Thursday, October 02, 2008

C'mon, kids, let's put on a show!

We had a very successful meeting last night of the folks interested in helping to put together a Pete Seeger benefit concert here on the island. It's scheduled for May 1, which is two days before Pete's 90th birthday.

I had made a couple of pots of soup---bean soup with sausage and Izzy's Green Chile (the dish with which I came out ahead in last winter's chili cookoff). Somebody else brought an apple pie, some hummus and veggies, there was lots of great bread, wine, beer, cider, salad, and singing.

We had a great time! None of us has ever done much like organizing an actual concert, but several people had scraps of experience that related, so we have a lot of resources available within this group. I had invited twelve people and eleven of them actually showed up!

We've decided to organize the concert using a timeline of Pete's life and inserting songs according to the various parts of his life and the causes he sang about. We're going to get one of the better known island MC-types to help us out, if we can, which will be an additional draw.

So we're underway. I'm excited about it and also daunted by the scale of the project.

We did a lot of singing after we'd gotten to a stopping point in the meeting, but I was fighting off a scratchy throat and sore back, so I sent everyone home at 10.

Pete Seeger has been a hero of mine for a long time and I am pleased that we will be honoring his musical contributions in this way. I guess I just like people who do radical things in the name of peace.

8 comments:

Lizard Eater said...

How cool. What a tribute! I feel like Pete Seeger is a great-uncle or something. I grew up listening to Abiyoyo, his folk songs, the music of the Weavers, etc.

You've got to have someone do "The Big Muddy." Scary how much it still applies.

Lilylou said...

The Big Muddy is definitely on the list.

Anonymous said...

Where are you going to do the concert? Think Rockhoppers or Rockhoppers sponsoring it?

Berrysmom said...

And of course you will be sure that Pete Seeger Himself knows about this, right?

Lilylou said...

We're going to have the concert in the new UUCWI building, because it can seat so many people (150-200). We also have a lot of performers who will be part of it.

And I'm going to be writing Pete a letter via his publisher so that he knows about it.

Miss Kitty said...

WOW! What an awesome idea! Wish I could be there.

Lilylou said...

Hey, Miss K, c'mon down! (or UP, since you're down south)

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