D-Squared

First Fridays are always fun in Phoenix. What goes better with music than good art? We will be playing at the 2See Gallery during the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Phoenix. Please join us at at the Garfield Galleria, Ste. 201, 316 W. McDowell Ave. D-Squared plays from 7-9 PM. Deb will be exhibiting 4 of her pinhole photographs at the show as well. What is pinhole photography, you may ask? Come down and find out!

We hope your holiday season was festive and joyful and spent with people you care about. In that spirit, we’d like to let you know about a few places we will be playing in January because it’s a lot more fun when you show up.

Friday, January 4, 6-9 PM, 2See Studio in the Garfield Galleria, Suite 201, 316 West McDowell Road in Phoenix (TODAY!)

This is part of the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Phoenix. We will be providing ambient music at our friend and collaborator Cheryl Colan’s new downtown art gallery. The show is entitled Shadows and Reflections and features works by a number of interesting photographers including some of Deb Gessner’s new work. Gallery opens at 6 PM, Admission is free.

Friday, January 18, 8 PM at the Coconino Center for the Arts, 2300 North Fort Valley Road (Highway 180) in Flagstaff

This is the kick-off event for the Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music (FFOTM) series, co-sponsored by Flagstaff Cultural Partners. Opening the show will be The Springfield Band featuring our old friends Tony Norris, Bill Burke and Fred Coon. They have added fiddler, Elena Gonzales, and singer, Megan Buchanan, to their already impressive talent roster. This is a band with deep traditional ties and we’re excited to hear the new line-up. We have a few new tunes in our bag as well as some old favorites. We hope you can join us for what promises to be a wonderful evening of music. Tickets for this concert are $15 in advance, $18 at the door and can be purchased online or by calling (928) 779-2300. (directions)

Saturday, January 26, 2 PM and 7:30 PM (two shows), Blue Rose Theater at the Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 West Gurley Street in Prescott

Make it Snow is the theme of this season-opening show for the Blue Rose Theater and we have the material to make it happen. Our long association with Jody Drake and the Sharlot Hall Museum has been a blessing to us in many ways and we have always loved that room. It is where we played together for the very first time in public more years ago than we want to think about. Tickets are $10 for museum members, $12 for general public. Please call (928) 445-3122 for tickets and information. You can look them up online at sharlot.org.

We’re not sure why but winter concerts always seem to have a little extra energy, for audience and performer alike. So join us and take a little sip.

Don & Deb

Interesting how things line up….and how intention and thoughts seem to send out and attract similar vibes. This article by Ryan Kost showed up in The Arizona Republic on Sept. 3, 2007. This is the very same spot that our “Little Iraq” experience happened.

Kind of nice to know they’re trying to do something to stop the rape and pillage of the desert…………

See article here.

Good news in Mayer, we got our room back! And this time we are going to try to keep it. Mike Connors, our friend and the proprietor of the Old Mayer Mercantile is in the process of transforming the Old Dance Hall into a coffee and sweets shop complete with WiFi. Mayer is in desperate need of a place like this, where we can hang out and see each other - talk a little Nietzsche, watch YouTube, play some euchre. We think all it will take is a good cup of coffee and some decent chocolate. Since it’s on Big Bug Creek, let’s call it Big Bug Station.

To do our part we have committed to producing shows there on a much more regular basis - to feature D-Squared as well as other fine regional and national acts. For those of you who have attended past shows you know how lovely this room sounds and feels. Old wooden bar and floor, rounded glass windows, and high pressed tin ceilings - the place just oozes history. We are excited about this opportunity and ask for your continued support of what passes for culture here in the heart of Arizona.

So to kick off this venture, the new Big Bug Station at the Old Mayer Mercantile will present D-Squared and special guest Michael McGarrah at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 22, 2007. Suggested donation $15. The new Big Bug Station is located at Central and Main Streets in old downtown Mayer, AZ. (map link in case you need it).

Michael McGarrah is an exceptional songwriter who moved down from Seattle a few years ago. His songs are masterfully skewed vignettes that always reveal a deeper truth. We were honored to play on his brilliant new CD, Love Boat to Reno, this is a record you will want to own. Check it out at www.michaelmcgarrah.com.

As we will be leaving for an extended road trip after this show, we will be showcasing parts of our latest road set. Unfortunately we will miss the Sharlot Hall Folk Festival this year so this will be your opportunity to hear what we would have played there. Deb has a couple of brand new ones that are very cool.

So mark your calendar and join Mike, Susan and the girls at the Old Mayer Mercantile for an evening of tasty songs and tasty treats. We hope to see you there.

Thanks, Don & Deb