Hi, everybody.

Did any of you trip and fall twice on a hike last weekend? No? Just me? Gravity did little to detract from the wildflower beauty of my stumble up to Thomas Lakes. My baby deer-like legs might not be ready to meet my Summer goal of standing atop Sopris. Or maybe I should just pay attention.

Two great events this weekend. Both are seated, so I should be safe at these.

• Friday – A Conversation with Lynn Goldsmith – Daniel Shaw will moderate the discussion about her book, Music in the 80’s, and the recent landmark Supreme Court ruling in her favor. In Lynn’s words, “This will be the first time I am going to address how the Warhol lawsuit happened, why I fought it, and what the Supreme Court Ruling means to all artists, filmmakers, photographers, musicians, painters, writers,  etc.” That’s enough for TWO conversations, but we are in good hands with Daniel helping us cover all that ground. I’m excited to put together a playlist inspired by her photos.

• Saturday – Bonnie Prince Billy – Maybe you know him better as the actor Will Oldham (Matewan, Julien Donkey-Boy, Junebug, Old Joy). He’s an introspective songwriter with a haunting, emotive vocal style. We’ve sold out quite a few songwriter events here. This should be one as well.

We’ve added some really special events to the calendar this week. Some are coming up soon and some are going to sell out soon. I’d get all the tickets pronto. 

• August 23 – The Green Electronics Showcase: A CORE Climate Action Series Event – What better place to host the final event in CORE”s Climate Action Series than our net-zero venue? This event will feature a product expo and a panel discussion exploring many aspects of green technology. The event is free with an RSVP. Seats are first come first serve.

• August 25 – Birds of Play Album Release Show – Our friends from the San Jaun Mountains return to share their new record, Birdsongs of the American West. The last time they were here it was a standing-room show. This time it will be a proper, seated listening room vibe. I hope they are ready for our birdsong of the Midvalley. TACAWWWWWWW!!!!!

• November 2 – Chris Pureka – I’ve been listening to Chris on a loop this week. I suspect it will continue for a while. All you songwriter fans out there should trust me on this one.

• November 8 – Patty Griffin – Not a typo. And, not a different Patty Griffin. This is THE Grammy-winning artist Patty Griffin. Patty is bringing her acoustic trio to town for a very special evening. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday at 10 am. But, if you’ve read this far, I’ll let you in on a little secret. You can buy them right now with the promo code, TAPE.

Thanks for sticking to the end. I hope to see you soon. If I don’t shake your hand this week, no offense. The palm wounds are still recovering from my last hike.

Kendall Smith
Director of Programming