Greg Svitil

I’ll be playing Broommaker shows in early June in the northeastern United States, bookended by a pair of local appearances. Details on these shows are at VeilsOfTeeth dot com. Please share widely. Thank you for listening. Saturday, May 30 at 3pm in Washington, DC at Petworth Porchfest at 1127 Allison St NW w/The Icy Moons (2pm), zhtml (4pm). Friday, June 5 at 7pm in Philadelphia, PA at DuBois Robeson People’s Center w/Eva Shepard, Matt Geary Saturday, June 6 at 7pm in Providence, RI at Red Ink w/ Vudu Sister, Field of Embers Sunday, June 7 at 7pm in Turners Falls, MA at Rendeznous w/TBA Monday, June 8 from 6-7pm in Plympton, MA at Colchester Farm Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm in Newmarket, NH at Newmarket Millspace w/Coyote Hotbox (NH), Soft Eyes Closed (NH), Radiator (ME) for Elle’s Birthday Bash benefitting NHMARF Wednesday, June 10 from 7-9pm in Ellswoworth, ME at Black Moon Thursday, June 11 at 7pm in Meriden, CT at Grace’s Place w/Lys Guillorn, the Sawtelles Friday, June 12 at 7pm in Baltimore, MD at the Hargrove w/Rebecca Berlin, Clif Ingram Saturday, June 13 at 7pm in Rehoboth, DE at Extended Play w/TBA Tuesday, June 16 at 7pm in Takoma Park, MD at the Takoma Spark at the School of Musical Traditions

Upcoming Broommaker shows: Saturday, May 16 at 1pm in Gaithersburg, MD at Grape Escape w/Rebecca Berlin, Joe Isaacs Sunday, May 17 at 4-7pm in Fairfax, VA at MacKenzie’s Tunes and Tonics w/Rebecca Berlin, Juels Bland, Rowan Corbett, Maddie Desrocher, Rugan Lewis, Jillian Matundan, Eryn Michel Saturday, May 30 at 3pm in Washington, DC at Petworth Porchfest at 1127 Allison St NW w/The Icy Moons (2pm), zhtml (4pm). Friday, June 5 at 7pm in Philadelphia, PA at DuBois Robeson People’s Center w/Eva Shepard Saturday, June 6 at 7pm in Providence, RI at Red Ink w/ Vudu Sister, Field of Embers Sunday, June 7 at 7pm in Turners Falls, MA at Rendeznous w/TBA Monday, June 8 from 6-7pm in Plympton, MA at Colchester Farm Tuesday, June 9 at 7pm in Newmarket, NH at Newmarket Millspace w/Coyote Hotbox (NH), Soft Eyes Closed (NH), Radiator (ME) for Elle’s Birthday Bash benefitting NHMARF Wednesday, June 10 from 7-9pm in Ellswoworth, ME at Black Moon Thursday, June 11 at 7pm in Meriden, CT at Grace’s Place w/Lys Guillorn, the Sawtelles Friday, June 12 at 7pm in Baltimore, MD at the Hargrove w/Rebecca Berlin, Clif Ingram Saturday, June 13 at 7pm in Rehoboth, DE at Extended Play w/TBA Sunday, July 12 at 2pm in Sandy Spring, MD at the Sandy Spring Songwriter Showcase, Sandy Spring Museum with Sad Veiled Bride, Rafael Babay, Rob Hinkal, Rowan Corbett Friday, July 31 at 7pm in Hyattsville, MD at SoHy Corner Shops w/Rebecca Berlin, Rugar Lewis Friday, August 14 at 6pm in Mt. Airy, MD at Elk Run Winery w/Rebecca Berlin Saturday, August 22 at 5pm in Savage, MD at Pass Through Music Salon at Brewing Good w/TBA

On Passing Ships The lights just flickered twice and said goodnight As the rain slams on the eaves And wind huffs through the trees The lightning lights the snarling faces in the leaves Saint Peter and Saint Paul laid a pall On my body while the wedding band blew brasses The clarinetists weeping through their glasses The woodwinds lost their transit passes Go on and wave a waterlogged white flag The prednisone is rattling in my bag The yards with dogs as muddy as the hell below the long main drag It’s a slow walk down St Claude back to Burgundy Past the churches and the Church’s in the flood ‘Neath the hope that springs eternal in the redbuds Where your sweat-drops mingle with my blood When the dancers and romancers all depart And you pedal down the road, meds in your cart When the storm rains on the levee around your heart Beating on and on, on a passing ship tonight Footage by Erin McWilliams

This was ten years ago today. Lucinda Williams playing “The Ghosts of Highway 20” in the living room of the O Street Mansion in Washington, DC. There were about twenty people in the room. Kevin Erickson alerted me and wrote my name down for the door person. He was involved with organizing this with the Future of Music Coalition, advocating for the Fair Play Fair Pay act. I haven’t ever been the same since witnessing Lu standing there in the living room singing. She did something to my DNA on March 12, 2016. Thank God for this.

The rained held off and I got to hear some excellent music at the Takoma Porchfest yesterday. Slide 1: Annette Wasilik with Brad Gladstone on bass Slide 2: Doogie Whittaker with Alyson Cinà singing Slide 3: Peggy Brennan

Hello, There are a number of upcoming shows that I’m looking forward to, including the Petworth Porchfest, the Sandy Spring Museum, the Pass Through Music Salon, and the release show for Rebecca Berlin’s outstanding new album, just to name a few. This image is along the border of Vermont and New Hampshire from a tour of yeast past, and where I’ll be returning in June, announcing dates in the days ahead. You can also visit the Bandcamp page linked in my profile and listen and download four recent singles, two of which respectively benefit the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. Here are those upcoming local dates, in case you are curious and would like to come out to gather among people and hear us: Saturday, May 16 at 1pm in Gaithersburg, MD at Grape Escape w/Rebecca Berlin, Joe Isaacs Sunday, May 17 at 4-7pm in Fairfax, VA at MacKenzie’s Tunes and Tonics for the Rebecca Berlin “Questions and Answers” album release show (I’ll be playing on some of Rebecca’s songs and she’ll be playing on a couple mine) w/Rebecca Berlin, Juels Bland, Rowan Corbett, Maddie Desrocher, Rugan Lewis, Jillian Matundan, Eryn Michel, Bobby Gulshan Saturday, May 30 at 3pm in Washington, DC at Petworth Porchfest at 1127 Allison St NW w/The Icy Moons (2pm), zhtml (4pm). Sunday, July 12 at 2pm in Sandy Spring, MD at the Sandy Spring Songwriter Showcase, Sandy Spring Museum with Sad Veiled Bride, Rafael Babay, Rob Hinkal, Rowan Corbett Friday, July 31 at 7pm in Hyattsville, MD at SoHy Corner Shops w/Rebecca Berlin, Rugar Lewis Friday, August 14 at 6pm in Mt. Airy, MD at Elk Run Winery w/Rebecca Berlin Saturday, August 22 at 5pm in Savage, MD at Pass Through Music Salon at Brewing Good w/TBA

Pretty Good for a Girl: Women in Bluegrass By Murphy Hicks Henry This is a rich, vast history of women in bluegrass, from Sally Ann Forrester even prior to the 1945 “birth” of bluegrass, up to the present day (at the time of its 2013 publication). Murphy Hicks Henry has done really important and exciting research into the lives and music of trailblazers such as Wilma Lee Cooper and Ola Belle Reed, into 1950s luminaries The Stonemans and Margie Sullivan, into the 1960s with the rise of Jeanie West, Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, the 1970s Californian wave as well as Lynn Morris and Laurie Lewis, up through the recent years with artists including Alison Brown, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, and maybe my personal favorite contemporary picker Kristin Scott Benson. Hicks Henry dives deeply into the material through research and interviews. Many of these artists I’d only known through having their records on my shelves, and in the past I’d had a bit of a time finding writing on them, so this book has really illuminated these artists beyond their bodies of work for me. And, *many* of the artists covered are entirely new to me, and I’m eager to get into the stack of recordings I have on the horizon to explore. This is really recommended for anyone who is interested in these people and their music. Thank you @itsgabbycameron for recommending. #murphyhickshenry #womeninbluegrass #bluegrassisforeveryone #kristinscottbenson #alicegerrard

Jillian Matundan, yesterday at the Listening Booth in Lewes, Delaware.

Richard Shindell, yesterday at the Listening Booth in Lewes, Delaware. Thank you @veexteena for this.

Robin Flower “More Than Friends” (1979, Spaniel Records, Queertoons) hitting the spot on a quiet Sunday morning. The title song that opens the second side is considered by some to be the first queer bluegrass song recorded: “She was a proudly out lesbian at the time and a key part of a burgeoning women’s music scene. In fact, she played on the song “Angry Atthis” from Maxine Feldman, which was the first openly queer song of the modern era. Years later, Robin was in deeply in love with a woman and wanted to write a love song for her that would tap into her bluegrass roots. Robin’s family came from deep Appalachia and though she grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, she’d often take the bus down to visit relatives in Kentucky. Her song “More Than Friends” clearly speaks to the Kentucky bluegrass world, but wrote the song as a statement as well. She knew that it would be the first gay bluegrass song.” (Vinyl History) #bluegrasspride #bluegrassisforeveryone #robinflower

Vanessa and I are here in Lewes, Delaware for the Richard Shindell / Jillian Matundan show.

Thanks to Sara for playing the Broommaker song Caroline on Indie Penchant on WOWD last night. You can hear the show in the archives at TakomaRadio dot org. Our friends Lud Roes, Annette Wasilik (who also sings and plays guitar on Caroline), Novparolo, Acacia Sears, and others also got Indie Penchant play on the show last night. You can also hear Caroline among recent Broommaker singles on Bandcamp at the link in profile, and pre-order the album, releasing digitally on May 22 with vinyl shipping around June 15.