The Harvest Is In!

Greets of the season Corn Forest Pondents!

King Harvest has surely come! Trees are fantastic colours, the leaves are blowing, skywater is falling like it’s supposed to, the air is soft and cool, mushrooms are popping out, fruit trees are loaded and river is a mighty force teeming and roaring in its autumn rush. It is my favourite time of year.

Just back from a three week Texas trip to the 49th Kerrville Folk Festival, held this year in October instead of May. Guess I needed to sleep on the ground for a couple of weeks and stay up late listening to so many amazing songs and singing to the dawn because I sure feel different than when I left. It was a very small fest like in the 80s and felt so good to be around others again. I feel a different energy available and my spirit got a real good tune-up just in time for the turn of the season.

While the rest 2021 dwindles and the season slows to a more contracted time, I have a news of newly-recorded and in person music. Some parts of the world community are opening carefully and slow – it is exciting to proceed.

• On Sunday December 5, at 7 pm, I will be sharing an intimate musical evening concert with Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker at the WOW Hall in Eugene as a part of a 3-night tour that includes Seattle and Portland. Adrianne is an extraordinary guitarist songwriter and we both will be playing solo sets. The other two nights sold out long ago but I hear there are still a few tickets left for the Eugene show. Click here for tickets but don’t wait too long. 

• More Big News: This summer, I recorded at new album – a ten-song voice and guitar collection called OsculEARiosophy and it looks like it will be out before the end of the month. A couple of tracks will be posted on my Bandcamp page beginning November 12 and preorders for it open then. Bookmark brianQTN.bandcamp.com and squint yer ears. This is a very different album from others I’ve made and I love the way it all sounds.

• Visit my Hibidiville Youtube channel – I’ve been uploading all kinds of videos featuring QTN ancient and recent, Anne Feeney, East Side Flash, Ed and Carol Florida, and Biff Rose from the Kerrville archives, Richard Crandell and Masumi Timson and many others. Subscribe and be notified when new vids are added.

After these last couple of crazy years, I'm hoping live music will return in full force along with gatherings of all types to feed soulhearts and imaginations. Even though I have enjoyed music livestreams online when wifi is strong enough here, to me they are nowhere near the same as direct transmissions in person. Thanks for your words and thoughts, notes and letters, process and perseverance.

Huge harvest greets from your corn forest pundit,

bq

Hot veggie links:

QTN music

QTN fb

Dog Day Gigs August 21 and 22 , Eugene Oregon

 This Friday and Saturday join me for what may be my last gigs in Eugene for awhile. I surely do look forward to seeing you all and both dates are outdoors with plenty of space and I'm happy to play. Ear squinting permitted!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 6-8 pm

QTNstrumental Wordless Guitar in front of 16 Tons, 

2864 Willamette (between Market of Choice and Laughing Planet) FREE

Two hours of QTN Wordless Guitar with food, libations, community and a gorgeous summer Saturday evening in the same plaza as Laughing Planet and Pegasus Pizza. Everyone and their dogs welcome.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 5 pm

QTN Outdoors at 118 Merry Ln. in the River Road neighbourhood

An intimate QTN concert with two sets and a very special guest 

on a beautiful spot near the Willamette River. 

Tickets at the door, $10-$20 sliding scale.

There are overstuffed plum trees and plenty of space all around. Bring your own chair or use one there. Gates open 4:30 pm, show at 5 pm. Bring water for hot days. Free parking at Hosanna Studios, 1361 River Rd. or nearby street parking. 

QTN Summer News -All the print that's fit to moot

Al Grierson's new Al-bum 20 years after he caught a Westbound

 Lots in this newsletter:

A • A few, fun, fortuitous, future QTN local music opportunities this summer

B • A 3 Night Tour With Adrianne Lenker, Seattle, Portland and Eugene

C • Al Grierson’s new album The Petals is out

A • FUN, FORTUITOUS FUTURE QTN LOCAL SHOWS THIS SUMMER – I haven’t booked much this year but I am playing a few choice dates outdoors in the area in July and August. Not waxing words here (pink eloquence on parade) but just the facks...

Wednesday July 14, 6:30 pm – QTN annual Post OCF Concert in Scobert Park, Eugene FREE Plenty of room to stretch out in this sweet little pocket park just west of the corner of 4th and Blair over by Sam Bond’s, World Café and the old Tiny Tavern and lotsa QTN tunes old and new with special guests always a possibility too. There’s a playscape for the kids, picnics are encouraged and Fair costumery is most welcome. I’ve played this annual concert for more than 20 years and it’s always a big fun way to relax together.

Saturday July 17 & Saturday August 21, 6-8 pm – QTNstrumental Wordless Guitar at 16 Tons, 2864 Willamette #500 (between Market of Choice and Laughing Planet) FREE

Two hours of QTN guitar to go with food, libations and a gorgeous summer Saturday. Everyone and their dogs welcome.

Sunday, August 22, 5 pm – QTN Outdoors at 118 Merry Ln., in the River Road neighbourhood Eugene– A special intimate concert on a beautiful spot on the Willamette River and one of 4 Mike Meyer Summer Concert package. Tickets $10-$20 sliding scale and capacity 50 seats. Paypal money for reservations (heartily recommended as it is already half sold out) using meyercounseling@gmail.com, or send a check made out to Mike Meyer, 70 East Howard St. Eugene, OR 97404. I know it’s nearly 3 months out but don’t wait to buy tickets.

B • A 3 NIGHT TOUR OPENING FOR ADRIANNE LENKER

This is gonna be big fun playing the opening set for Adrianne.  It is quite the honour to be asked to accompany her on three nights of her solo acoustic tour. In the 10 years I’ve known her, she’s been nominated for a Grammy twice and her band and solo shows have a habit of selling out very quickly all over the world. If you look at her fall tour schedule, many of her fall and winter shows have already sold out, so this is an early head’s up. If you want to see these shows, you'll have to think ahead and buy tickets now. 

Ticket links here. 

12/3/21 Seattle, WA Washington Hall – ticketweb.com/event/adrianne-lenker-washington-hall-tickets/11071975?pl=crocodile

12/4/21 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom – etix.com/ticket/p/8930367/adrianne-lenker-portland-wonder-ballroom

12/5/21 Eugene, OR WOW Hall – ticketweb.com/event/adrianne-lenker-wow-hall-tickets/11081755

C • AL GRIERSON’S THE PETALS

Many of you know that since February, I’ve been working on a collection of Al Grierson’s unreleased recordings. Now it’s out and done and I can’t wait for folks to hear it. Al was the crown prince mythopoet Buddhist hobo trickster singer scribe whose unforgettable songs were filled with history, heartache, observation and wanderlust. He was swept away in a Texas flood near Luckenbach back in November of 2000 and his plaintive guitar, harmonica and voice were the perfect ruse to draw you deeper into his stream of consciousness world of poetry, mayhem, mythology and mischief. It is a project I began with Anne Feeney and when she was in the hospital the last time, I decided it needed to be completed. She and Al have both inspired and accompanied me all throughout the process. 

What started with 7 unreleased songs blossomed with the help of his friends. The new disc is 13 songs from many sources, all brilliantly restored and remastered by Sky Onion Audio and now there is also a huge archive of other recordings and video uncovered in the process. The album’s proceeds and archive all go to Al’s two daughters and The Petals is a fine companion to the other two albums he left behind. All three albums are downloadable via Al’s new Bandcamp page algrierson.bandcamp.com. The Petals is also available as a gorgeous, limited run physical CD. Preorders went into the mail today and the rest of the CDs will go fast, so order a copy asap from his bandcamp page to get one.

If you made it through all this news, I thank you. 

Enjoy these golden days and drink a lot of water. Water is life.

Your corn forest pundit,

bq

Looking Ahead to December

Adrianne Lenker back on the road

Howdy all!

Just received big fun news this week about December of all things. Got a call from Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief who is doing an extensive fall tour in support of her new double album of acoustic guitar songs and she asked if I would be able to open for her for three shows December 3, 4 and 5 in Seattle, Portland and Eugene. We’ve been friends for about 10 years now and I’m a big fan of her guitar talent and songwriting and so of course I said yes. 

Why am I telling you about this now?

In the 10 years I’ve known Adrianne, she’s been nominated for a Grammy twice and her band and solo shows have a habit of selling out very quickly all over the world. If you look at her fall tour schedule now, many of her shows have already sold out, so this is a head’s up. If you want to go, you have to think ahead. 

The shows I will be opening for were announced in the big media today and tickets will go on sale this Friday at 10 am PST. I know the show is quite a ways out and the dice are always rolling and nobody knows who or what we’ll be up to then, but one friend who loves both of our songwriting told me “You have to tell everyone so they can have a chance to get tickets!” and so I am.

Tickets here: adriannelenker.com/tourdates.html

December seems like a long ways away especially since it was 95 degrees today…

Your corn forest pundit

bq