Category: Live Music News

Pickin’ Productions have some very exciting news.

Got this in the email this morning … congratulations to our friends at Pickin’ Productions for making the move to go national.

We’re merging with Quicksilver Productions!

Starting at the turn of the year, Pickin’ Productions will join forces with the wonderful Martha Dantzic and Quicksilver Productions.  With our home base in Washington DC, we’re now able to seamlessly book our fine acts in great venues from coast to coast.  I will be acting as the Western agent, while Martha will be the Queen of the East.  But during this time of transition, Martha will be concentrating on building the infrastructure and I will be booking for all eight of our acts around the country.  That’s why I’m writing today – it’s festival booking season!  As well as concert series’ and all sorts of other good stuff.  We’d like to share our newest bands, as well as highlight your old favorites from Pickin’.  If any stand out to you, let us know and we’ll send you their latest CDs.

Thanks for all your support through the years.  This is a big leap for both Martha and me.  Our goal is to create an agency that stands out in the industry as high quality from end to end.  We feel like we’re off to a good start, but please let us know any feedback, suggestions or thoughts you might have for us.  We’re all ears.

Please visit www.quicksilverproductions.net to hear samples and watch videos of all our acts.

My Favorite Bands Festival

WHAT??!! – Spring Creek Bluegrass doing a set of Flaming Lips??  Really?  Okay, REALLY need to see this…. and I’m not even a big Flaming Lips fan or anything … BUT, I am a fan of Count Basie, the Rolling Stones, and Tom Petty … all of whom will be paid tribute to on Sunday September 18th ………………………………… more info at http://mfbfest.com/about/

Featuring the music of:

Count Basie
Pat Benatar
Neil Young
Tom Petty
The Flaming Lips
Pixies
The Rolling Stones
Peter Paul & Gary’s Greatest Hits
Van Halen

Carbon Valley Music Festival

What’s new in the goat pen?  No new shows for Aug 6-12 and Aug 13-20.  Too busy with festivals and a kitchen remodel of all things.  So, I’ll have a new episode of the Colorado Sound out to all the stations for the week of Aug 20-26.

I just experienced a spectacular couple of days.  I just finished up with the Carbon Valley Music Festival IV.  Drew Emmitt Band, Hazel Miller Band, Onda, Boa & the Constrictors, Bonnie & the Clydes, Lalla Rookh, and the Frederick High School Gold Tones Jazz Band set a new standard by which future bills will be measured.  Every single act was rightfully on their game.

Thanks go out to a stellar production crew:  Bob Foss/Riffactory on foh, Skinny from SSS Productions on lights, Big John (stage manager) and the INCREDIBLE Marshall Austin MAP32 stage.  I will have pics up sometime soon, I promise.  We also had a couple of tapers out doing sound and video of the Drew Emmitt set – and from what I heard, the audio will be up on archives.org sometime in the next couple of months.

About that stage:  As a performer and/or emcee, I’ve been on countless numbers of stages going back to 1970.  As a show producer I’ve used smaller stages, like the MAP24 and the SL100.  As a member of the production staff and crew, I’ve been on stages as large as the SL450.  In every single case, the MAP32 kills.  The design was thought up by someone with experience playing on and/or doing production on a stage.  As someone standing in the audience with an eye on visual aesthetics this stage sets a standard the others can really only aspire to.  It is a truly magnificent visual presence.

We just used one at the 2011 Carbon Valley Music Festival (Dacono, CO).  My client (the city of Dacono), the several thousand fans in attendance and each and every single musician and crew member who participated was absolutely blown away.  Nothing but complete praise … oh, and the two man crew, consisting of “Senior” (age 72) and Greg (age about 30 something, I’m guessing) had no problem putting the stage up, taking it down, and driving it off on a 1 ton dually.  I rebooked it for next year on the spot.  Best value for the dollar you can imagine if you want a stage presence that really impresses everyone.

Chris K. / Rocky Mountain Music Network