HELLO LOVES.
Greetings from the woods of Upstate New York. I'm about to go offline for a mental health break and I'll be back Friday with a really juicy and beautiful new video for you (get ready to cry) that I shot in New Zealand, and the end of the month - April 30th - will bring The April Althing.
If you're new here, just follow along...but long story short: I started a venue with the help of the patrons here, and now, I've got some big Graveside Variety news. If you've been putting off coming to the venue....NOW IS THE SEASON! Our days are officially numbered.
BEFORE we get into the nitty gritty here, let me remind you that THIS PATREON is responsible for the existence of an entire little local movement of art, song, dance, theater, kids, drag queens, and beyond...all in the little oasis of Woodstock, NY, a postage-stamp sized town two hours from the city, where, if you drive about 5 minutes in every direction, there are MAGA and LET'S GO BRANDON signs hanging in peoples' gardens (hint for the international set: that's code for "we should murder the sitting president of the USA"). I'm really proud of what we've created here, we've helped move the needle in our tiny little local way, and there's a larger story to tell. I want to fund the telling of it, along with Liz, who's been running the venue with me, and so, here we go. I ask your blessing.
I hope you've been able to sense, from afar, how much this tiny offering, with your funding, has changed the world just a little bit for a lotta people.
Live music in America is DYING. I'm not exaggerating when I say that.
Gas prices are up, travel is getting prohibitively expensive, funding is going away, SPOTIFY DOESN'T PAY SHIT, small, local music and art venues are shuttering left and right because they just cannot make the math work. Bands are breaking up and halting touring because they just cannot balance the budget.
This little experiment we did in the woods - funded in part by this patreon - proved that we can find new and creative ways of kickstarting community.
It works.
Be the venue you want to see in the world.
.........
Ok, Big Spring News #1 time....and don't worry, there's a lotta news coming down the pike (including New Dresden Dolls album recording updates, new Dolls touring news, and I have a piece of massive & terrifyingly groovy personal news coming up....).
THERE IS MOVEMENT AFOOT here in Woodstock, New York, and a poll to answer.
We have a ton of events coming up in May/June, and then we're gonna shut down for the summer....we lose our lease at the beginning of June (we tried to stay, but the building has to change hands, AND we were losing too much dough).
BUT, GOOD NEWS: a magical couple from our patron community right here, Joel and Alicia Webber, HAVE BOUGHT A BUILDING IN WOODSTOCK right down the road from the current location, and Graveside will LIVE ON!!!!
IT'S KIND OF A MIRACLE. :)
We will tell the deeper story in the post we put together to celebrate the end of Graveside 1.0.
***Top priority for the locals, before I take this show to the socials, the mailing list, or ANYWHERE ELSE, I want to give all y'all patrons FIRST CRACK at the little "Private Practice" show I just put on sale...my last tiny Woodstock solo piano show before we move. Info below (or run straight to the site for tickets)...it's Sunday, May 26th, I JUST put her on sale. 50 tickets only. Go Go Go. This will be a really special goodbye-Graveside gatherings for the local patrons, too, and we will AFTERPARTY, and I'll do a long Q&A to share all the news of the day with you.***
.......
It's gonna take a second to renovate the new space, but it's....HAPPENING! We did it!
The patron part will come to and end, and we are handing our baby over to a new era.
The name of the venue may evolve, and we are gonna try to get some AMAZING COFFEE in the door, and really spiffy up the tech and the stage!
And lo, a whole new venue shall be born.
So stay tuned. I'll be there to cut the ribbon and play the new piano and generally cheerlead this project to DEATH!
NOW the poll may make it all obvious....but I have a final ask of the patron-community as I, the kickstarter owner of Graveside 1.0, bring the first era to a close.
As some of you may know (but if yoi're new here, lemme explain) I asked the patrons' blessing to "Thing" the venue for the first three months of its existence, and the majority vote came in fully in support.
I'm asking for your blessing/opinion on "Thinging" a "Best of Graveside" wrap blog as the Third Thing of the Month next month (in May), which will bring about an extra needed $5k in the door to help defray the massive financial leakage that happened over the winter.
Why did that happen? A combo of factors: I had to take my eye of the venue ball (mostly due to the fact that my December got eaten by Lee's January Cancer Death and the collapsing situation with his buildings, my old arts collective home/the Cloud Club in Boston, which is a waaaay longer story for later, I haven't even yet had tme to write and publish an obituary for Lee...but I'll get there).
We barely held any events in January and February, the rent was still $4k a month, and , long story short: we ate it. We also like to our employees a living wage for what they do, and I didn't want to give anyone the axe or a paycut. I didn't think any of you would blink if I just did this without asking, but I like to ask. Weigh in please. I hope it's okay, but this is often a consent-based patron-land, and I like to know I'm not making the majority of people here grumpy. If that ever happens, I'll find other ways.
............
As I mentioned above, for Patrons first and foremost:
I'm want to take the opportunity, as we shutter our doors and move down the street, to do a FINAL "PRIVATE PRACTICE" Amanda Solo show!
Just me, you patrons, the piano, and some story and song time. That show JUST went on sale and only holds 50 bums. GET TICKETS NOW, the show is Sunday, 5/26 at 5pm. We will be continuing into a hang with the patron party running until 9pm.
I'll leave this show unannounced to the public for a week or so to make sure all patrons get tickets first, then, if there are any tickets left, I'll take it public.
IF YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED AN EXCUSE TO COME SEE THE VENUE, THIS IS IT!
We will have drinks and snacks available for purchase by donation.
HERE IS THE TICKETING LINK:
https://privatepracticeparty.eventbrite.com
The dough from the sales of those tickets will ALSO go to help pay off the Graveside Winter Shortfall, so buy early and often..
.....
We held a GREAT little fundraiser last week with songs and love from me, Rizo, John Coons, Lance Horne, Gracie Coates, and speical guest (and patron!) Amelia Allen. It was really beautiful..here's a couple snaps:
UPCOMING AT GRAVESIDE....! All tickets at gravesidevariety.com
I want to do a dedicated post about it in a moment, BUT: LOOK!!! I AM DOING AN AUTHOR SERIES!
IN CONVERSATION WITH A BUNCH OF BAD ASS WOMEN!!! ALL DATES BELOW.
Thursday, April 25th at 6:30 pm
golly presents: Jenna Nicholls + Niall Connolly — tickets & more info
***
Friday, April 26th at 8:00 pm
Dust Bowl Faeries Trio with Special Guest Melora Creager (from Rasputina) — tickets & more info
***
Saturday, April 27th at 2pm
The Golden Notebook presents Jo Salas (MRS. LOWE-PORTER) — free & open to the public
***
Saturday, April 27th at 7:00 pm
Andrea Ward & Jordann Funk at Graveside Variety — tickets & more info
***
Sunday, April 28th at 6:30 pm
golly presents: Melissa Ferrick + Erin Hogan — tickets & more info
***
Tuesday, April 30th a 7pm pm
Mr Potato Head Day: An Evening of Experimental Music - RSVP & more info
Thursday, May 2nd at 7 pm
golly presents: Jenna Nicholls + Helen Rose— tickets & more info
***
Friday, May 3rd at 7 pm
Ry Piet with Ethan Klee (details coming soon)
***
Saturday May 4th at 2 pm
Song Salon Hosted by Brad Cole - RSVP & more info
$10 suggested donation
***
Saturday May 4th at 7 pm
Leo Lovechild with Bluestone Quarry- (details coming soon)
Sunday May 5th at 2pm
The Golden Notebook presents Emet North (IN UNIVERSES) — free & open to the public
***
Sunday May 5th at 7 pm
Party Around a Piano with Lance Horne - tickets & more info
theme: deep cuts
***
Thursday May 9th at 7 pm
Soren Song- (details coming soon)
***
Friday May 10th at 8 pm
Seeds Under Nuclear Winter: An Earth Opera - tickets & more info
***
Saturday May 11th at 7 pm
Luis Mojica My Broken Body Is A Medicine Box: An Evening Of Stories, Songs, & Somatics
- tickets on sale Wednesday 4/24 at noon via our mailing list- & 4/27 to the general public-
***
Sunday, May 12th at 12:30 pm
Amanda Palmer in Conversation with Authors: Elizabeth Lesser— tickets & more info
Sunday, May 12th at 5 pm
Katy Pinke —(details coming soon)
***
Thursday, May 16th at 7 pm
Jennifer Maidman —(details coming soon)
***
Friday, May 17th at 7 pm
golly presents: Garrett Eaton + Gold Child — tickets & more info
***
Saturday , May 18th at 1:00 pm
Amanda Palmer in Conversation with Authors: Katherine Yeske Taylor — tickets & more info
***
Sunday May 19th at 7 pm
Party Around a Piano with Lance Horne - tickets & more info
theme: greatest hits
***
Thursday, May 23rd at 7 pm
Gemma Laurence & Mackenzie Shivers —(details coming soon)
***
Friday, May 24th at 7 pm
golly presents: Natalia Zuckerman + Justin Tracy - tickets & more info
***
Saturday May 25th at 2pm
The Golden Notebook presents Joe Piazza (THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE) — free & open to the public
***
Saturday May 25th at 7 pm
golly presents: Holly Miranda + Gracie Coates - tickets & more info
Gracie!! Holly!! GOLLY.!!! These taelnted two had a HUGE part in the creation of Graveside Variety and will have huge role in the creation of this grand new era. ..skillfully nourishing the seeds planted by Graveside. They also are incredible musicians and humans. Come celebrate t their work, their talent, and their hearts together for this very special show.
***
Saturday, June 1st at 1:00 pm
Amanda Palmer in Conversation with Authors: Leslie Jamison — tickets & more info
PLEASE SIGN UP FOR THE GRAVESIDE VARIETY MAILING LIST FOR THE LATEST.
and give GravesideVariety a follow on instagram!!!!
,..........
OKAY!
VOTE!
And more soon
xxx
AFP
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