Written and published by David Simpkins. David is president of the Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association (SVSA) — e-mail svsa.songwriters@gmail.com for the latest FREE newsletter

RADIO FUNDRAISER

Thursday, March 4th from 6:00-10:00 p.m., I'll be joining a number of my SVSA pals manning the phones for the latest WVTF-FM 89.1 fund raiser. If you listen in, you'll get all the info you'll need to donate to this worthy endeavor. I did this kind of thing many years ago for a Multiple Sclerosis radio telethon in Charlottesville VA and I'm looking forward to getting back to it. It's for a good cause -- public radio programming depends on listener contributions. Check us out and send in your pledges!

A FUN LISTEN

This past Tuesday, March 2, my second appearance on Radford University's WVRU 89.9 FM was broadcast. "The Listening Room" is a weekly radio show featuring local and regional musicians hosted by Tim Jackson (editor of the New River Voice).

I was joined in the studio by the one-and-only KGB: Kathy Acosta (vocals), Greg Trafidlo (guitar, vocals), and Britt Mistele (vocals). It was a loose session and it showed. I felt more at home since I'd been there before and didn't mind getting a little silly. Thanks so much to the KGB for making me sound great (again) and thanks (again) to Tim for inviting me on his show.

Also, Tim deserves thanks for spotlighting such terrific local and regional talent. If you listen to Tim's show every week, you won't be surprised whenever someone mentions that we've got a wealth of musical talent here in southwest Virginia. And, if you can't get enough of Tim and me, you'll find an archive of past shows at http://www.wvru.org/listening.html. (My previous show is #11.)

BLURRY VISION

These are tough times for saps like me. I've always been an emotional time bomb (that's where my songs come from, I believe) but it seems that since my mom died a couple of years ago, I'm always right on the brink of weeping at the slightest provocation.

For example, I finally got around to listening to Warren Zevon's last album, "The Wind." I've sort of been avoiding it since his untimely death in 2003 but when I found it recently in the used CD bin, I had to take the plunge. It didn't take me long to remember why I'd been giving it a wide berth. I had to pull into a parking lot last weekend when Zevon's version of Bob Dylan's "Knocking On Heaven's Door" came on the CD player in the Jeep. Nobody has ever had more of a right and a reason to sing that song. He recorded it when he'd already gotten notice that his days were numbered as he battled lung cancer at the end of his life.

The entire CD is his farewell -- and it is as irreverent, eclectic, and poignant as all his music down through the years. As songwriters, we're encouraged to write what we know. How can you not get all snuffly when Zevon writes: "Will you stay with me with me to the end / when there's nothing left but you and me and the wind? We'll never know 'til we try / to find the other side of goodbye"

R.I.P. Warren Zevon, who, on his last album, described himself as being "sprawled across the davenport of despair." Not many writers are capable of being that descriptive. Check out some of his YouTube clips below.

You know, I wouldn't mind this weepy thing so much if I could laugh my way out of it every now and then. It's a fact that I don't laugh as much as I used to. I can choke out a wry chuckle every once in a while and I'm especially sensitive to satire and irony. But there aren't many good ol' belly laughs to be had. I even avoid the Three Stooges these days. What if Moe eyepoked Curly and I didn't laugh?

AMERICANA AT ITS BEST

Kathy and I made it down to Kirk Ave Music Hall in Roanoke VA on Feb 23 to see former Blasters lead guitarist -- and current top Americana performer -- Grammy winner Dave Alvin, along with his "band," the "Guilty Women," featuring Christy McWilson and Cindy Cashdollar.

We'd seen Alvin several years ago solo at the Neighborhood Theater in Charlotte NC, headlining a show with Buddy & Julie Miller. We'd enjoyed Alvin then, although he came across as being rather caustic, with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. It must have been his mood at the time; he was the exact opposite at Kirk Ave -- he was a charming and accessible performer who was clearly having a great time on stage.

Along with having the entire Blasters catalog (the trendsetting rockabilly band Dave and his brother Phil fronted back in the early '80s), I have nearly all of Dave Alvin's solo albums. He performed a few songs from nearly all phases of his career (including the Blasters) that left the crowd of about 100 wanting more.

An added bonus -- and WHAT a bonus -- was the contributions of McWilson and, especially, Cashdollar. McWilson, a former member of the Picketts, a Seattle band that gained a solid Americana reputation in the early '90s, came on about a third of the way through the show and backed Alvin with some tasty harmonies -- and took a couple of leads as well. But the real highlight was Cindy Cashdollar's slide guitar playing -- on dobro, on lap steel, and on resonator guitar. She's played with some real heavyweights: Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Ryan Adams ... and left no doubt as to why. Dave Alvin is a superb guitarist and Cashdollar meshed perfectly with his playing. Alvin's deep voice has its limitations -- but the interplay between his guitar and Cashdollar's various instruments (as well as Alvin's strong songwriting) more than made up for it.

I was struck about halfway through the show that if anybody asked me what "Americana" meant, this was what I'd offer as a prime example. Alvin, though as professional an entertainer as you'd ever want, isn't in it for the money. He does what he does because, well, because that's what he DOES. Other than winning a Grammy in 2001 for best traditional folk album, he's never been a household name, he's never been a mega-seller as a bandmember or a solo artist, he's never written a hit record, he's never been a consistent SRO performer. But, if you're into Americana music -- if you're into GREAT music in general -- you know who he is. He's real, he's authentic, he's as much a music fan as a performer. He's the whole package.

A COOL MIL

A rare copy of 1938's Action Comics No. 1, the first comic book featuring Superman, recently sold for $1 million. Widely considered the Holy Grail of comic books, it originally cost 10 cents. It was sold by a private seller to a private buyer, neither of whom released their names. The previous comic book record was set last year when $317,000 was paid for a copy (in poorer condition) of the same Action Comics No. 1. Y'know, I've still got a lot of my old comic books -- and I've also got a lot of old comics I bought used in the '80s when I got interested again. Guess I ought to see what I might get for them on eBay. Since we now have to pay the taxes and insurance on my parents' old house -- and for Max's vet visits and upkeep -- and since gas prices are supposed to creep back up to over $3 a gallon this summer -- we're going to need the extra money.

LOOKING BACK

I wouldn't be a policeman for anything. I don't know how they do it. People are crazy. Even those who mean no harm can create situations that require the careful intervention of authorities. I was thinking about the policewoman who was sent out to investigate Max's barking a while back. That was one COLD night ... and late, too. I guess if she hadn't found me out there already trying to shut Max up, she would have had to roust our neighbors. Now, THAT would have been interesting!

Unfortunately, mentioning the police reminds me of several run-ins my dad had with the cops when I was a kid. Once, we were driving home after dark from Grandma's house -- we went nearly every Sunday -- and Dad was, as usual, too drunk to drive. I was, also as usual, cowering on the floor in the back seat, expecting us to crash at any second. I couldn't bear to watch as Dad slurred down the back roads from Grandma's (and then all the way down Radford's West Main Street to Connelly's Run). The cops pulled him over at the bottom of Ice Plant Hill just below our house. Dad got off with a warning since we were so close to home. I remember being furious with the cops; I'd been praying for what seemed like YEARS for them to pull him over. They could have fixed it so he couldn't drive drunk any longer. (Or so I thought.)

Then, I remember the cops coming to our house on a Saturday afternoon after Dad got back from grocery shopping. He was, as usual, all liquored up. The grocery store manager had observed him shoplifting some cigarette packs that had spilled out of a torn carton. Dad made up some convoluted excuse and, again, got off with a warning. I remember sitting around all afternoon buzzing like a tuning fork trying to shake that one off.

The cops came to our house another time when Dad fired his .22 rifle through the upstairs screen window. He told them he'd been shooting at a groundhog in our backyard. Again, he got off with a warning; he said he didn't know you can't discharge a firearm within Radford city limits. But he'd told me before the cops got there that the shot was a warning to let my mom know that she'd better stop yelling downstairs at him to bring her another drink of liquor -- or else. Out of the many times I feared for my life (or for SOMEbody's life) that one was the worst.

My dad never meant any harm. He'd get drunk and do stupid and sometimes violent things -- but I don't believe he ever meant to hurt anyone. He was just an angry drunk. When he was high, he was goofy. When he was bombed, he passed out. It was the in-between times when bad things happened. And, really, there wasn't much the police -- or I -- could have done about it.

I suppose it was why it never bothered me when the cops came around whenever a neighbor filed a noise complaint against whatever band I happened to be in at the time. Music too loud? Ha. There are things MUCH worse that THAT.

YEP, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT

Just took a personality quiz. It says I'm INFP -- introverted, intuitive, feeling, perceiving.

It goes on: "Curious, loyal, and idealistic, INFP personalities want to understand others and help them to reach their potential. You are open, tolerant, and adaptable, yet still very committed to your values. You seek to establish an external life that is in agreement with your beliefs."

And the best jobs for me? "Clergy or religious worker, artist, actor, teacher, psychologist, designer, counselor or social worker, writer, or musician."

What no "librarian" or "archeologist?"

Oh well. Times have changed. Check yourself out.

SNIFF SNIFF

Finally. Finally, somebody has come out and said that the expiration date on milk doesn't indicate that the milk shouldn't be consumed after that date. According to a University of Minnesota food scientist, perishables like milk and meat have a three- to seven-day grace period after the expiration date, assuming said perishables are stored in the refrigerator.

I've never been one to go by the expiration date. I go by looks, and, ultimately, smell. I know that you can pinch off the occasional stray blue spot on bread -- or slice a bit of blue off a hunk of cheese -- and get by just fine. But if your hamburger bun has actually grown legs and eyes, it's time to toss it. Or if your cheese speaks to you, trash it. And salad dressing: If all the liquid is on top and there's an ugly-looking sludge in the bottom of the bottle, let it go. You can always shake it up, but it'll probably smell and taste bad anyway.

I ate a LOT of dirt when I played sports. I inhaled a LOT of dust when I worked in a furniture factory. I ate a LOT of questionable food when I was a kid and my mom was on a binge and not looking after things. And I'm still here. In my opinion, we waste FAR too much stuff, especially food.

BY ANY OTHER NAME

I came across a recent blog response regarding a local girls' basketball team. The team was ranked in the top 10 in the state and they were upset in the regional tournament by an unranked team. The responder said: "It truly bothers me this 'winner takes all' mentality of sports -- life isn’t like that. The girls are winners, not losers."

I hate to break it to ya, pal, but those girls ARE losers. They lost the game, and, worse, they lost a game they "should" have won. See, if they'd been winners, their score would have been higher than the other team's score. Since it wasn't, they were the losers. They lost. That's "life," buddy, not the other way around.

And, again, I hate to be the one to spill the beans, but, in sports, it IS "winner takes all." That's what makes it a game, a sport, a contest, a battle, whatever you want to call it. It doesn't matter how many games you won before, all that matters is the game you're playing at the moment. It doesn't matter how terrific a person you are, how talented an athlete, or how much adversity you've overcome. Sometimes you win (and you're the winner), sometimes you lose (and you're the loser).

Now, there's nothing wrong with trying to console those who get the short end of the stick. Go ahead, find the silver lining, point out the positives, give them all the credit they deserve. But don't LIE to them and tell them that they are winners. Because they aren't. If they were, they'd have at least one more game to play. As it is, they go home. Because they LOST.

Here's how life is: Some people get to be the winners and other people end up the losers. If you play long enough, you get to experience being both. So when you win, be gracious. When you lose, admit it and move on.

OOWWWWWOOOOOOO!

I dragged my dead ass out of the house last Sunday to go see "The Wolfman" at the Radford Theater. The preview on TV looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a shot. In the meantime, I'd read some fairly negative reviews and almost passed it by -- but boredom (and the fact that it was playing at the theater of my childhood) won me over.

I was glad I went. I didn't pick up on the negatives -- but then again, I'm not the typical modern movie-goer. My expectations are much different. I don't need loud and inappropriate excesses of explosions or gunplay or wiseass dialogue. (I skipped the new "Sherlock Holmes" for that reason.) Happily, "The Wolfman" was a throwback to the classic Universal / Hammer horror movies of the past -- updated only in some of the more spectacular computer-generated sequences.

True, there was a LOT more blood and gore than in those old classics, but I expected that. In a way, it makes the modern version more "realistic" because, in the old days, less emphasis was placed on the actual rending of flesh and bone. Personally, I think when you've got a feral wolf-man on the loose, you ought to expect some arms and legs and heads being ripped off, some bowels being eviscerated, and some skin being flayed. I was pleased that nobody did much wisecracking or laughing in this movie. It started out grim and STAYED grim, much like Hammer's "Curse Of The Werewolf" did.

Best of all, I enjoyed the look and feel. Set in the late 1800s in England, it was the height of the Sherlock Holmes era. I LOVE that atmosphere: moors, fog, rain, mist-shrouded forests and streets, the whole bit. The acting wasn't bad, either -- Benicio Del Toro was fine in the title role as the hapless Lawrence Talbot. Del Toro even LOOKED a bit like his predecessor, Lon Chaney Jr, in certain scenes. Anthony Hopkins did a great job and literally fleshed out the old Claude Rains part as Sir John Talbot, Larry's dad.

All in all, this one gets a thumbs up from me. If you've gotta remake something, remake it RIGHT. And this one's right.

JUST A SMALL REMINDER

Make no mistake: April 16 still resonates here at Virginia Tech. Yesterday, I got an e-mail -- not necessarily a warning, but a heads-up -- to those of us working in the general vicinity of Norris Hall who might be sensitive to repetitive banging noises:

From: VT Repair
Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2010 7:45 AM
Subject: RANDOLPH - 1ST FLOOR RENOVATIONS

Good Morning,

Planning, Design, and Construction Renovations contractor will be using a powder-actuated device to install metal track for stud walls beginning Wednesday, 3/3/2010 through 3/5/2010 on the 1st floor of Randolph Hall. This device will make loud, gunshot-like noises. ... We are sorry for the inconvenience, thank you.

MCG MAILBAG

If you get printed in the MCG Mailbag, then you get a free copy of my latest Acoustic Demos CD. (It's not a threat, it's a promise!) So when you e-mail me, be sure to include your snail-mail address as well. And, if you don't have anything to say right now -- and you still want a CD -- just send me the e-mail address of a new subscriber. (The new subscriber will get a free CD, too.) Go for it!

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Performing songwriter Patrick Turner says, regarding my recent dream in which Max spoke to me, "You HAVE to write a song about this. No excuses!"

David replies: I'd rather write a song about Patty Griffin smooching on me...

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K-Lo says, "I acquiesced and joined Facebook after years of not doing it. I joined in November and it is now my most visited site. I think you should give it a try for your music fans if not for getting in touch with old friends. Who knows, you could be twittering before long! There are a great number of musicians and venues on Facebook, including some Blacksburg sites aimed at spreading the word about local entertainment. It won't hurt to just take a peek. (If not a personal joiner, maybe you all can do a site for the SVSA?)"

David responds: This Facebook thing keeps coming up again and again. I suppose I'm going to have to look into it.

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Nina says, "So, Max is talking and Patty Griffin is smooching? Must be the NyQuil doing its thing! Get well soon."

David replies: Ah, NyQuil -- yep, THAT's exactly what it was! (And I'm feeling much better!)

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Performing songwriter Tom Dickens says, "As always, I enjoyed the Gazette. Thanks for the Youtube recommendations. Youtube is just an incredible resource ... and I'll be checking out the Ricky Nelson videos. He was my main inspiration for trying to learn to play guitar and sing. I remember reading that Elvis thought Ricky was on the cutting edge at the time and he watched 'Ozzie and Harriet' to see Ricky and his band close out the show. Guess that's where Elvis first saw James Burton, who later became leader of Elvis' band. By the way: You might want to change the heading on your gigs listing from 2009 to 2010."

David responds: Glad you like the YouTube stuff, Tom. Interesting about Ricky Nelson being your main inspiration ... I didn't know that! And thanks for the heads up on the Gig List heading. What, it's 2010 already?

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Performing songwriter Bill E. Payne says, "Glad you're finally well enough to get out and perform! Re the Kirk Ave performances: I think it's the artists' AND the venues' responsibility to educate the listening (and I use that word very loosely) public about the fact that there is a lot more live music besides 'Proud Mary' and 'Mustang Sally' that is very entertaining and worth going out for. I applaud the SVSA and Kirk Ave Music Hall for the effort. I've found that, here in Chattanooga (and I suspect most other places), a radio interview the day of the event helps to build an audience. So does a lot of plugging on Facebook and Twitter. Likewise for phone calls to fans, well-timed e-mails, giveaways, posters and anything else you can think of to create a buzz about the event. It's a lot of work, but I know that you know (and you know that I know that you know) the feeling you get after you load out and are on the way home from a gig with a packed house makes the work worthwhile. And when the venue sees the results of the effort (you have to tell them about the effort, too), they tend to get behind you more readily. It has to be done every time, too. I'll suck it up sometimes and go out to see a good party band to hear the music while I'm looking for patrons to recruit as audience members for my next gig. Or play an open mic the night before the gig for the same purpose. It all adds up and, with consistency, builds a loyal fan base and bigger audiences."

David replies: Great, great tips and suggestions, Bill -- not just for me but for everybody! Thanks so much!

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Connie says, "I recently found about 50 photos of the David Simpkins / Paul Thorn concert on the Sunken Garden Sundays Facebook page. You are in many of them. What a good time that was!"

David responds: Again with the Facebook ... thanks, Connie!

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Performing songwriter Jack Tribble asks, "Have we come to the point that even fiction is suspect in terms of political correctness? It's fiction! If a made up story is a threat to our overall plan for society, we have no thinking members left. Now think of this in terms of songwriters, do we not write stories as well? Will we catch flak for writing songs that are non-consensus?"

David replies: We're already there. Back in the '60s, our local radio station wouldn't play "Eve Of Destruction" because it was critical of our society. There weren't any vulgar words or images in that song -- it was banned because it was too close to the truth. Tony Joe White's "Willie And Laura Mae Jones" was banned because it was about an interracial couple. And "Harper Valley PTA" was banned because, like "Eve Of Destruction," it got too close to the truth. I'm sure there are many others that aren't coming to mind right now. So yeah, as songwriters, we can get stung if we present a message that is contrary to mainstream thinking. Personally, I think it is a great perk -- and one of our best opportunities to communicate.

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E-mail all questions, comments, suggestions, observations, etc. to David Simpkins at amosflame@aol.com. The lifeblood of a newsletter like this one is the feedback it gets, so please contribute regularly. Addresses and IDs will be kept confidential, so feel free to say whatever's on your mind.

FRIENDS AND DELIGHTS

- Andrew Acosta: http://www.andrewacosta.com

- Jim Bowman: jp_bowman@chartertn.net or call 1-423-272-2831

- Caravan: http://www.caravanband.net

- Chickenwings & Gravy: http://www.chickenwingsandgravy.com

- Tom Dews: http://www.tomdews.com

- Tom Forsey: http://www.t4crecords.com

- Jenny Lynn Golding: http://cdbaby.com/cd/jlg

- Bob Grubel: http://www.cdbaby.com/bobgrubel

- Mary Gordon Hall: http://www.marygordonhall.com

- Gary Hensley: http://www.ghband.net

- J. Scott Hinkle: http://www.scotthinkle.com

- Pat Jenkins: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pjsteelman

- La La Land: selangston@cox.net or call 540-427-4774

- the Listening Room: http://www.wvru.org/listening.html

- Dylan Locke: http://www.dlpconcerts.com

- Kim Lyons: http://cdbaby.com/cd/kimlyons

- The Lyric Theater: http://www.thelyric.com

- Dean Milano: http://cdbaby.com/cd/deanmilano2

- the New River Voice: http://www.newrivervoice.com

- Bill Payne: http://www.billpaynemusic.net

- Bruce Piephoff -- http://www.brucepiephoff.com

- Matt Ramsey: http://www.mattramseymusic.com

- Sunken Garden Sundays: http://www.sunkengardensundays.com/index.html

- Greg Trafidlo: http://www.gregtrafidlo.com

- Patrick "F.M." Turner: http://www.flat5.com/Igniter.html

- The Whole Note: http://www.thewholenote.org

YOU TUBE RECOMMENDATION(S) OF THE MONTH

I've covered most all the relevant Americana web sites out there so I'm now linking you to some of my favorite YouTube music clips, not necessarily limited to Americana. There are a million of 'em out there and it's a particular joy to have access to such terrific -- and seldom seen -- performances. Be aware, however, that these clips often get removed with no warning due to copyright issues -- so watch 'em while you can.

I bought Warren Zevon's first major-label album in 1976 when I found out that Jackson Browne had produced it. I was crazy about Browne at the time and wanted everything he was involved in. I'd already noticed that Zevon had written a bunch of my favorite Linda Ronstadt songs, including "Hasten Down The Wind," "Poor Poor Pitiful Me," "Mohammed's Radio," and "Carmelita" -- all of which were on Zevon's first album. (Later, I learned that he'd already been the musical director for Don and Phil Everly before their breakup in the early '70s.) I wasn't disappointed. I bought ALL his albums down through the years, right up until his untimely death from lung cancer in 2003. One of my favorites is his collaboration with R.E.M. under the name "The Hindu Love Gods" -- and one of the greatest compliments I've ever been paid was when a reviewer said my music reminded him of Zevon's. I only recently bought Zevon's last album, "The Wind," (see above) and I still can't bring myself to watch his last appearance on the David Letterman show (archived on YouTube), when he was the only guest and when he and Letterman had to deal with the fact that he (Zevon) was dying and wouldn't be around much longer. During his stellar career, the man was criminally underrated and relatively unknown despite occasional breakthroughs in the mainstream music market. Nevertheless, he's left a legacy that will resonate through the ages. In no particular order, here's some of it:

• "Lawyers, Guns, And Money" BBC 1994
• "My Sh*t's F*cked Up"
• "Mohammed's Radio" Old Grey Whistle Test 1976 with Jackson Browne
• "Excitable Boy"
• "Jeannie Needs A Shooter" co-written with Bruce Springsteen
• "Searching For A Heart" Letterman 1991
• "Werewolves Of London" 2000
• "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" with Billy Bob Thornton

GIG HOUNDS -- LET'S GET BUSY!

If ever y'all should run across some place that might be a good place for an Americana performing songwriter like me to perform, I'd appreciate a "heads-up" e-mail or phone call.

Plus, if anybody would like to invite me over to play a set or two in their living room for a group of friends -- that's called a house concert, y'all, and they're FUN! I'll do two 45-minute sets and an encore if anybody wants one. E-mail me -- you'll be surprised and delighted at how low my fee is!

A GOOD RESOURCE

Wondering where SVSA members are playing this weekend? Or next week? Or next month? Check out the FREE monthly SVSA Music News e-newsletter. When an SVSA member sends in their gig info, it goes into the SVSA Music News -- it's not quite a comprehensive list, but it's as close to it as you can get! Plus, there's feature stories and great performance photos.

E-mail svsa.songwriters@gmail.com and let Larry Sakayama put you on the FREE list. Tell him I sent you! And you can get lots of info as well at the SVSA web site @http://www.svsasongs.com

NOW HEAR THIS

Get my CD, Long Story Short, at the following locations:

• Barry's Music, 1083 E Main St, Radford VA 24141
• Coffee Buy The Book, 10 W Main St, Pulaski VA 24301
• Coffee Depot, 41 W Main St, Christiansburg VA 24073

Buy it on-line at: CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/simpkins

Buy the whole CD on-line at:

Amazon.com: Go to http://www.amazon.com and search my name. (They've got the Visible Shivers' "Four Things" as well!)

Target: Go to http://www.target.com and search "Long Story Short"

Wal-Mart: Go to http://www.walmart.com/music, go to "Music Downloads," and search my name (PC only)

Downloads: Buy the whole CD or individual clips at:

Amazon, Apple iTunes, Arvato, Bitmunk, BuyMusic, Choice Records, Daiki, Destra, DigiPie, DigitalKiosk, Emusic, Flip, GreatIndieMusic, GroupieTunes, HearMusic, Inprodicon, Intent Media Works, Interia, iSound, Liquid Digital Media, MOD Systems, MOL, MP3tunes, MPGreek, MSN Music, MusicIsHere, MusicMatch, MusicNet, Muze, Napster, Nareos, Nokia/OD2, NTT, PassAlong, PayPlay, PeerImpact, PlayIndies, Puretracks, QTRnote, Rhapsody, Ruckus, RuleRadio, Sonific, Sony Connect, Starzik, Target, TastyAudio, Tradebit, USEN, Verizon, WalMart, Zune

From the horse's, uh, mouth

Mail $10 to David Simpkins, 125 Polk St, Radford VA 24141

On-line audio

20-minute-long Podcast hosted by the Roanoke Times' Tad Dickens. I perform two original songs, "The Sound Of Love Dying" and "Big Soft Bed." Go to the podcast.

Hear three complete songs from the "Long Story Short" CD (plus the Podcast) at the Roanoke Times' C.R.A.M. site.

"The Listening Room," Radford University WVRU 89.9 FM with host Tim Jackson (Show 011). I yak and perform an unrecorded original song, "Close," a live acoustic version of "Something New," and the "Long Story Short" version of "From Baltimore" at: http://www.wvru.org/listening.html

YouTube

• "Dewberry's Pet" (at Earth Day 2009 -- with Britt Mistele & Greg Trafidlo): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92Y49EuQFU
• "Something New" (solo opening for Paul Thorn): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwFaUg5KL-Y
• "Big Soft Bed" (solo opening for Paul Thorn): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cnj8LYlPvc
• "Limestone Mountain" (solo opening for Paul Thorn): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EM75Jcu7Cs
• "From Baltimore" (solo opening for Paul Thorn): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSMCABVJgA8
• "Tightrope" (Steppin' Out 2007 -- with Kathy & Nina Acosta): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWADeLD2QqE

2010 GIG LIST -- THE STORY SO FAR

1. Kirk Ave Music Hall -- Roanoke VA -- Mon Feb 15

2. Third St Coffeehouse -- Roanoke VA -- Fri Feb 19

3. "The Listening Room" -- Radford University WVRU 89.9 FM -- Wed Feb 17

Previous Gig Lists available by e-mail request.

FINE PRINT

If there's something that you'd like to see added to (or removed from) this newsletter, let me know. My goal is to make the MCG as entertaining as possible for everyone.

And if some of it seems rather obscure -- please reply to this post and/or check out my web site at http://www.davidsimpkins.com. The web site should give you a clearer idea of who I am and what this is all about. Or, if you'd prefer, I can send you some back issues so that you can catch up.

Should you need to know anything about the Visible Shivers, please go to http://www.soundclick.com/visibleshivers If that doesn't do it for you, then e-mail me.

Performing songwriter David Simpkins is available for clubs, festivals, house concerts, benefits, private parties -- anywhere anyone might want to listen to a guy play an acoustic guitar and sing mostly original Americana music. David will be happy to perform as an opener, for multi-act bills, or for full-length solo shows, up to four hours. Have sound equipment; will travel. Contact David at (540) 633-1204 or e-mail him at amosflame@aol.com.

I'd like to thank all my friends both old and new for your support, faith, and encouragement. Without you, none of this makes any sense.