(photo by Shannon Helton)
Greetings, my friends and foes. The midwest tour with Porterwas a resounding success and the shows all went off without a hitch. Thanks to everyone in every single town we performed in for all of your love and support. By stitching together these stories we spun, we'll have words to share for years to come.
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Alas, on this tour, a devastating event occured at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, when a deranged and hateful young man opened fire on a group of innocent church patrons and staff. Without a shadow of a doubt, this crime was fueled by the terminal, generational disease of racism. The ancient, outdated flag of the failed Confederacy still flies in South Carolina amongst other places. This flag stood beside slavery less than a century and a half ago. I see musicians, artists, athletes, and even politicians who mourn the folks lost in SC that day are also aware of the sick symbolism the flag holds. For those who still fly that flag, take it down for the sake of humanity, for the sake of love, and for the sake of those who were lost on the holy grounds of the Emanuel AME church.
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Hold onto your hats and swimsuits, Poolboy is getting back together for a few shows this summer! Come see Poolboy at Norman's one and only Guestroom Records on Friday, July 10, at 7pm. We will be performing alongside fellow garage-rockers The Pizza Thieves.
I am honored to say I'll be performing at Woody Guthrie Folk Festival this year. Each year, the festival is held in Woody's hometown, Okemah, amongst the July heat, the love of folk music, and the historic Dust Bowl lore the city holds. I will be at the Brick Street Tavern, on Saturday, July 11, spinning my own songs and surely some traditionals.
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In December of last year, I assissted Samantha Crain in making her new record "Under Branch, Thorn, and Tree" at Tiny Telephones in San Francisco, CA. We worked with excellent folks, including mastermind tape king John Vanderslice and modular orchestra extraordinaires Magik*Magik Orchestra. The record is being released on two dates before Samantha's release tour. Come check out these beautifully written songs at: July 16 at The OPOLIS, Norman, OK (w/ Tallows) July 17 at Woody Guthrie Center, Tulsa, OK (w/ Desi and Cody)
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I will be going on two tours in coming months, one with my dear friend M. Lockwood Porter and the other tour with my charming brother Levi Parham. Will definitely keep you updated here. Take care and be kind.
love,
john calvin abney