Folk Music To Fill The Annex This Saturday
(Coldwater Daily Reporter, 7/14/06)
Rest assured, the art of working without a net is alive and well at the Hillsdale Annex this weekend.
Roots folk singer-guitarist Kollene Goheen, improve blues/pop duo Rhythm Gyld, and local left-field folker Chairman Ralph, will join forces for a show at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 15 ("Troubadours Night Out"). There is a $3 cover charge.
Rhythm Gyld (Michael Mihelich and K.A. Studley) is a blues/pop duo that hails from Albion. Their music taps into a bluesy nostalgic muse, using harmonica and guitar to conjure up a mix that sounds bygone and freshly made at the same time.
Michigan singer-songwriter Goheen mines the songs of a heartfelt nation's past as scores of performers have done before her. Her angelic singing conjures the authenticity and kindredness of Margot Timmins, Emmy Lou Harris and Jewel. It's music ranging from the courts of London, the hills of Appalachia and to the mines of Duluth -- taking her audience down dusty roads and riverbanks through characters teetering on mortality.
Exploring new territory isn't a problem for Chairman Ralph of Hillsdale. It's been his priority for nearly a year now, with sets ranging from countrified originals and his own versions of '60s Britbeat classics, like the Kinks' "You Do Something To Me." As always, look for Ralph's guitar to do its own talking on instrumentals like the dreamy, laidback, "Big Bang (For Shiny Green Grasshopper)."
The Hillsdale Annex is at 98 N. Broad Street, Hillsdale (across the street from City Hall). For more details, call (517) 437-5539. For more information, call (517) 437-5539, or (517) 437-2228.
Acts To Play At Annex On Memorial Day Weekend
(Coldwater Daily Reporter, 5/18/06)
For Memorial Day weekend, the road to the Hillsdale Annex is heading back to country, and a little bit of left-field folk. Jason And The Wanted will bring their distinctive country stylings for their first appearance at the Annex.
They'll be supported by singer-guitarist Chairman Ralph, of Hillsdale. As anyone who's seen the Chairman knows, no two shows are alike, and this one won't be an exception. Look for Ralph to pull out everything from country instrumentals, to offbeat covers (the Clash and the Kinks are always on the rehearsal menu), and his own humorous originals (like "Where's The Crowd?", which deals with every musician's worst nightmare -- the empty room). Showtime is at 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 27, and there is a $3 cover charge. Jason & The Wanted, fronted by Montgomery singer-guitarist, Jason Adams, are already a familiar presence to area listeners, who've seen them at the Tekonsha Bean Day Festival (2006), or the Fiddlers Convention, at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds (2004-2006).
Diversity is the key to Jason & The Wanted's live show. The group's not afraid to stand up for traditional country styles, as they've shown in original songs like "Country Music Ain't What It Used To Be," a humorous look at today's country pop sound. When they're covering those bases, Jason & The Wanted's live sound also includes a good dose of rockabilly, and '50s rock 'n' roll, ensuring a good night out for anyone who sees them. For more information, see http//:www.jasonandthewanted.com/. (Note: This site is now defunct. So goes time's incinerator.)
Saturday's show will give Chairman Ralph the chance to bring out the folkier side of his normal high energy power strumming, which he's taken to Southwest Michigan for about a year now. As anyone who's seen the Chairman knows, no two shows are alike, and this one won't be an exception. Look for Ralph to pull out everything from country instrumentals, to offbeat covers (the Clash and the Kinks are always on the rehearsal menu!), and his own humorous originals, like "Where's The Crowd?", which deals with every musician's worst nightmare -- the empty room. When the Chairman's not onstage, he's simply known as Ralph Heibutzki, author of Unfinished Business: The Life & Times of Danny Gatton. For more details, see www.chairmanralph.com.
The Hillsdale Annex is at 98 N. Broad Street, Hillsdale (across the street from City Hall). For more details, call (517) 437-5539.
Knisley, Walling, Chairman Ralph
To Play In Hillsdale Tonight
(Coldwater Daily Reporter, 4/29/06)
HILLSDALE – “Back to the Roots” is the theme of tonight's show at the Hillsdale Annex, where country, bluegrass and folk will take center stage.
Coldwater musicians, Delbert Walling and Jim Knisley, will lead the charge, with Chairman Ralph of Hillsdale as the opener.
Showtime is at 8 p.m., and there is a $3 cover charge.
Walling has played guitar for 35 years. He learned by backing up his father on Hank Williams and Ventures tunes, and by his teen years, he was absorbing the styles of Cream, Canned Heat and Jimi Hendrix.
A noted teacher, video producer and sessioneer, Walling plays 100 nights per year around the area – many of them shared with longtime duo partner, Jim Knisley. On Saturday, the pair known for their jazz-pop sensibility will add some country, bluegrass and other roots musical flavors to their arsenal.
Chairman Ralph has been playing around southeast Michigan for about a year now, and is best known as a high-energy solo acoustic and electric solo guitarist.
For tonight's show, Ralph will bring his folkier side to the fore through rearranged versions of his live staples (such as “I Fired The Dog”), countrified instrumentals and unlikely covers (from Billy Bragg, to the Clash, and back again). As always, expect the unexpected!
The Hillsdale Annex is at 98 N. Broad St., Hillsdale. For more details, call (517) 437-5339.
NOTE: The 5/08/06 photo collage is taken from the show that night, as it ran in the paper that week. The photo cutline is elementary, so I found no need to retype it. Ironically, I'd just been laid off that week, but I was glad that the Reporter ran the advance release, which came out on the night of the show!
Still, the turnout was good, with all of us netting $30 to $40 in tips apiece (if I recall correctly, though I'd have to consult the old performance diary), which made me feel good about human nature...if only for that night. :-)