Sandy Andina: News

Got the first real rough mixes of our first 9 songs (including bass, fiddle, & mandolin) and they're ALREADY sounding better than anything either of us had previously commercially released, individually or collectively. I'm dying to share them with you, but we swore a near-blood oath not to leak them to the public till they're done. (Gary is a genius--his roughs are better than most engineers' mastered cuts). We're headed back down to Sparta the 14th-18th to (we hope) finish up our end of the recording and hopefully give some of our "input" (non-sonic) to the mixing process.

FARM is fast approaching, and the big news is that the Thursday night Concerts In Your Home showcase is being thrown open to nominations by all talent presenters & media, as well as applications by all FARM attendee artists, not just CIYH members. The registrations are rolling in (and the Performing Lane slots filling up--when they're gone, they're gone). We have a KILLER lineup of juried showcasers this year from all over North America!

And we're about to begin the Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival this weekend, on lovely (and sunny, high-and-dry!) Island Park in the middle of the Fox River in the heart of downtown Geneva, IL. There's a special pre-fest songwriting master class with Peggy Seeger Sat. afternoon 9/5 (check www.foxvalleyfolk.com to see if spots are still available)--I'd go if I didn't have to attend the funeral of a dear friend's mom that day. Sunday morning 9/6 at 11 am the Festival kicks off. Where will you find me?
Sunday:
11 a.m., emceeing Chicago Songwriters' Collective Writers' Round, Workshop Stage 2 (n. end of island across the river from the Mill Race Inn). Open mic follows IMMEDIATELY from noon-1 pm--get those slots while they're hot! Come see us at the CSC's booth during the day--buy member CDs, find out more about us, and join us!
6:30 p.m., running sound for the evening Festival open mic in a downtown Geneva club--location TBA, but it'll be indoors, with PA and sustenance available. Check the HQ at the Pavilion for details.
Monday:
11 a.m., performing in the CSC's Writers' Round, Stage 2--again, followed by an open mic (sign up EARLY).
3 p.m. I have the honor of appearing with the great David Massengill and Dan & Donna Benkert in the Taking the "Dull" out of Mt. Dulcimer workshop--in the acoustically perfect Teaching stage in the covered, cool and shaded open-sided brick Pavilion (plenty of chairs!). Bring a dulcimer if you have one--we may have some tips for you to try as well as songs you might never have expected to hear on a dulcimer.
5 p.m. Cooper & Nelson and Andrew Calhoun wrap up with their notoriously racy "Songs of Love & Lust" workshop, and as last year, I may get in a song or two.

And Friday? First Friday Songwriters' Exchange at the Old Town School of Folk Music, starting 6:30 pm. Be the first to hear some songs so new we'll still be wiping 'em off and slapping their little bottoms.

Showed up at the nail salon yesterday, with the recently "de-acrylicized" and "non-chipped" gel overlaid nails in sorry shape--they were just too weak to handle even normal right-hand activities of daily living. Just as before they'd had any reinforcements, they were splitting and tearing in exactly the same places. Though I don't pick with them, they were threatening to wear down to the quick (the way my left-hand nails need to be) and looked just plain raggedy. Had to keep reinforcing the gel with protein nail-straightener and filing/trimming away the notched portion. Oh, well. So they're back to being acrylics--this time a tad shorter than the two nails that do the main picking duty. Since I'm going to record in a week and a half, I'm going to get a professional file-down just before I leave town in order to keep them from clicking on the pickguard; but just in case, I'm bringing rubber finger-cots too.

Today I had my manicure appointment and told my nail tech about what had happened in the studio with my acrylic nails interfering with optimal sound (a phenomenon I am sure also appeared on an earlier recording and, at least to my ears in retrospect, affected airplay for at least one song). To recap, those long, hard nails that weren't actually picking the strings clattered on the pickguard, sounding not unlike gremlins eating Rice Krispies or a microclimate sleet-shower directly in front of the mic. And they made some scraping harmonics as they dragged against the strings as I strummed with a flatpick. I decided that tape on the guitar was no good for the guitar, and that tape on my fingers looked unbelievably dorky and felt rather clunky.

What I have on my left (fretting) hand nails, which must be as short as possible, is something my tech calls a "no-chip French manicure." (For the guys, a French manicure--get your minds out of the gutter, fellas--is one in which the nail tips are painted white over a natural or clear polish to mimic the look of perpetually clean shiny natural nails). What makes it non-chip is that it's actually made up of three shades of liquid self-leveling gel that is cured with a UV light but still somewhat breathable and flexible. It is okay for those guitarists with strong natural right hand nails who play nylon strings, but does not (in my tech's opinion) stand up to steel strings. In her experience, not even thin acrylic gels or silk wraps are strong enough. To her chagrin, I told her those lovely long hard acrylics (pink-and-white, also a permanent French manicure) had to go on all except my right thumb and index nails. We soaked them off and she had to trim back the three non-picking nails to just barely past the fingertip to keep them from stressing and tearing--acrylics can weaken the underlying nail bed and she wants me to strengthen those nails so that they can gradually take a bit longer length. We also decided that I need no more than 1/6" on my picking nails, so we trimmed back the thumb and index as well to be closer in length to the other nails. The new, gel-clad nails are still kind of soft, so I'll have to be careful when dishwashing and gardening, perhaps wearing gloves to prevent splitting, tearing and peeling for awhile. But for the first time in years, one of my hands doesn't have freakishly longer nails than the other; and I just tested them out on my guitar. Got plenty of length on the two now-shorter acrylics, the trailing nails no longer clatter nor scrape, and they seem to be holding up okay. I go back for "fills" in two weeks, so we'll see how it goes till then.

Saturday night, Bob and I went to the Cliff Dwellers' Club downtown for a marvelous dinner to pay tribute to Joseph Becker for his forty years of service (and counting, we hope!) as first a teacher and coach at and then (most of those years) Headmaster of Gordy's alma mater, Roycemore School of Evanston, IL.

Let me tell you all about a remarkable leader of a remarkable school. When I was growing up in the 1960s, a product of not only the NYC Public Schools but Brooklyn College, part of the public tuition-free City University of New York, the idealistic near-radical in me swore that I would never send any child of mine to any institution as elitist as a private prep school. Fast forward to when Gordy came along and attained school age. Our local public school did not offer preschool classes and we were committed to the Montessori system, so Gordy's first school was Rogers Park Montessori, a private secular school (albeit one housed in a Lutheran church). As he entered kindergarten there, it soon became apparent he had some special educational needs that combined physical assistance with availability of a gifted program, something his current school could not meet, nor could our neighborhood public school. He did not fit the demographic profile sought that year by the magnet schools (and we were not willing to hold him back a year in case they needed more boys the next year), and parochial school was out of the question--we're an interfaith family and he was already getting Sunday school training at temple. The psychometrician who tested him for his unique learning disability (dyspraxia) suggested Roycemore, and it was a marvelous fit. And this hot-headed wild-eyed '60's radical found herself a prep school trustee there for several years! (Moral: never say never! And keep an open mind).

Roycemore is located in a landmark building abutting the Northwestern University campus (and the property is owned by Northwestern---in a couple of years it'll move to its own larger wholly-owned building in north central Evanston). The student body usually ranges between 200-220, ranging from jr. kindergarten through high school. It is a college preparatory school, with an extremely high college acceptance rate and small class sizes. It has learning assistance and gifted programs--and the Advanced Placement kids in the Upper (high) School can actually take their classes on the Northwestern campus for college credit. The student body exactly reflects the demographic makeup of the Chicago northside area--not the North Shore suburbs in which it's located, and to that end Roycemore is committed to making sure that no qualified student is turned away for lack of funds. Those who can pay full tuition also tend to give generously to accomplish that and a terrific fundraising auction and generous alumni endowment fill in the rest. The kids are all supportive of each other--no cliques, and even the seniors help assist the littlest ones.

Which brings us to Joseph Becker. When was the last time you encountered a school principal who knew and was loved by every one of his students, from the four-year old preschoolers to the graduating seniors? The fact that Roycemore has some of the most dedicated alumni you'll ever see--Gordy, his friends, and older alums alike regularly return for school events such as Carnival, the Palio athletic festival, soccer and basketball games and the auction banquet--is due in no small part to Joe Becker's dedication. It's a tribute to him that though his politics are diametrically opposed to mine (and to many of the rest of the Board of Trustees), all of those differences melt away in his dedication to the school, the kids, equality and excellence. He is a man who was born to teach, born to lead, and born to guide and shape lives. Long may he continue to do so!

Saturday morning was Christine Gaylord's memorial service at her church in Lisle. It was a celebration of both her faith and her life. On one side of the altar was the praise band she'd helped lead; on the other, her bluegrass bandmates with her husband Joe playing heart-rendingly beautiful and perfect fiddle and mandolin. Her favorite songs (including one she co-wrote), prayers and readings rounded out the service, with a slide show of Christine as we all remembered her best. By the end, it was so rousing and uplifting I found myself singing along on the lyrics that did not conflict with my own spiritual beliefs. Much of the Chicago-area folk and bluegrass community as well as her friends, neighbors, relatives and congregation turned out to pay tribute to her talent and spirit and bid her adieu on her journey into the eternity she so wholeheartedly believed awaits us all.

It's coming together yummily. We tracked several more songs on Wed. and Thurs., with some surprises in the arrangements that occurred to us on the fly (including at least two instruments you've probably never heard on a record before--not even a rock record). I discovered that not being a morning person, the hours before lunch are best for me to lay down my instrumentals and scratch vocals, and then in the afternoon I have the energy and intensity to sing my actual vocals with greater edge, intensity and accuracy. Don't be afraid to know how your body behaves during the course of the day, and let your engineer or producer know. I saved myself quite a bit of frustration and wasted session time by quickly sussing out when I sound my best and on what.

I also had to revisit my usual nail care routine of long hard acrylics on my picking hand. I discovered I really am a thumb-and-index picker (I'm in good company--so, apparently, are Doc Watson and Doyle Dykes), and my other three idle nails were long and hard enough to uncontrollably clatter on my guitar top. Had to lay down a couple of layers of masking tape on the pickguard so they'd be inaudible. Thought that took care of everything, as the rest of my guitar parts were flatpicked or strummed, but to my consternation, the ring and pinky fingers and the trailing edge of my middle finger made a metallic "clashing" sound against the steel strings on the downstroke, so out came the roll of masking tape again--this time to wrap those fingertips. Not exactly attractive, and it felt less natural than even fingerpicks (which I hate enough to have gotten nail enhancements to begin with). I decided that when I got back home I'd have a conference with my nail tech to rethink the routine, especially since I realized the middle, ring and pinky fingers really don't do anything other than grip a flatpick and keep my hand from fraying at the edges.

Friday morning, I decided to revisit a couple of my backing vocals--I wasn't happy with the intonation as I couldn't hear myself and I was singing nearly as loud as I do on lead. After some tense moments troubleshooting a control unit that refused to talk to the computer (turned out to be only dirty contacts in the Ethernet and FW ports), we got to work, and what a difference: turned down the lead and the guitar and turned myself up in the cans, got up close and sang softly but intensely. Suddenly it clicked so well that on one song we decided to have me lay in a second harmony atop the first. Gary did some rough mixes for us to take home and evaluate (making us promise not to share them with the world yet, as they're still sorta like cookie dough--yummy at first but raw). We're gonna have a heck of a followup CD when all is said and done--really pumped for our next sessions down there in Sept. Wish we knew back in '05 what we know now--and had the patience we do now to get it the way we want it. And it's great to have an engineer-producer who not just likes our stuff but is candid enough to let us know when we need to take another stab at a track. Gary and Roberta were so wonderful to us--and the area so tranquil and beautiful (trap shooting tournament in the area notwithstanding) that I hated to go home.

No, I'm not talking about health care reform legislation (and the increasingly irrational and downright ugly sentiments and those who express them disruptively and disgracefully at "town hall" meetings across the country)--I'm angry enough about the loonies taking over the asylum that that deserves a separate blog post when time permits.

I'm talking about the process of recording, specifically, the next Andina & Rich CD (tentatively titled "Two Guitars, a Dulcimer and an Attitude"--thank you, Dan Navarro, for unintentionally providing us with that!). We began recording today at Inside Out Studio in bucolic and restful Sparta, IL, under the watchful eyes and ears and skillful hands-on-the-faders of Gary Gordon (of, with his wife Roberta, the excellent, delightful and authentic Americana duo The Gordons). We started by tracking three songs ("Shira," "Mudball" and "These Cowboys") with our vocals, guitars, dulcimers and a few serendipitous curveballs (teaser alert). We'll be here enjoying Gary's expertise, Roberta and his down-home hospitality and the gorgeous weather, tranquility of nature and beauty of the heartland scenery for the next couple of days as we continue tracking and mixing.....and we'll be back (both here in Sparta later on and on this blog tomorrow).

It is with a heavy heart indeed that I pass along the sad news that Christine Gaylord--tireless Secretary of the Board of FARM, magnificent singer/musician, founder of the Chicago folk band Gallimaufry, praise team musician, enthusiastic supporter of folk and bluegrass music and musicians in the Midwest, generous and gentle soul--is now sharing her music with the angels and the ages after a long and valiant battle with cancer. A gorgeous voice, a diligent volunteer and a vivacious spirit have been stilled, at least on this side of this life. Lilli Kuzma will devote a special segment of next Tuesday's (Aug. 18) WDCB "Folk Festival" show (90.9 FM, streaming at www.wdcb.org) to Christine and the music of Gallimaufry.
This has been a cruel summer indeed for those of us who love folk music and some of its most prominent and beautiful voices.

Block party, Edgewater Third Sat. and Edgewater Dinner Crawl were all tons of fun. The threatened storms on the 17th never materialized (a raindrop or two, and that was that), the weather was on the mild side--almost cool--and my voice and fingers held up for four sets/four and a half hours. Two hours in front of Pause Coffee flew by! Thanks to the Murphys for feeding me so well and providing electricity for the PA and a de facto green room for the block party gig. The Dinner Crawl was punctuated by storms, but not spoiled by them: Steve Rich & I performed inside Anna Held Florist & Ice Cream Parlor rather than outdoors--but the crowds were good and steady, the acoustics marvelous and the hospitality gracious (with wonderful coffee & cookies). We got to enjoy the last 45 min. of the Dinner Crawl and stuffed ourselves silly with pasta, sushi, Indian food, gumbo, and trifle. Heaven knows how people managed to get through more than a dozen eateries, albeit over three hours. Can't wait till the next one! Meanwhile, I will be seeing you along the same stretch of Bryn Mawr (bet. B'way and Sheridan) for the next Edgewater Third Sat. on Aug. 15. Will post the exact location as soon as it's assigned. Prepare those request lists!

Next Tues. Aug. 4 Steve and I will be playing live for the Madtoast Radio podcast at the Brink Lounge in Madison, WI (will let you know as soon as it's available for download), and we'll have some special guests sitting in on various instruments. Maybe some of the 'cast will end up as live tracks on our new CD--it will at least go into our Sonicbids EPK. The next day, we begin formal recording in Madison; a week later, it's down to Sparta to record the bulk of the project with Gary & Roberta Gordon. Normally, I anticipate recording (and photo shoots) with the same enthusiasm I have for root canal, but I have a REALLY good feeling about this.

Had some rough patches this past week when Bob's dad was hospitalized twice, and his latest home-care is tricky and challenging. Hope it all works out.

Finally, the tub bars are installed, the gutter project is finished, and I got my orthotics yesterday. Went to buy new running shoes (the concept of dedicated "walking" shoes has fallen out of favor since the last time I bought some in 199.... uh, TOO long ago). Amazing how something so lightweight and sculpted can provide cushioning and stability, but it can. Now own two pair of Adidas, which is ironic since my first running shoes 37 years ago were Adidas Viennas---no arch support (not even removable insoles), all leather, narrow toe box--which probably gave me the bunion in the first place. (I recall stopping a 3-mi. walk through the Capitol Hill section of Seattle because of the pain and being shocked to see a big throbbing red bunion at the ripe old age of 21). The game plan is to increase wearing my orthotics by an hour each day--tomorrow is Day 3--and to start slowly by walking a mile a day for the first week. Imagine my shock when I found only ONCE around my block is a mile! So I'd been handling longer distances than I'd thought before my foot went blooey. Hopefully, I can walk off enough of this weight to ease the burden on my arthritic foot and knees....and be able to walk some more. (Running will forever be a distant memory, alas--not enough soft tissue support to keep my knees from buckling on impact, alas. I still have dreams in which I skip downstairs and run to catch the bus....even occasionally find myself suddenly slim. Now you know why I love to sleep!).

Forgot to mention what's in store this week. Doing double duty (triple, if you count running P.A. and contributing to the potluck brunch) this Saturday, 7/18: from 2-4 pm I'll be out in front of Pause Coffee on Berwyn just e. of the Red Line CTA stop, serenading the shoppers at this month's Edgewater Third Saturday Greenmarket. Two sets, solo, unplugged. Then it's back to my block party to sing in front of 1314 W. Glenlake, mid-block, from 5-7:30 pm for your dining (and dancing?) pleasure. Stop by, sing along, even bring a guitar and sit in or take a guest spot.

Thurs. night 7/23, it's back to doing my E.C.C. civic duty by singing for this month's Edgewater Dinner Crawl, along Bryn Mawr bet. B'way and Sheridan--any of 13 restaurants (I might be assigned to venue-hop) between 6-9 pm. $25 ($35 day of event) gets you a "passport" to sample all their offerings, hop on & off the free trolley (allowing you to imbibe w/o fear of DUI) and catch the entertainment--besides me providing the folk music, there'll be jazz, dancers and even balloon-artists.

Should have some good tough finger calluses once I'm done--and then start the preproduction demoing for the upcoming Andina & Rich recording sessions in Madison, WI, Sparta, IL and perhaps Chicago too.

And now to take advantage of that brand-new good strong-shower before turning in for the night; the sawing and banging on my roof and gutters resumes at dawn.....

Coming to the end of Home Repair Week 2009 (necessitated by that monster storm we had last month, during which my basement flooded and my gutters leaked into the windows). Several grand poorer, but now have water pressure and showers the envy of any hotel, brand-new faucets in the kitchen and main bathroom, a floodproof basement, and 3/4 of my new gutters and fascia installed (not to mention some interesting temporary sheet-aluminum-and-ladders lawn decor--hopefully gone by the time Sat. morning's Block Party rolls around. Still need safety bars installed in the upstairs bath--none of us are getting any younger or steadier--and some icky ceilings patched up; but by summer's end our house should be in as good a shape as any centenarian can be.

Basking in the glow of an INCREDIBLE experience playing an outdoor house concert (Andina & Rich) at Terry & Nancy's Prairie Herb Farm in Monroe, WI. A totally enchanted place, set amid lush herb, perennial/annual/succulent gardens and forested glades in lovely rolling farmland--and the concert area is at the foot of the hill in a roofless stone-walled barn that is strikingly reminiscent of a mini-Baths-of-Caracolla (the venue for the Three Tenors). Terrific acoustics, large and attentive audience (most of whom contributed to a caffeine-themed potluck dinner), warm and convivial campfire and song circle afterward (with audience members who are no musical slouches themselves) and the amazingly gracious hospitality of Terry & Nancy. The house concert series is highly eclectic--the hosts delight in exposing their loyal attendees to as many kinds of music as possible; some of those who've played there include James Keelaghan, Don McLean, polka and Cajun bands and even an operatic troupe. Check their website at www.prairieherbs.com for reservations (you WILL need them if you want a seat); next show they're sponsoring is nautical bards William Pint & Felicia Dale at a restaurant in town on July 25; Aug. 1 will be a Balkan music troupe that is supposed to be wild and wonderful.

Excited to announce that in mid-August Stephen Lee RIch & I will be stepping into the studio to record our next CD (much of it at the studio of Gary & Roberta Gordon in Sparta, down in southern IL's bayou country--yup, cypress knees, moss and all). We should have at least an EP in hand by FARM or maybe even Lilfest!

And relieved to see that Sonia Sotomayor has apparently survived the GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee's attempts to get her to crack under cross-examination (sadly, a judge--or nominee--doesn't get to say "Objection: asked and answered" no matter how many times the same question is thrown at her). Who knew that Sen. Graham's seemingly benign assurance that "short of a meltdown, you'll be confirmed" was really an announcement of the GOP contingent's strategy---to attempt to induce a meltdown! The last resort of a powerless super-minority deprived not only of substantive objections but of any power to filibuster. I mean, she's been a resolutely mainstream judge regardless of any extrajudicial speeches she may have made (and the latter don't carry the force of law); and as for her personal life....well, let's just say it's not as if she ignored her official duties to go "hiking the Appalachian Trail" (thank you, Gov. Sanford, for unwittingly giving us the first truly cool double-entendre euphemism of the new millennium)!

Finally, Adventures in Orthopedics and Podiatry--it took two sets of X-rays and an MRI, but I don't have a stress fracture in my foot: besides the arthritis in two major joints, a big honkin' bunion, tendinitis and a (healing) sprained ankle, I have something called "cuboid syndrome:" a joint in my foot actually dislocates when I bear weight on it; and changes in the bone marrow that could lead to stress fractures without immediate intervention. Said intervention is taking the form of custom orthotics (waiting for them to come back from the lab) so that I can start a painless walking program to lose some of that weight I've been forcing my feet to bear; and OTC orthotics in the meantime. No more cast-boot, thank heavens!

On the foreign policy front, Obama cannot be faulted: Iran, Israel, Palestine--thus far he's been pitch-perfect, talking tough without talking trash, being a motivator and cheerleader where appropriate.

But here at home, it's time for him to step up to the plate and do what caused him to captivate all of us and catapult him into office. He's got the real "political capital" that W WISHES he could have had in 2004--and he can spend it far more freely and wisely than Dubya ever attempted to do. So here are my suggestions for his "Political Capital Budget:"

1. Quash all the kerfuffle that's brewing over his inability thus far to rescue the economy. Never mind it's been only five months. He needs to assert that first, he inherited a horrid bullet-ridden, kneecapped, slashed-beyond-recognition mess of a "patient" that was savaged by years of Republican-dominated deregulation and celebration of the philosophy that ennobled the concept of maximizing the making of money--even to the extent of conjuring it out of whole cloth, heck, thin air. He then needs to give us all that cold wet slap in the face that we are deep into terra incognita: that we know how we got into this mess but that NOBODY on either side of the aisle, not even the best and brightest, has a clue as to how to get us out of it. He has to be proactive and tell his critics to wake up and get real, and that whatever the eventual solution (if indeed one exists), it certainly isn't more of the unbridled laissez-faire that brought us to this point. And he needs to draw on his professorial skills and teach the nation a little Econ 101 instead of spouting the platitudes and clichéd indignancies that those on the right are yammering.

2. More political capital: a Senate majority of 59 (and, when Norm Coleman steps off the crazy train, 60), a still-record-high approval rating, and an overwhelming expressed desire from a lopsided majority of Americans for a public OPTION as part of a drastic repair and reform of a pathologically broken healthcare system.

That's public OPTION (as in "choice," not "mandate"), not single-payor nor "socialized medicine," contrary to what the GOP-and-insurance-industry PR machine desperately and wildly inaccurately hopes we'll believe. (Note to the other side: Harry & Louise have switched over to OUR team now).

3. Time to deliver the goods on equal rights: order the military to deep-six "don't ask/don't tell" and stop jettisoning valuable personnel just for being "out." Even though we decried Bush's DOJ putsch and purge of Asst. U.S. Attorney's who wouldn't drink the neocon Kool-Aid (and we'd be extremely hypocritical to demand Obama do the same to all those DOJ who don't fully hew to the Democratic Party platform), it's time for him to call in Eric Holder and his top deputies at Justice for a "what-the-hell-were-you-thinking" moment regarding the Defense of Marriage Act. He won our hearts and minds in part because he correctly asserted that marriage may need to be defended but certainly not defended from gay couples; he has come out explicitly against DOMA; he needs to get DOJ to retract or revise that amicus brief; and he needs to extend gay couples (and unmarried but otherwise lifetime-committed domestic partners of any sexual orientation) in the Federal employ all the benefits that the law allows him....and to urge the states and the private employment sector to do the same. This Saturday, Bob and I will celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. If the gay or lesbian couple down the street getting the eventual chance to do the same doesn't endanger our marriage, it doesn't endanger anyone else's. Obama has the clout to get that done now, with little legislative or judicial help. (That's what Executive Orders are for).

4. And here's where all that gets wrapped up: after giving his opponents and critics a thorough schooling, it's time to take off his academic gown (or Law Review jacket) and do a little old-fashioned "transactional negotiation." Anyone who's ever engineered a settlement, brokered a deal or even haggled at a bazaar knows you NEVER let 'em know at the outset what figure will be the magic number you're willing to accept. Demand more, call in your chits if you have to, and you'll end up with your objectives while making it look as if you've compromised. Even though I have the utmost admiration for the civil rights firm of Davis, Barnhill and Miner (and would have leaped at the chance to have been even a "go-fer" there), I wish Obama had had a little transactional or even trial-litigation experience (say, at a P.I. plaintiff or defense mill) to make him comfier with the escalated and magnified horse-trading that national political office demands. No more trying to be the Great Conciliator--the Loyal Opposition (and I use the term advisedly) eats conciliators for breakfast and spits out the seeds.

We know Obama is human, not divine, and humans can do just so much. But as humans go, he's extraordinary and has the chance to bring the real change he promised. Ironically, that real change needs to be achieved by the adroit, expert, and larger-than-life exploitation of the political system as it currently exists: instead of "destroying the village in order to save it" (the bass-ackwards rationalization of the Vietnam war), one must game the system to its fullest extent in order to turn it inside out and renovate it.

Never thought I'd live to see the day when two journalists who are icons of Republican conservatism--Peggy Noonan and George F. WIll--would spring to the defense of Obama's careful handling of the powder keg that is the imminent Second Iran Revolution and condemn the knee-jerk bellicosity of the rest of their party's leaders and shills.

Iran's earthshaking grassroots sea change toward power to the people, evolving as we speak, is important to the world in general and to us specifically, of course; but in essence it's about Iran, and we do not and cannot attempt to overtly influence or "own" the results. It's not about us--and woe betide us and the freedom of the Iranian people if we manage to inject ourselves into it. The last thing Iran--and the entire concept of the dissolution of Islamic theocracy--needs is for the mullahs and the Ayatollah to be able to accurately characterize the uprising as American-caused or even "-backed." There are still too many in that world all too eager to see us as the "great Satan," and neither we nor the cause of democracy in the world needs us to fuel that. Obama is doing exactly what needs to be done about Iran: reassure those on the side of freedom and honesty that we encourage freedom and discourage corruption and repression.....not look for another war into which to parachute ourselves or find ourselves having escalated. Especially not when those still in power hold the nuclear cards in their hand (and may it not be a straight, flush or full house).

It is indeed thrilling that the Islamic Revolution of 1979 which--though it ousted an outrageous and anachronistic plutocrat--turned out so disastrously for us and for peace and understanding, is now on the brink of falling via a new anti-theocratic, pro-liberty counter-revolution.....and if we play it right, without our aid (or meddling).

Does anyone REALLY believe that the Iron Curtain collapsed because Ronald Reagan recited the ghostwritten words, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall?" No, I think humorist-philosopher A. Whitney Brown got it right: "Communism failed," he declared, "because there's no money in it." Well, Islamic theocracy will fail not because of any florid rhetoric from this side of the pond, but because there's no freedom or dignity in it.

Heartfelt condolences to Bob and Jackie Bresse-Rodenkirk on the loss of their beloved canine companion Gilbert (aka the puppy in wolf's clothing, the WBBM Newsradio Dog Food Taste Tester, etc.). Gilbert lived nearly 15 earth years---which translates to 103 dog years, all the more amazing because he was abandoned by his pack as a pup when critically injured by a car. If our pets teach us all about unconditional love, then dogs are the full tenured professors of that subject. May the pain ebb and the smiles in celebration of Gilbert's life take root in your hearts. (He certainly was the most unusual wedding greeter I ever met!)

...will have to wait till tomorrow--got a lot on my mind about world and national affairs and need a little time to put it out there as effectively as I see it. Meanwhile, I was ambushed by a worldwide flock of little birds and am now (it had to happen sometime) on Twitter. Got a mobile device? Find me there and on Facebook--my username at both is sandyandina. (Not surprisingly, I didn't have to wrest it from some domain-name squatter: there are some advantages to having an unusual and oft-misspelled-and-mispronounced surname; had I kept my maiden name I might have faded into a small but still crowded field). Still on MySpace but more people are gravitating to Facebook, where I'm still a "civilian;" haven't figured out how to convert my profile there to a performer. Of course, for details longer than 160 characters, you'll have to check in over here! I promise not to "tweet" unless I have something to say that can't wait for this blog or e-mail bulletins.

Denise Marie Stein--half of Foxfire and a singer/autoharpist/dulcimerist extraordinaire--was promoted from earthly entertainer to the choir and band of Angels this past Mon. June 15. She bravely battled leukemia for four years, singing till the end. It was an honor and a delight to have known and shared the stage with her. Heaven is a more entertaining place from now on...adios till we all sing together again.

You may notice some gigs are no longer listed in my calendar. One, in July, has been removed because the organizer has decided that those of us playing the more prominent (and paid) concert series in the same area ought not take up slots in the free festival--I agree wholeheartedly. Nonetheless, I played the free fest last year, and urge those in the Madison area the weekend of July 17-19 to head over to Lisa Link Peace Park and catch part of Maxwell St. Days--the artists are of especially high caliber this year (some have previously played the aforementioned concert series) and very enjoyable.

As to the Indiegrrl Festival in Nashville in August, there's no way I can do that as was originally envisioned and still devote time and energy to my organizational duties....and, just as important, get some sorely-needed recording done for the followup Andina & Rich and my own next solo CD. Sadly, science has not yet developed a way for us to be in two different places at once--computers can "multitask" in that way but humans can't. (If things change and I will be in Nashville, rest assured I'll let you know).

On the creative and performing front, premiered a brand new song at the Old Town School First Friday Songwriters' Exchange the day it was written--and received very positive feedback. Played it for Steve the next day, and it will definitely make it on to the next Andina & Rich CD. (You'll just have to catch a concert or buy the disc, if you weren't at the OTS last week, to find out what it's about).

Mill Bluff State Park last week was beautiful, bucolic and filled with wonderful music from our fellow artists on the bill (and Andina & Rich, she said modestly). It was also the coldest non-winter day I've ever spent (eclipsing a raw and wet day April day in line at Disneyland in 1990 and a blustery windswept visit to Tienanmen Square in Feb. 1994). I was okay while on stage (courtesy of the stage being under a canopy and sheltered from the wind), but as soon as I got back into the audience, I had to bundle up with three layers of clothing, put up the hood of my parka, and stuff my hands into my pockets whenever I wasn't cradling the hottest cuppa Joe I could find. If June is busting out all over, you coulda fooled me. To add insult to injury, after the gig I loaded up the car with my gear--and discovered a flat tire. Props to Ingrid's brother Ed, who changed my tire to the "donut" spare, which got me back to Madison where I spent an unplanned night before getting a pair of new tires the next morning (20 minutes total, including rotating all four tires) at Weber Tire in Sun Prairie. No wonder the place is so popular, aside from their prices being lower than in the city.

Now, in medical news---good and bad. Good news is that my foot is not fractured and the bone itself is not bruised. It's just a worsening of arthritis (which I didn't know I had) in my 5th metatarsal and bunion and tendinitis, caused by a mild ankle sprain that came on gradually over the spring. Time marches on, and I limp instead. Bad news is that I'm stuck wearing a big honkin' immobilizer boot (like a cross between a cast and a ski boot) for the next few weeks, but will still be on my feet as tolerated. (I am definitely making a footwear fashion statement, even if I'm not "stating" that which I originally intended). At least no crutches, thank goodness.

My father-in-law turned 89 this week--mazel tov to him. And in less than two weeks Bob & I will celebrate our 38th anniversary. Where'd the time go? Since our wedding we've had eight Presidents, four wars, lived in three states and cities, lost (and regained) hundreds of pounds, been through the arc of four careers (two for each of us), earned one graduate and two professional degrees, produced one terrific and talented kid (whom we're in no hurry to push out of the nest till he's good and ready to fly). Not to mention going through three hair colors (not including gray, which I still refuse to let emerge).

So it looks like I'm taking the rest of June off to do a little legal work (that pesky retirement still doesn't seem to be fully "taking"), songwriting, rehearsing, eldercare and volunteering. Back into the whirl starting July 4th weekend in Madison!

Been awhile, hasn't it? A lot has happened since I last posted:

We had to find a new site for FARM 2009 so we could keep it in the Chicago area over Columbus Day weekend--and we lucked into a sweet one: the Holiday Inn of Bolingbrook, IL. We'll have the run of the place as the only event booked, reasonable room rates with flexible rooming arrangements--bookable directly with the hotel (that is, if you want to stay on site); a la carte dining with a plethora of nearby options (with free shuttle to and from them) or use the fridge in your room; full pool/sauna/spa and fitness facility; plenty of meeting space and a staff eager to please. Th-Su, 10/8-11. More innovations too numerous to detail here. Rates and registration info & forms (and mailings) out imminently.

Have had some marvelous performance experiences: Green Earth Fair, Live From the Living Room (where we shared the stage with Steve Deasey and an amazing performance from Foxfire---get well, Denise, we're all praying for you!), Folk It!

My best friend Bob Berlien (follow the saga on his and Kathy's LiveJournals) underwent lung-reduction surgery for COPD and blessedly, the pulmonary nodule discovered during pre-op testing proved to be benign. We all gathered at my place Memorial Day to rejoice in each others' company and grill dinner between the raindrops. A good time was had by all. No raindrops were harmed in the production of dinner, nor were there any inadvertent encounters between the gas grill and respiratory equipment. Can't ask for much more than that these days.

Traveled around the Madison and Detroit areas; got some great starts on rehearsing and planning the next Andina & Rich CD; and attended the wedding of my cousin's daughter in Salem, MA just this past weekend (at the beautiful, elegant and historical Peabody-Essex Museum and Library (and got to formally welcome her handsome and multi-talented husband into our family). It was a delight to be with family members I hadn't seen in months, even years. Those experiences have reminded me that friends and family are our most precious resources: life is short, share it with those you love, and reconnect with those with whom you've fallen out of touch for whatever (or no) reason.

Bummer is that it's getting tougher and tougher for me to walk these days--developed a nagging soreness on the side of my left foot that has progressed to a downright painful nodule (bone bruise?), plantar fasciitis, and perhaps even a metatarsal neuroma (meaning a swelling on a nerve) . Waiting for word from my podiatrist as to whether I should "pass Go" and head straight to my orthopedist instead (whom I feel I should ask for frequent flyer miles). Hoping that taping, ice, and the right shoes will help---and that I'll be able to spend enough time on my feet to get through an hour's set this Sunday at Mill Brook State Park in Tomah, WI. Sure hate sitting down to sing--standing works sooo much better for the voice. All in all, though, it's not life-threatening--it's just a foot, and it's only pain. (I've observed enough that can go wrong this past month to be sincerely grateful for that).

Also, for reasons we won't go into around here Andina & Rich (and Red Starr Productions) have opted out of this year's Nashville Songwriters' Festival--we felt that circumstances dictated that there would be ways to use that week in late June to best advantage. Those better ways include both more preparations for recording and a long-overdue visit from my sister and niece, whom I haven't seen in a year and a half and who haven't been to Chicago in twelve years.

Had a bit of excitement around here with Bob's dad--let's just say that long walks which one has been urged not to take, when one is elderly and dehydrated, don't lead to the most pleasant of experiences and are quite inadvisable (a lesson well-learned). On the bright side, he did get to meet quite a few of Chicago's finest (and EMTs) who came to his aid. He sincerely hopes not to see them again except on a purely social basis.

You will notice I have said nothing tonight about the major issues of the day, whether political, criminal, sports or religious. At nearly 4 a.m., I fear I might not be as articulate about them as I'd like, that I would be so impassioned about them as to cause misinterpretations and hard feelings, and that plenty of people (including yours truly) have posted about them ad infinitum on various internet forums--not to mention countless others who have held forth via more widely publicized channels. So I'm sticking to what I know best, going micro-and-not-macro.

Besides, my foot hurts.

Been quite a week--we've had snow flurries and 80F temps within a few days of each other; and major revelations about the (euphemistically yclept) "enhanced interrogation" techniques employed by the CIA (and, BTW, refused by the FBI), inquired into by the Pentagon as early as 2002 (receiving the answer it was both torture and ineffective) and facilitated by the bass-ackwards backfill legal memos concocted by the Bush DOJ. We've had both the Bulls and the Blackhawks make the playoffs, and the Cubs and Sox off to a good (albeit chilly and sleety start). Poor B-Rod has been refused permission by a Federal judge to go to the Costa Rican Jungles to appear in NBC's "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Outta Here" (but still eligible to appear on MSNBC's "Lockup: Club Fed" a/k/a "I'm a Convicted Felon, Get Me Outta Here"); as a result, he has filmed a bunch of spots for the show dangling from a harness and being blown about by a wind machine in front of a green Chroma-Key screen. All this is making my head spin.

So I am going to foment a different sort of debate here. I just got done reading Alton Brown's "Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run," which covered some of the same territory I did over the past few years, especially between Chicago and Memphis and missed a few spots for the piddling reason they were located along the Interstate. With that in mind (and because I now can't write "Highway 61 Regurgitated," at least not without violating some copyrights), I look back on my travels, around the Midwest and beyond (and in my own figurative backyard) to offer some of what I have found to be some of my favorite discoveries (mostly culinary but not always). Your mileage will invariably vary, so suggest away.

BBQ: Well-known:
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous, Memphis, TN. Not much to say--it's not healthy to talk with your mouth full. No sauce, thanks---why sully that amazing dry rub?

BBQ: (Hole-in-the-wall Division): BJ's Travel Center, just. n. of New Madrid, MO. Alton Brown missed this one, probably because of his vow to eschew the Interstates. That's fine--more for me to chew along the Interstate. A tiny BP gas station and mini-mart when viewed from outside; the first hint it's at all special is the sweet smoke-and-meat smell that hits you as soon as you get out of your car. On one side of the room is the usual truck stop mini-mart; on the other, a buffet--and if you hit them at the right time, the ribs, chicken, sausage and pulled pork should just be coming out of the homemade oil-drum smoker out back. All you can eat (there's pasta, corn on the cob, at least one other veggie, salad, mashed spuds, cornbread and fried chicken too) for, last time I checked back in Feb., eight bucks. Only bummer is that the no-smoking section is one or two tables along the windows, but the BBQ smoke kind of obscures that in a hurry.

BBQ: (Intermediately well-known):
1. Dink's Pit, Bartlesville, OK. Intentionally ramshackle decor (might be a chain, I dunno) reminiscent of Famous Dave's but more authentically shopworn but good 'cue and nice crunchy fried okra--always jammed. Very reasonable.
2. Nick's BBQ and Catfish, Carlisle, AR. Cheerful swift service (no alcohol), very good BBQ, and the best....

Fried Green Tomatoes: See Nick's immediately above. Shatteringly crisp battered crust, not greasy, tender but still resilient tomatoes inside. Hang it up, Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop! Insanely reasonable, and the best....

Fried Catfish: Nick's; you know the drill by now....

Best Pies: King's Coffee, Dearing, KS. Meringues of all kinds, quiches you'd never expect in an honest-to-goodness full-service (read: two-group non-automatic Cimbali) coffeehouse in the proverbial middle-of-nearly-nowhere (All of Dearing could seemingly be dropped into a few blocks in the center of Coffeyville). There is a stage with live entertainment: mostly Christian music but occasionally also secular folk from moonlighting visiting performers doing the nearby Coffeyville Humanities Project (we would have done the same but our fingers were nearly bleeding from all the playing we were officially doing). The only real espresso in those parts north of the KS-OK state line.

Best "what's-a-joint-like-you-doing-in-a-place-like-this:"
Uncle Jack's. Independence, KS. Discovered by accident, when our GPS misunderstood our desire to visit Jack's Place in Liberty, KS. Microbrews. Wine-by-the-glass program (including food-and-wine pairings), bistro menu. Yes, you can get a dry Aussie Riesling or California Viognier and fresh-tasting crab cakes in rural Kansas. Pricey for the economically depressed area but cheap by city standards. Knowledgeable servers, too. Who knew?

Best (very) small-town diner food: Depot Restaurant (Hwy 412 bet. Bellefonte and Harrison, AR). We were hungry. We were lost (sorta). It was open. I can still taste the Hawaiian Creme Pie (pineapple, coconut, cherries, macadamias) nearly two years later. And it was the only time I ever insisted on packing my leftover fried okra as a road snack.

Donuts (I'm gonna get flamed for this for sure): Tie between Spudnuts (Univ. Way, aka "the Ave") and Green Lake Donuts, both in Seattle, WA. Haven't been back since 1978, so I don't even know if they're still around. But Spudnuts had the best yeast-raised (hadda be the potato flour) and Green Lake the best straight-from-the-fryer plain cake donuts I've ever, ever eaten--retreat to your respective corners, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts. Spudnuts also had the best donut shop coffee I ever drank. Asked the owner his secret--he pulled out a battered, dented aluminum measuring cup. He explained that he kept whaling away at the bottom of it with a ball-peen hammer till it held just the right amount of preground but very fresh coffee for a drip-urn full of joe (don't remember the brand--Stewart Bros. or MJB, I think).

Cheesecake (turn up the flame-thrower): Ben's Deli, Montreal, QUE. Oh, I hear the gasps from my fellow Chicagoans who swear by Eli's, as well as from those accusing me of denying my Brooklyn heritage by ignoring Junior's. Mind you, I'm not dissing either iconic U.S. cheesecake.....but tasting Ben's (thank you Kathy!) was an epiphany. Heck, the minute I even laid eyes on it I knew the cheesecake trophy would stay north of the border. Mile-high, nearly as light as an Italian ricotta cheesecake but as firm a crumb as the best NYC examples.

OTOH:

Aphids on roses and ear mites on kittens,
Leaky teakettles and wet woolen mittens,
Puncturing fingertips changing my strings:
These are a few of my least fav'rite things...

End of Part One. Gonna get a bit more local in the next installment.

Just as I suspected, most of those teabags waved and dangled at the Tax Day Tea Parties were not brought by the demonstrators from their own kitchens to show they were mad as hell and not gonna take it any more---they were indeed provided by the Republican National Committee at a cost of one millon bucks. Grass roots, my ass.

Also saw footage of a recently unemployed attendee at one of these parties who got up and addressed the crowd. He introduced himself, asked how his fellow demonstrators felt, and asked them to cheer if they were making less than $250K per year. As expected, the cheers were overwhelming and deafening. Then he mentioned that those folks would be getting a tax CUT from the current Administration. The cheers stopped, replaced by boos and catcalls.

Now wait a minute. These parties were supposed to be spontaneous protests by the middle class against what were perceived by them (rightly or wrongly) as undue taxation--current and threatened in the future--at the hands of the new Administration. But the minute someone spoke the truth to them, he was revealed as a Democratic "traitor."And in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry hinted ominously that if the Feds messed with Texas (or Texas' "sovereignty"), secession might be in order. (So far, he has yet to backtrack),

Folks, these tea parties have been exposed for what they really were. They weren't about taxation or economic suffering. They were carefully orchestrated Republican campaign rallies for 2010 and beyond, designed to "cement the base" (ever shrinking and hardening) and--more disturbingly--exploit those not only intolerant of dissent but intolerant in general. They were, with only a few exceptions, "venting opportunities" for those displeased with the mere fact of Obama's victory and what they perceived and continue to perceive it represents---regardless of (and doggedly resistant to) persuasion by actual facts. This type of visceral resentment is the instrument the GOP "big lie" played so skillfully in 1994 with the Contract on America--already, as they characterized health care reform back then, the party is beginning to paint currently proposed health care, business and banking, and environmental reforms as insidious "new taxes."

So now we know the secret to getting voters to oppose something that actually may be in their own interest:
First, if you're in a position to and intend to profit financially at voters' expense (e.g., continuing to cheat them, fire them, take bailouts and bonuses, deny their legitimate insurance claims, cancel their credit, etc.), tell them that you share their "core moral values." Throw around terms like "sanctity of marriage," "freedom," "terrorism," and "pro-life" to boot, whether you have either the power or even the desire to do anything about them.
Then, characterize everything that you don't like as a "tax" from "big government:" the magic buzzwords that apparently embody all that is evil and un-American.


Fool us once.....

Happy Tax Day! By now, I trust you are either well on your way to getting your refund, getting the IRS off your back by having mailed them a check, or keeping the IRS temporarily off your back (or delaying your own refund gratification) by having filed your extension application--or will by midnight. Maybe you attended one of those staged "tea parties" flogged by Fake News and bankrolled by Dick Armey and a couple of conservative PACs. (Hopefully, not as a participant).

Here's why I hope if you went, you were there as either a heckler or out of morbid curiosity. Just as in Thomas Frank's "What's the Matter With Kansas," the megawealthy corporate/Wall Street establishment (i.e., shepherds with Twitter cattle prods) has managed to once again hoodwink a not insufficient number of the poor and middle classes (i.e., sheep watching cable news or cradling their BlackBerrys) into defending the super-rich against the poor and middle classes. In scenes eerily reminiscent of the crowd at last summer's Republican National Convention, photographers snapped numerous images of people standing in rainy plazas mugging for the cameras, dangling teabags, hanging teabags off their umbrellas and even bedecking their rainhats and parka hoods with teabags to the point where they resembled Lipton sheepdogs. (And call it a hunch, but somehow I doubt these folks brought these little sachets of caffeinated symbolism with them from their own kitchens). And all the while, across the country, they chanted the trenchant, meaningful, protest slogan" "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" As if letting the GOP fool them into doing its dirty work was a form of patriotism akin to cheering on Michael Phelps in the Olympics or marching in a Fourth of July parade. Oh, please.

Gets better---conservative blogs and Facebook pages instructed "spontaneous protestors" to parrot canned talking points such as "This is not the time to spend money!" "We can't spend what we don't have!" "Get the government off our backs!" (funny, they didn't chant that one when they were being wiretapped and having their library cards and book purchases monitored) and "We're mortgaging our children's futures!" (which they likewise never chanted when the government was mortgaging our children's environmental futures---or when Wall Street, or themselves as willingly complicit junk-loan borrowers, were ACTUALLY MORTGAGING our children's and our own futures). One of these blogs actually offered $250 rewards for the catchiest slogans the "citizen teabaggers" could devise--thus saving the GOP a tidy sum it would otherwise have to have blown on focus groups and ad agencies.

Well, the truth is that this is PRECISELY what stimulating a foundering economy means--spending money we don't have to generate money we will make many times over. We've done it for decades, even centuries. It's called "credit," which (despite what every conservative other than those who issue bank cards will tell you) is NOT always inherently bad. Whenever a corporation, municipality, utility, or school district issues bonds, it's borrowing so it can spend money it doesn't have--and when you buy those bonds (yes, even those Series E savings bonds you racked up as kids) you are lending it to them. The cold hard truth is, as was shown when at first the New Deal succeeded dramatically and then went blooey when FDR obeyed those who warned about deficit spending, that if we DON'T go out on a limb and borrow or levy in order to spend money we don't yet have on certain necessities such as infrastructure, education, priming the pump for a resurgence of responsible consumption, and healthcare, we are going to be doing a heck of a lot worse to our kids' future than mortgaging it.

And taxes? Ah, yes, those evil taxes of which we must not force the super-rich and the largest corporations to pay their fair share. It was revealed today that 90% of the wealthiest corporations in America set up offshore accounts (cue the jingle..."Cay-man Is-lands...") to avoid paying ANY Federal income tax at all, sticking you and me with a HUNDRED BILLION BUCKS of a tax bill, sucking it right out of OUR pockets. Yeah, even those of you pulling down half a mill per year--YOU helped pay ALL of Coca-Cola's and Dell's income tax this year. Interestingly, one of the wealthiest corporations in America refused to set up offshore accounts, and ponied up its fair share like the rest of us: Home Depot.

So how would you like to stimulate the economy, show your appreciation for a responsible corporation, improve your own surroundings, and even employ many of our future Olympians between competitions? Fix your deck, plant your garden or window boxes, paint your house or apartment, buy a new sink or toilet seat, or even a carton of CFL lightbulbs--and buy the stuff from Home Depot.

So tomorrow is the day for Astroturf-roots "tea parties" all over America--or so the right-wing blogosphere and Fixed News Network are hyperventilating, while legitimate media are, justifiably, yawning and reminding people the Post Office will be open till midnight because it's April 15. How I wish I were gifted in the visual arts---if I were, I would be madly at work right now churning out picket signs and tee (NOT "TEA") shirts bearing the following graphic:

(Picture of teabag) = (Picture of bull sitting on toilet)

and selling them to the real grass-roots protesters across the street from Dick Armey's Army (yeah, he's in charge).
So in dishonor of this corporate, staged, flash(bulb)-mob stunt, I propose getting as hopped up on coffee (brewed, espresso, latte, instant, whatever) as possible and Take Exception (to) Armey (note initials).

And for some more in the "they-can't-make-this-kinda-stuff-up" department:

1. The NY Mets' brand-spanking-new Citi Field was christened by a lead-off home run by......a San Diego Padre.
Does anyone else notice the significance of the fact that Citi Field is located in.......wait for it.....drum roll.....FLUSHING????

2. What if Rod was one of us? He'd want to get a gig on a reality TV show, of course. And (the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois willing), he will--he is set to star (at $80K an episode), inter alia, with skater Nancy Kerrigan (guess this was below Tonya Harding's pay grade?) in a show titled "I'm a Celebrity--Get Me Outta Here!" set in Costa Rica, presumably in the jungle.....or at Robert Vesco's mansion.

3. For the second year in a row, a butchered goat carcass was hung in effigy from the statue (I believe of Harry Caray) outside Wrigley Field. Guess that's why Premier Meats couldn't fulfill my order for goat loin chops.....

My voice is back tonight! (Sorry, Stephen Sondheim, best I could do with limited bandwidth). I am totally pumped about tonight's double Andina & Rich/SASS! Trio show (despite what it may say on another site, it IS TONIGHT, SATURDAY APRIL 11!) at the Ethical Humanist Society, 8 pm, 7475 N. Lincoln in Skokie--details in the preceding blog entry as well as on the Facebook page of the Second Saturday Concert Series. We've got some special stuff up our sleeves for you!

The Emanuel Seder was a blast--well attended and catered this year (with wait staff!) by a member, Mark Warnaar, who is a chef. The food--especially the salmon and the desserts--was terrific, the ceremonies and singing--led by our own Energizer Bunny Ruthie Seidner--were beautifully planned and delightfully executed. I ran into friends I hadn't seen in months--and some I hadn't realized were members. Gotta go more often when I'm not gigging or traveling on Friday nights.

I'll be singing there next week, Sat 4/18, at the Emanuel Coffeehouse, 5959 N. Sheridan. Fronting my old buddies in the Ham-it-Up Band for a number and doing a set of my own in a stellar lineup--the temple's talent pool is deep indeed. All ages, creeds (including lack thereof), and kinds of people welcome, as long as you like to listen, sing along, and sip and nosh!

Well, it seems that not only did neighborhood churches celebrate Seders on Holy Thursday--so did our First Family! Yes, the Obamas hosted the first ever White House seder (especially appropriate because there's a rabbi in the family--Rabbi Capers Funnye of B'nai Zion is Michelle Obama's cousin). To paraphrase a terrific songwriter friend of mine, Anita Silvert, I'm sensing the beginning of "all roads converging."

Whether or not I see you tonight in Skokie, wherever and whoever you are, whatever you do or do not believe, I wish you joy this wonderful weekend of renewal, rebirth and reaffirmation. No matter the motivation for your celebration, may it happen with elation!

Interfaith families ARE fascinating, aren't they? (I never have seen chocolate Easter bunnies or even Peeps labeled Kosher for Passover--can you imagine the marketing possibilities of Passover Peeps--especially little marshmallow Pharoahs you can nuke into oblivion in your microwave? I think that the "Ten Plagues" Peeps collection might be a bit much, though).

Tonight we had our first tri-generational interfaith family Seder since before Gordy was born and the "mishpocha" (both Jewish & Catholic) would gather back in Brooklyn at my folks' place or Queens at my Aunt Pearl's. Bob's dad moved in with us in May, and had not planned to stay up late enough to participate (Bob keeps pretty late work hours). But he decided to give it a go. We kept the pre-dinner Haggadah reading and ceremonies fairly brief, as Bob saw so many patients he was nearly hypoglycemic by the time he got home (we moved up the whole Hillel-sandwich part to make sure he didn't get those two cups of wine into a completely empty stomach). For someone who hadn't attended a Seder in 25 years, Bob's dad did a pretty good job even with the tongue-twisting transliterations of ancient Rabbinical names. I spared Bob my leaden matzo balls this year--nothing could top my Aunt Pearl's, so light they needed guy wires to keep from floating skyward--and I did provide some prefab prime rib and gefilte fish; but I did just about everything else from scratch. Even dragged out the Cuisinart to make the charoseth (the apple-nut-matzo-wine relish that symbolizes mortar used by the Hebrew slaves in Israel but tastes a whole heckuva lot better), the only other time besides Thanksgiving and cranberry relish it sees action. Bob's dad, eschewing meat (even poultry) during Lent, got miso soup while we had chicken with mandlen (honey-I-shrunk-the-popovers made with matzo flour) and ate a little of everything but the prime rib. I did my best to point out which traditional foods overlapped both the Easter and Passover traditions.

Tomorrow night will be interesting. Gordy has a friend's Seder to attend. Bob has office hours. I have the temple Seder. I invited Bob's dad, but his church is holding one leading into the Holy Thursday service. He would have gone to the one at temple, but he'd have had to miss his church service; I'd have gone to the one at church, but since my own temple's holding one and I'm singing there next week I ought to go. I'm guessing that both houses of worship will hew much more faithfully (and lengthily) to the haggadah then we did tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised if St. Gertrude's were longer and stricter than Emanuel's (we're Reform and there will be a plethora of restless toddlers in tow). But I find it delightful that in a neighborhood that is overwhelmingly Catholic, darn near every family will have celebrated Passover in some fashion this year!

Sunday night's benefit at the Heartland started off slowly--due to rapidly deteriorating weather and even more rapidly shrinking parking, not enough of the ad hoc pre-show band had arrived in time to test the PA and we had the venue for a limited time. But RIck ran the lineup like clockwork, nobody hogged their time slots, and the place filled to the point where people had to rotate seats. There were amazing performances and collaborations (and people I hadn't seen in ages, such as Amy Lowe, Jim Post and John Benischek---who haven't lost a note to the march of time). Mick was energized by the presence of so many who love him, and gave a closing performance (as well as some deft supporting work earlier) that was truly stellar. His anthemic signature closer, "Last One of the Night People" left not a single dry eye in the house, with his spoken "good nights" on the outro to all the venues and local folkies who've left us. (I can't do "Ghosts and Angels" again without thinking of that performance, and I will be sure to mention Mick's salute during the intro). The really good news was that not only did I not end up winning anything I donated for the raffle, but we raised over $4K for Mick's expenses! There will shortly be a similar benefit to retire Tom Dundee's medical debt, and I'm sure we'll all do Tommy's memory proud. I'll keep you posted.

The memorial on Saturday for learning-disabled children's advocate and therapist Lannie LeGear was touching, sad, funny and uplifting. Gordy's eulogy was so moving that people buttonholed him for hours after the service to tell him so. Not only was Lannie a marvelous therapist and friend and national pioneer in getting the educational and medical establishments to recognize that learning disabilities are not limited to autism/ADHD/dyslexia, but she was a gentle and generous soul--proudly but matter-of-factly out long before it was socially the norm, she and her partner Dorothy sponsored a Hmong family from Laos and adopted them, eventually becoming grandmothers several times over. Dorothy brought the house down when she mentioned that the neighbors didn't quite know what to make of the "Unitarian lesbians sending their Buddhist kids to the Catholic school around the corner." I'm glad we can live in a world--well, at least a city--where that is not only possible but now raises no eyebrows, just knowing smiles and approving laughter. And I'm especially grateful that Dorothy shared Lannie with all of us. When people die, we speak of them "passing on," or "passing away." Lannie LeGear "passed in:" a little of her spirit burrowed into the hearts of everyone who had the honor of knowing her.

I am slowly but surely emerging from the depths of the allergy-cum-bacterial sinusitis/bronchitis that began to creep up on me Friday night (and mercifully abated just long enough to get me through my two songs on Sunday). I was able to get through a little chanting tonight, but still shutting up so I can be in good voice for the show I'm doing this Saturday night 4/11:

Andina & Rich and the SASS! Trio
at the Ethical Humanist Society
7475 Lincoln (at Howard and Skokie Blvd), Skokie
8-10 pm. $7 includes refreshments and parking.
You'll get a double dose of me--doing eclectic acoustic Americana with Stephen Lee RIch and original classic folk with Susan Urban and Kate Early. You'll hear harmonies and lots of humor--much of it topical (I haven't mastered subcutaneous, though I can sing "I've Got You Under My Skin") in a comfy and lovely room with great sightlines and perfect acoustics....and ample parking!

So Happy Passover, Happy Easter...and Happy Birthday, Rona!

Yup, www.sandyandina/swimsuit/nakedandalive.com is here! Catch pix of me in my string-theory bikini--not atoll inappropriate. Still working on the 3-D and see-through website versions; the HTML code for that is a real bare--er, bear.

Oh, and check today's date!!!!!