Raise the Roof

Out little town of Cottonwood is pulling together this weekend. The mission? Raise $14,000 to fix the weather-damaged roof on the Community Center. The building is dear to my heart -- it's where my kids first learned to dance - and they ALL live to dance now.

Cottonwood is dear to my heart because we fell in love with this place - the old-west landscape, the generous people and the can-do spirit -- when we moved here thirteen years ago.

The event gets underway on Friday at 1 PM, when Shasta County Supervisor Les Baugh and Cottonwood Mayor Mary O'Keeffe begin a 24-hour stint on the Community Center roof. Trip-tip barbecue starts at 5 -- $15 for adults, $5 for kids.

Craig and I - Still Married - will play original Shasta County tunes from 5:30 - 6.

Other entertainment will be provided by Ronnie Brackett, Donna White-Frampton and Richard Horner. The evenings' activities include a live auction, silent auction and raffle. The festivities continue on Saturday with a pancake breakfast and Kids Fun Day including free hot dogs for the first 200 kids, compliments of Wallner Plumbing.

If you can't make it and would like to help out, our little town would sincerely appreciate your donation. Checks can be mailed to:

Cottonwood Community Center

PO Box 1909

Cottonwood, CA 96022

Exceptional Coffee and Original Tunes

My word for 2011 is "FORGE" (see New Year's blog post) and when I picked that word, I made a few promises to myself. One thing I vowed to do was participate in more Open Mic events. Sharing songs in a casual setting is perfect for networking, trying out new material, and honing skills that can ONLY be developed in front of an audience.

So -- how perfect is this? My buddy Nick Ciampi has organized a Songwriters Open Mic at Barista's Coffee ROASTING. Roast....Forge. Can you see how I might take that as an omen?

Nick is hoping the event will become a Thursday evening tradition at Barista's.

If you're a fan of original music, come on out on June 23rd. If you're a songwriter, please join us and share what you're working on. Sing a little bit and enjoy a cup of exceptional specialty coffee.

Songwriters Open Mic

June 23, 6-8 PM

at Barista's Coffee Roasting

1007 Dana Dr

Redding

530-221-7070

Presented by the North State Songwriters Group. If you'd like info on the North State Songwriters, please email me.

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