First, put this in your date book as a “must attend” musical event:
A Celebration of Life honoring the memory of Michael Whitwell, Sunday November 1, from 4pm until 10pm upstairs at Graziano’s in Downtown Petaluma.
Musical guests will include Peter Welker All-Star Band featuring vocalist Jeff Oster, Crossfire, Hillside Fire, D’Bunchovus, Chris Samson and Friends, and The Gary Vogensen Group.
Michael touched the lives of so many people — in the musical community there is an out pouring of love and concern that includes Michael’s wife Catherine — who as you can imagine, is hard pressed to deal with the mountain of bills and medical costs from Michael’s treatment for cancer.
Besides being a musical tribute, the evening will be a potluck, and YOU are invite to come join the celebration, bring some food to share, hear some great music, and help Catherine all at the same time.
Update for THIS weekend: the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock Celebration is Oct. 25th — from 9AM to 6 PM — in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It’s free. This event will also feature the Jimi Hendrix Tribute Band Record Attempt — the world’s largest guitar ensemble playing “Purple Haze.”
Now I’m the bleeping “Secret Agent Man?” Let me explain — we’ve been discussing the current trend to toxically over loud musical performances, and the venues and artists that are seemingly oblivious, the audiences that sit in a damaged stupor, and the whining complainers that would prefer to keep their hearing intact.
Rather than open and frank dialogue, which is what Frank Simpson , and I prefer and want to encourage, I’ve been getting private emails from sound guys, roadies, artists and even one club owner, all asking NOT to be identified, or to have their comments attributed to them. What? Now I’m some sort of reporter? I’ll tell you this — the industry side of the issue is VERY interesting, and I’ll report on it next week.
For now, I still am very interested in gathering the experiences and reports of those of you who go out to hear live music.
Are you happy with the volume levels in the clubs and venues you’ve attended? Is loud the new norm? Do you ever miss dynamics in music? Have you had your hearing tested recently? Are you at all concerned?
I am!
