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Thursday

C'mon 55

We've had to deal with a lot of adversity over the first year and a month of American Roots Live with Nasty Ned.

There was the repaving on Main Street at ARL 3 where the parking lot at the Rail was not accessible to vehicles and we had to carry all the equipment in from a parking lot across the street, dodging trucks, tractors and machines spewing hot tar - and the show went on. Duane Chez will remember.


There was ARL 8 almost being cancelled after flames shot from the manhole covers on Main Street after a speeding train blasted past the station blowing a transformer - but the show went on.

There was the difference in visions with old management that sent ARL 18 thru 28 scrambling into two different venues. Then, the last minute cancellation of our night-before-Thanksgiving show because one of those venues insisted on doing something else, so we took the show to Phoenix, AZ with HoneyBoy Dupree and Paris James - yet ARL continued uninterrupted another week. Then upon returning from Phoenix finding the aforementioned rogue venue had pulled the plug on us altogether - and still American Roots Live went uninterrupted because we had already expanded to Thursday nights at the Bluetone Cafe in Easton, PA.

Thanks to Win who talked to Mike and Lynn at the Rail who agreed to give us asylum on Sunday nights in Bound Brook - back where we started.

Yes, American Roots Live has had its share of adversity - and joys and triumphs, too - now expanded to two nights per week at the Rail with our consecutive weeks streak unbroken all the way up to ARL 54.

Then a force so great, known as mother nature, spilled millions of gallons of water over the banks of the Raritan River and into the streets of Bound Brook drowning Main Street under 7 feet of water and ARL 55 with it. Thankfully, because the Rail sits highest on Main Street, our stage was an island.

As if the sky was crying over the loss of our late brother Bernie Brausewetter, the rain continued for days turning downtown Bound Brook into what looked like the ninth ward - thank God no life was lost to the water.

Well, we can't reverse mother nature. But we can dry ourselves off - clean up the mess - and get back to work, and that's exactly what we're going to do.

Please come to the Rail as we bring back the music Saturday night with yours truly joining Johnny Charles & the Straight 8 Blues Kings and Sunday night for the return of American Roots Live!

55 has finally arrived and we couldn't be happier - but on such short notice, we've decided that the Royal Memorial Show for BB will be next week, both Thursday and Sunday at American Roots Live 56.

Many players pledged to be there as tribute to the big man when we thought we'd be open two weeks ago, so I'm asking you all now to be there May 10th and 13th to play in Bernie's honor.

Now, a little lost in the shuffle was ARL 54 because I was in no condition to write a proper Roots Review, following those tremendous nights of music, as we had just learned of our dear friend's passing. So I'll use this space today to recognize some of those incredible musicians who made American Roots Live 54 the incredible musical extravaganza that it was - we were all on an all-time high!

Kickin' off with John Powers and all our fantastic regulars, proper kudos must go out to a 16 year old song bird named Brianna Beatie making her ARL debut.(pictured)
















Veteran performer Nancy Coletti, who sings the Sea World commercial on TV, accompanied the youngster on piano then sang and scatted up a storm for us and brought the house down. (pictured)

















Ron Michaels, TV's Mr. Aleeve, wailing on his trumpet and fluggle horn. JR Bradfield, Mimi Nowak, Len DePiano, Jaimo Flynn, Roy Mcnamara, Arne Englund, Dennis Macarone and on and on - it was wild. (Please scroll down a bit to see the entire roll call. Everyone was great.)

Hope to see you all Sunday at 55 - the Rail really needs our support!

Keeping it real,

Ned

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Wednesday

Roots Review 52

Our one year anniversary celebration of American Roots Live at The Rail last week had me feeling like Lou Gehrig. By that I mean I felt like the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

And when I think about American Roots Live and the tight little artist's community that has come together over the past year, I realize I am the luckiest man on the planet. To be surrounded by so many talented and dedicated musicians and coordinators who have helped me to realize a dream, and one that has become their own - working to preserve American roots music for future generations - I am most fortunate indeed.


American Roots Live 52 Sunday night was a masterpiece. After the raucous crowd response to our national anthem played on harmonica, Chuck Wegman and Evil Dick of The Congregation embraced the honor of kicking off the show with an unplugged, unpretentious set of Congregation originals and covers. Awesome.

Then, on to the youngsters. Nine year old Brent Meyer, with his big Fender Stratocaster (pictured left, below) and his parents and sister in attendance, stood proud center stage picking strings before an enthusiastic audience supported by Jaimo Flynn on drums, JR Bradfield on bass, and ARL Ambassador from Pennsylvania, Billy K on guitar.




After Brent breezed through his set he was followed on stage by his seniors, 14 year old Dolan Kutzman playing drums and 16 year old Tim Beery on bass, both rockin' in the free world with Dolan's father, Billy K center stage.

What followed was a roots revival to be rivalled by no other - remember, there's no other show like American Roots Live anywhere!

ARL 52 Sunday was also the night of the all-stars autographed guitar contest, completing the blaze benefit for Harry Okie and his kids who lost their home to fire just before Christmas '06.

Phil Ouellette of Union, NJ was the lucky recipient of the autographed guitar donated by Manville Music. He smiled shyly with pride in accepting the prize knowing that he - along with many other people - donated to the cause that, all totalled, raised $1,960.02.

No one knows from where the two pennies came, but they were in the bucket and appreciated non-the-less.

Everybody was jacked both Sunday and Thursday nights as tremendous performances were put in by the afore mentioned players as well as John Powers, Mimi Nowak, Ed Pampani, Big Daddy & the Wild Cats, Roy MacNamara, Johnny Charles, Len DePiano, Robert Zee, Snakeman Runyan, Arne Englund, Metal Bob, Gavin Lawrence, Randy Marinelli, Al Madison, Johnny Thompson, Uncle Wayne, Bob Giglio, Chris Porto, John DiGiovanni, Steve Pozzelanti, Ray Mack, Mike Carrol, Dennis Macarone, Saxophone Joe and Cal Ritchie with special thanks going to Elliot "Win" Newcomb , Elmore Magazine and much appreciation to many others.

Also, as an aside - for those aware and concerned - Monday's surgery was a success and I'm recovering nicely wrapped in terry cloth and perched atop a bag of frozen peas. Thank you all for your generous gifts and offers of assistance, and your prayers, thoughtful emails and phone calls.

I'll see you tomorrow night down at the station for American Roots Live 53 and can't wait to experience the excitement this next year will bring!

Keeping it real,

Nasty Ned

PS - Happy Birthday to Muddy Waters - April 4th

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