lifeblood: listlogs: 2006v09n010-news

ig-news-digest       saturday, february 11 2006       volume 09 : number 010

today's subjects:
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  [ig-news] poughkeepsie journal article  [sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.]

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date: sat, 11 feb 2006 15:37:02 +1100
from: sherlyn koo <sherlyn@pixelopolis.com>
subject: [ig-news] poughkeepsie journal article

hey folks,

here's an article from the poughkeepsie journal - you can read it online at:
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20060210/ent04/602
100301

cheers,
sherlyn

- ---begin forwarded article---
big weekend of music at bardavon
indigo girls, david bromberg fill musical bill
by john w. barry
poughkeepsie journal

february 10, 2006

she has the stage name of a movie star, the guitar chops of a grammy-winner and
the innocence of someone just thrilled to be earning a salary doing what she
loves.

ask amy ray about the success she and fellow indigo girl emily sailer have
achieved with two acoustic guitars, finely-crafted songs, thoughtful lyrics and
a concern for social conditions beyond the obligatory benefit each year. she
will sound as surprised as anyone at how well the pair have done.

"i have no idea," ray said during a telephone interview about why the indigo
girls have done so well for themselves. "basically, i just appreciate it, that
it has worked. i don't know. our audience is really great."

along with that audience, ray credited college radio with giving the indigo
girls a forum to reach new listeners.

"timing is kind of everything," she said.

this weekend, the indigo girls will be part of a monster music weekend at the
bardavon 1869 opera house in poughkeepsie. the indigo girls are set to perform a
sold-out concert tonight; icon lou reed was scheduled to perform saturday, one
of two u.s. concerts before heading off to italy for a show at the winter
olympics, then a european tour, but he had to postpone the show due to illness,
bardavon executive director chris silva said thursday. folk-rock favorite david
bromberg plays sunday.

the bardavon has a history of hosting stars. reed underscores the type of artist
the oldest theater in new york state is capable of getting  just last week bob
dylan rehearsed for four days at the market street venue.

the rock and roll hall of fame member with the velvet underground was
unavailable for an interview and is largely credited more with transcending
musical dimensions with his songwriting than selling records, but his draw at
the bardavon box office testifies to how much his avant-garde links to late
artist andy warhol and penning of one of the most famous rock anthems, "walk on
the wild side," still mean to fans. silva said his show would be rescheduled at
a date to be announced.

when she is not on stage performing such hits as "galileo" and "closer to fine,"
ray can be found in different corners of the nation or various pockets of the
world. on her own web site, www.amy-ray.com, she writes about traveling last
summer to washington, d.c., to state her position on low energy fm and the
energy bill. also on the web site, she opines about musicians signing deals to
sell cds through wal-mart and starbuck's.

"it's a wal-mart vs. starbuck's world," ray writes, "and music should really
transcend this."

mexican issues raised

another social issue that concerns ray is the well-being of the mexican
zapatistas, indigenous people who staged a military uprising in chiapas, mexico,
shortly after the adoption of the north american free trade agreement several
years ago.

ray has visited the area twice, met with residents and has been working to get
them essential goods and services. ray's current project involves tapping solar
power to help the residents of chiapas live more comfortably.

"it's just to learn about organizing and what grassroots groups are doing down
there and how," ray said. "it connects to us. ... i think there is a connection
there. it's important to see what's happening. it's one place of many you can
go."

another place amy and emily have traveled to repeatedly is the hudson valley.
several years ago, they played a concert at marist college, where they invited
folk legend pete seeger of beacon to perform with them.

last summer, they played a concert in pittsburgh and traveled 500 miles to
perform the next day at the hudson sloop clearwater inc.'s annual revival, which
benefits the organization founded by seeger that for decades has worked to get
the hudson river clean of pollution.

"they are very much the people that walk the walk, similar to pete seeger," said
ron aja, clearwater's outreach events director. "they believe and they act upon
their beliefs. they gave us an incredible gift. they understand organizations
like clearwater help us to fend off earth's vandals."

but still, as ray and saliers tackle social issues, ray said, it's "also about
the music and the songwriting."

john w. barry can be reached at jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com.

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