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Jon Shain
Thu, Feb 11th, @7:30pm
Jacob Johnson
Sat, Feb 13th, @8:00am
Brian McGee & Hollow Speed
Thu, Feb 18th, @7:30pm

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Purple Onion News February 2010

Whew! What a winter it has been so far. Not one but two significant snow events and we are just into February.  We are glad that we can keep you warm with this great line-up of music:

FEBRUARY 4 – CHUCK BRODSKY. Musical storyteller par excellence returns. www.chuckbrodsky.com

FEBRUARY 6 – MENAGE. The café swings when they are here. www.myspace.com/menage

FEBRUARY 11 – JON SHAIN. Showcasing a new recording from this returning blues performer.www.jonshain.com

FEBRUARY 13 – JACOB JOHNSON. Even more fabulous guitar for all of us. www.myspace.com/jacobjohnson

FEBRUARY 18 – BRIAN MCGEE & HOLLOW SPEED.  Melodic country rock is back. www.myspace.com/mcgeehollowspeed

FEBRUARY 20 – KELLIN WATSON.  It is good to have this Asheville singer/songwriter back. www.myspace.com/kellinwatson

FEBRUARY 21 – BEAUCOUP BLUE. This father-son blues duo returns as part of our Sunday night concert series.  The performance starts at 7 o’clock. Tickets are $15 per person. Call the café at 828-749-1179 to make reservations. www.beaucoupblue.com

FEBRUARY 25 – FAYSSOUX MCLEAN & BRANDON TURNER.  An intimate evening of song. www.fayssouxmusic.com

FEBRUARY 27 – TAYLOR MOORE & THE BORDEAUX BROTHERS. We are excited about having this band with us for the first time. www.taylormooremusic.com

So.  Here’s the question. How are you doing with those new year’s resolutions that you made so confidently in December? Lost that weight?  Do they miss you at the gym?  Life calmer?  Sadly, it is probably a resounding “NO” to most of these questions because that’s who we are, generally uncommitted and undisciplined about being disciplined.

I bring this up because of this bumper sticker my wife saw the other day. “Honk if you love Jesus.  Text while driving if you want to meet Him.” Most of us seem constitutionally unable to focus on one thing at a time.  It is almost as if we feel that our life has somehow being wasted if we aren’t busy all the time and multi-tasking if possible.

I bring all of this to your attention with a mea culpa.  I haven’t done so well with mine either.  Maybe that is why I was so struck when I heard this phrase “absolute unmixed attention”.  What if we intentionally lived more of our lives with this fixed in our mind?  We could do it anywhere and in any circumstance.  It is what great artists and athletes do that makes them so great at their work.

It shows up in some but not all of the performers who appear at the café.  You can tell who has practiced “absolute unmissed attention” toward their music.  That is when the magic happens.

It is not too late to make another resolution.  I’ll try to keep mine if you will take a shot at yours.

*********

Some sophomoric humor:

Follow your dreams except that one where you’re naked in church.

 A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.

 I love cooking with wine.  Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 Money isn’t everything but it surely keeps the kids in touch.

 In just two days from now, tomorrow will be yesterday.

 ***********

 

Remember: Absolute unmixed attention!

Robert Seiler

Purple Onion Café

www.purpleonionsaluda.com

 
Purple Onion News January 2010

One of the great things about this “job” I have had for the past 14 years (yikes!) is that it is not a job at all but actually fun.  I get to arrange music for a real, live venue where performers can show their stuff in an intimate environment.  I think that you will agree that our January line-up is a fine example of this

JANUARY 9  - PHIL & GAYE JOHNSON. Long time fan favorites from Green Creek.www.radioyur.com/philngaye

JANUARY 14 – AARON BURDETT. Saluda’s homegrown singer/songwriter. www.aaronburdett.com

JANUARY 15 – UPTOWN JAZZ QUARTET. Rescheduled from a snow cancellation. www.uptownjazzquartet.com

JANUARY 16 – DEEP RIVER. Country music from Asheville. www.myspace.com/deepriver

JANUARY 21 - SHANE PRUITT BAND.  As usual, the café will be rocking as this fan favorite returns. www.theshanepruittband.com     

JANUARY 22 – TRENT WAGLER & THE STEEL WHEELS. This is the soonest that we could get them back. www.trentwagler.com

JANUARY 23 – ACME LIVING ROOM ORCHESTRA.  More jazz to warm our souls.www.NPOjazz.com

JANUARY 28 – VALORIE MILLER. “Pure Carolina, from whisper to wail”. www.valoriemiller.com 

JANUARY 30 – THE SMOKEY JOE SHOW.  Country and blues combined in a special performance.www.smokeyjoeshow.com

MOST EVERY FRIDAY – FRED WHISKIN at the piano.

                                                      ********

 

“I can’t say I was ever lost, but I was once bewildered for three days.”

                                     Daniel Boone

Now that we have survived another year of economic instability, wars, swine flu, the self-serving attitudes of some of our politicians, etc, I feel a bit like Daniel Boone.  I think that I have made it more or less successfully through 2009 (at least well enough to be able to write this newsletter) but I can’t help asking myself if I am better or worse off for the experience.  Maybe you share my sense of gratitude and wonder at still being here and happy about it.

John McCutcheon, a fabulous singer/songwriter, wrote about this ambivalence in his recent newsletter which I would like to share:

“As we turn loose of this past year and contemplate a future populated by our children and their children’s children, let us resolve to love without pretense or condition, forgive unexpectedly, be generous with our time and resources and strive to become the kind of people our grandchildren think we are.”

                                                            **********

It has been a fine year in many ways for the Purple Onion Café for it heralded the return of two of our favorites, Shand Howie and Jeremy Edwards.  Shand’s ready smile and Jeremy’s sublimely delicious food help Susan continue our tradition of providing healthy fine food and live music to our many wonderful friends and customers. 

I cannot end the newsletter without adding how wonderful all of the café’s staff has been.  It doesn’t matter whether they are out front dealing directly with our customers or back in the kitchen helping get the food ready, they remain focused on the satisfaction of each of you.  They are also always willing to step in and help each other as such assistance may be needed.  I applaud all of them.

Remember for 2010, “attitude is the crayon we color life with”.

Robert Seiler

Purple Onion Café

www.purpleonionsaluda.com

 

 

 
Purple Onion News December 2009

The Purple Onion is finishing up the year in fine musical fashion with our usual mélange of jazz, singer/songwriter and small group music.  Tear yourself away from the holiday craziness and come join us:

DECEMBER 3 – ONE LEG UP. Extraordinary Gypsy-style jazz in the Django Reinhardt tradition. www.onelegupjazz.com

DECEMBER 5 – GEORGE TERRY & THE ZEALOTS. This group from Asheville in for the first time. www.myspace.com/borndreamin

DECEMBER 10 – MARK STUART. Veteran artist of folk/Americana music returns after too long an absence. www.markstuart.net

DECEMBER 12 – DARLYNE CAIN.  Exciting singer/songwriter from South Carolina returns. www.darlynecain.com

DECEMBER 17 – SOL DRIVEN TRAIN. Their many fans should mark their calendars to be here. www.soldriventrain.com

DECEMBER 19 – UPTOWN JAZZ QUARTET. Straight-ahead jazz returns. www.uptownjazzquartet.net

DECEMBER 24 – NO MUSIC. CHRISTMAS EVE. You know where you should be.

DECEMBER 26 – CLAY ROSS. NYC-based but South Carolina born guitarist is back with us. www.clayross.com

DECEMBER 31 – GALA NEW YEARS EVE PARTY. SCOOT PITTMAN TRIO ( www.scootmusic.com ) will provide the music.  Check the web site for details and contact the café at 828-749-1179 for reservations.

EVERY FRIDAY – FRED WHISKIN doing his thing that he does so well on the piano. (See below about Hometown Christmas for substitute piano player information.)

There is so much going on at this time of the year it is hard to know how to work it all in and stay reasonably attuned to the essence of the season.  We do encourage you, however, to come to Saluda on Friday, December 11, for Hometown Christmas.  All of the stores and restaurants will be open to welcome you and several of them will have music as part of the evening.  Yours truly will be at the piano in the Purple Onion having as good a time as you will be having if you should show up for the festivities.

We cannot let the year end without thanking all of you for your continued support and patronage of the café during what has been extremely troubling economic times for most of us.  Susan and her staff have tried very hard to make the café your “home away from home” where you can share your lives with others while eating fabulous food and listening to wonderful music.

I also have to say that the quality of our customers is only exceeded by that of the café’s staff.  Year after year Susan is able to attract super people to serve you and this year has been no exception.

I found this wonderful quote from Reinhold Niebuhr which helped me focus on what should be important to us: 

 

“Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime;

therefore we must be saved by hope.  Nothing which is true

or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate

context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. 

Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;

therefore we must be saved by love.”

 

And this from the Beatles song, Yellow Submarine:

 “Every one of us is all we need.”

 Peace.

Robert Seiler

Purple Onion Café

www.purpleonionsaluda.com

 
Purple Onion featured on UNC TV

The episode of North Carolina Weekend on UNC TV featuring the Purple Onion aired last week. If you missed it you can check it out on their website from this link http://flash.unctv.org/ncweekend/6042009_purpleonion.htm

 

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