Happy Friday

I was lucky enough to get to see Steve Westfield and the Slow Band last night. A ten-piece band that hadn't played out in eight years, they had one practice before the gig then just jumped in together. They lifted my feet off the floor and lifted my spirit, too.

What music will you enjoy this weekend?











Peace.

Happy Friday

Lots of candles this past week, after the blizzard that knocked out our power from Saturday 'til Tuesday.

Lots of music was made, too.

Now, the snow has mostly melted.

The girls get a chance to trick-or-treat tomorrow, 'cause the town postponed it Monday.

Gonna try to keep that music and family time going, even with electricity.

Peace.

Side of the Road

Side of the Road
by
Vincent Van Gogh

Peace.

Happy Snow Day!

My friend Henning posted this video on facebook this morning in anticipation and celebration of today's snow. The Fawns are a local band fronted by Henning's partner, Lesa. I looked around the website for confirmation and couldn't find it, but I think Lesa is also the songwriter for the band.

When Henning shared the song this morning, he remarked that he didn't remember school ever being closed preemptively when he was a kid, as it was today. Of course, I grew up in southern California, so there weren't any snow days.

It's possible that preemptive snow days happened back then, even if he doesn't remember--certainly a kid's memory of a snow day would be all about playing in the snow, like the children in the video, not whether the snow started before the start of the school day or after. I wonder if he remembers school ever being dismissed early because of snow. One obvious difference between then and now is better technology for tracking and predicting storms earlier, so that schools even have the chance to cancel school preemptively.

As I understand it, schools hate dismissing early these days because getting all the transportation safely sorted out is impossible. So if a storm warning is in effect, they'd rather cancel school before the storm starts -- that way no one is stuck at school.

I wonder if it's just further evidence of our changing world, our misplaced priorities. I'm guessing that when Henning was in school, many fewer mothers worked outside the home,* so there would be someone available to pick him up if school had to close early. Also, schools were probably more willing to let children go home with a classmate's parent even without signed written permission, so that one parent from a block could round up all the children. And hey, as long as I'm romanticizing the past, even though schools have always been underfunded, they were so much better funded then than now that there were neighborhood schools. In every neighborhood. So if school had to close early, the children could just --gasp!-- walk home from school! Alone!

These days, in our town, there are only a few schools, and many children live far enough away from their school they need to be bussed. There aren't enough buses to go around, even though parents have to pay for their children to ride the school bus. So schoolday start-and-finish times need to be staggered between the elementary schools, the middle school, and the high school. If the district had to dismiss school early because of snow, there would be mayhem because they wouldn't be able to provide buses to bus all the children home at the same time. Also, parents who were already at work would probably find it trickier to get out early to go pick up their children midday. Not to mention, if indeed the messiest part of the storm is supposed to be the afternoon, who would want the roads suddenly filled with buses and cars transporting children?

And don't even get me started on liability, one of the strange and powerful words that (mis)guide our society.

Enough with the ranting, go watch the video, sing along, and meet me outside later for a snowball fight. As I write this at 10:00am, it is not yet snowing. The girls are upstairs in their room playing. And we in this house are all hoping that this is a snowpocalypse.







Peace.



*I just want to be clear that I am not advocating a return to some patriarchal fantasy where all families consist of married heterosexual couples and their biological children, where only men work outside the home, and all women stay home to raise children, bake cakes, and clean house. It just seems to me that the current patriarchy that we're still soaking in continues to deny that raising children is actually valuable work, and someone has to do it. They squeeze the so-called middle class so that both parents in a two-parent household have to earn money and they shred all safety nets so that single parent families and low income families are struggling to survive. In the Ina Universe, the broken social contract would be repaired. We would recognize that it is in society's best interest that we all contribute to the welfare and upbringing of all of our children.

Wreck this Journal, Week 7

Yes, yes I did.

This, too.

I have been putting off these two things, because I was afraid of, yes, wrecking the journal. I did them both today with the girls. And something wonderful and unexpected happened.

I chose to walk through town dragging the book to the parking garage, then have the girls drag the book up the flights of stairs to the top, and toss the book off. While I was walking, dragging the book, a group of young women passed me, and I felt embarrassed enough to explain that I had to do it, because it was in the book. To my complete surprise and delight, one of the girls said she understood because she has the same book.

arriving at the parking garage
(we actually climbed even higher than the walkway visible above me in this picture)

I forgot to take a full shot of the garage.
This is one I found online.

looking over the side

awaiting flight

When we got to the top of the parking garage, the 8yo asked if she could be the one to toss the book off. She sent it down close to the side of the building. As it was falling, I wondered too late if it was actually safe to be doing this during such a high traffic time--what if the book hit somebody? As it was falling, we heard a squeal. Then, we lost sight of it.

falling

gone

Well, no spoilers here, watch the video...



I don't know how to stop the music.
The slide show in this video goes to about 1:55, the song is about 4:55.

So you see, we ran downstairs, saw no one was hurt, then started to look in the bushes for the journal. Then, a girl spoke from behind us. She had picked up the journal for us. I turned and saw all the young ladies who had passed us earlier, and one was proudly holding her book! They liked the look of mine, and were curious to see some of the things I had done. I thumbed through the book with them, then told them about the Next Chapter!

the girls

and see, she made it through okay

Although I noticed when looking through the book with the girls that there still seem to be a lot of untouched pages near the back of the book, here are some of the pages I've been working on this week as I continue the wrecking journey.

I painted over the background on the ugly drawing

my doodle envelope

yeah, four letter words
(they might need some color)

some more materials cartoons

Peace.

100 in 100, Day 32

days full of rain
skies comin' down again
i get so tired of these same ol' blues
same ol' song
honey, it won't be long
'til i'll be tyin' on
my flyin' shoes
flyin' shoes

song by townes


self portrait in the studio
pastel, 9x12 inches

Eye Candy

"No man with a good car needs to be justified!"

Today's earworm (no idea where it came from...)

Renewing America's Promise

A brand new day.



(who's surprised that I'm not the first person to think of this song in this context?)











Peace.

If you want to sing out, sing out.

Happy New Year.








Peace.

Remembering Townes and Hank

This beautiful poster was created by Philip Price


Townes Van Zandt
(7 March 1944 - 1 January 1997)


Hank Williams

(17 September 1923 - 1 January 1953)

Peace.

Power Lines: Whiskey Ina Review

From the Daily Hampshire Gazette

July 2006

photo CHARLES ABEL
Ina Iansiti of Northampton, leader of the band Whiskey Ina, marshals her own musical talents and those of other area performers, to live her dream of playing alongside some of the big names in the music industry. 'I always thought the pinnacle would be to play the Iron Horse and do a good job,' she says.

As pictured in a recent drawing of the band by Ina Iansiti, Whiskey Ina includes, from left, Jason Smith on drums, Frank Padellaro on bass, Iansiti on guitar, Jim Armenti on fiddle and Doug Beaumier on pedal steel guitar.

Whiskey Ina handles the hard stuff - Band leader Ina Iansiti of Northampton makes her musical dream come true
BY KEN MAIURI
EDITOR'S NOTE: Readers who remember Ken Maiuri's 'Clubland' will be happy to hear that he and his column are back. A talented musician, playing drums, bass and other instruments, Maiuri brings with him an insider's understanding of the music, bolstered by his experiences over the last three years touring with bands across the country and internationally. Replacing Johnny Memphis' music column, 'Clubland' will run weekly in Thursday's art section.

Ina Iansiti, onstage at the Iron Horse leading her band Whiskey Ina, was not the average opening act. For one, she was barefoot. Also, her musical dream was coming true.

Last Wednesday night the Northampton-based singer-songwriter opened for Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys, a tight retro rockabilly-swing combo from Los Angeles that's toured ceaselessly for nearly two decades. Whiskey Ina has existed for less than two years, with sporadic shows sprinkled throughout.

But Iansiti didn't get nervous. She got prepared. She sent out 150 postcards to friends (which began, 'My musical dream has come true!'). She assembled a band full of area favorites - Jim Armenti on fiddle, Doug Beaumier on pedal steel, Frank Padellaro on bass and harmonies and Jason Smith on drums. And she rehearsed.

About 75 people were there at the Iron Horse when Iansiti began her seven-song set with '222-blue,' an original that dates back to when she was still learning how to change chords without fumbling pauses on her just-bought acoustic guitar. Onstage, in front of a paying (and eating) crowd and leading a band full of pros, Iansiti was focused and smooth. She didn't once check her hands, but instead looked determinedly out at the audience.

Iansiti explained in an interview at her Northampton home last week that her unflinching solidity was really a pleasant by-product of anxiety: 'I couldn't think of what to do with my face, because the lights were so bright!'

She followed the introductory oldie with a brand-new song called 'Lay Down.' Padellaro chewed gum with conviction as he sang backup, putting some English on the bass as he stepped back and forth. Beaumier's pedal steel and Armenti's fiddle traded solos (in that order) on every tune, but on this one in particular they built up a fiery conversation. The sound of the band was casually raggedy, the kind of vibe reminiscent of folk festival jams or sprawling laid-back dances.

Iansiti's a mother of two, drummer Smith's a father of two, and their young children were in attendance, front and center on the roomy, dinnertime dance floor.

'This is the first time my daughters have ever seen me with my band,' Iansiti announced warmly between songs. During 'Dandelion Heart,' another original, all four kids ran around in joyously spastic, out-of-breath circles, swaying arms with their guardians, hopping animatedly.

Iansiti's countryish, swingy songs, influenced by the Carter Family, Willie Nelson, Dylan and Townes Van Zandt, among others, live in a timeless world where 'sad' doesn't exist - only 'blue,' which is sadder than 'sad' could ever be. Yet at the same time, 'blue' lets you get away with using it in up-tempo songs, which works for Iansiti, since she's not a moper - she's a dancer (as any regular local show-goer can attest, since Iansiti's often out in the audience, dancing supportively).

'Close Enough Is Good Enough for Me' was another catchy old original with a super-sprightly gait. But otherwise Iansiti used her time on the big stage to pay tribute to some of her local songwriting heroes, covering songs by Armenti ('Hammer and Tongs'), Ray Mason ('Ain't That a Lot of Lonely') and Matt Hebert, whose 'One Thing' was one of the night's lyrical highlights.

'Stay out of my house/ away from my yard/ stay away from the ones that I love/ you can't win my heart/ and if you push me too far/ you'll meet the sweet lord above,' sang Iansiti, without batting an eye.

In less than half an hour, Iansiti was off the stage, having done what she'd always wanted to do since moving to the area more than a decade ago.

'I'll never be a professional musician, but I want to put on a professional show,' she said, talking about her musical career as her two daughters pitched Legos around on the sunny porch of her Northampton home. She added, 'I always thought the pinnacle would be to play the Iron Horse and do a good job.'

Suddenly the oldest daughter yelled happily, 'You did a great job!!' and ran to hug her mom, plastic bricks tumbling to the floor.' Now I can retire!' laughed Iansiti, her arms full. 'And have a reunion show next year.'

That retirement's not coming anytime soon - she will appear as part of the Armenti Family (as the Carter Family) in this year's Transperformance at Look Park on August 15.

In Plain Sight: Whiskey Ina Review

From the Daily Hampshire Gazette

November 2005

PHOTO JERREY ROBERTS
The members of the new Northampton band, Whiskey Ina, from left, Jason Smith, Katy Schneider, Ina Iansiti and Frank Padellaro, perform at Bishop's Lounge Tuesday.

Local school of no-glam music turns out for some new disciples
BY JOHN STIFLER

I don't go to Elevens or Bishop's often enough.

That fact became clear quickly Sunday night, when I went to Elevens to hear Whiskey Ina, a new local band in the rich vein of scruffy Yankee-country music heavily mined by the Lonesome Brothers, Treefort, Steve Westfield and other groups.

I walk in the door, first person I see is Lonesome Brother Jim Armenti, who promptly waves off my wallet-opening move and buys my beer. I first wrote about Armenti in 1983, and this is the first beer he's ever bought me, so journalistic integrity is protected by the statute of limitations.

The bartender is Bruce Tull, one of the original Scud Mountain Boys, the Valley country-whatever group that could play even slower than the Cowboy Junkies and just as well. While playing with the Scuds, Bruce earned a Ph.D. in economics, but given the choice of going off to an academic job in the Heartland or remaining close to the Valley music scene, he conducted a swift cost-benefit analysis and decided to stay here.

Ray Mason, Armenti's Lonesome sibling, strolls in. One of the busiest performers in local music, Mason looks as though he has nothing better to do than just enjoy the scene, listen to a new band. Matt Hebert, who just presided over the farewell concerts by his Ware River Club, stands in one corner, chatting with friends.

The members of this fine local school of no-glam music are here to hear a couple of their newer disciples, songwriter/singer Ina Iansiti and pedal steel player Katy Schneider. Iansiti and Schneider are doing a quick sound check with the two other main members of Whiskey Ina, drummer Jason Smith, formerly of Fancy Trash, and bass player Frank Padellaro.

Padellaro is a full-time musician. His day job is working at Downtown Sounds, and for years he has been touring and recording as part of King Radio. Smith teaches social studies at Frontier Regional School. Schneider teaches painting and drawing at Smith College.

Iansiti runs a day-care center at her house. When Schneider was taking pedal steel lessons from the Valley master, Doug Beaumier, and was looking for someone who could play guitar and sing, she found Iansiti and they became Pedal Katy and Whiskey Ina.

Why 'Whiskey'?

'I needed something that sounded country,' Iansiti explained.

Sound adjustments accomplished, they open their set with one of Iansiti's excellent no-frills songs, '222-blue':

There's a very beautiful moon
Shinin' down into my room
As I stare at your picture on the wall

The theme, the musical form, the singing style are all as familiar as a plaid flannel shirt, or as Iansiti's cotton print dress.

'I know I'm mostly reinventing the wheel,' said Iansiti later. 'I write words, try to sing a melody and figure out what chords to play.'

Armenti has quietly taken the back corner of the stage, to add some fiddle accompaniment. Jim can play almost any instrument, although he once admitted that his musical friends ask him to draw the line at drums. The song continues:

Now your number's disconnected
That's really not what I expected
When I called to talk about the moon above.

Iansiti, who grew up in Southern California and went to college in New York, manages the songwriter's art of making up verses that almost resemble cliches but avoid actually being them. One of her songs is about how the singer dreams of perfection but finds that, after all, 'close enough is good enough for me.'

Another plays a good-humored word-game: 'I need a man at home so I can go out at night/And when I come home late he's got my babies sleepin' tight.'

In another, you can smell the sawdust on the floor even if someone just vacuumed it:

Whiskey takes me out of my mind
Makes what I want to say
Come out the right way
Wish I was drunk all the time.

Roadhouse trip, anyone?

They play Hebert's 'One Thing,' Gillian Welch's 'Annabelle,' and more originals by Iansiti. Smith is a deft, tidy drummer, while Padellaro's vocal harmony is as rich and easy as his enormously competent bass. Schneider leans over her instrument as pedal steel players always do: sitting almost dignified, head still, body hardly moving, fingers pulling silver out of the strings. Effortless beauty.

The best thing about the music, and the confirmation of its authenticity, is the community feel in the room. As Iansiti said after the show, 'A big part of what makes me want to make music is the idea of people being together to make that music. I hope my kids will do it too.'

Whiskey Ina travels around the corner to play a similar set at Bishop's Lounge in Northampton on Tuesday, starting at 9 p.m. Go and relax and take it in.