This just in!!!
There will be a guest appearance by Pete Seeger at the Nov 19 Paxton / McCutcheon / Flemons Wetlands Preservation concert hosted by the Dull Music Band.
Pete will be accompanied by his friends from the Hudson Valley, RJ Storm and Old School (Tony Nelson and Joe Kaminsky).
PETE and TOSHI SEEGER WETLANDS PRESERVATION CONCERT SERIES CONTINUES -
TOM PAXTON; JOHN McCUTCHEON; DOM FLEMONS – Nov 19
“Voicing concern” is one of the driving tenets of the acoustic genre. That driving tenet may explain some of the success of the Pete and Toshi Seeger Wetlands Preservation Concert Series which has packed 2 concert halls and promises to pack a third on Nov 19. Tom Paxton; John McCutcheon; Dom Flemons (of the Carolina Chocolate Drops); and musical hosts, The Dull Music Band; take the stage for an environmental expo/concert at the William Carlos Williams Center for the Arts in Rutherford NJ.
Tom Paxton, revered singer/songwriter, whose message-laden career burgeoned after a demonstrative entrance into the Village scene during the 60’s, has written some of acoustics’ enduring classics. His art has been brought to the world stage by genre legends Peter, Paul and Mary; Pete Seeger; The Weavers; Willie Nelson; The Dubliners; Harry Belafonte; Judy Collins; Placido Domingo; Dolly Parton and scores of other interpreters. Ramblin' Boy; Bottle of Wine; The Marvelous Toy have endured the test of time and are considered mainstays in the repertoire of the acoustic set.
Paxton himself has been travelling worldwide since the early days. An international fan-base holds dearly to the message of peace and responsible earth-guarding that the artist lives and sings. The message-bringer has bolstered the national environmental menu of acoustic songs with classics: “Whose Garden Was This?”, written for Earth Day 1970; and “There Goes the Mountain” – a gripping expose of strip mining practices. Paxton made it a personal note to perform in the Wetland Series, in support of a widening movement to protect the last vestiges of wetlands in the NJ/NY area.
John McCutcheon hails from Wisconsin but grew up musically traveling during his 20’s in Appalachia. His communal /family spirit harkens back to those early days of root influence. The strapping artist has an athletic background which he tucked away to pursue an international folk career. He is known as one of the few masters of the Hammered Dulcimer, a complex mountain instrument whose sound brings you to those hills. The multi-instrumentalist, staunch supporter of peace and justice issues, storyteller and folk singer-songwriter par excellence, shuttles around the globe with proactive protest and concern for the planet and its future.
His appearance with Tom Paxton and Pete Seeger is timely and notable – all have supported environmental issues without flinching for their entire careers. You may consider this concert as a sort of a musical Wall Street protest with an environmental angle.
Dom Flemons travels most notably with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a Grammy winning trio that highlights the old-timey tradition of the black banjoists. Flemons has recently created a stir with his solo career via a recent move to New York City, placing him in a central position in the new folk momentum. He’ll dazzle you with old-timey banjo; spoons; guitars and other stylistic surprises that bring you back a century or so - placing you in the American musical cauldron. The influences Flemons brings to life are the core elements of American music that magnetize the world stage.
The musical host of the Wetlands Series is the Dull Music Band – a message oriented rousing acoustic fivesome that has been filling regional halls since their inception 3 years ago. The band comprises of: member of the Fugs punk band, Scott Petito, on bass; Ted Clancy, former travelling lead guitarist for the Happenings; Dan O’Dea, fiddler with scores of fiddling convention trophies; Alex Zetelski, 24 year old drummer on the rise; Martin Dull, age 24, lead vocalist- singer-songwriter whose songs this band plays; along with second lead, John Dull, regional folk mainstay for the last few decades. The bands youth / mixed with mellow folk wisdom of the elders, excites both new legions of acoustic enthusiasts and established acoustic ears that have been waiting for an exciting new sound and lyric.
The Wetlands Series was opened by, and named after, Pete Seeger and Toshi Seeger. There is a pronounced environmental expo preceding each event. Past display booth participants with proactive demonstrations were the NJ Meadowlands Commission; the Hackensack Riverkeeper; the NJ Audubon Society; the Rutherford Green Team; The Overpeck Preserve. Awards are given by dignitaries for proactive environmentalism to worthy recipients which have included the Seegers and the Riverkeeper.
Tickets from $40-$20 online at www.dullmusic.com or walk-up at Steve’s Coin and Stamp; 2 Franklin Place, Rutherford, NJ 07070; (201-935-3737)
The series is sponsored by The Boiling Springs Savings Bank; the South Bergenite; the Hackensack Riverkeeper; the Rutherford Green Team and the William Carlos Williams Center for the Arts.
DATE: Saturday, November 19, 2011
TIME: 6:35 pm Environmental Expo / 7:30 pm concert and awards ceremony
PLACE: William Carlos Williams Center for the Arts, 1 Williams Plaza, Rutherford, NJ 07070
WHO: Tom Paxton (www.TomPaxton.com); John McCutcheon (www.folkmusic.com); Dom Flemons (www.CarolinaChocolateDrops.com); The Dull Music Band (www.dullmusic.com)
TICKETS: $40/$35/$30/$20 – walk up at Steve’s Coin and Stamp; 2 Franklin Place, Rutherford, NJ 07070; (201 935 3737) ---or online at dullmusic.com
INFO and DIRECTIONS: dullmusic.com MORE BELOW --- MORE BELOW
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The Story of the Wetlands Preservation Concert Series
On the inspiration of Pete and Toshi Seeger, the Wetlands Preservation Concert Series continues.
When the Seegers eyed expansive wetlands during travels on the NJ Pike, it occurred to them how fragile these beautiful meadows and other wetlands in the northeast are. They are in need of our awareness and aggressive protection.
Much work has already been done in NJ wetland areas. This concert series will provide environmental displays which highlight some of that work, and the series will give awards to proactive groups and individuals for outstanding environmental progress in wetland areas. But the remaining untarnished and semi-tarnished meadow areas are in pronounced need of further protection.
This string of concerts, kicked off by Pete and Friends last November, will have as its goal awareness proliferation surrounding the wonderful opportunities, and beauties that lie in our wetlands. The series will encourage proactive involvement.
Between concerts, visit the trails of DeKorte Park (Lyndhurst, NJ), or take a pontoon boat tour of the Hackensack River. You may see a bald Eagle or 2, an egret, or some beautiful treasure that will remind us of the need to protect these strange and wonderful habitats for future generations.
TOM PAXTON / PETE SEEGER / JOHN McCUTCHEON / DOM FLEMONS / RJ STORM and OLD SCHOOL / The DULL MUSIC BAND (Oct 18, 2011)