Garrison & Friends in Bayfield, WI Bayfield is one of USA Today’s Best Coastal Small Towns, Wisconsin's Smallest City, the Berry Capital of the state, and the Gateway to the Apostle Islands. There is so much to do in this wonderful small town located on the shores of Lake Superior. Garrison & Friends will stage a show under the Big Top with the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band led by Richard Dworsky, plus Heather Masse (one of Garrison’s favorite duet partners and vocalist extraordinaire), and Fred Newman on sound effects. It will no doubt be a great evening where we can come together in song and story. Get tickets to Bayfield >>>
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If you are planning a trip to Bayfield, WI, which is a short drive from Duluth, MN, to see the show, here is a list of ideas for things to do in the area. Small-town charm abounds, with lots of hiking, shopping, and more. The Apostle Islands are nearby: take a short ferry ride to the main Madeleine Island, visit the Sea Caves and the Maritime Museum, or check out a distillery or two. There is so much to do — just don’t forget add our show to the list!
Things to do in Bayfield >>> |
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Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit a shirt It would appear that five of the Supremes are favoring an absolute right to possess any weaponry whatsoever by whoever has the cash, and to bear arms without restriction in schools, churches, shopping centers, aboard airliners, in the courtroom itself, that a right is a right, period. And when the Executive Quintet opens those doors, we’ll see dramatic changes here in the land of the free and home of the brazen, such as the man police apprehended carrying a gun near Justice Kavanaugh’s home last week, with intent to do harm.
We have 400 million guns now and when we get up to a billion, there will be more men with guns than police can apprehend, and it’s safe to say that no parent will send children to school, even one with armed guards. Law enforcement has been overwhelmed in many cities, including Minneapolis, where police have begun to privatize themselves and hire out as freelance security. Education, I suppose, will move online. Millions of people will become consultants and work out of their homes; manufacturing will all go to China. The closing of schools will likely mean the end of interscholastic sports except fencing, sharpshooting, and bowling, which may be useful for self-defense.
Go to Garrison Keillor and Friends on Substack
for THE COLUMN >>> Garrison writes a second column each week that only appears on his Substack site. Substack is a site designed for authors to better communicate and share with their readers. The site is free but there is “The Back Room” where one can unlock additional writings and features. Go to Garrison Keillor and Friends on Substack
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This week on A Prairie Home Companion This week’s classic show comes from St. Louis, Missouri — a broadcast from the fabulous Fox Theatre. Iris DeMent visits to sing a few songs from the heartland, by way of Russia; our country-singing friends The Cactus Blossoms travel down the Mississippi from Minneapolis; and Missouri native Joe Newberry joins us straight from his adopted home in North Carolina with his banjo and guitar. Plus: our Royal Academy of Radio Actors, Sue Scott, Tim Russell, and Fred Newman; our magnificent radio orchestra — Jonathan Dresel on drums, bassist Larry Kohut, Richard Kriehn on mandolin and fiddle, and guitarist Chris Siebold, under the steadfast direction of pianist Richard Dworsky; and an update on the very latest from Lake Wobegon, the little town that time forgot, and the decades cannot improve.
Highlights include a wonderful Guy Noir sketch, the return of a few favorites with updates on Bob, Father’s Day, and Catchup, a wonderful sad song about being “Unfriended," Joe Newberry being “Reminiscent,” “Change Your Ways or Die” from The Cactus Blossoms, plus "Listening to Singing" and “Reject the Burden" from Iris DeMent. The link is posted on Saturdays at 5 p.m. CT each week on our Facebook page.
Listen to the Show >>>Like our Facebook page >>>
More about this week’s guests
Iris DeMent was born on the Arkansas Delta and grew up in California the youngest of 14 children. Her dad played fiddle; her mother dreamed of singing on the Grand Ole Opry. For a family that saw its share of hard times, music was a necessity of life, not just a pastime. Since launching her career in the early 1990s, Iris has become one of the most celebrated artists of her generation. “Our Town” >>>“There's a Whole Lotta Heaven” >>>
Raised in Minneapolis, brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum have been blending their voices as The Cactus Blossoms since 2010. Their hypnotic harmonies and unforgettable songs have made them favorites on the Twin Cities music scene and beyond. Wrote one reviewer: “Hearing their music is like traveling back in time to when country music started crackling on the radio for the first time.” 'Is It Over' >>>'Sportlight Kisses' >>> Missouri native and North Carolina transplant Joe Newberry has made music most of his life. He grew up in a family full of singers and dancers, took up the guitar and banjo as a teenager, and learned fiddle tunes from great Missouri fiddlers. He has joined forces with Bruce Molsky and Rafe Stefanini as the Jumpsteady Boys, played in a duo with mandolinist Mike Compton, and in a quartet with old-time music legends Bill Hicks, Mike Craver, and Jim Watson. Joe will appear on the American Revival show at the Ryman with the entire Prairie Home crew. 'Sittin' On Top of the World' >>> June 18th - Joe Newberry and Richard Kriehn will appear at Crooner’s Supper Club in Fridley, Minnesota, in a special performance on June 18th.
Robin and Linda Williams
For decades, Robin and Linda Williams were frequent guests on A Prairie Home Companion starting in 1976. They just completed a great West Coast trek with Garrison as The Hopefuls. They have made numerous television appearances on the Nashville Network’s Fire on the Mountain, Nashville Now, and Music City Tonight. The duo has also been heard on other nationwide radio programs, including the Grand Ole Opry, Mountain Stage, and NPR’s All Things Considered. With more than two dozen recordings and three musicals to their credit, they are considered to be among the finest songwriters in the folk-country tradition. That tradition continues with their latest CD, A Better Day A-Coming. We asked them a few questions about the new music.
Tell us a bit about the new CD, which is called A Better Day A-Coming.
We feel we had “the gift of time” for our new CD, A Better Day A-Coming. We recorded it in three sessions, from August 2019 through August 2020, in our living room, with its 10-foot ceilings and plaster walls, with our good friend Kevin McNoldy assisting as co-producer and engineer. Bassist Mark Schatz and multi-instrumentalist David McLaughlin came by the house for the second session, and we sent digital files to our friends Richie Dworsky, Kevin Maul, and Patrick McAvinue and had them add their parts. During the final session, we recorded one last song and began mixing the CD. The “gift of time” was especially important with the mixing and sequencing of the songs. We did most of it by emailing files back and forth, we took our time, and we were able to make sure we were all satisfied with the final product.
How did you go about choosing the songs?
We started by recording eight original songs. Then we added five other songs, three by other songwriters and two from the public domain that we felt we had made ours by developing personal and unique versions.
What is the most personal song on the CD and why?
I’d say it’s probably “The Old Lovers Waltz” since it’s essentially about us and our long marriage. There are several other original songs that are about people we’ve known over the years. Of those, I’d say “We Don’t Know What To Say” would be a close second to “The Old Lovers Waltz” because it’s about a neighbor and a friend.
What is the most exciting part and most challenging part of self-releasing this first album?
One exciting aspect of this record was that our living room sounded so doggone good, as good as some high-priced studios we’ve recorded in. Another exciting aspect is the strength of the performances. Everything is in good pitch and in good time and the recording has good energy and solid dynamics.
The most challenging part of the CD has been the postproduction work. This is our first self-release and now we know how diligent the record companies had to be in dealing with the mountains of minutiae involved in getting a CD out to the public. Talk about teaching old dogs new tricks! We’ve learned a lot, and we wouldn’t have gotten through it without a lot of help from our musician and music-business friends who freely shared their knowledge.
Read the full Guest Interview >>>Listen to “A Better Day A-Coming” >>>Purchase A Better Day A-Coming >>> |
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"MacKenzie Adkins" featuring Kate MacKenzie
Kate MacKenzie was lead singer of Stoney Lonesome for many years, and with them she recorded six bluegrass albums, toured Europe, Japan, and North America, and was featured in the public television series Showcase and the Nashville Network’s Fire on the Mountain. With the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, she recorded a live album from Carnegie Hall, performed at folk festivals in Scotland and Denmark, and was featured on PBS’ Austin City Limits. MacKenzie’s work with A Prairie Home Companion included co-host roles on several broadcasts, coast-to-coast tours, farewell and reunion shows, 20 Disney Channel television broadcasts, the 1993 Book of Guys tour, and a recurring dramatic role as Sheila, the Christian Jungle girl.
After a 20-year recording hiatus, Kate MacKenzie returns in fine form with the group MacKenzie Adkins and demonstrates that she truly has a voice that bluegrass misses! From Dylan to Greg Brown, she proves she can still sing any song. Get the CD >>>Read our guest interview >>> |
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Climbing Up On the Rough Side |
The second audio recording by the Hopeful Gospel Quartet —Robin and Linda Williams, Kate MacKenzie, and Garrison Keillor –– is old-time gospel singing at its best. Recorded live during broadcasts of Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, it features instrumentals by Butch Thompson, Chet Atkins, and others.
Tracks: - Climbing Up On the Rough Side
- He Knows How Much We Can Bear
- Life Is a Ball Game
- Calling My Children Home
- How Great Thou Art
- I Am a Pilgrim
- Take Me in Your Lifeboat
- Touch of the Past
- Count Your Blessings
- Just a Closer Walk With Thee
- Long As I Can See the Light
- How I Got Over / Bid You Goodnight
Listen to “Long As I Can See the Light” >>>Get the CD >>> |
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