Michael Perry's Blog, page 16

This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Rodrigo y Gabriela

Check out Mike (Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Threads) hosting Tent Show Radio. This week’s episode features Rodrigo y Gabriela.

During intermission Michael Perry shares a humorous or heartfelt (or both) story drawn from his beloved books and offbeat life experiences.

Originally from Mexico City Rodrigo y Gabriela, the acoustic guitar duo of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero, met as teenagers while playing in a thrash metal band called Tierra Acida. By 2000 the formally became a duo act and moved to Dublin Ireland, where with the support of musician Damian Rice, the talented pair participated in the renowned Oxegen music festival in Ireland, where they attracted significant attention. From the beginning, their reputation as killer musicians – Rodrigo with the faster-than-lightning lead guitar and Gabriela with her unique, rhythmic, strumming-and-drumming style – started to spread across the country.

The high-energy international duo’s music harnesses the flash, power, and speed of death metal filtered through the passion, soul, technique, and discipline of nuevo flamenco. Their showy, emotional sound is marked by Quintero’s syncopated, hooky, percussive rhythms and rapid-fire strummed vamps framing Sanchez’s incendiary, melodic, single-and dual-string leads. Following a successful live album in 2004, their debut self-titled studio album, produced by John Leckie of Radiohead and Stone Roses fame, was released by Rubyworks in February 2006 and charted at Number One on the Irish national charts, keeping the Arctic Monkeys off the top spot. Having established themselves in their adopted home, the duo started to spread their magic across the rest of the world. They headlined the Jazz World stage at Glastonbury in 2007, which was broadcast live on BBC TV. The Rodrigo y Gabriela album went on to sell over 100,000 records in the UK. This episode features recordings from the acclaimed duo’s 2019 performance at Big Top Chautauqua.

Follow this link for all the available viewing options.

Stream it here along with other Tent Show Radio episodes.

Tent show Radio is broadcast each week on many fine independent stations, which can be found here: https://sneezingcow.com/ten-show-radio-stations/.

The post This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Rodrigo y Gabriela appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Shakey Graves

Check out Mike (Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Threads) hosting Tent Show Radio. This week’s episode features Shakey Graves.

During intermission Michael Perry shares a humorous or heartfelt (or both) story drawn from his beloved books and offbeat life experiences.

Americana singer-songwriter and guitarist Shakey Graves returned to Big Top following the celebratory reissue of his acclaimed debut album of Roll The Bones X. With his breakthrough debut album, Roll The Bones, self-released in 2011, Shakey Graves quickly developed a cult following, and began his extensive touring career, sharing stages with artists like Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Mumford & Sons and Old Crow Medicine Show. Roll The Bones, catapulted the singer/songwriter into national visibility and led to the artist signing to Dulatone Records for future studio releases which included 2014’s And The War Came and 2018’s Can’t Wake Up. In subsequent years, Shakey Graves has continued to experiment with his approach to the songwriting process and has explored more expansive full-band sounds while venturing into more psychedelic territory through many smaller EP releases including Look Alive, released in 2021.

His knack for storytelling and an enigmatic stage presence immediately draws listeners into his strange narrative world. The musician has captivated audiences and critics alike with his gnarly composite of blues and folk, variety of idiosyncratic techniques, drastic register shifts, and his off-kilter lyric sensibility masked with old-timey Western imagery, the Austin native is truly a one-man-band of epic sonic proportions.

This episode features recordings from Shakey Grave’s 2022 performance at Big Top Chautauqua.

Follow this link for all the available viewing options.

Stream it here along with other Tent Show Radio episodes.

Tent show Radio is broadcast each week on many fine independent stations, which can be found here: https://sneezingcow.com/ten-show-radio-stations/.

The post This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Shakey Graves appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Firefighting Throwback

Throwback to that time I found out how it goes if you fight a wildfire while wearing cargo shorts under your gear. Safe, but sooty. Man, I loved being part of the New Auburn Area Fire Department.

The post Firefighting Throwback appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Michael Perry on THE CULTURE BUZZ – Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Michael Perry joins THE CULTURE BUZZ with John Busbee Wednesday, 12.20.23, between 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM CT. The show can be heard live on the radio in the Des Moines, IA area on KFMG 98.9 FM and streamed live online at www.kfmg.org.

At 12:11 PM (CT) – Author, humorist, and musician Michael Perry returns to chat about his album, The Clodhopper Monologues, an irreverent, thought-provoking, mirth-filled collection of short sketches sure to make anyone delight in his pastoral observations.

“With an unspoken homage to the humor of Mark Twain, and a rustic elegance in his delivery, Michael Perry continues to shine as an ambassador and connecting point between city and country, and diverse folks across the country.” – The Culture Buzz

“Through his life immersed in country living, and a Mark Twain-like gift for putting experiences into words, Michael Perry delivers a tour de force in Forty Acres Deep. A soul-nudging journey.” – The Culture Buzz

The post Michael Perry on THE CULTURE BUZZ – Wednesday, December 20, 2023 appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Lake Street Dive

Check out Mike (Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Threads) hosting Tent Show Radio. This week’s episode features Lake Street Dive.

During intermission Michael Perry shares a humorous or heartfelt (or both) story drawn from his beloved books and offbeat life experiences.

Since forming in 2004, Lake Street Dive have matched their sophisticated musicianship with a fearless refusal to limit their sound. As shown on their most recent album, 2021’s critically acclaimed Obviously, the Boston-bred band also possess a keen talent for combining socio-political commentary with immediately catchy pop gems. Over the years, they’ve captivated massive audiences at such esteemed festivals as Newport Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Toronto Jazz Festival, in addition to headlining tours all across the globe and sharing stages with acts like Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow. And through their fierce commitment to constantly elevating their artistry, Lake Street Dive have ultimately emerged as one of the most compelling voices in alternative music today, both reliably sublime and thrillingly unpredictable. With their current lineup comprised of founding members Rachael Price (vocals), Bridget Kearney (bass), and Michael Calabrese (drums)—as well as keyboardist/vocalist Akie Bermiss and touring guitarist James Cornelison—Lake Street Dive continue to create joyously soulful rock & roll with equal parts ingenuity, intelligence, and irresistible abandon.

In recent years, Lake Street Dive have brought even more boldness to their kaleidoscopic sound while deliberately expanding their songcraft. To that end, Obviously finds the band examining such complex matters as gender inequality (on “Being a Woman”) and the monumental challenges faced by younger generations (on “Making Do”), shaping each track with a profound intentionality and ineffable mastery of melody and groove—a process Price refers to as “putting these messages into three and a half minute snippets, dropping whatever truth we can and hoping it’s the type of thing that people want to ruminate on.” Made with producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Mary J. Blige), the result is an endlessly illuminating body of work that’s earned praise from the likes of Rolling Stone (who noted that “at a moment when pop strives for lo-fi, solitary-world intimacy, the jazz-pop whatever band refuses to think small”).

This episode features recordings from Lake Street Dive’s 2022 performance at Big Top Chautauqua.

Follow this link for all the available viewing options.

Stream it here along with other Tent Show Radio episodes.

Tent show Radio is broadcast each week on many fine independent stations, which can be found here: https://sneezingcow.com/ten-show-radio-stations/.

The post This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Lake Street Dive appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Sneezing Cow last minute note

Howdy Folks:

The portrait (sweaty selfie, let’s be real) above was taken in one of Mike’s pole barns after a firewood splitting session. Made sense, then, to use it as the author photo for Forty Acres Deep, a book featuring several pole barn scenes.The reaction to this little book continues to surprise us in the best sort of way. It went from a self-published side project (word was, the big publishers weren’t interested) to selling thousands of copies. The continuing interest in Mike as a speaker or interview subject reflects a hunger for the novella’s frank but reflective examination of grief, loss, and mental health–especially in rural, blue-collar settings. The setting and main character speak powerfully to the political and societal challenges–and opportunities–facing all of America, in a voice from and of rural America.

Here’s what readers are saying:

– The opening chapter of this book hits you like a 300 pound defensive lineman. A literary decleater.

– This book is a little masterpiece. Not only is it physically beautiful but also it is like nothing else I’ve ever read.

– (Feed mill operator) I told a pastor friend this morning to read it as a means to help better understand some of the rural folks he’s trying to minister to.

Many of you already have this one on your shelf (or in your e-reader, or audiobook player), and thank you. Mike never forgets none of this happens if you aren’t willing to give of your time. It’s especially meaningful when we go DIY (do-it-yerself).

Signed copies (and links to the ebook and audio versions) can be found here. If your local bookstore doesn’t have it in stock, they can order it through Ingram (they’ll know what that means). You can also find it on Amazon and BookShop.org.

And of course if you’re in the mood for something sillier, we’ve still got these:Thank you for a wonderful year and all the things you do to help keep the words flowing. Be it your laughter at Mike’s speaking events or your notes of thanks and appreciation in an email, handwritten note, or social media comment, we see them all and are filled with gratitude.

See y’down the road,
The Sneezing Cow Crew

NOTE: If you’re ordering from our online store for a holiday gift, please make sure you do so by December 13th to ensure its timely arrival.

 

The post Sneezing Cow last minute note appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

This Week’s Tent Show Radio – Take Me Home: The Music of John Denver

Check out Mike (Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Threads) hosting Tent Show Radio. This week’s episode features Jim Curry and his band performing the music of John Denver.

During intermission Michael Perry shares a humorous or heartfelt (or both) story drawn from his beloved books and offbeat life experiences.

Since 2002, the combined talents of Jim Curry and his band have brought John Denver’s music back to thousands upon thousands of people. As a life-long fan, Curry has dedicated himself to continuing John Denver’s legacy of songs and his message of love and caring for our planet to future generations. Take Me Home: The Music of John Denver is the ultimate tribute experience. Curry’s heartfelt delivery envelops the crowd as multi-platinum hits such as “Rocky Mountain High,” “Annie’s Song” and “Country Roads” fill the atmosphere. Superimposed with multi- media images of wildlife photos and videos, this show truly fills up your senses.

Jim Curry has emerged as the top performer of John Denver’s music today, often performing with Denver’s former band members, Jim Curry’s tribute is the first and only full-length John Denver tribute to headline in Las Vegas and is celebrated nationally and internationally.

This episode features recordings from Jim Curry’s 2022 performance under the tent.

Follow this link for all the available viewing options.

Stream it here along with other Tent Show Radio episodes.

Tent show Radio is broadcast each week on many fine independent stations, which can be found here: https://sneezingcow.com/ten-show-radio-stations/.

The post This Week’s Tent Show Radio – Take Me Home: The Music of John Denver appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Roma Pizza Ad – Michael Perry and Al Ross

My friend Al and I wrote and produced this commercial in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, sometime in the early 1990s. I remember sitting on the curb between takes telling Rick Fuller (he and partner Phil Harder did the shooting and production) I wanted to be a writer. Rick said he wanted to do music videos. He wound up having his work on MTV, I wound up writing a buncha books. I remember designing the “Pie on the Fly” logo using a ruler and stencils (and maybe CorelDraw?), and spraying the pizza box with Pam to make it look greasy. The delivery guy was Russell Zook. Al did the Real Announcer voiceover, I did “Here’s yer pie!” and “Wrong house…”

The buncha books can be found here: https://sneezingcow.com/store/

The post Roma Pizza Ad – Michael Perry and Al Ross appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Tanya Tucker and Molly & The Danger Band

Check out Mike (Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Threads) hosting Tent Show Radio. This week’s episode features Tanya Tucker and Molly & The Danger Band.

During intermission Michael Perry shares a humorous or heartfelt (or both) story drawn from his beloved books and offbeat life experiences.

Edgy. Classic. Country. A defining voice of music and a modern-day legend, GRAMMY award winner, Tanya Tucker is known for some of country music’s biggest hits such as” “Soon,” “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane,” “It’s a Little Too Late,” “Trouble,” “Texas (When I Die),” “If It Don’t Come Easy” and “Strong Enough To Bend,” Tanya has cemented herself as one the most admired and influential performers in country music. Since the auspicious start of her career at the age of 13, when released the classic country hit, “Delta Dawn,” in 1972, Tucker has amassed 23 Top 40 albums, 56 Top 40 singles, 10 No. 1 songs on the Billboard country charts, numerous accolades including two CMA’s, two ACM’s, three CMT awards, and in 2020 she won her first two GRAMMY Awards for Best Country Album.

Molly & The Danger Band started in 2006 when Molly Otis crawled onto a three foot wide ledge, hovering eight feet above a glass top bar at the Pavilion in downtown Hayward WI. You probably had heard or seen Molly Otis as the front person for Warner recording artists Molly and the Heymakers. She is a powerful vocalist and plays multiple instruments including fiddle, mandolin and guitar. Randy Wydra sings, lays down the bass lines, adds acoustic guitar and even plays drums with his feet. You could call them a rock/country/jazz/bluegrass band, but they are really an Americana band. The blending of different American roots music creates a unique musical cocktail, with a twist of Irish. From classic covers, traditional and original music, no matter what you call it, you’re bound to have a good time.

Follow this link for all the available viewing options.

Stream it here along with other Tent Show Radio episodes.

Tent show Radio is broadcast each week on many fine independent stations, which can be found here: https://sneezingcow.com/ten-show-radio-stations/.

The post This Week’s Tent Show Radio: Tanya Tucker and Molly & The Danger Band appeared first on SneezingCow.com.

Michael Perry on THE CULTURE BUZZ today – Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Michael Perry joins THE CULTURE BUZZ with John Busbee today, 11.29.23, between 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM CT. The show can be heard live on the radio in the Des Moines, IA area on KFMG 98.9 FM and streamed live online at www.kfmg.org.

At 11:37 AM (CT) – Author, humorist, and singer/songwriter Michael Perry takes a thought-provoking veering from his usual path to capture a more unfiltered perspective of rural life in Forty Acres Deep. This elegantly written book displays the depth of Mike’s understanding and capturing of rural life, giving anyone who has experienced it a voice, and those who haven’t, an understanding.

“Through his life immersed in country living, and a Mark Twain-like gift for putting experiences into words, Michael Perry delivers a tour de force in Forty Acres Deep. A soul-nudging journey.” – The Culture Buzz

The post Michael Perry on THE CULTURE BUZZ today – Wednesday, November 29, 2023 appeared first on SneezingCow.com.