Cottonwood Celebrates the Arts. And Wine.

What's going on this weekend? According to the Redding Record Searchlight, the #1 Thing to do is happening in Cottonwood on Saturday afternoon:

Craig and I love playing in our own hometown - and we are looking forward to sharing the stage with so many talented musicians at the 3^rd Annual Cottonwood Art Wine and Music Show at 4 PM on March 14^th at the Cottonwood Community Center.

The styles range from original folk to country, bluegrass, pop, rock and gospel.

 

4:00 Sami Jo

4:30 Sons of Jefferson

5:00 Delaney Rene

5:30 Will Miller

6:00 Still Married

6:30 Pine Dogz

7:00 Matthew Songmaker

 

 

In addition to music, enjoy tastings from local wineries, appetizers and shopping for unique items from local artists. Tickets are $15 and are available at The Elegant Bean and Tri-Counties Bank and at the door.

For more information on the artists and wine tasting, contact Mary O'Keefe: 347-1230.

For information on the musicians, contact Erin Friedman:   Erin_Friedman@sbcglobal.net

 

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Redding's got FLASH!

USA Today can say what they want about the well-being of folks here in Redding, but these energetic kids are doing their part to ramp-up the happiness quotient right here in River City.

Flash Crew rehearses tirelessly and performs any time they get a chance - you may have seen them at the Mount Shasta Mall, at Market Street Faire,  at the Sundial Bridge....or sleeping on my living room couches.


Flash Crew is Joe Friedman, Brady Olsen, Nolan Meeks, Hunterrose Emmons, Tony Meredith and Tristan Gifford. Talented videographer Brandon Burgess of Sacramento's  IAMMOMENT  Productions has produced a several videos starring starring the Flash Crew. 

The latest is TIMELESS - watch the video and watch for the Flash Crew to make a big splash in the dance world and make Redding proud.

Like them on: Facebook
Follow them on: Twitter

Flash Crew's Timeless:



Flash Crew's Saviors of the Universe:




Behind the scene at Saviors of the Universe:

Shasta County Folk Song Honored

We're very excited that our song The Hour of the Outlaw received an Honorable Mention in the Folk category of the West Coast Songwriters International Song Contest.

I wrote the song in response to a challenge on the Songwriting Scene blog: "Write a song based on a book title." I had read Maiya Williams' time-travel novel, The Hour of the Outlaw, to my kids a few years before and thought the title had a nice musical lilt to it. For the song's story, I found inspiration in a local historical event -- the Ruggles Brothers legend, with its bad boys, sunken treasure and lynch mob.

As a songwriter, I like to take the truth and make it better, so I whipped out my Poetic License and embellished the tale, creating a Shasta County folk song with a supernatural twist.

The song is on our latest CD, Storms and Other Blessed Burdens.

The Hour of the Outlaw
words and music © 2010 Erin Friedman

He checked his pocket watch and he pulled his hat down low
Crouched in shadowed canyon beside the stagecoach road
Stood ready with his shotgun and when the stage arrived
Shot the guard and stole the gold and proved his daddy right

The Hour of the Outlaw
Seconds beat like a drum
The Hour of the Outlaw
The countdown has begun

His daddy was a scoundrel, a gambler and a thief
Took a bullet in his back for the aces up his sleeve
Before he died he said, "Son, outlaw blood runs through your veins
And all I got to leave you is this pocket watch and chain"

The Outlaw of the stagecoach trail could not out run his fate
Time had come for justice and justice would not wait
An angry mob rode out to Whiskey Creek and tracked him down
Left him swinging like a pendulum from the highest tree in town

The treasure still lies buried on the banks of Whiskey Creek
Many men have searched and failed - fortunately
But when the time is right, some unsuspecting soul
Will dig up a cursed pocket watch and strongbox full of gold

The Last Cowboy in Shasta County

It's Rodeo Week in Redding - so we've been pulling out all the cowboy songs.

We're lucky to live in Cottonwood, where we look out on wide open spaces, rodeo bulls, horses and cowboys. I was watching the local cowboys working the rodeo stock one afternoon when I started writing this song. I definitely had the easier job.

Lyrics below.

It's available as a free download on our website: http://www.stillmarried.net/.


The Last Cowboy in Shasta County

words and music © Erin Coombs Friedman

He'll take coffee as day breaks over Lassen
Saddle up to the tune of a Gene Autry song
There's a full day of work waitin' out in the pasture
For an old man, a paint horse and a Hangin' Tree dog


chorus

He's the Last Cowboy in Shasta County
Keeping the wild in the West while he can
He'll ride out his seasons with red manzanita
Black Oak and blue skies
And the last of the gold Shasta sand



At the edges, his mem'ries grow misty
Like the yellowing photos of old rodeos
The legend survives on good rides and good whiskey
And a promise he made in good faith long ago

repeat chorus

Gone are the days rough and rowdy
Hard times they carve ragged lines tough to cross
But hell will see hailstones before the last cowboy
Will piss on the fire and call in the dogs

Out of the Ashes

These days, there are lots of reasons to sink into A Funk --


The bleak economic outlook, the juvenile sniping that passes for political discourse, the return of the fashion disaster known as the "smock top." Oy.

And In a Funk is where I was on Thursday, when I set out for a walk by the river.


But it couldn't last, because out there on the riverside, which just a few weeks ago was burned to a crisp, everywhere I turned I saw signs of new life, new hope: Fresh green, growing sprouts emerging from the ashes, doing their damnedest to heal the blackened landscape and revive the dark, dreary scenery.

The river sparkled in the sun. Tourists smiled and posed, snapped their souvenir shots.

The Funk surrendered, having been soundly battered by the prevailing theme out on The River:

"Life is good - healing happens."

The pictures are, mostly, from the river trail and surrounding areas.

The song is "I Never Knew I Could Fly." Free download available here.

I Never Knew I Could Fly

© Erin Coombs Friedman

Saw my whole world fall apart in slow motion
The tragedy unfolded frame by frame
Before and after severed in a moment
When the ground beneath my feet fell away

I tumbled in a free fall without warnin’
Terrified until I realized
I was no longer fallin’ -- I was soarin’
I Never Knew I Could Fly ‘til I tried

A fall from grace – A leap of faith
I Never Knew I Could Fly ‘til I tried
Til I was fallin’ desperately
I never knew I had wings
I Never Knew I Could Fly ‘til I tried

I found hope in a hopeless cry of sorrow
An upliftin’ wind in a dark cloud of despair
From here on high, I see a bright tomorrow
If it’s an angel that you need, I’ll be there

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