AUGUST 2010 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME SIX #5

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Please support my work! Buy or download my CDs at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - Thank you!

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:

5 August - Lund, Sweden - Visfestivalen
3 September - Marseilles, IL
4 September - Barrington, IL
5 September - HELP ... got any ideas in the Chicago area? (within 3 hours)
6 September - Pullman - Chicago, IL

Full information about these shows appears at the bottom of this message and continuously updates at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html

(the view from my back door... it's easy to rest up here in this beautiful spot!)

Kopparberg, Sweden
31 July 2010

Hej, och välkomna! (Hi! and Welcome!)

You are my lifeline.  I'm so happy that you read my monthly news!  As I enter all the names from all the folks who sign up for my email list I get to read the "comments" section, which is always fun.  People say very nice things.  But it's so frustrating to get a brand new reader who lives in a city that I've been playing twice a year for the past ten years - e.g. Eugene, OR - and find a comment like "just stumbled into this show! you're terrific!" or "where have you been? we NEED music like this!"  We could have been friends for the past ten years if someone had just told her about my show, or forwarded my email news on to her.

Do you know that the ONLY way that about 90% of people find out about my shows is from this list?  The odds are really good that if you write to someone you know in a city where I'm playing that they'll show up for the concert.  It means so much to me when you do that!  So please, forward this newsletter to your friends and relations...  And if you have time and energy to put up some posters in your town when I'm coming, let me know.

I'm so happy when you write back to me after getting my newsletter.   You send me information that deserves a broader audience, you enrich and deepen our relationship, and keep me in touch with all the communities that I've come to know and love in my travels.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the email you get and decide that you have to unsubscribe, I can tell you now that I'll probably never see you again ... You think you'll check my website or that someone you know will tell you if I'm coming to your town... It doesn't usually work out that way though.

So THANK YOU for making time in your busy schedule to stay in touch with me.  You make my life and work possible!

Peace, love and solidarity...

Anne

Some recent photos:

Sweet Juice on the Blue Moon Stage at Oregon Country Fair

more denizens of Oregon Country Fair!!

Having a ball with my hosts in Grays' Harbor - RD and Linda!!

at Vildrosfestivalen (The Wild Rose Festival) - 23 July 2010 - Horndahl, Sweden

***************** 

THIS ISSUE:

PLEASE VOTE FOR "WAR ON THE WORKERS" IN THE UNION SONG CONTEST STARTING ON SEPTEMBER 6th!

LINKS/VIDEOS OF THE MONTH - BRONTE SISTERS ACTION FIGURES COMMERCIAL!  COWS WITH GUNS! THE "ROUND UP READY" ROUND-UP!

HEADS UP OKIES!! OKLAHOMA LABOR FEST AUGUST 26-28

WHY YOU SHOULD STOP DRINKING BOTTLED WATER

FAMILY NEWS/BIRTHDAYS
 

THE TOUR

 PLEASE VOTE FOR MY SONG "WAR ON THE WORKERS" IN THE UNION SONG CONTEST!

There's a $2000 prize for the best union song being offered by the Union Privilege Credit Card.  They're accepting entries through midnight September 5, 2010.  Voting starts on Labor Day (September 6th) and runs through midnight October 7th.  I hope you'll vote for "War on the Workers" as your favorite.  It would mean a lot to me.  Tell your friends to vote, too!  Voting doesn't start until  Labor Day. In the meantime, visit the site:  http://members.unionsongcontest.org/entries and check out the songs.

LINKS/VIDEOS OF THE MONTH...

This made me laugh out loud.  If the youtube video below isn't displaying, click on this link instead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NKXNThJ610&feature=player_embedded
Bronte Sisters Action Figures



,and my very talented pal, Dana Lyons is celebrating more than 1,000,000 views of his "Cows with Guns" video  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMbXvn2RNI




and one of my favorite videos of all time is back up on the net:  The Flying Folk Army's "Round Up Ready Round Up" - without a doubt one of the best uses I've seen of the internet... http://users.resist.ca/flyingfolk.ca/funstuff.htm  ... just click on the genetically modified tomato for a rollicking tour of our food chain, followed by the irresistible "Round Up Ready Round-Up" ... the song Monsanto doesn't want you to tap your toes to!  This video isn't on YouTube... you've got to click the link above, but you sure won't regret it!

HEADS UP, OKIES (AND NEIGHBORS!!)  LABOR FEST AUGUST 26-28

This festival should be fabulous.  I met the organizers when I played in Oklahoma City in June and they have a great vision.  Support this wonderful event so that it becomes an annual labor festival!  Oklahoma’s largest coalition of labor Unions and labor activists, the Central Oklahoma Labor Federation (COLF), has  announced its plans for the first ever “Oklahoma Laborfest.” After several planning committee meetings of union members and labor advocates, COLF President Tim O’Connor unveiled the purpose and framework of the festival on June 24.


“The purpose of this festival is to create greater awareness of Oklahoma’s working class culture and to build pride in the state’s rich labor history through music, the arts, and camaraderie” said O’Connor.
“Our youth should know about Oklahoma labor heroes like Kate Barnard and Pete Hanraty. They should know our state motto ‘Labor Omnia Vincit’ which means ‘Labor Conquers All.’ We should appreciate Oklahoma’s history of fighting for workers’ rights since the beginning of statehood.”


O’Connor continued, “Unfortunately this history is not being taught to our children today and we run the risk of it being forgotten. With this festival we intend to promote labor literacy among the general public in order to preserve this history and strengthen labor solidarity in the state of Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma Laborfest will be a 3-day festival with activities for all ages in the Plaza District of Oklahoma City, located on NW 16th between Indiana and Blackwelder.

The festival will kick off with a labor poetry reading on August 26th, a showing of the movie ‘Tar Creek’ with a director Q&A on August 27th, and multiple events on August 28th. Events planned for the 28th include panel discussions, an open musicians’ circle jam and sing-a-long, performances by Buffalo Fitz and Green Corn Revival, a labor poster art contest and show, kids activities such as an impromptu children’s theatre, labor and social justice booths, vendors, and book readings by authors and labor activists Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and Stewart Acuff.

Oklahoma Laborfest will culminate in a performance entitled ‘Oklahoma Speaks’ at the Lyric Theatre on the evening of Saturday, August 28th. This event is modeled after the recent History Channel production ‘The People Speak’ and will include dramatic readings of selected historical texts from Oklahoma’s labor and civil rights movement as well as musical performances of songs connected to these movements. The Red Dirt Rangers and Mary Catherine Reynolds will be the featured musical guests for this event.

For more information, including the call for entries for the Oklahoma Laborfest poster art competition and the schedule of events as it continues to develop, please visit Oklahoma LaborFest

The Oklahoma Laborfest Committee consists of multiple union members and labor activists throughout central Oklahoma.


http://www.facebook.com/OklahomaLaborfest?v=wall  OK Labor Fest
http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/ok_l/



FAMILY NEWS/BIRTHDAYS

Jeanne Clark and Steffi Domike - August 4th, Cathy Weldon - August 7th, Judy Wolfson - August 10th,
Janet Stecher - August 12th, Gun Magnusson Forsberg - August 16th, Windy Cooler-Stith - August 28th,
Jonas Engström - August 31st, Amy Berlin - September 1st, Christina Mumphrey - September 3rd!! and    ,
Happy Anniversary to cousins Kristen and Stan Garnett on August 28th

Here's the latest look at Julie's gorgeous oil painting in progress at Avesta Art:

THE TOUR

Thursday, August 5th, 2010 6:30 PM
Visfestivalen
Lund
Sweden
http://lund.cc/artiklar/visfestival/programmet-klart-visfestival-i-stadsparken-4-5-augusti

Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Marseilles, IL
David Raikes is the contact

Saturday, September 4th, 2010 8:00 PM
House Concert at Terri's Place!
call or email Terri to reserve a seat and get directions
Barrington, IL 60010
847-304-5757 847-304-5757
Price: $15
everte@comcast.net - bring an appetizer or dessert if you like. Light refreshments, soft drinks served. BYOB

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5th - ANY IDEAS IN THE CHICAGO AREA?  EMAIL ME! anne@annefeeney.com

Monday, September 6th, 2010 2:00 PM
Pullman Labor Day Celebration
Chicago’s Pullman State Historic Site
111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue
Chicago, IL
http://pullmanevents.info/labor-day.html
 


Anne Feeney
http://annefeeney.com
http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - Buy CDs!
412-877-6480 (cell)

"Anne Feeney is the greatest labor singer in North America." -- Utah Phillips

JULY 2010 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME SIX - #4

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:


Portland, OR
Florence, OR
Veneta, OR
Aberdeen, WA
Horndal, Sweden
Leksand, Sweden
Ireland!!
fall in the midwest!
Labor Day still available!!!
(specific information about all these shows appears at the end of this post, and is continuously updating at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html )

Pittsburgh, PA
5 July 2010


Hi

I'm busy packing for my Pacific Northwest mini-tour - and from there on to Sweden and Ireland!  If you don't live in Portland, Eugene, Florence or Aberdeen - maybe you know someone who does.  Please send them my schedule.

This is my monthly email news - The Fellow Travelers' Advisory.  You signed up for it, or someone signed you up. It's a unique source of information ... 8000 activists from all over North American and Europe correspond with me regularly - and I share the best of what I learn with you, dear reader!  If you read something that you like, drop me a line - anne@annefeeney.com, or call me - 412-877-6480.  If you see that I'm playing in a town where you have friends, *please* let them know that I'm on the way.  It's such a thrill to land in a new town and see folks who heard about the show from my friends on this list.  If you know about something you think might interest my readers, please send it my way.

Happy Canada Day to all who observed that holiday (it's also my birthday!  I was 59 on July 1st...) I'm afraid I've been way to busy to put out much of a newsletter this month, but here's a great photo essay of one of the most fun and creative things that happened at the Social Forum -  Code Pink buried a Hummer at the Heidelberg Arts Project in Detroit.  See http://www.heidelberg.org for more information about the space.

You can buy or download my cds at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - you can download single songs there, too - including my fabulous new recording of "We're Nursing as Fast as We Can!"

Hoping to see you somewhere soon!

Anne

IN THIS ISSUE:

WE BURY A HUMMER IN DETROIT  AT THE U.S. SOCIAL FORUM
BOOKING THE MIDWEST FOR THE FALL
LABOR DAY STILL AVAILABLE!
FAMILY NEWS/BIRTHDAYS
THE TOUR


THE US SOCIAL FORUM

Tens of thousands of activists from all over the US met in Detroit from June 22-26th at the US Social Forum.  It was refreshing to gather with colleagues from all over without the city being under martial law (like Pittsburgh during the G-20, Miami at the FTAA, Kananaskis at the G-8 ...)  It's amazing how much more you can accomplish when the air isn't filled with pepper spray and tear gas!  It was very heartening to see so many young activists there - at least half the participants were under 30!!

I'll leave it to others to debrief you on the Forum.  I just want to especially shout out civil rights lawyer Julie Hurwitz who hosted me; Bob Ingalls who documented so much of the USSF on video, (you can go to http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bigrafx&aq=f to check out some of his fine work... I recommend you subscribe to his channel, too!); Marjorie Cohn for her brilliant work and wonderful company; Ann Wright for her constant inspiration; Cheri Honkala for her great organizing; Ryan Harvey for some great music; Katie Robbins and Kay Tillow for their great work on health care, and Kate and Danielle for being the face of the future!

Code Pink is such a great source of creative organizing!  They approached the Heidelberg Project with this idea, and got to bury a hummer in the fantastic art space in urban Detroit.

Once the Hummer was buried we had a brief wake for it.  The fabulous Dave Lippman wrote a song for the occasion, and I got to sing harmony with him (always a pleasure!).    Here's a little peek at the Heidelberg Art Project ... a place you should all go and visit if you're anywhere near Detroit.  I can't believe it took me this long to get there!

This is the Polka Dot House.. absolutely gorgeous!

Right down to the tree which stands in front of the house... (those are shopping carts adorning the tops of the branches!  This neighborhood would have been what is often called "urban blight" had it not been for the creativity and vision of Tyree Guyton and his community.

Now, the Heidelberg Project sits like a jewel, attracting visitors from all over the globe.

Some of the buildings are occupied...

but the vacant homes are works of art, too!

The vacant lots became sculpture gardens...

It was really great of the Heidelberg Project to welcome the Hummer Burial installation to the neighborhood.

Another not-to-be-missed breathtaking installation of public art is the Labor Legacy monument down at Hart Plaza.  I was very glad to be in Detroit... a great city.  On Wednesday of the USSF, we raised a couple thousand dollars for striking steelworkers at Vale in Sudbury, Ontario - they've been on strike since July 13, 2009.  It was a great night at the Anchor Bar.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR AT THE U.S. SOCIAL FORUM!

My wonderful host in Detroit, civil rights lawyer Julie Hurwitz; Marjorie Cohn, distinguished author and immediate past president of the National Lawyers' Guild, and Colonel Ann Wright of Code Pink - fresh from the Gaza Flotilla!  What glorious company I got to keep at the Social Forum!


BOOKING THE FALL

Labor Day has been particularly chaotic for me this year.  I've had two very promising invitations fall through.  It's getting pretty close to Labor Day, but if you think you can put together an event, I'd love to be there.  Call me at 412-877-6480 (I'll be on Pacific Daylight Time from Tuesday, July 6th through the 15th... then I'm off to Europe.)  or email me... anne@annefeeney.com

The fantastic Bev Grant has expressed an interest in doing some shows with me this fall if we can make the money work. Here's a link to the fabulous show we could perform for your union, women's studies department, history department, community .... 

http://www.youtube.com/bevgrant2008#p/a/u/1/Cjnyk06MZRY

 

We're planning for the midwest, jointly or separately.  Please let me know if you'd like to help arrange a show in your town for me, or even better, for me and Bev Grant.



FAMILY NEWS/BIRTHDAYS

Lots of my oldest and dearest friends got together last night to celebrate Canada Day (and my 59th birthday!).  We had sushi, sang and celebrated.  It was great.  Back row Left to Right:  Jeanne Clark, Rosemary Trump, me, Ginny Hildebrand, Hilary Chiz, Eileen Yacknin; Front Row Left to Right: Jan Boyd, Molly Rush, Phoebe Gill Wood, Kipp Dawson, Robin Alexander

Dan Berlin is back in Ecuador after attending a conference for international human rights lawyers in Geneva, Switzerland.  He and Monique are expecting a baby boy at the end of August - my first grandchild!  We are all so excited.

(mamacita-in-waiting!!!)

Dan's former Peace Corps mates (and my former tenants) Mike and Dionna Hatch send this good news: On June 13, 2010 at 11:23 AM Max welcomed his new little sister, Anya Marie. She weighed in at a whopping 5 lbs 14 ozs and is 19 inches long. Mike and Dionna are working with Catholic Charities in Sri Lanka, I think.

It was so great to be camping with my daughter Amy at the Kerrville Folk Festival for 18 days.  Starting every morning with a Scrabble game with my daughter is my idea of heaven.  It was a great festival... muy tranquilo.  It was wonderful to see Pittsburgh musician extraordinaire Brad Yoder at Kerrville this year - a natural-born Kerrvert if ever I've seen one.

Birthdays...

Patrick Mitchell and Suzanne Beers - July 3rd, Michael Grefenstette - July 8th,  Kristen Grefenstette - July 9th,  Judy Lane McCahill - July 10th,  the Duncan Triplets -  Julyl 16th,  Erin Grefenstette Henninger  and Emily DeFerrari - July 18th,   Hillary Chiz  and  Monique Murad - July 23rd, Karen McCahill and Jim McCahill, July 25th, Susan Lewis - July 27th, Marlo Mary Henninger - July 30th.

The Tour

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert
Alberta Rose Theatre
3000 NE Alberta St.
Portland, OR 97211
http://albertarosetheatre.com
Price: $15 suggested


Thursday, July 8th, 2010 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert
Siuslaw Public Library
1460 8th St
Florence, OR
Stuart Henderson is the contact
doors opens at 6pm


Friday, July 9th, 2010 12:00 PM
Anne Feeney at Oregon Country Fair
Blue Moon Solar Stage
Veneta, OR
http://oregoncountryfair.org


Saturday, July 10th, 2010 12:00 PM
Anne Feeney at Oregon Country Fair
Shady Grove Solar Stage
Veneta, OR
http://oregoncountryfair.org


Sunday, July 11th, 2010 12:00 PM
Anne Feeney at Oregon Country Fair
The Front Porch
Veneta, OR
http://oregoncountryfair.org


Monday, July 12th, 2010 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert
Cozmic Pizza
199 W 8th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 338-9333
http://www.cozmicpizza.com/entertainment.html
Price: $10-20 suggested
no one turned away for lack of funds - all welcome!


Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 7:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert to Benefit KGHI-FM Radio
Grays Harbor College HUB and Commons
Aberdeen, WA
(360) 533-8039
http://www.ghinstitute.org


Friday, July 23rd, 2010 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Consert
Vildros Festivalen
Horndal
Sweden
http://www.vildrosfestivalen.se/index.php/om-oss/

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Consert
Spejaren
Siljeg
Leksand 79333
070-371 79 75
http://www.omnikultur.se/kalendarium.html

Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Marseilles, IL
David Raikes is the contact




LABOR DAY STILL WIDE OPEN!!!
Chicago, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio???

Monday, September 27th, 2010 8:00 PM
Anne Feeney in Concert
ATU Conference
Orlando, FL
Larry Hanley atu726@aol.com is the contact


Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 6:00 PM
Eugene V Debs Annual Award Dinner
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
http://eugenevdebs.com/pages/announ.htm