Banjo's Awesome Modesto Adventure

Word came last week that my song, 2:20, made it to the finals of the Northern California Women's Music Festival Songwriting Contest  I was invited to perform the tune at the festival on Saturday evening. I hemmed and hawed about making the trip -- it's four hours away and we had no one to care for The Banjo Dog.

Then 18-year old Joe, said: "Mom, you HAVE to go. What are you doing music for if NOT for things like this?!"

He had a point.

So I logged on to BringFido.com and located a dog-friendly hotel. Got a great deal on a room where our goofy dog was welcome.   Banjo's been part of the family for six months but this would be his first road trip. Turns out he's a trooper. Loves riding in the truck and he's the perfect hotel guest: quiet, neat and unlikely to steal towels.

Banjo likes hotels!

Craig and I headed out early on Saturday morning -- when he's not my faithful bass player, Craig is a terrific roadie -- and we made it to Modesto in the early afternoon. This was the first Northern California Women's Music Festival. What a lovely event. The Prospect Theater is intimate and beautifully appointed, a comfortable space that was obviously created by someone who loves the theater. The stage and the lighting were lovely and sound was perfect.  Best of all were the people -- great folks created this festival and made it happen in a big way -- a joyful vibe permeated the room.

The song, 2:20, was inspired by a late-night trip that we made to the Redding train station last year. It was eerie and odd to be out in Redding at two am, waiting in the dark for the arrival of the Coast Starlight. There was NO sleep for us that night -- we were texting and keeping track of Joe (our smart kid) who was headed to the Bay Area to visit my dear sister and her husband.

All sorts of thoughts floated through my mind that sleepless night - and I imagined a woman leaving town under rather dire circumstances and wrote a song around that story.

I played the song to an attentive audience and was delighted that my sleepless night paid off and I won the songwriting contest.

Banjo's patience was wearing thin at this point, so we said our goodbyes and set out in search of a dog-friendly restaurant.

Dews in Modesto had a lovely patio.

"Can we sit here with our dog?" "Of course!"  "Champagne?"  "Why, yes."

What a place -- calamari fritta was fabulous, followed by a bleu cheese encrusted New York Steak and Blackened Sea Bass. The bread pudding ala mode - bliss! All the while, Banjo laid quietly at my feet.   It was a perfect evening.

"The bill, please?"

"It's been paid for.  An anonymous donor wanted to help you celebrate."

Oh. My. Goodness. -- An amazing day from start to finish. Back to earth tomorrow. But in the small songwriting world I live in, this counts a truly awesome adventure.


-- Erin

Celebrating 10 Years of Inspiration

The Sundial Bridge is one of those places that continues to inspire and delight me. My daughter was a volunteer with Turtle Bay in 2004 when the bridge opened and was one of the first to get to cross it. Since then,  I get out there every chance I get.

I've found a lot songs on that span and on the adjacent River Trail, including Under the Sundial Bridge and River Whispers.  So we were delighted to be asked to perform some of our tunes during the Sundial Music Festival,  part of the Celebrate 10 festivities.

The Riverfront Amphitheater is a cool, grassy slope above a stage that sits just off the river bank,  it's north of the Convention Center, between the Sundial Bridge and the Boat Ramp.   It's a perfect spot to share our locally-inspired tunes.

In addition to music, you'll also find a beer garden and food trucks with all sorts of goodies available.

photo by Cierra Goldstein

Sundial Music Festival runs from 6 -9 PM,  June 22 - June 25 and June 29 - July 2.  It features  different musical acts every night.

Still Married will perform on Tuesday, July 1st, at 7 PM at the
Riverfront Amphitheater.

More details are here: http://www.shastaartscouncil.org

This tune is on our playlist for the Sundial Music Festival - hope to see lots of friends there for  this is a momentous occasion. Ten years of beauty, grace and inspiration is well worth a grand celebration.

Art in the City: A Redding Tradition

Thursday, May 15th, the City of Redding presents a free concert and art show at Redding City Hall. The Summer Art Reception runs from 5-7 and features art from the Grand View Fine Arts Society, quilts created by the Quilter's Sew-Ciety of Redding and art by Patricia Cook. Click here for more information on the artists.

Several North State Songwriters will perform original music in the lobby. 

Still Married's  country folk tunes celebrate the landscape, the characters and the independent spirit of Far Northern California, with songs like "Under the Sundial Bridge" and "The Redding Song."  Singer- songwriter Will Miller will perform indie folk and country music. Duo Matthew Songmaker and Sam Jo bring a unique blend of bluegrass, Americana, and acoustic country. Justin Contreras will perform original acoustic rock tunes.

The public is invited to meet the artists whose work is on display and enjoy complimentary refreshments at Shasta County's largest art gallery.

Redding: We're #1 ....Sorta

Okay: We're number 187. Whatever.

I was a little irked at the report in USA Today and elsewhere on the Gallup-Healthways survey that ranked Redding 187th out of 189 U.S. cities with regard to "well being." We're one notch below Spartanburg, South Carolina, and just below us, at the bottom of the list, are a couple West Virginia communities. Sigh.

For me, the best antidote to irked-ness is songwriting. Turning lemons into lemonade with this new tune, wherein we answer the negative press with a laundry list of Redding's virtues.  

Scroll down to listen on Youtube.

We're Number 1 (87)

words and music by Erin Friedman

Numbers crunched and calculated

U.S. cities ranked and rated

Enumerated proof we can’t ignore

In Anchorage they exercise

In Lafayette they’re satisfied

In Redding we are mystified

By our abysmal score

We’re Number One-eighty-seven

We score no points for rivers, bridges and sunshine

We’re number one-eighty-seven

But watch out Spartanburg

Redding’s ready to climb

We cast flies on the Sacramento

Our theater’s restored art-deco

We love Shasta’s glow when the sun is setting

Provo’s tops in USA Today

But I can buy local Chardonnay

Even on the Sabbath Day

At Safeway in Redding

We’re Number One-eighty-seven

We score no points for rivers, bridges and sunshine

We’re number one-eighty-seven

But watch out Spartanburg

Redding’s ready to climb

Our Sundial Bridge is world-renowned

Hike the falls at Whiskeytown

Our 80 miles of trails are right for rambling

See salmon rise on 44

Smile, Redding, head outdoors

Our collective self-esteem will soar

Like an eagle on the wing

We’re Number One eighty-seven

We're looking down on almost heaven, West Virginia

We’re number one-eighty-seven

Redding will rise

And Gallup, we’ll forgive ya

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:

Boomerang Bash

Boomerang - Nick's new CD

I often say: Nick Ciampi is the reason Craig and I are Still Married. 

Nick came into our lives with his guitar and his grin and set us off on a mystical, musical journey. I can' t imagine life ANY other way and we are so grateful for Nick's encouragement, his enthusiasm and his passionate, optimistic spirit.

Nick is a musical legend here in Redding.  For fifty years, he's crafted his passionate, folk-rock tunes, played in bands from Oregon to San Diego, captivated audiences and taught students of all ages.  

This weekend Nick Ciampi and his Band are celebrating the release of Nick's first studio CD, Boomerang, an album chock-full of richly-produced rock tracks that showcase Nick's soulful voice and poignant lyrics.

This project is dear to Nick's heart:  "The CD is a lifelong accomplishment. My first real studio-produced album, done by a world-class producer.  Since 1964, when I started my first band, I dreamed of having a recording of this quality."

The 15-track CD was produced at After Hours Recorders by Redding's Bruce Turgon, who Nick describes as "the absolute best." Rounding out the Nick Ciampi Band, are Marty Tully on lead guitar, George Ertl on drums, and Eddie "Boo Boo" Belnas on bass.  Boomerang features guest performances by Nick's good buddy Gary Zimmerman from San Mateo on horns.   

The Boomerang Release Party is Sunday, March 16th, from 3-7 at the Old Millhouse Restaurant in Redding.  Nick has invited several musician friends to help celebrate, so in addition to hearing Nick and his band perform the entire album, he promises performances by local guest artists. 

Pizza, beer and original tunes. We're looking forward to it!

Facebook page for the CD Release Party.

Celebrate Culture

The Cultural Cruise - a city-wide celebration of the arts - gets underway on January 28th at 4 PM.

From the Turtle Bay website: Join the Turtle Bay Museum, Shasta County Arts Council’s Old City Hall Gallery, Redding City Hall, Redding Library, First United Methodist Church, Shasta State Historic Park, Shasta College Art Gallery and North Valley Art League for a night of visual enjoyment. Cruise with your family and friends around Redding to see exciting art exhibitions and enjoy refreshments at each hosting gallery – a truly pleasurable evening. Pick up a Cultural Cruise map at the locations listed above for more detailed information. FREE!

Click here for a map: Cultural Cruise Map

Craig and I will be playing our original music at Redding City Hall beginning at 5 PM, along with another husband and wife duo, The Pine Dogz.

We've shared the bill with Steve and Diana Wallis several times and always have a ball.

We're looking forward to sharing tunes from our new CD, Storms and Other Blessed Burdens, including this one, inspired by a Shasta County legend:

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

River Whispers

The Sacramento River winds through much of Shasta County history, and while I enjoy my long walks on the River Trail, I like to listen and write.

In River Whispers, I considered the part the river played - and continues to play - in the making of this community. This song is first track on our CD: Sacramento River Whispers.

And I am fairly certain that the long-stemmed yellow rose I found on the riverside last autumn has a story that will, eventually, find its way into another song.

River Whispers
words and music © Erin Coombs Friedman


“Kneel before the queen and sift
The sparkling sands, the regal gifts”
Fools rush in, wise men resist
The River Whispers - to them all

The River Whispers -- The river sings
Races through ages, remembering
Love songs and lullabies
Fables and ancient rhymes
River Whispers drifitin’ by
River Whispers driftin’ by

“The wild west is yours to tame
Build a mountain – move the rain
Drench the thirsty waves of grain”
The River Whispers - then they came

The River Whispers -- The river sings
Races through ages, remembering
Love songs and lullabies
Fables and ancient rhymes
River Whispers drifitin’ by
River Whispers driftin’ by

Kestrel cries and voices reach
Thru tangled vines, miner’s debris
A yellow rose among fallen leaves
The River Whispers – to me

The River Whispers -- The river sings
Races through ages, remembering
Love songs and lullabies
Fables and ancient rhymes
River Whispers drifitin’ by
River Whispers driftin’ by

Redding - Where it's a crime to be a kid

School officials are dealing with rising truancy rates. The local police department wants to help. But all of the good intentions behind the Daytime Curfew Ordinance (passed by Redding City Council, 4-1) do not justify violating the civil liberties of our young people.

Chief Moty assured Council Members that his officers will ONLY be looking for “habitual truants” and getting them back into school.

Why, then, offer up an ordinance that criminalizes ALL young people?

You can drag a teenager to school, you can handcuff him to a desk. But you can’t call it education. And while the ordinance may net local school districts a few more ADA dollars, the kids who value their education will now share their classrooms with hostile teens who would rather be elsewhere. Teachers will be stuck dealing with discipline issues.

Can we look forward to escalating school violence, now that police will be rounding up habitual truants and dragging their butts to school?

The schools have failed to engage their at-risk students. Instead of creating innovative programs that encourage and motivate their students to stay in school, they throw up their hands and call in the Big Guns.

It’s heartbreaking to me that more citizens – government watchdogs, constitutional experts, etc… -- did not come forward to speak up for our city’s young people.

The City Council has promised to revisit the issue in six months. I will be there.

Rivers Restaurant Website

Redding's newest hot-spot, Rivers, now has a lovely presence online:

Rivers

Oh, Man, Rivers!

Delicious food, huge menu, spectacular view, servers who seem bound and determined to please their customers...... Oh, yes, this place is going places.

When we want to eat on the river, Craig and I usually pack a picnic and head out to the river trail. Not bad, but sometimes we crave a riverside meal without the bugs and dirt.

So it was with great pleasure that we enjoyed a "preview" lunch today, at Rivers. (at 202 Hemsted Drive, Redding, (530) 223-5606)

What a treat!

The spinach salad with pears, blue cheese and candied walnuts was yummy. Lovely to look at, the dressing was just tangy enough, and the portion was more than I could eat.

Craig enjoyed a cream of asparagus soup that was rich, flavorful, and a seafood kabob served on a generous portion of scrumptious mashed potatoes. I watched many beautifully presented dishes go by, and heard lots of rave reviews from happy diners on their way out.

Dessert was one of my favorites - Bananas Foster. Again, presented artistically and just right for sharing.

The lunch menu offered a huge variety -- salads, panini, burgers, wrap sandwiches, pastas, seafood and more.

I also happen to be a connoisseur of restaurant Ladies Rooms -- and the one at Rivers is outstanding - decorated in muted blues and browns, lovely tile work and flooring, and soft (read "flattering") lighting. All good. Someday I'll stop being surprised by automatically flushing toilets. Soon, I hope.

A great new Special Occasion Place for the North State. And since I'm a big fan of the Sacramento River - I do a lot of my writing out there -- I can't wait to enjoy drinks out on the patio.

Cheers!