BFS Concerts & Bozeman Music Jams

MICHAEL PETER SMITH

Friday, September, 10, 2010
7:30 p.m. (show) 7:00 p.m. (door open.  tickets ONLY at the door)
Pilgrim Church, 2118 South Third Avenue, Bozeman
TICKETS : $12 General admission, $2 discount for BFS members & seniors,  $5 children 5-12

The Bozeman Folklore Society Concert Series presents a special evening with Chicago singer/songwriter Michael Peter Smith in the warm acoustic setting of the Chris Boyd Room. BFS memberships provide discounts to concerts, dances or any BFS sponsored event and will be available for purchase at the door. 

If singer/songwriters form a kind of river of song, there are streams which flow into that universal body of water. The streams they follow serve the songs they write. Some are cowboys, some would-be beat poets, others are philosophers, political commentators, or comic storytellers. Michael Peter Smith has followed many different streams leading him to become one of the finest songwriters of the last 40 years. His songs reflects his admiration for the other art forms he's encountered in his life. He could be compared to a great writer of American literature, an abstract painter, a playwright or a sculptor. Most recognizable as the writer of the classic The Dutchman, originally covered by Steve Goodman and later by Suzy Boguss, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Tom Russell, he has created a body of work that's as diverse as it is skillfully crafted.

He moved to Chicago in the 70's to become a part of the singer/songwriter scene that included John Prine and Steve Goodman. He became well known for his songs. But, one of his most notable successes came in 1987 when he was asked to write the music for the Steppenwolf Theater's production of The Grapes of Wrath which went on to earn international recognition. He has also produced music for a children's theater production of The Snow Queen, a play he continues to work on to his own satisfaction even though it's produced annually at Christmas in Chicago.

Reviewing Smith's latest CD, Love Letter on a Fish: Live at Tales from the Tavern Too, Mark S. Tucker (Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange) wrote, "... Tavern Too, a second live offering from the same locale as the first, is a great document of the lone troubadour tradition enshrined with all its warm flaws, huge heart, impressive composing talents, and unique vibe. As modernity kicks into overdrive under uber-capitalistic depredations, discs like this serve to engrave the style into the frontal lobes and then pull counterpoints from the much more important recesses of memory, reminding us what we're being robbed of as music evolves under corporate guidance."

We invite you to join and become involved with our efforts to continue presenting live music and promote dancing in our community. Volunteers are needed, as well as your support to continue to share our love for all the richness in the folk traditions.To get involved or volunteer in the concert series, contact Rik James at (406) 586-4123.

Every Sunday - Irish jam: 7:30 pm at the 317 Club, on the north side of Main two doors west of Rouse Street

Every Thursday - Broken String Band Practice, 1400 Story Mill Road, new callers and musicians are welcome to come give it a try, questions - email Hallie hallie@imt.net.

Every Saturday - Irish jam: 3-5:00 pm at the Bacchus Club, in the Baxter Hotel at Main and Wilson. Contact Dave Zimmerman, 582-9616 to make sure this one is happening.