Dear Friends,

There are a few moments of peaceful bliss sprinkled through our lives these days.  Like the blossoming of the fruit trees in the orchard in springtime.  The fragrance, the visual beauty is more than can be contained in this human vessel and any vocalization of the experience, any exclamation to the experience seems contrived in this master plan of nature.  So we open our arms and breathe as deeply as our bodies allow, trying to drink up as much of the moment as we can.  First, the apricots with their pinks followed by the plums with the purist of white.  Then the apples come on in force, flooding the air with familiar fragrance and a magnitude of pink that makes it appear at petal drop as if it were snowing.  They are joined by pears and cherries and the catkins of their forest neighbors.  It is a drama that can go on for weeks and gently transition into summer.  Sometimes it ends abruptly under the siege of a storm with hail and heavy rain knocking blossoms to the ground, violent winds ripping the limbs from the trees or tearing them from the ground.

The unfolding panorama of color reminds me of the fireworks we used to see in the small towns on the fourth of July in more peaceful times.  The gentle far off pops in the sky followed by cascades and showers of ever-changing colors and involuntary ooh’s and ahh’s from all the members of the community sitting together on the grass to share the bonds that hold us together as diverse people in celebration of the honorable nation we were a part of.  A nation, honest and well intended, virtuously upholding the causes of freedom and justice and goodwill at home and abroad.  The fireworks were different this year.  There was more of the flag-waving kind of  “patriotism” and more of the loud percussive, explosive rockets, that went on so furiously and so long that on-lookers got the  feeling they had left the beauty of celebration and entered unwittingly one of the many battlefields or regions being bombed across our planet.  The air became so thick with smoke at one display  that people were choking and coughing.  

Driving away at the conclusion was visually challenging.  The war drums have been pounding.  Driving the peace from our lives and from our communities.  The winds of war have been blowing, taking the blossoms from our fruit trees.  Peaceful bliss is found only away from the radio or the newspapers.  We are constantly being terrorized on one hand by the incessant fear-mongering of our present leadership and their lap-dog media, and on the other, a real threat that continues to grow because genuine peace is not being addressed.  At the same time, we live in increasing fear of being persecuted for being unpatriotic  because we oppose the entities (corporate, military, Oligarchy) that have hi-jacked through hook and crook, through intimidation…our democracy.  

Because we stand for free speech, for discussion and debate, for peaceful resolution of conflict, for diplomacy, for economic justice, for protection of our environment, for wise use and equitable access to the earth’s resources, we now because of the hysteria and jingoistic fervor,  fear prying and spying and disruption of our lives by local as well as federal agencies in their “war on terror”.  The appearance of local militias and vigilante groups and the emotional “right to bear arms” debate is a symptom of the fear and hostility that is becoming present in our own communities.  

The “racial” incidents, the paint-ball games and tournaments by young and old in camouflage clothing pretending to kill each other in the woods….are disquieting.  We wonder if “sleeper” cells of “patriotic” Timothy McVeigh types, or the ex-military guys that sent anthrax to Democratic senators’ offices and newspaper offices aren’t perhaps one of the under discussed issues in this move to again incite Americans into the hysteria of “boogie-men” lurking in every corner.  What happened in Yugoslavia?  What happened in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America when military and paramilitary tacitly worked together for the “health and integrity” of the homeland.  How did 6% of the population in Germany bring Hitler to power and how did appeasement embolden them?  The US is not above the law.  We need to approve and support a World War Crimes Court.

Koyaanasquatsi means world out of balance in Hopi.  We certainly are living in a world out of balance.  It is a world filled with hatred.  It is a world filled with excess and a world filled with not enough.  The disparity between haves and have-nots grows in direct relationship to the turmoil in our world.  The looming and increasingly present environmental disaster evident in air and water quality, in cancer epidemics, immune disorders, food borne illness out-breaks, climate change and loss of species, grows in direct proportion to our spiraling use of resources and energy in our attempts to go beyond standards of living that are wholesome and adequate to those that are excessive and indulgent.

Much of America lives in denial while much of the world increasingly lives denied.  There is profit in war.  There is profit in oil.  It is doubly profitable to make war for oil.  (The “War on Drugs” in Columbia allocated $92 million to protect oil pipelines:  please come to the discussion on Columbia).  If the Bush’s and Cheney’s and their merry band are so patriotic, then why are they getting so rich and charging so much for armaments through their companies ( the Carlyle Group) to our military?  If they were really concerned about the Iraqi people and just didn’t like their leader then why did they litter the whole country with spent Uranium left over  from the weapons industry rendering the whole land virtually uninhabitable?  Why did the Bush family get the concession for the oil that goes through Bahrain and UAE out of ports built by US taxpayers during the Gulf War rather than being given to the tax payers or a charitable institution dedicated to ending further wars, peace academies and for the development of renewable energy systems.  Wouldn’t it be more peaceful and cheaper in the long run to pay a fair price for oil rather than to use our military to prop up Saudi or Kuwaiti elite who ensure the oil goes through our own royal oil families?  Wouldn’t it stimulate renewable energy development more and threaten our democracy less to allow market forces and not military forces to determine the price of oil?  The latter hides the true cost and considering damage to our democracy and to the environment, should not be an option. Was it in the interest of “Homeland Security” to give corporations a license to merge, cannibalize, move assets, hide assets, enjoy the protections and welfare of our government while being free from taxation?  The wealthy, who obtained their wealth through the construction and maintenance of infrastructure, machinery, and technology by labor of working people, or the extracting of resources or farm products by increasingly marginalized laborers, have decried taxation to pay for this all and instead push for more regressive taxes placing more of the burden on those who have served as stepping stones to their wealth.  We have been bogged down in debates about minimum wages when we should have been discussing maximum wages.  What is enough?  What is too much?  America has been market-driven instead of being conscience-driven.  The god of America has been the Economy and the Dollar.  In this god, we trust.  We have been seduced and coerced into believing that democracy means the people can’t say anything about the economy.  No laws allowed to regulate business (except those that regulate organic farmers and place excessive financial burdens and paperwork on them, driving many small farms out of the marketplace.  But, perhaps that is the intent.)  None to regulate goods that cross the borders through commerce.  No questions of fairness allowed.  We have become a global economy ruled by modern day Robber Barons who leave destitute and polluted communities in the wake, building  huge impersonal shopping malls where there once were small farms, local businesses and communities of people with flavor and character.

We have been intimidated and bullied from the early anti-commie days to a point  where we can’t view our own government as a tool for the people to incorporate conscience and justice into the infrastructure of our nation.  From communist to socialist to leftist to liberal, the muck-raking and fear mongering has ended discussion and killed our democracy.  The New Deal wasn’t evaluated, revised or renovated…it was harangued through the second half of the last century and finally assassinated.  Whether it was the Texas democrat and oilman Lyndon and Ladybird Johnson's’  oil wells off the coast of SE Asia or the Texas republican oil cartel of  Bush’s and Cheney’s in the Gulf and elsewhere, (or Clinton with his GATT and NAFTA), we are being ruled by money and our subservience to it.

Pro-life does not mean more war, pollution, or prisons, and death penalties.  Come on brothers and sisters….don’t be seduced by that ruse any longer.  Environmentalism does not mean updating your computer and getting high speed access to all the newest information about the environment thus saving lots of trees because we save paper, or buying certified organic vegetables produced on a mechanized farm by migrant workers, packaged and shipped to your local Whole Foods or neighborhood supermarket.  Whether you have been lumped into  the category of liberal, leftist, radical, conservative Christian, red neck, right winger, etc. , we got a world full of hate and a world full of pollution…and it’s got to change.  We’re losing the world we love.  Time to stop being manipulated by fear and hostility.  Time to stop bickering and free your minds of those divisive manipulative paradigms.  On this highway of American politics we have closed the left lane completely.  There has only been one-way travel in the right lane with limited access or exits.  Middle of the road is not the center of the right lane.  Tim Penny is not an alternative.  We’re not sure Moe is.  We’re going to vote for Ken Pentel and Rhoda Gilman for governor unless Moe and the democratic party show compelling evidence that they will fight for the issues that Pentel/Gilman are addressing.  We might vote for Wellstone only to keep the tide from getting worse under the onslaught of the corporate/Orwellian deluge of this sometimes great but now threatened democracy.  Roll up your sleeves….we got some repair work to do and shrubbery to prune!

 

Love and Peace,

Maintenance and Repair

Earthly notes:

 Thanks folks,

Gratefully  steeped  in parenthood, farmwork, store keeping, bookkeeping, folk forum and peacekeeping, we endure and breathe out love.   We are fueled by the community—by you—to keep things going.  We are guided by God to do this work.  We are blessed by all the gentle souls who have come forward to dedicate time, a visit, kind words, hugs, on this journey.  Joe Dan,  Betty, Dave, Andrew, Kathi, Melody, Gary, Catherine, Mary, Bill, Dawn, Chad, Dusty, Lev, Daniel, Deb, Kris, Kerry,  James, Michelle, Margo,  Dean,  Megan, Henry,  Werner, Martha, Rob, Meesh,  Mic, Joyce, Alan, Judy, Lois, Art, Dianne, Kenton, Evelyn,  Kim, Phil, Kurt, Dave, Joanne, Bill, Janet, Candace, Liz, Moms and Dads, brothers and sisters, everyone--we love you and we thank you all for your continual support on so many levels—spiritual, financial, physically helping out at the farm and farmer’s market, kidcare,  computer/technical, etc. 

¨       Mark your calendar:  “Wind Energy:  New Economic Opportunities”—A Summit for Minnesota and the Midwest, Nov. 21-22, 2002 at the Mpls. Convention Center.  Contact Lisa Daniels (612) 870-3462 [email protected], or  www.windustry.org. 

¨       People for Peace and Goodwill in Northfield, MN meet Thurs. nights at the Village School (1100 Bollenbacher Ct.) for conversation/education and every Sat. at noon at Bridge Square for a 15 silent peace vigil. Upcoming events:  Oct. 8th, (location to be announced),  Ryan Admundson, of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows with speak in Northfield.  Ryan’s brother, Craig was killed at the Pentagon.  Peaceful Tomorrows is an organization founded by family members of September 11th victims.  On Oct. 24th, Phil Steger, director of Friends for a Non-Violent World, will speak about his recent trip to Iraq at the Village School at 7PM.  On Nov. 15 th a bus will leave from Northfield to protest at the School of the Americas in Georgia—Sponsored by Vets for Peace.  Bus will return to Northfield Nov. 18th.  Cost for this trip is $190 which includes round-trip bus fare and one night’s hotel accommodations.  FFI, call (507) 645-7315.

Vote for candidates that will put taking care of this earth and furthering the cause of peace a priority.  Meet Ken Pentel and Rhoda Gilman.  Call Wellstone and ask for a commitment on these issues so we know whether or not to vote for him.  Our Earth is in crisis.

The Oak Center General Store, a small local  store for the community and has always been a general store since 1913, but because of the influx of mega-strip malls and one-stop shop convenience stores is hanging by a thread...  carries ‘green’ products like unbleached toilet paper, plastic bag driers, bulk foods and spices, organic produce,  and unique items both pragmatic and gifty.  Check out our  selection of superb quality Swiss made gardening tools or the relevant  issue, family, art films, life changing videos from our 500+ collection. Juicers,  pottery,  books that make you think and give information.  Minimal packaging, maximum conscience items.  We’re open daily 9-6 Mon.-Sat., and at all folk forum programs.  Hot cups of organic coffee and tea are freshly brewed daily.  Doesn’t that sound inviting?  Thanks for your support!

Wanted: clean, recycled plastic bags with handles that you get at the grocery store or wherever you shop.  We use them for farmer’s market and in the store.  We’ll also take egg cartons (not the Styrofoam ones tho’) for our 100+ laying hens who lay mucho organic eggs daily.  Bring ‘em along when you come to an event and leave them at the store counter.

American Crossroads, an exquisite pastel drawing that captures the emotive vibrations and energy of the the folk forum community by local artist, Greg Wimmer, is  available here for a sliding fee of $35-50 as a fundraiser for folk forum and Greg’s art pursuits.  Relive some of those folk forum memories and support the community you are a part of.  Beautify any wall in your home, office, bathroom, tree fort…

Volunteers—We couldn’t continue to do all these fine programs without the generous help from the community that is folk forum…..Volunteers lend a hand are truly the lifeblood of folk forum and keep things going….smoothly.   We invite you to plug in prior to, during, or following programs and concerts with a variety of tasks.  Be adventurous, meet interesting people with values and good spirits similar to your own, hear inspiring music, and have fun, because we are…. all one.  Contact us if you are moved to help (507)753-2080 or [email protected] Thanks!

We will be taking donations to pass ontoDave Ray at all programs.  Dave was diagnosed with lung cancer two weeks after he played an amazing concert with Radoslav Lorkovic  here last April.  There have been metastises and Dave has a long battle ahead.  Hang in there Dave, we love ya!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This issue is dedicated to a huge folk forum music fan, John Kopper, who left this life 6/22/02..

 

To other folk forum friends  Gale Hellrud, Alfred Reuter, and Billy  who have passed on  this summer.

We will miss you.

 

I live my life in growing orbits,

Which move out over the things of the world.

Perhaps I can never achieve the last,

but that will be my attempt..

 

I am circling around God, around the ancient tower,

And I have been circling for a thousand years.

And I still don’t know if I am a falcon,

Or a storm, or a great song.

Rainer Maria Rilke

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Music, folk forum &  Events

Joel Rafael Band and the Jerry Rau Band
(dos JRB's)

Saturday,  Oct. 12th  8:00 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able; kids freewill donation

$10 at the door

Acoustic folk rock

Well, well, what a way to start off the season.  Two excellent acoustic folk bands.  The Joel Rafael Band  based in the San Bernadino mountains of southern  California has appeared twice previously at Oak Center and both times we were deeply impressed with their Jackson Brownish style clear with strong,  and relevant lyrics, rich  harmonies and riveting instrumentation.  Joel Rafael writes with passion and intelligence.  The band, his daughter, Jamaica Rafael on fiddle and back-up vocals along with Carl Johnson on acoustic lead guitar, and Jeff Berkley on percussion  back him beautifully. One of the very best acoustic folk bands in CA, you will not be disappointed.

Jerry Rau accompanied by  Melissa on fiddle, Pete Mathison on upright bass and Mark Hornbeek on guitar  come together to do amazing justice to Jerry’s exquisite songwriting.­  Jerry, a three term,Viet Nam vet, peace activist and troubador has played here many times.  Like excellent wine, he has developed crystal clarity and depth of  flavor. He's one of our favorite people and treats us to a warm and intimate experience.  Welcome back to another awesome (did we really use that word?) folk forum season.  It’s our first of the season, but you will regret it if you miss this one…..guarnanteed!

Long Lost Folk

Saturday, Oct. 19th, 8 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able;  kids freewill donation

Acoustic folk

It is with pride we bring forth a local quartet, Long Lost Folk consists of Jan-Marie Willard Munz, Susan Shockey, David Marks and Terry Guenther, all of whom have been performing together in the Rochester and surrounding area for the past four years.  They each play guitar, sing lead vocals and harmonies to a pleasant mix of classic American folk and originals.  Known for their tight harmonies, words you can understand and clever original lyrics, this quartet is a fun night out to hear mellow and heartfelt music from eras gone by.  Show local support for a local band having fun.

Darryl Purpose

Friday, Oct. 25th, 8 PM

$5-10, pay what you are able; kids freewill donation

Folkster/storyteller

On the road for most days out of the year, Darryl Purpose will finally make his meandering way to the Oak Center stage as a well-seasoned storyteller/ singer/songwriter.  A dark and interesting life has been lived by Darryl—one that never ceases to be fascinating.  Believe it or not, he was once known as the best blackjack player in the world.  But he found himself empty in his success in this sometimes shabby and shadowed world, and he pursured other directions.  In the mid-80’s, he joined The Great Peace March, a group of activists who marched across the country in protest against nuclear weapons.  This led to another march in the (then) Soviet Union and the first-ever, outdoor stadium rock concert there, featuring Bonnie Raitt, Santana, James Taylor, and Darryl’s band, Collective Vision.  With his distinctive baritone voice and a smoothly proficient finger-style guitar technique , Purpose delivers a charmismatic performance of drama and storytelling including a huge supply of interesting stories from his activities as a peace activist, professional gambler and modern troubadour.

Risking Peace in Columbia Presentation/Discussion

Saturday., Oct. 26th, 4:30 PM

Freewill Donation, Potluck follows

Join Carin Anderson and Chris Moore-Backman from the Fellowship of Reconciliation for a presentation on the current crisis in Colombia and a remarkable experience of nonviolence and faith in the war zone.  Both Quakers, Chris and Carin served as volunteers permanently accompanying the Colombian Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado and will report on the escalation of violence against civilians there.  The situation has worsened considerably in recent months and the community of San Jose de Apartado is at grave risk.

Chris has worked in San Jose since January of this year, while Carin has visited the community three times.  They will share stories, slides, and live music, and discuss this courageous Colombian experiment in nonviolence in the midst of the war zone.  They will also provide concrete steps for putting the brakes on US support for the Colombia military.  Don’t miss this important discussion of community and nonviolence in a time of war.

Café Accordian Orchestra

Saturday, Oct. 26th, 8 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able;  kids freewill donation

Euroswing

The music of Café Accordian Orchestra transports you to another time and place, recapturing the magic of bistros and sidewalk cafes from Paris to Buenos Aires from the 1920’s –‘50’s.  The Orchestra consisting of a quintet of musicians featuring Dan Newton on accordion, Brian Barnes on guitar and vocals, Eric Mohring on violin, mandolin and vocals, Erik Lillestol on stand-up bass, and Joe Steinger on percussion.  CAO  performs an eclectic mix of French Musette Waltz, Tango, Gypsy and American swing, Jazz, Cha-cha and Bossa Nova Foxtrot, Bolero, Rumba, etc. in a mix ideal for listening, dancing, or just creating the perfect mood.  Of course, this five piece performs their music with expressive abandon, injecting good humor when it is needed.  Not to be missed and, by the way,  dancers are  welcome, too—we’ll clear some space in the back for you.

Halloweeno!

Sunday, Oct. 27th, 2PM

$3, families $7

Kids/Family folk

They’re back for a second year in a row because we all had so much fun last year.  For a fun Halloween event, come in costume to Halloweeno!—a concert for the whole family with singer Barb Tilsen, visual artist Gayla Ellis, and puppeteer Margo McCreary.  Jim Kellerman will once again join in this performance with his beautiful flute and clarinet stylings.  Halloweeno! Promises to be a fun-filled nonscarey celebration for children with music, puppets, slide shows, and more by these talented artists.

Barb Tilsen is a singer/songwriter who has been performing for audiences of all ages since 1971.  Her children’s performances are a delightful mix of sing-alongs, story songs and celebrations of ourselves, community and Mother Earth.  Photographer Gayla Ellis’ photographs have been widely praised for their sense of fun and intuitive touch.  Her camera lense is a window offering an enticing view of our world and the dynamic relations of the living things that fill it.  Joining their talents, Barb and Gayla’s musical slide shows combine visual and lyrical imagery in an imaginative, entertaining performance.  Margo McCreary’s wonderful skills as an artist and puppeteer have enchanted audiences for many years.  Her puppets, with their wide variety of characters, sizes and shapes, give a humorous, insightful look into our world.  Her hilarious larger-than-life puppet, Ollie McNut, always makes an appearance at Halloweeno!

Margo and Gayla put photography and puppetry in funny, inventive performance pieces.  Barb and Margo’s musica puppet creations are an inspired exploration of the artistry of song and image.  Jim Kellerman joins all three adding his musical versatility with the whole family of winds that have graced the stages of many concerts and theatre productions around the country.  Plan on a creative mix of these artists’ talents, for a great afternoon of constumed family fun!

Dean Magraw

Saturday, Nov. 2nd, 8 PM

$5-10 pay what you can; kids freewill donation

Eclectic folk/jazz improv

After a year sabbatical following a diagnosis of lymphomia and subsequent healing/remission!!!, we are excited and proud to welcome back Dean Magraw, the best and most creative improvisational  and the funniest guitarist in the universe! The sounds Dean manages to extract from strings stretched over wood are absolutely amazing sitar-like string bends that slide forever, percussive bass string rolls, brilliant and rhythmic chord inversions. Guitar playing that is simply breathtaking. A stage presence that is.....quite unique.  Please welcome, please help us fill the place for a great soul whom the world is richer knowing  and benefiting from  his existence and his deep talents, (we love)  DEAN MAGRAW!

Monroe Crossing

Saturday, Nov. 9th , 8 PM

$5-10  pay what you are able; freewill donation

Bluegrass

Bluegrass fans and music generalists,  come on down for a hot night of the fun stuff guaranteed to get your feet stomping and your blood pumping.   Monroe Crossing, a five-piece ensemble based out of the metro area utilizes the traditional instrumentation of fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass.  Each member brings a unique and often non-traditional musical background to the group and yet there is one common denominator shared by all:  the drive and intensity that is unmistakably bluegrass.  The band is named in honor of Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass.  As such, Monroe Crossing performs a good deal of traditional and gospel music written by the first generation of bluegrass masters such as Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, and Flatt and Scruggs to name a few.  The group also performs contemporary bluegrass covers and a growing repertoire of riveting originals.  Their new CD, “Then Sings My Soul” is an all-gospel album that jolts our hearts and souls into sweet connection with the Creator.  Art Blackburn on guitar and vocals, Mark Anderson on upright bass, Graham Sones on banjo, Lisa Fuglie on fiddle and vocals, and Matt Anderson on mandolin and vocals are Monroe Crossing.  Come on over and check them out—tickets move fast so act now.

Discussion:The Somali Community Speaks on Al Quaida and the “War on Terrorism”

Saturday, Nov. 16th , 4:00PM

Freewill Donation; Potluck follows

Omar Jamal of the Minneapolis-based Somali Resource Center will speak on the impact  9/11 has had on the civil liberties of local immigrant communities—especially his experiences with the Somali community in the metro area.  Discussion is encouraged and a potluck follows.  Bring a dish to pass and your own plates and utensils.

Dave Moore & Radoslav Lorkovic

Saturday, Nov. 16th , 8 PM.

$5-10 pay what you are able; kids freewill donation

Folky blues

Iowa City’s own Dave Moore returns with more songs, more bluesy guitar playing, more phenomenal harmonica solos and licks, more stories, and more romping accordion Tex-Mex tunes.    Radoslav Lorkovic, the boogie woogie piano player from Montana, will also be playing with Dave.  The Mpls. Star Tribune calls Dave Moore “An American Gem.”  A regular on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” for years, Dave has the gift of a deep and moving lyrical songwriting style that gets down in a blues-filled way.  His strong, gusty voice and style remind more than a few folks of Johnny Cash when he did “North Country Fair” with Dylan. Welcome Dave back with some down-home MN hospitality.  He is a winner and will put a  good show on for all.

Swallow the Earth

Friday, Nov. 22nd, 8 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able;  kids freewill donation

Rhythmic, earthy worldbeat

All manner of things plucked, blown and struck.  A melting pot of courageous ideas and protocol surrendered.  Do you dance?  Are you listening?  Are you willing to let go and taste the earth you walk on, swallow the earth you perceive?  Percussion explosion:  Africa, Brazil, the Middle East.  The root of all music.  The joyous heart.  The enduring struggle.  Harmonic foundation, the groove completed through the common mystery.  Bass swelling and resonating in this human body.

Swallow the Earth is Peter Ostroushko (fiddle), Greg Lewis (trumpet, flugelhorn, flutes, and French horn, Michael O’Brien (upright and electric bass), Aaron Barnell, Greg Stern and Marc Anderson (African, Middle Eastern, Brazilian, Latin American percussion and xylophones.  Get tickets early before the word gets out on this.

Peter Ostroushko

Sunday, December 1st, 2 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able; kids freewill donation

Folky virtuosity

Peter Ostroushko has come to be regarded as one of the finest mandolin and fiddle players in acoustic music around the world.  Touring extensively across North America and Europe along with regular appearances on “A Prairie Home Companion Radio Hour,” the Mpls.  native has earned an international reputation as a versatile and dazzling master of instrumentation and composition and he sings superbly and with soul.  Where Peter is at his most passionate is when he plays his stuff—a rich ethnic mix at the heart of which is his Ukranian heritage.  His term for his gumbo of musical styles which include folk, jazz, classical and bluegrass is “sluz duz” a phrase borrowed from his mother meaning “over the edge” or “off his rocker.”   Rumor has it Peter has been very prolific as of late in the songwriting arena.  Please join us for what is deemed a lovely afternoon of music and story .

Community Harvest Feast

(follows the Peter Ostroushko concert)

Open Stage

Sunday, Dec. 1st, 5PM—8PM

Join us for a gathering of thanks for community.  Break bread, drink wine and juice. Celebrate creativity through openstage and singing.  Bring a dish to pass. Kids, elders, solos, partnerships, all welcome.  Call ahead if interested in open stage (507) 753-2080

John Williams and Dean Magraw

Saturday, Dec. 7th, 8 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able; kids freewill donation

CelticImprov

Celtic rockers unite.  The boys are back and raring to go.  Dean and Johnny, the wonderfully funny, storytelling and dynamic Celtic duo returns  to present an acoustic plethora of jazzy and traditional celtic mosiaics via intricate guitar playing by  Dean and lucidly proficient concertina and Irish flute playing by first generation American born Irishman and true virtuoso, Chicago based,  John Williams.   Throw in a grand slate of lovely musical pieces, and we’ve got a night of  highly danceable and pleasureable music. Tix fly out the door so plan ahead.

John Gorka

Friday, Dec. 13th, 8 PM

$5-10 pay what you are able; freewill donation

Acoustic folk

 New Jersey native, but now Minnesota-based John Gorka returns to the folk forum stage—thankfully--for an evening of song and story.  What the Mpls. Star Tribune calls, “one of the smartest and most authentic folk voices of the decade,” John will sing and connect us with his rich, multi-faceted songs full of depth, beauty, and emotion.  His beautiful, deep baritone voice and trademark twists of lyric and attention to details evoke a time, a place, a person and a range of emotion.  Come get warm with us on this December evening.  Act quick as tickets go fast. 

Clairseach

Sunday, Dec. 15th, 2PM

$5-10 pay what you able; kids freewill donation

Celtic Harp and Concertina

Maybe you recall the previous and stunning performances of this husband and wife duo.  Clairseach pronounced “Klar shuk,” on the Oak Center stage.  Well, Ann and Charlie Heymann who are Clairseach are back to grace us with their sparkling bell-like Gaelic harp, concertina, tinwhistle, wooden flute and sweet vocals.  They’ll offer us a glimpse of Ireland and Scotland’s wealth of instrumental music, song, and stor.  Venturing beyond the limits of sentimental stage or parlor music, the Heymanns display the seductive highly ornamented style displayed andrecorded in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Ann Heymann has single-handledly reconstructed the brass wire strung harp’s forgotten playing technique from both historic documents and her own experiementation.  Charlie accompanies with cittern, button accordion, and guitar and contributes vocally with ballads and poetic stories.  His warm expressive voice easily manages the extended range and graceful turns so common in Irish and Scottish song.  An of course there will be enough jigs and reels to keep toes tapping all the way home.    Bring family and friends for a wonderful December afternoon of music and song.

The Buffalo Gals

Saturday, Dec. 21st, 8PM

$5-10 pay what you are able; kids freewill donation

Cowgirl Swing

The ever popular Buffalo Gals are back to put on a winter solstice concert of fun, swingin’ cowgirl stomps once again!  They swing, they have fiddlin’ duels, they yodel, they do the old stuff with pizzazz and charm, and they even take us down to Louisana for a touch of Cajun Bayou.  Betsy Neil and Mary DuShane on fiddles and harmonies, Kathy Mosher on lead vocals, bells, and tinwhistle,  Maureen Mullen on guitar and harmonies, and Doug Lohman on bass fiddle, still a guy and still a Gal.  Always a treat to the ears and heart, the Gals love playing at Oak Center as much as we love having them play.  Another potential sell out, be quick! 

  

Calendar in Brief  

 

October

              12 Sat.     8:00 PM      The Joel Rafael Band and the Jerry Rau Band

               19 Sat.    8:00 PM      Long Lost Folk

                25 Fri.     8:00 PM      Darryl Purpose

               26 Sat.    4:30 PM      Risking Peace in Colombia--Presentation/Discussion

               26 Sat.     8:00 PM      Café Accordian Orchestra

               27 Sun.    2:00 PM      Halloweeno!

November     

                2  Sat.     8:00 PM      Dean Magraw

                9 Sat.      8:00 PM      Monroe Crossing

               16 Sat.     4:00 PM      Discussion:  Somali Community Speaks on 9/11 Impact

               16 Sat.     8:00 PM      Dave Moore

                22 Fri.      8:00 PM      Swallow the Earth

December     

                1 Sun.     2:00 PM      Peter Ostroushko

                1 Sun.     5:00 PM    Harvest Feast/Open Stage

                7 Sat.      8:00 PM      John Williams and Dean Magraw

               13 Fri.      8:00 PM   John Gorka

               15 Sun.      2:00 PM   Clairseach

                21 Sat.      8:00 PM The Buffalo Gals

 

UPCOMING EVENTS—more to be scheduled:

    

February 

              8 Sat.        8:00 PM      Peter Mayer

             14 Fri.         8:00 PM      Kelpie Celtic/Scandinavian Music

            15 Sat.        8:00PM       John Williams/John Doyle

              21 Fri.        8:00 PM      The Granery Girls - Live recording for new CD

            23 Sun.        2:00 PM      Bill Staines

March           

              1 Sat.        8:00 PM      Radoslav Lorkovic

             15 Sat.       8:00 PM      Back Porch Band

             16 Sun.      2:00 PM      Curtis and Loretta

             22 Sat.       8:00 PM      Dean Magraw, Jim Anton, JT Bates with Megan Flood dancing

             29 Sat.      8:00 PM       Prudence Johnson

April             

              5 Sat.        8:00 PM      Tangled Roots

             12 Sat.       To Be Announced

             26 Sat.       8:00 PM       Switchback