Greetings from Liberty. The world just keeps getting smaller and smaller. At a recent show in Ft. Myers, Florida, I met a couple who were visiting from Baltimore. We had a lovely chat after the show and spoke of the songs I had performed from my Another Life record about people, places and reminiscences from my growing up years in Baltimore. We also spoke about the ridge I live on near Liberty, Tennessee. Earlier this week, these new friends wrote me an email mentioning a few Baltimore songwriter/musicians that they like and a journal entry excerpt from 1976. In the entry, there was confirmation about how nice folks are here in middle Tennessee. The story of a traveler looking for a place called Whippoorwill Hollow and getting some help and a ride from a kind gentleman in a Ford pick-up truck. Some folks move here because of those friendly ways. Yes, the dirt may be rocky but the neighbors are patient, kind, hospitable and willing to take a load off when your wheelbarrow is full.
Generally, I send out tour announcements the night before the tour begins. Changes come slow. Here we are nearly three weeks out, and I’m getting to announce my March tour to the mid-Atlantic early. I am grateful for the time and the opportunity.
It’s a tour with three new venues I haven’t played before, Friday, March 6 in Martinsburg, West Virginia at the First Friday Coffeehouse, Thursday, March 12 in Glen Burnie, Maryland at CommuniTea House Concert and Saturday, March 21 in North East, Maryland at the North Elk Coffeehouse. There are also two venues I have not played solo before, Tuesday, March 10, in St. Leonard, Maryland at The Tavern and Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15 in Thomas, West Virginia at The Purple Fiddle.
Last summer I performed at Beans In The Belfry and enjoyed performing there and visiting Brunswick, Maryland. It was a small but enthusiastic audience. I’m hoping for a better showing this go round. If you live near Frederick, Maryland, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia or other points nearby and haven’t been to Beans In The Belfry, this would be a good night to give it a go.
On Sunday, March 8, I’m returning to Geoffrey Himes’ Roots Cafe in Baltimore at An Die Musik for an afternoon show at 2pm. This will be my third visit to An Die Musik. Geoffrey and I met in 1981 and have written nearly one hundred songs together over a nearly forty year collaboration. His shows usually feature three writers, but this edition will be just the two of us performing songs we have written together. The show will also feature violinist, Willem Elsevier.
One other event to mention is a radio interview on Forbidden Alliance with Robbie White and Weasel at WOWD Takoma Park Radio on Sunday morning, March 8 from 11am-12pm. This will be my third visit to Forbidden Alliance, and I’m excited to see Robbie and Weasel again. Geoffrey Himes will be co-guesting with me. It should be fun. Please tune in.
That’s all the news for now. Here’s wishing everybody all good things and chicken skin music moments.
billykempposterrootscafewithgeoff2 PDF with links
thepourtour2020poster_midatlanticspring PDF with links