Thea Hopkins, Cher & Gene Klosner, Scott Beck, Tom Pacheco, The Old 78’s, Jacob and Lily

Schwag of the Month:

We continue to get multiple orders of our compilation CD. Hosts are finding these to be great gifts at their events, and I believe it’s a great way to inspire your friends to give house concerts a try.

You can order one, ten or twenty copies here. They are technically free, we just ask a little bit for shipping costs.

I’ll bring these to the conference so you can certainly pick up a copy there if you are a host.

Tip for Artists and Hosts:

Come to Conference:

Get the CIYH Discount before it’s too late!

(I’ll be hosting a showcase room for CIYH members. Shh!)

Letters from Ned:

Another great story from Ned Treanor, our resident historian and lover of all things acoustic. This one is about Bob Gibson and Three Mile Island.

Please share this information with people you like. — fran

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