Seeger unannounced appearance!

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Suffet
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 12:55 AM

Greetings:

For better or for worse, Pete has also become part of the American folk mythology. Columbus discovered America. Washington couldn't tell a lie. Lincoln freed the slaves. Pete Seeger cleaned up the Hudson River.

Case in point: An episode of Land and Order begins with a man fishing in what appears to be Riverside Park in New York. Another man approaches him and asks, "Can you really eat the fish?" Whereupon the first man replies, "Sure, thanks to Pete Seeger." No further explanation is necessary.

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 04 Dec 05 - 12:18 AM

But in Seeger's case there is a difference---no disrespect intended. He is an icon and even at this advanced stage he can capture an audience with his presence and help the causes he espouses.   Let us put it akin to elder statesmen being honored for their work and still contributing.

Frankly, Pete Seeger has transcended the term "performer".

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 02:12 PM

My personal take on this is that now that I can't play my instruments and sing, there is no way in hell I'd ever want anyone to have to pay to hear what I would/could do now. Also, I'd be embarrassed by my efforts---so I have retired.

Art

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 03 Dec 05 - 08:38 AM

Unannounced Pete Seeger appearance this coming Wednesday, December 7, 2005! Pete Seeger along with others will be performing at a book party in New York City to celebrate and honor Peace Loving Nations: Music of Peace and Resistance, the War Resisters League 2006 Peace Calendar. The party takes place at the Workmen's Circle, 45 E. 33rd Street, beginning at 6:30 PM. That's the same building where the People's Voice Cafe is located. Admission is free, but I don't have any other information.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: just john
Date: 31 Jan 05 - 02:00 PM

He also sometimes shows up at the ongoing Saturday antiwar demonstrations at the corner of Rts 9 and 9d, just south of Poughkeepsie, NY.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST,Bill R.
Date: 31 Jan 05 - 01:57 PM

Here's another Pete Seeger sighting, singing for the little kids in a charter school in Queens, NY this past Saturday, Jan. 29th. My informant from the neighborhood me he was on for 45 minutes out of an hour and a half children's concert and that he did Abiyoyo, She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain, I had a Rooster and a lot other old favorites. There were some other performers, too, but Pete is who they came for. Maybe 20 kids sitting in a tight circle around Pete and more than 100 parents standing on the sidelines. Go figure out how that happened. Free admission, no advertizing. You just had to know by word of mouth.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Lady Hillary
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 12:06 PM

EBarnacle here,

The point Ron is making is that there seems to be a widespread expectation that musicians and other artists will work for free for any good cause that asks them to do so.

As Woody once said: "Lady, I've never worked for a bad cause."

When people ask me to set up an event for free, my response is similar to Ron's. If I volunteer, fine. If someone tells me to volunteer, that is another issue. I make it a point to insist that any performer I ask should get some sort of an honorarium. If they return it or offer to work for free, that is on them. The point is that performing is work.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Alonzo M. Zilch (inactive)
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 11:54 AM

I always wonder why people think musicians and artists should work free? Did you ever hear anyone ask a plumber if they
would fix their sink as a labor of love?   I wish my dentist would fix my crown pro bono because he is talented and enjoys
sharing his gift with the world. I doubt if any one of us would show up to work for free. If you do, I have could use a new roof
and my kitchen cabinets need replaced.

Pete Seeger is not a dilettante and it would be rude to expect someone of his stature to show up and share for nothing. Same
as any musician. Pete is a very generous man, and he has given freely of his time and money.   I think the question was
probably asked innocently, but it is not the first time I've heard people question musicians fees.

Ron,

It's called volunteerism. Volunteers work for free in all sorts of situations. Do you get paid for your radio show? Or, like most folk radio hosts, are you a volunteer who works for free?

Ever been to a folk festival? Most of the people who work long, hard hours to make them happen are volunteers.

I have no problem with musicians, or anyone, getting paid for their work. I even like getting paid for mine. But I have donated countless hours of my labor as a volunteer.

When I, and everyone else, works for free at what is supposed to be a benefit for a good cause, the musicians shouldn't get paid either.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: kendall
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 04:30 AM

If there are angels on earth, Pete Seeger is one of them.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 10:40 PM

I always wonder why people think musicians and artists should work free? Did you ever hear anyone ask a plumber if they would fix their sink as a labor of love?   I wish my dentist would fix my crown pro bono because he is talented and enjoys sharing his gift with the world. I doubt if any one of us would show up to work for free. If you do, I have could use a new roof and my kitchen cabinets need replaced.

Pete Seeger is not a dilettante and it would be rude to expect someone of his stature to show up and share for nothing. Same as any musician. Pete is a very generous man, and he has given freely of his time and money.   I think the question was probably asked innocently, but it is not the first time I've heard people question musicians fees.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:33 PM

Why would it matter if Seeger were paid or not? His altruism and idealism speak for themeselves.

I recall an evening---some 20 yrs ago-- when he wanted to return a $100 honararium for being awarded a Martin Luther King award at a local area school. Another--when all he asked was a ride home or a ride to the train(from the audience) after a seminar on the Spanish Civil War in NYC at the New School.

Would that others had his integrity.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Margo
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 12:40 AM

We have a Pete Seeger "clone" here on the west coast (Seattle) in the person of Tom Rawson. Tom has a great voice and plays a long neck banjo. He emulates Seeger and does a great job of it, capturing the spirit of rousing sing alongs and heartfelt ballads. It's nice to know the tradition is being carried on....
Margo

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST,Amira Barzani
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 11:14 PM

From what Ray Korona of the People's Voice Cafe said, they reimbursed Pete Seeger for the price of his train fare. That's all. Otherwise he and all the other artists donated their talents free.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Dani
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 10:47 AM

Well, it seems to me that whether he was paid or no, every damn thing Pete did in his life was both pro bono AND a labor of love.

Dani

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 11:39 PM

Is Pete still charging for his appearances or is he now doing it Pro Bono as a labor of love ?
                                             SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 10:33 PM

The folks at the People's Voice Cafe were as warm and fuzzy as always, especially MC Ray Korona. My three hour drive was to Binghamton, New York, where I spent the night before continuing to my home near the shores of Lake Ontario. I used to live in Fort Lee in Northern New Jersey, but I previously spent time in other parts of the Garden State, including Penns Grove, which believe it or not is so far south that it is below the Mason-Dixon line.

Folkies tend not to be snooty in these here parts. Besides, we have plenty of good music on the Jersey side, thanks in good part to one Mister Michael Agranoff and the New Jersey Folk Project.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: PoppaGator
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 05:54 PM

Three hour drive from Manhattan? Janice must really be "Janice in SOUTH Jersey."

Too bad you had to leave; I hope none of those snooty New Yorkers gave you any lip about belonging to the "bridge and tunnel crowd."

;^)

Pops from Central Jersey (originally)

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 12:09 PM

You confused Turn, turn, turn with Turn around, YY? Might that be a good reason for dumping someone? *G*

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST,Amira Barzani
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 11:36 AM

It seems to me that Pete Seeger will continue to do "little" performances as long as he lives. No more Carnegie Hall concerts, but he is making appearances at schools, houses of worship, community gardens, etc., and some of these are being advertised. The High School of the Arts here in the heart of Brooklyn's Arab-American community is hosting Pete Seeger in concert next month. We have heard that the concert will begin with our good friend Pat Humphries joining Pete in leading everyone in "Peace, Salaam, Shalom."

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 09:35 PM

That guest in the previous message was me. I had to reset my cookie.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 09:29 PM

Amira is correct about the concert continuing after Pete Seeger's set ended. There was a short break, during which time Pete left to catch a train back to his home in upstate New York. A lot of the audience, myself included, left at the same time. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, but I had a three hour drive ahead of me. I assume it was a wonderful show.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Ellenpoly
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 10:43 AM

LUCKY DUCKS!!!!!

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST,Amira Barzani
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 10:29 AM

I was at the Pete Seeger concert the People's Voice Cafe this past Saturday, and it wasn't entirely unannounced. Janice is right that there were no advertisements, no flyers, and no posters that said Pete would appear. However, the People's Voice did advertise a "Special 25th Anniversary Concert" with the names of the performers to be announced. On Thursday, two days before the show, I received an e-mail from the People's Voice saying that Pete Seeger confirmed that he would one of those performers. What Janice also failed to mention is that after Pete finished his set, the concert continued for another two hours or more with many other artists, some fairly well known and others obscure, doing one song each. It was quite a night.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Flash Company
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 09:35 AM

I suppose, if you love what you do for a living, stopping is hard!
As I only sang as a hobby, I've never really given up. I didn't particularly like work, so giving that up was easy!
Hope Pete keeps on singing for a looooooong time.

FC

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: freda underhill
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 09:27 AM

fantastic. in australia, singer songwriter Maurie Mulheron produced a fantastic show, a singing documentary about Pete seeger, with slides, images and songs. its the closest I'll get to a live performance.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 08:59 AM

Nice to hear!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 05:06 AM

Wrote some good lyrics, that Eccles!


It sounds as if he's suffering from withdrawal - that desire to go back to work for an afternoon a week, 6 months after retiring..... It's a terrible wrench, to give up all that public acclaimation and support... sometimes you need to get out there to see if a)you still got it, b) you can still do it and c) you can still give it.

Good luck to him... I'll probably never get the opportunity to see him (unless he does a tour of British pubs!), but it's great that others will, when they thought all chance had gone.

LTS

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Rasener
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 12:47 AM

Words-adapted from the bible, book of ecclesiastes
Music-pete seeger

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 11:19 PM

Yes... I was about to post myself after realising I was confusing "Turn Around" and "Turn, Turn, Turn". [sigh] My apologies...

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 10:04 PM

Malvina Reynolds wrote "Turn Around"

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: open mike
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 06:32 PM

(adapted from Ecclesiastes by Pete Seeger) says the digital tradition
oh and it is flash mob i was thinking of in the earlier post.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 06:28 PM

Respectfully disagree, Yorkshire; as far as I know it was Pete who put the chorus and melody to the Ecclesiastes verses.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: YorkshireYankee
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 04:28 PM

Sounds wonderful!

I remember going to a Pete Seeger concert in the Detroit area 10+ years ago... I had invited a fellow I had just met (& was flirting with) to join me. When we got there, he noticed Pete's name in the program and asked, "Any relation to Bob?" (Seger – the rock star)

Uh-oh...! Not that that's enough reason to dump somebody, but it wasn't a good sign...
That was the first & last time we ever saw each other – but it was a great concert!

BTW, don't mean to be a wet blanket, but I'm pretty sure Turn, Turn Turn was written by Malvina Reynolds.

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: open mike
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 02:59 PM

sounds like a folk mob!
isn't there some deal where people congregate at
a certain place on a moments' notice...jsut to be there?
be there then!

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 01:21 PM

That is truly inspiring. It makes me think.

Art

Subject: RE: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Amos
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 10:18 AM

What a guy!! Thanks, JiNJ!!


A

Subject: Seeger unannounced appearance!
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 10:16 AM

Pete Seeger made an unannounced concert appearance at the People's Voice Cafe in New York last night, Dec. 4th. There was no advertising, in fact no advance publicity at all other than word of mouth, and yet the house was jammed to capacity with 200 or more people. Pete spent about 45 minutes on stage, during which time he did about seven or eight songs, told a couple of stories, and got everyone singing. He started off with English Is Crazy, ended with This Little Light of Mine, and in between did such favorites as Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Irving Berlin's Blue Skies, and his own Turn, Turn Turn. All the while his voice sounded strong, and his stage presence was just as good as ever. So is this what Pete will being doing, making surprise appearances, now that he has given his supposedly "last" concert? Inquiring minds want to know.