Hopdoddy’s Classic Burger. Photo: Hopdoddy Burger Bar, used with permission.
This Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, Hopdoddy Burger Bar is offering a free Classic Burger (with or without cheese) to all veterans and active military service members. Qualified recipients can show their military ID or uniform to claim their free burger. This offer is available at all Hopdoddy locations and is redeemable for in-store dining or to-go orders placed by phone. (Hopdoddy Burger Bar, 2021)
In 2010, four friends had a goal: to set a new standard for burger bars. Hopdoddy pushed the boundaries of what is expected by bringing together craft beer and unique burger concoctions – all with high-quality ingredients and even higher standards. With every purchase of a Goodnight Good Cause burger, a portion of the proceeds give back to Hopdoddy’s favorite community charitable organizations.
The annual Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival spotlights Native American art, traditions, and local tribes. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
Highlighting the continued vibrancy and artistic traditions of Native American communities – and the local tribes who helped shape San Antonio – the Briscoe Western Art Museum invites everyone to enjoy its annual Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival,Saturday, November 13, from 10a.m. to 5p.m. The event is free and includes admission to the Briscoe, making it a perfect way to celebrate the important role Native Americans played in shaping the West while enjoying art and artifacts that highlight Native American history during Native American Heritage Month. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
Offering a view into traditional and contemporary Native American culture, the free community festival features storytelling, artist demonstrations, pottery, weaving and carving, as well as Native American-inspired food. Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival also features workshops and lectures celebrating Native American culture. The event starts with a special blessing, followed by a ceremonial drum circle that invites everyone to join.
The annual event is named in honor of the Payaya people who were indigenous to the San Antonio area. “Yanaguana” was the word they used to describe what is now known as San Antonio River. The festival highlights Native Americans, a core pillar of Western Art and featured in the Briscoe’s permanent collection. Since the museum opened, this festival has taken place annually, with 2020’s event taking place virtually.
Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
“Native Americans are a key component of the American West and one of the pillars of Western Art. The Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival offers the opportunity to see, interact and celebrate with Native American artists and performers. The performances and art tell a story that’s compelling for all ages, making the event a true family affair.” – Michael Duchemin, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Briscoe Western Art Museum.
The Yanaguana Indian Arts Festival features:
An opening spiritual blessing by the American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions. Established by the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation, descendants of the aboriginal people who populated South Texas and Northeast Mexico the organization works for the preservation and protection of the culture and traditions of the Native American tribes and other indigenous people who resided in the Spanish colonial missions.
A Pow Wow-style drum circle kicks off the day, with United San Antonio Pow Wow, Inc. and Enemy Horse Drumming demonstrating and explaining common pow wow dance styles.
Live music by Native American artists including flute players Tim Blueflint Ramel and Ryan Little Eagle. An enrolled member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, a federally recognized American Indian Tribe, Blueflint has opened for and shared the stage with Grammy Award Winner Mary Youngblood and a wide variety of artists. Hailing from the city of San Antonio, Texas, Ryan Little Eagle is of mixed Lakota/Taino and Latino heritage and is a multi-award winning international performer and musician.
Stories from Amy Bluemel, a Chickasaw storyteller and the great-granddaughter of Eastman Kaney, an original Dawes Commission enrollee. Bluemel shares Chickasaw customs, and those of other southeastern tribes, through elaborate storytelling.
Crafts and lectures that include a community weaving basket, pottery making, loom weaving, wood carving, and leather stamping.
Festival visitors can also enjoy the museum’s permanent collection of Western art and artifacts, including exhibitions that highlight the stories of the American Indian, cowboys, pioneering women, and others that define the West. The Briscoe’s fall exhibition spotlights vaqueros and the birthplace of the modern cowboy through almost sixty images from celebrated photographer Werner Segarra in Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy. Making its United States debut at the Briscoe, the exhibition details the vaqueros’ profound influence on the American West. With almost sixty images that span more than twenty years of the lives of the vaqueros, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo invites audiences to peer into the world of the Norteño Cowboys, not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. The exhibition is open to the public through January 24, 2022.
Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.
Promesa Academy will be one of the schools participating in the first Discovery Day event. Photo: San Antonio Charter Moms, used with permission.
As enrollment season for San Antonio’s choice schools gets underway for the 2022-2023 school year, San Antonio Charter Moms kicks off its first School Discovery Day of the series at Hemisfair’s Yanaguana Garden on Sunday November 7 from 11a.m. to 2p.m. School Discovery Days connect families with schools in an efficient, face-to-face format that enables them to interact directly with multiple school representatives in one convenient location. (San Antonio Charter Moms, 2021)
San Antonio Charter Moms’ first School Discovery Day in the series will include up to fifteen choice schools appealing to a wide range of learners. Families will have the opportunity to meet school representatives, ask questions, get on interest lists and learn about application processes and deadlines. Additionally, families can receive hands-on guidance from the San Antonio Charter Moms team on navigating the nonprofit’s online tools and resources designed to simplify the search and application process.
“Whether families are interested in a magnet program, a public charter school, or even a dual language school, the most direct way to decide if a school is the right fit for your student is to talk one-on-one with school representatives. We are thrilled to bring back our popular School Discovery Days after taking a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” – San Antonio Charter Moms Founder and Executive Director Inga Cotton.
Guests can enjoy the many fun, built-in amenities at Yanaguana Garden including a splash pad, sand play area, table games, swings, climbing structures, Adirondack chairs, picnic tables, and more. Future Discovery Days will follow a similar program with a focus on different sets of schools.
San Antonio is home to at least 150 choice schools offering a diverse landscape designed to accommodate a wide range of learners in every part of the city. Whether enrolling a child for the first time, making up for learning loss brought on by the pandemic, or seeking the best fit for unique learning styles, San Antonio Charter Moms help parents make informed decisions.
“Zip codes no longer dictate the quality of education our children receive. Many parents are surprised and overwhelmed by so many options and with figuring out the best fit for their child. We simplify that process.” – San Antonio Charter Moms Founder and Executive Director Inga Cotton.
San Antonio Charter Moms serves as a trusted one-stop shop for parents and caregivers on the hunt for high-quality schools. The nonprofit empowers parents to advocate for their children’s education regardless of where they live. The San Antonio Charter Moms website offers a wealth of education-based information, including an in-depth School Choice Guide with maps – also accessible via a mobile app – for open enrollment and in-district charter schools in and around San Antonio, a diverse and active online, Facebook Discussion Group for exchanging school choice stories, advice and more.
Participating schools for the first School Discovery Day include SAISD Choice Schools, KIPP Texas, Compass Rose Public Schools, Prelude Prep, School of Science and Technology, Brooks Academies of Texas, Anne Frank Inspire Academies, Promesa Academy, Lighthouse Public Schools, and Legacy Traditional Schools. Event updates and a complete list of participating schools are available online.
Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair (Rain or Shine) Central Games Plaza 434 S. Alamo St. San Antonio, TX 78205
San Antonio Charter Moms (SACM) began as a blog in 2012 when Founder Inga Cotton was inspired to help San Antonio families more easily find good information about high-quality school options. Starting with a focus on the growing local charter school offerings, the blog has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that shares fair information about all types of schools. Established in 2018 as a nonprofit, SACM can accept funding that enables it to grow in ways that support accomplishing its mission of being the most trusted information source on education in the region. This growth includes Spanish-language blog post translations, surveying target publics, holding meetings with decisionmakers, supporting public speaking, community outreach and enhancing mobile technology.
Photo: San Antonio Charter Moms, used with permission.
Pearl’s community altar is dedicated to the San Antonio community. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.
Pearl continues its annual tradition of celebrating Día de los Muertos, celebrated November 1-2, with a community altar created by local artists and sisters, Manola and Maria Ramirez. The sisters are part of the all-female collaborative space, Lavaca Studios. Manola and Maria craft an altar dedicated to the San Antonio community and all their loved ones who have passed away. The artists will use ethereal elements in the space, such as cempasúchil (marigolds), papel picado, and strands of tinsel to give visitors the feeling that they are walking into a place of worship. The focal point and centerpiece of the altar will be a tinsel heart. The altar will be available from October 30 through November 7 for the public to view and share remembrances of loved ones. Visitors may also participate by lighting a digital candle for their loved ones who have passed. (Pearl, 2021)
Saturday, October 30 – Sunday, November 7
Pearl District 303 Pearl Parkway San Antonio, TX 78215
Pearl is a dynamic neighborhood built around the historic Pearl Brewery, which operated from 1883 to 1999. Located just north of downtown San Antonio on the banks of the San Antonio River, it is home to architecturally significant buildings like the brewhouse and stable—both built in 1894—and numerous plazas. Today, Pearl is home to dozens of unique culinary concepts, one-of-a-kind retail, weekend markets, residential communities, innovative office tenants, the San Antonio campus of the Culinary Institute of America, and the award-winning Hotel Emma. Pearl is a vibrant district where community gathers to play, work, and live; it is a place where things are made and celebrated with purpose and sincerity. We invite all to gather and experience the best of what San Antonio has to offer.
Agarita was founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin). The new mobile concert hall is scheduled to complete its season run through all ten city districts. Photo: Agarita
Agarita, San Antonio’s innovative chamber ensemble, has announced that it will be performing six more of its unique Humble Hall mobile concerts during the remainder of the year. The outdoor, open-air concerts, featuring classical and contemporary music, are part of a series taking place in all the city’s 10 districts. (Agarita, 2021)
“At a time where classical music and the arts are needed even more to connect, we’re thrilled to continue to bring free concerts to San Antonio and throughout South Texas. Our theme is bringing the music to you without financial barriers and without the extra expense of traveling to a concert hall or venue. We’re excited to have fulfilled our goal, by the end of year, to have performed in every district in San Antonio, exposing our live music and artist expression to new audiences.” – Marisa Bushman, viola and Agarita executive director.
All ages are welcome and attendees are invited to bring a chair or blanket. The concerts, which are outdoors, are sponsored by the Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts. Performances will be held at the following times and locations:
Saturday, October 30 1p.m., Castle Hills, The Commons, 207 Lemonwood Drive 4p.m., District 4, Christus Santa Rosa, 2827 Babcock Road
Sunday, November 7 11a.m., District 4, Pearsall Park, 5102 Old Pearsall Road 3p.m. District 5, Roosevelt Park, 331 Roosevelt Ave.
Saturday, December 18 11a.m., District 6, location TBD 3p.m., Districts 9 and 10, McAllister Park, 13102 Jones Maltsberger Road
Agarita’s Humble Hall, the first of its kind in Texas, debuted in December 2020 and provides easy public access to world-class performances while reinventing the traditional concert experience. The concerts are bilingual and open to the public. They last approximately 45 minutes, with no intermission, and include members of Agarita discussing their art with audiences, thereby forging a deeper connection with them.
Other sponsors for The Humble Hall series include Blossom Storage Ltd., US Signs New Braunfels, Humble House Foods, Terra Nova Violins, Chula Boyle, Marco Chalaby, Angela Pfeiffer, Wine Guys, Alexander Vineyards, Pulmonary Consultants of San Antonio, San Antonio Symphony League, H-E-B, and the Paulena F. Mitchell Testament Trust.
An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement and free, adventurous programming. With concise, eclectic performances that are “splendid – unified, spirited, [and] well prepared” (Greenberg, Incident Light), the young chamber group offers a new, open-armed experience for listeners.
Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It collaborates intimately with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.
As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.
Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice is due out December 24, 2021. Photo: google
Barry Waldrep is an American Bluegrass, Jam Band, Americana instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and record producer who co-founded the bluegrass/jam band Rollin’ in the Hay in July 1993. Rollin’ In The Hay soon became a full-time band touring the Jam Band circuit of festivals and college campuses across the country until May 2009. The band produced 7 CDs and performed over 300 dates per year for 16 years. During this time, Waldrep recorded 21 bluegrass tribute albums with CMH Records in Los Angeles for Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Phish, R.E.M., Tim McGraw, The Allman Brothers, Neil Diamond, and others. He was also featured on the CD Masterworks of American Bluegrass also produced by CMH Records. (Barry Waldrep, 2021)
In the era of modern music, describing anybody as the “greatest of all time” is usually met with resistance—if for no other reason than the ever-evolving tastes of both musicians and fans—but if the topic is bluegrass guitar players, there is a universally correct answer to “who’s the best;” the late, great Tony Rice. Rice was one of the most influential, inventive, and beloved musicians in all of bluegrass and Americana music and after he passed away in late 2020, his songs and stylings continue to live on in the musicians he inspired. This year, on the one-year anniversary of Rice’s passing, bluegrass instrumentalist and producer Barry Waldrep will be releasing a tribute to Mr. Rice with the 21-song, special-guest loaded Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice. When looking through Waldrep’s list of friends, it is apparent how far Rice’s music reached beyond just bluegrass. Americana greats Rodney Crowell and Jim Lauderdale and Jam-band royalty Warren Haynes and Oteil Burbridge make appearances alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Spooner Oldham and Patrick Simmons and country superstars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. And that is just a fraction of who has contributed to this celebration of the music of Tony Rice. Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice will be available everywhere on December 24 and can be pre-ordered or pre-saved now at this link.
“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that. When you cross the line of other genres, that’s when you expand the audience and turn people on to other styles that they would not normally be interested in. The intent of this album and the artists involved is to show what a powerhouse master Tony Rice was at bringing musicians and fans together from different genres.” – Barry Waldrep
A full list of contributors is below and more information is available online.
Featured artists: Jimmy Hall, Rodney Crowell, Darrell Scott, Marty Raybon, Mike Farris, Kim Richey, Warren Haynes, Vince Gill, Radney Foster, Teresa Williams & Larry Campbell, Jim Lauderdale, John Berry, Patrick Simmons, John Paul White, Jacob Bunton, John Jorgenson, Rory Feek, Donna Hall & Kelli Johnson, and John Cowan.
Musicians: Barry Waldrep, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Rogers, Andrea Zonn, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Hall, Caelan Berry, Spooner Oldham, Oteil Burbridge, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jason Bailey, Bryn Davies, Scott Vestal, Benji Shanks, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek.
Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice track list: Why You Been Gone So Long – Featuring Jimmy Hall Song For The Life – Featuring Rodney Crowell 10 Degrees and Getting Colder – Featuring Darrell Scott Blue Railroad Train – Featuring Marty Raybon Walk On Boy – Featuring Mike Farris Early Morning Rain – Featuring Kim Richey Wayfaring Stranger – Featuring Warren Haynes I’ll Stay Around – Featuring Vince Gill Song For A Winter Night – Featuring Radney Foster EMD – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, John Jorgenson and John Cowan You Were There For Me – Featuring Teresa Williams and Larry Cambell Church Street Blues – Featuring Jim Lauderdale This Old House – Featuring John Berry 9 Pound Hammer – Featuring Pat Simmons Four Strong Winds – Featuring John Paul White More Pretty Girls Than One – Featuring Jacob Bunton Summer Wages – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, Spooner Oldham It’s Cold On The Shoulder – Featuring John Jorgenson Bury Me Beneath The Willow – Featuring Rory Feek Where The Soul Never Dies – Featuring Donna Hall and Kelli Johnson Me And My Guitar – Featuring John Cowan
Courtesy photo, used with permission.
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Bakery Lorraine’s Greek yogurt parfait. Photo: Bakery Lorraine, used with permission.
Now that fall is in full swing, Bakery Lorraine has a new fall menu with fall flavor options ranging from sweet to savory, so there is something for everyone. Halloween pastries will be available from October 28 through October 31 only. (Bakery Lorraine, 2021)
Fall 2021 pastries: • Pastries: o Orange Cranberry Muffin ($4) – Gluten friendly and baked to a fluffy perfection o Chocolate Pear Tart ($6) – Vanilla poached pears baked in a rich, chocolate cream o Fig Frangipane Tart ($6) – Fresh figs baked in almond cream o Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip muffin ($4) – Gluten friendly and baked to a fluffy perfection o Seasonal Fruit Tart ($6) – Crisp tart shell filled with vanilla mascarpone cream and topped with fresh seasonal fruit o Fall flavored macarons – Caramel apple, pistachio, earl grey, raspberry, mesquite honey, pumpkin spice, and dark chocolate cassis • Cakes: o Cassis Elderflower Cake slice ($6) – Layers of an almond sponge cake, cassis mousse, and cassis gelee topped with a mini dark chocolate cassis macaron and blackberry o Phantom of the Opera cake slice ($6) – Layers of spiced almond sponge cake, pumpkin buttercream, chocolate ganache and spiced bourbon syrup o Cheesecake ($6) – Classic cheesecake on a gingersnap crust and topped with seasonal fruit
Halloween pastries available Thursday October 28 – Sunday October 31 • Black Cat tart ($6) – Chocolate mousse tart with vanilla filling • Lemon Mummy Tart ($6) – Lemon curd topped with meringue and two chocolate chips for the mummy’s eyes • Chocolate Caramel Tart ($6) – Caramel filling topped with chocolate ganache • Voodoo Doll gingerbread cookie ($5) – Gingerbread cookie dipped in a rich dark chocolate • Ghost Moonpie ($5) – Homemade graham cookies with a honey marshmallow filling dipped in a white chocolate
Fall all-day menu items: • Almond Croissant – Bakery Lorraine’s popular Almond Croissant is twice-baked, creating a buttery and flaky crust, filled with almond cream and topped with sliced almonds • Cinnamon Roll – Bakery Lorraine’s iconic Cinnamon Roll topped with a sweet honey glaze is available all day • Greek yogurt parfait – House made granola, seasonal fruits, honey • Fall French toast – Toffee sauce, banana, pecans, maple syrup • Rice and beets bowl – Short grain rice, forbidden rice, beets, tofu, kale, ginger vinaigrette, mushrooms, cilantro • Turkish eggs – Herbed yogurt, *poached eggs, Aleppo butter, toasted sourdough • Salmon on everything croissant – Caper and dill cream cheese, smoked salmon, pickled red onions, sunflower sprouts • Chicken salad Veronique on croissant – Herbed dressing, red grapes, pecans, savoy slaw
Bakery Lorraine is a San Antonio favorite and nationally recognized pastry shop famous for its colorful macarons and exquisite French pastries. Owned by chefs Anne Ng, Jeremy Mandrell, and operator Charlie Biedenharn, Bakery Lorraine was named one of the best new bakeries in the U.S. by Food & Wine and CNN’s Eatocracyblog, as well as one of the “13 Destination Bakeries” by Conde Nast Traveler. Bakery Lorraine serves handmade French pastries and macarons using the finest ingredients. The bakery also serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, including items like its breakfast parfait, the quiche Lorraine, chicken potpie, an assortment of salads and soups, and artisan sandwiches. Bakery Lorraine has three locations in San Antonio including one in the Historic Pearl district, one in San Antonio’s Medical Center, and one in San Antonio’s RIM shopping center, including now an Austin location at Domain Northside.
Tickets are now on sale for Man of the Flesh at the Cellar Theater. Photo: Teatro Audaz, used with permission.
Teatro Audaz’ next performance opens this week at the Public Theater of San Antonio’s Cellar Theatre. Man of the Flesh, by Octavio Solis, is directed by Holly Nañes opens this Thursday, October 28, 2021. Tickets are available now available online and range from $20 for student/military/SATCO/senior/educator to $25 for general admission. (Teatro Audaz, 2021)
A modern comic adaptation of the first Don Juan Play, The Trickster of Seville, Juan is dispatched by this father who owns Pronto Lawn and Garden to work off his sins of the flesh. But at the Downey estate, on the eve of Day of the Dead, he meets the love of his life. But contrary to all the women before her, Anna Downey spurns him. He is determined to declare his love to her, even if he must seduce all the women of the house to get near her.
Performance dates: October 28 – November 02 Six performances only from Thursday through Tuesday Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 2p.m.
Cellar Theatre at the Public Theater of San Antonio 800 W. Ashby Pl San Antonio, TX 78212
Special dates: November 1 – Elite Event Día de los Muertos photo booth November 2 – Ballet Folklorico Sol de San Antonio
Cast: Sergio Mendoza – Juan Tenorio Eric Alvarado – Luis Benito Lara – Don Diego/Downey/Reveler Keli Cabunoc – Concepcion John Perez – Fracas Donna Provenchar – Dora Downey/Reveler Jessica Arenas – Martina/Reveler Lissette Belmontes – Lorena/Flor Kathleen O’Neal – Romelia/Heather/Reveler Sky Young – Anne Downey
Teatro Audaz will continue to implement Covid-19 safety protocols to promote the good health and well being of patrons, performers, and staff.
Antlers will be released on Friday October 29, 2021. Photo: google
Nick Antosca is an American film and television writer, producer, and novelist. He is the creator and showrunner of the horror anthology television series Channel Zero. He co-created the Hulu true crime limited series The Act (2019) and the Netflix horror drama limited series Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021). His short story “The Quiet Boy” was originally published in Guernica magazine in 2019 and is being adapted into the movie Antlers, a supernatural horror film directed by Scott Cooper and produced by Guillermo del Toro. It will be released in theaters on Friday October 29, 2021 and stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, and Amy Madigan.
Movie premise: Julia Meadows (Keri Russell), a school teacher in a small town in Oregon, and her brother, Paul (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, become concerned about one of her students, a young boy named Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas) who is secretly keeping a supernatural creature inside his house. (Wikipedia, 2021)
“The Quiet Boy” – But there was no Goldilocks in this story. There were only Wolfs, who lived together in a cave above a town. Big Wolf, Middle Wolf, and Little Wolf. Big Wolf was a brute. Little Wolf was timid. Middle Wolf was the peacemaker. (goodreads, 2021)
The Steel Wheels’ Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 will be out November 5, 2021. Photo: The Steel Wheels
The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. Over thousands of shows at the world’s most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs, the stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them. (The Steel Wheels, 2021)
Of all the ways to deliver music to fans amidst a global pandemic, The Steel Wheels took a very clever—and quite intimate—approach. With their signature blend of Appalachian Americana stylings, The Steel Wheels’ primary songwriter Trent Wagler began crowdsourcing personal experiences of fans and forging them into songs in 2020. The project quickly became an avenue for fans of the band to commission works and send musical greetings to their loved ones as well, and the initiative sparked a surprisingly impactful and intimate songwriting process. Eventually, the band released a batch of their new tunes as a full-length record, Everyone A Song, Vol. 1., much to the delight of fans and critics alike.
On November 5, the band will once again open the treasure chest of these special songs with Everyone A Song, Vol. 2. Each song on Vol. 2 was commissioned for a specific relationship or event—a birth, a wedding, a memory of home—yet the emotions evoked are universal. Building on the body of work begun with Vol. 1, the 9 songs of Vol. 2 also have an identity of their own, with themes that reflect the zeitgeist of a country dealing with tragedy and unsettling change. Fans can pre-order or pre-save Everyone A Song, Vol. 2right here and can visit the band’s merch shop here. And for those who have not heard Vol. 1, it can be streamed here.
Lead off track and first single “Where I’m From” introduces a tension between nostalgia and progress while highlighting the band’s deft balance of traditional instrumentation and driving rhythm. Commissioned for an old Catholic school in Chicago, the song paints a tangible picture of home. The image of slanted floors in the old church building are framed by low-tuned, fretless banjo, a smile-inducing drum groove, and a soaring fiddle solo. The music video for “Where I’m From” is out now and can be viewed at this link.
The Steel Wheels are heading back out on tour this month. A full list of tour dates is available online.
Catch The Steel Wheels On Tour: November 4 – Rocky Mount, VA – The Harvester November 5 – Bridgewater, VA – Sipe Center November 6 – Norfolk, VA – Roper Performing Arts Center December 1 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle December 2 – Chattanooga, TN – Arts Avenue December 3 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre w/ Acoustic Syndicate December 4 – Raleigh, NC – Motorco December 5 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java
Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 Track list: 1. Where I’m From 2. Time Is All I Need 3. Mark On Me 4. Memories In Mind 5. Adventures Of Grace And Henry 6. Lifeline 7. Where Our Future Begins 8. It’s Your Fault 9. Lullaby
SA Examiner 