Down On The Corner
• Fending off political ads is liking battling mosquitos in a Minnesota swamp in high August: no matter how many of them you swat, some will always get through and bite you in some place that's hard to scratch. On the whole, I'd rather watch a couple of ten-year-olds go at it in the schoolyard.
Nevertheless, I must remind you if you haven't been: be sure to vote early, though of course, here in Kentucky, the presidential race has been considered decided for months, so maybe I'll vote for Ralph or one of the other candidates, just to amuse the election workers. It might as well count for something.
In the other races, though, your vote does matter and there are races worth filling in the little oval for: our resident beanballer has been acting like he took one or two to the head himself, though I'd better be careful what I say: to quote the Senator: "There might be strangers among us." Stranger than what?
• David Yates, lead guitarist for the recently reorganized Reed Brothers, picked up a couple of songwriting wins at the New Albany "Harvest Homecoming Festival," garnering the Best Country Song award for "Love's On The Rocks" and First Place for "Montgomery Way." Yates also made sure to note that the band was together and playing shows again.
• The Public Radio Partnership message from September 27 announced the promotion of Stacy Owen to Program Director of WFPK and Alan Brandt to the position of Program Director WUOL.. They will report to Michael Bright,VP of Programming and Marketing.
Internal restructuring of WFPL resulted in the departure of Program Director Terry Rensel and News Director Steve Carmody.
• The winners of the 2004 Kentuckiana Blues Society blues contest, Stella-Vees Blues Band, have been holding a blues jam in Memphis during the world finals, the "International Blues Challenge," for the last four years. They're doing it again the first weekend of February, 2005. For more detail call, Steve Parrish at 859 278-2899 or zydecodrummer@peoplepc.com.
• The Louisville workshop of the Nashville Songwriter's Association, International is holding the 2004 Songwriter;s Workshop on Friday, November 5 at Deer Park Baptist Church, 1733 Bardstown Road, featuring songwriters Richard Leigh, noted for "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "Somewhere in My Broken Heart," "Cold Day in July" and James Dean Hicks, a Bardstown native who of "Jesus & Mama Always Loved Me" and "The Hole," (among others for both men.) If songwriting is your interest and you don't know about the NSAI workshop here, now you do: they've been at it for twenty-three years, with Earl Meyers often as not making sure that it kept chugging along. The best place to go if you need to know about songwriting. Plus you be willing to listen to some pointed but honestly offered comments about your "stuff." Call Earl at 502-452-1996 or Richard Meredith at 502-241-0361 for info.
• Up in Scottsburg, the Scottsburg jamboree has added weekly Sunday night rock shows for November. Check their website at http://www.scottsburgjamboree.com/ for a schedule.
• Ron Lewis, who works under the moniker of Mr. Wonderful Productions, sends me items regularly. This one, offering a CD called The Soulful Sounds of DerbyTown. Herewith, his offer::
"Please tell your readers that[ Butch Williams & Ron Lewis of Mr.Wonderful Productions, INC will releasing a CD on the above title,, and Mr. Keith Clements will host The Liner- Notes.Louisville Artists of the 1950, 60,70, will appear on this vol ! R&B Music such as[ Cliff Butler & His doves.. Bobby Lanz & The Soul Celtics..The Unhooked Generation Band... Bobby Lester & The MoonLighters. A Blues CD is in the work also. All readers that Cut this story out and mail back to Ron will recieve a FREE Copie by Mail attn[ Mr. Wonderful 1730 Kennedy Road, Louisville, KY 40216-5110.Attn[ Down on the Corner] ThankYou.
• From the Treat-Your-Own-Chain-Abrasions Dept., Dr. Stephen Spanbauer of the band Olive Trees won two cycling national championships in 2003 and won three bronze medals in Utah this year. He's now added riding for and with Papa John's cycling team to his otherwise empty dance card: just a day job as a full-time physician at the VA on Zorn Avenue. And, oh, yes, there;s that band Olive Trees, for which he's writing new music.