Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys 2005

Dec. 7, 2009 Newsletter

Happy, safe, and peaceful Holidays to all of you from all of us here at Banjo Dan Central., and thanks for another year of support and friendship.
We hope you’ll all be getting out and enjoying some live music over the cold months or, when the winds are howling, cosying down with some good music at home. See below for holiday specials on our CDs; but first, check out these upcoming shows:

Banjo Dan and the Mid-nite Plowboys will be playing two First Night venues here in Vermont on Dec. 31, and we hope you’ll grab this final 2009 opportunity to catch the act:

The Sky Blue Boys (Banjo Dan and Willy Lindner) will be doing several shows this winter, and we’d love to see you at one of the following:

  • Jan.13, Good Times Café, Hinesburg, VT, 8 PM. A fine, intimate room with good eats and great music. Located on Rt 116. Call 802-482-4444 for more info.
  • Jan. 15, The Lamb Abbey, Montpelier, VT, 8 PM. That’s right – we’re finally playing a show in our home territory, and Willy and I are really looking forward to it. The Lamb Abbey is Montpelier’s newest and coolest venue, at 65 Pioneer Center on the edge of town. Call 229-2200 for directions or check www.thelambabbey.com.
  • Jan. 16, Country Corner Coffee House, at the Congregational Church, 11 North Main Street, South Hadley, MA, 8 PM. This is one of the top New England venues for bluegrass and related styles, and we’re looking forward to bringing our oldtime pre-bluegrass stylings to this wonderful coffeehouse. Tix & info: 413-467-9394 or www.countrycornermusic.com.
  • Jan. 17, Firebox Restaurant, 539 Broad Street, Hartford, CT. Another great venue for bluegrass and acoustic music. Terrific food, great house sound. We play at 5:15 and again at 7:30. 860-246-1222; www.fireboxrestaurant.com.
  • Feb 26: Wessagusset Coffehouse, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 83 Sea Street, Weymouth, MA. For info on time and tickets call Mark at 781-749-7939. The church is reviving its fine coffeehouse series, and we’re pleased to be part of it – and especially pleased to be playing in eastern Mass, where we haven’t worked in a while.
  • Feb 27: Green Rooster Coffeehouse, United Congregational Church, Worcester, MA, 8 PM. This is really a happenin’ place, with great music all the time, and I for one am looking forward to their famous cookies. And to seeing a lot of our old Mass friends. For directions and more info go to www.ucc-worcester.org/greenrooster/

HOLIDAY SPECIALS ON CDS

Every year around this time we offer some special deals on CDs – it’s our little way of fighting the recession and trying to make a few bucks at the same time. It’s a great country, right? Anyhow, here goes:

All current titles reduced to $15 each, and we pay postage. That includes our latest, Fire in the Sugarhouse; our best-selling retrospective, Like a River; the third volume of Banjo Dan’s Songs of Vermont, Mystery and Memories; and the Sky Blue Boys’ one and only, Music in the Air. Wait a minute – we also uncovered a few copies of Some Rust…Runs Good, so that’s on the block too. Get it before it goes out of print for good.

Order any two for $28 and – get this – any three for $40. How can you lose?

Then there are the re-issues: Snowfall, I’ll Take the Hills, Green Mountain Skyline, The Catamount is Back, With Friends Like These (The Lindner Brothers) and the recently-rereleased Sleepin’ Under the Bridge complete with three bonus tracks. These usually go for $16 each, but between now and the end of the year we’ll make it $13 each and just $12 if you order more than one. Oh, what the heck – we’ll make that just $10 each for any order of three or more. Can’t beat that for holiday shopping.

By the way, if you need more info on these fabulous recordings, go to www.banjodan.com and under Music, click on Discography. Then click on album covers for further details.

***Wait! I almost forgot – we’ve added another title to the re-releases. Remember High Time, the Plowboys’ second LP, from 1977? Many still consider it our best, with great songs like Green Mountain Special, Big Mamou, New Musician’s Waltz, Ridin’ All Night and Wild Geese. Double banjoes, triple fiddles, some great dobro by guest Dan Mahoney. I’ve listened to it a lot recently, and it stands the test of time. Why did we wait so long to bring this one out again? It’ll go for the usual $16 after the holidays, but for now, grab one at the bargain rate cited above and put it in somebody’s stocking.

To order, send your check to Banjo Dan, 23 Roberts Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. We’ll get your order in the mail same day.

OK, folks. Have a wonderful holiday season, and we’ll look for you at a Banjo Dan or Sky Blue show real soon. –Banjo Dan