I. Salutations

II. Upcoming Shows

III. The Good Stuff



I. Salutations
Hello lovelies!

Autumn has come on with an icy bang up here in Nederland. The remaining aspen leaves are tenuously clinging to their posts, but with the recent wet snow and cold wind, it looks as if they are not long for this world. So does summer go!
As many of you have noticed (and have e-mailed me), I have been touring quite a bit less as of late and appear to be performing more infrequently. It is true that I am not quite the road warrior I once was, but have no fear, I'm not yet hanging up my highway shoes. I continue to write and sing, but have taken a step back or two this year to work not only on a semi-autographical novel but also a new on-line journal for social commentary and political critique called The Flutter Effect. Look for The Flutter Effect to go live Tuesday, October 28th, exactly a week before the Presidential election. As for the nascent book, well, I am hoping you'll be able to have something in your hands by the end of 2009. I warn you in advance, it's rated R.

In other musical news, I have had the incredible pleasure this summer of sitting in with just about the greatest bunch of guys, Todd Adelman and The Love Handles. Todd writes like the bastard child of Tom Waits and Gram Parsons with a little Stephen Stills thrown in for melodic measure. His band, The Love Handles, features the incomparable Greg Shochet, on guitar and mandolin, and the all too fine Bret Billings on pedal steel (both borrowed from Halden Wofford's Hi- Beams), plus the newly added Don Ambory on Stratocaster. Yours truly gets to be the girl singer! I haven't yet brought out the red sequined dress and paper fan, but it could happen. For those of you in the Denver/Boulder area interested coming out to see the band (with me in a whole new capacity), you can join Todd's mailing list by dropping him a line here. We're heading into the studio later this month to record a new record ready for Christmas. I'll keep you posted.
With autumn comes my 6th Annual Home Town Show in Boulder on Friday, Nov. 7th. I planned it this year to land just three days after the Presidential election as I can think of no better time to bring the community together to celebrate change! There will be new songs, new stories, and some very old favorites. Apparently, Unity Church of Boulder, where the concert is being held, has just installed a Jumbotron. I kid you not. I don't think I'll be using it, but with or without an enormous video feed behind me, together we'll celebrate the end of an era.
I hope this finds you and your loved ones very, very well and that Autumn is coming on beautifully wherever this may find you. Thank you for your support over the years. I feel incredibly lucky to have such a great group of listeners!
xo
Beth
ps: Do come visit me on Facebook!



II. Upcoming Shows

6th Annual Home Town Show!

Friday, November 7, 2008
Unity Church of Boulder
2855 Folsom Street, Boulder, CO 80304
303-442-1411
8pm $12.00



III. The Good Stuff

Music: The Killers, All These Things That I Have Done. I can not, for the life of me, stop listening to this song. Although it is three years old, I just got wind of it through the bizarre film, Southland tales, where Justin Timberlake lip-synchs it during a whacked out drug dream. If you need something to get you going in the morning, this is it.
Books: The Known World, by Edward P. Jones. After reading All Aunt Hager's Children and being astounded not only by the content but the prose itself, I recently bought The Known World. Focusing on American slavery, the story is not an easy read, but the prose is pitch perfect.
TV: True Blood, Sundays on HBO. I know, I know, a racy vampire murder mystery? Created by Alan Ball (of the incomparable, if sometimes depressing, Six Feet Under) and based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charliane Harris, True Blood is certainly a new twist on the genre. The gore remains, but so does a good deal of Harris's brand of off kilter humor and her modern take on civil rights. Apart from Mad Men, this is my current fav.

I. Salutations
II. Upcoming Shows
III. Things I Love

I. SALUTATIONS:
November 6, 2007
Hello, Lovelies!
Night comes early these days, doesn't it? I took the WonderDog out this evening before dinner and instead of steady twilight, all I could see was Cassiopeia, Pleiades, and a panoramic Milky Way. Nederland has just dipped below 28 degrees and for the first time this season, I can feel the first tickle of cold up through the tile downstairs, a tendril of frost curling around the top of my feet, climbing my ankles. Our house is built into a north facing slope and from now till we again begin to tilt towards the sun in earnest, we're on the dark side of the valley. Come nine I have to fight the big bed's siren song, all flannel and downy promise.

It would not be winter without my annual hometown show and this years' should be a GREAT one! I've been invited to perform next month at the Old Main Chapel Theater on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. This gorgeous building, whose cornerstone was placed in 1875 (before Colorado was a state), was once the sole standing structure of the University (for a first year class of 15). Early photos show a stately manor all alone on a prairie devoid of trees. Once upon a time I took a creative non-fiction writing class in this very building. I lived in a very small shack at the edge of the Wolf Tongue mine up here in Nederland and I didn't have a computer (I didn't have electricity most of the winter) so I would peck out my ardent political critiques on an old IBM typewriter. My professor, after the semester was done, told me she gave me extra credit (even when my writing was terrible) because she appreciated the typewriter effort. The theatre holds 213, so I encourage you to get your tickets early. This will probably be the last opportunity to purchase Fly Away, the four song, acoustic sampler I recorded this fall, as there are not many left.

I hope this finds you warm as autumn shifts towards winter. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving (new recipes should be up on the blog soon). I hope your cold night sky gives a good show. As always, I hope this finds you and your loved ones very, very well.
xo
Beth

ps: And how can I not congratulate you, my Boston listeners, for your Red Sox World Series triumph?!? What a season!

II. UPCOMING SHOWS:

Saturday, December 8, 2007
8PM
Old Main Chapel Theatre
University of Colorado, Boulder
$15.00 ($10.00 for CU students with valid ID)
Info can be found and tickets can be purchased in advance on-line at: www.bethamsel.org/oldmain.html
or by calling ArtSourceWorks at: 720-221-3929.

III. THINGS I LOVE:

Music: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Hard Promises. I recently watched peter bogdanovich's exhaustive 4 hour documentary on Tom Petty, Runnin' Down a Dream, and it reminded me of when I listened to this record till it disintegrated in 1983 (and then again in 1987). It remains one of my very favorite albums.

Books: How to Cook Meat by Christopher Schlesinger & John Willoughby. This is the best tome on appreciating (culinarily speaking) the bovine I have yet to come across.

TV: Peter Bogdanovich's documentary, Runnin' Down a Dream, on the Sundance Channel. See above.

I. Salutations
II. Upcoming Shows
III. Things I Love

I. SALUTATIONS
September 4, 2007
Hello lovelies!
It has been a tremendously long time since my last e-newsletter (welcome to the new folks on the list!). Time moves ever forward and being in Colorado for the last year and a half has been a true joy. It's the first time in a decade that I have watched a full cycle of seasons while standing still in a place called home. Just recently the hummingbirds (ruby throats and brilliant orange rufous) have come back through on their long journey back south from Canada to Mexico (it seems like such an extended flight for such a short vacation), which signals the true end of summer is near. We hung bird feeders this year for the first time since moving up into the mountains, somewhat against the recommendations of our friendly Ace Hardware. When you walk in the front door of the hardware store there is a cork board off to the right which proudly displays photographs of locals' experiences with backyard bird feeders and their sometimes unexpected visitors. Most photos show black bears cradling feeders tightly against their chests, like precious seeded gifts. Others show hummingbird feeders tipped up to bears lips, sugar water spilling across their great faces, eyes glazed like a kid on halloween. We have yet to add a photo to this wall of bear.

I would be lying if I said I am not excited to get back on the road, to perform, to SING! The Midwest, here I come! This is a long foray into the heart of the country and I am thrilled to perform in towns that I haven't visited now in quite a while (Minneapolis, I have missed you) as well as some to which I have never before been (Hays, KS). I've got a slew of new material and I can't wait to play them live (I have been in and out of the studio for the last week, recording a new, two song "45" for you). The extraordinary Massachusetts based singer-songwriter Jenny Goodspeed will be opening all but the last four shows. She has a new record coming out this month, Under The Ash Tree, on which I was lucky enough to get to sing. I think you're going to love her.

I hope this finds you and your loved ones, very, very well. I have missed you!
xo
Beth

II. SHOWS(please check www.musi-cal.com for last minute additions to this tour)

-Wed, 9/26/07 • Cafe Semolino, 110 West 11th, Hays, KS • 7:30pm • (785) 621-2520

-Thu, 9/27/07 • Crescent Moon, 816 P Street, Lincoln, NE • 7:00pm • (402) 435-2828

-Fri, 9/28/07 • Ritual Cafe, 1301 Locust St, Des Moines, IA • 8:00pm • (515)288-4872

-Sat, 9/29/07 • Saints Rest, 917 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA • 10:00am (EARLY!) • (641)236-6014

-Sat, 9/29/07 • Dirks Private House Concert, Iowa City, IA • 7:00pm • For more information please contact susan-dirks@uiowa.edu or call (319)338-4899

-Mon, 10/1/07 • Live Radio Performance at KUNI 90.9 FM, University Of Nothern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA • 7:00pm • Call (800)772-2440 for more information or be in the studio audience. The show can also be heard online at www.kuniradio.org/kunilive.htm at 7 pm Central Standard Time

-Tue, 10/2/07 • Isabella's (In the Ryan House), 1375 Locust , Dubuque, IA • 7:00pm • (563)585-2049 or www.isabellasbar.com

-Thu, 10/4/07 • Paradigm Coffee House, 1022 Michigan Avenue, Sheboygan, WI • 8:00pm • This is a split bill w/ Steph Taylor • (920)457-5277

-Fri, 10/5/07 • The Basement at Caryn and Danae's, West Allis, WI • 7:30pm • SOLD OUT

-Sat, 10/6/07 • Collected Sounds House Concert, Minneapolis, MN • 8:00pm • For more information or to RSVP, please go to www.parlorparties.com/bethamsel2007.html

-Sun, 10/7/07 • Octagon Center For The Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA • 6:00pm • (515)232-5331 or www.octagonarts.org

-Thu, 10/11/07 • North Wolcott House Concert , Chicago, IL • 7:00pm • Doors open at 6:00 pm, so show up early and eat! For more information or to RSVP, please go to www.6112northwolcott.com/houseconcerts

-Fri, 10/12/07 • The Indy Hostel, 4903 Winthrop Avenue, Indianapolis, IN • 8:00pm • (317)727-1696 for more information, or visit www.segmentofsociety.com

-Sat, 10/13/07 • River City House Concerts, Louisville, KY • 8:00pm • Doors open at 7:00. Please call (502)290-8338 for more information, or visit http://www.rchouseconcerts.com

-Sun, 10/14/07 • Music Folk, Saint Louis, MO • 7:00pm • Music Folk is a high end acoustic instrument shop, and will be presenting Beth as the first in a series of excellent performances. Please call (800)892-2970 for more information, or visit www.musicfolk.com

-Mon, 10/15/07 • Aimee's Coffeehouse, 1025 Massachusetts Street , Lawrence, KS • 7:00pm • (785)843-5173 for more information.

-Tue, 10/16/07 • Kadee's, 210 East Spruce Street, Garden City, KS • 7:00pm • (620)271-9555 or www.gardencitykansas.com/kadees


III. THINGS I LOVE
Books: Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived by Ralph Helfer. Not the best written book, but it ripped my heart apart. I was crying so fiercely while reading the end, I gave myself a bloody nose.

Music: A 3 Song Demo from Norbert Leo Butz. I am never in my life as moved as I am listening to this man sing. He is now a Tony award winning Broadway actor, crazy gifted and wildly talented, but I will always think of him as a rock star first and foremost. You can check out his on-line tunes here: http://www.norbertleobutzonline.com/multimedia/audio.htm

tv: Californication on Showtime. I watch tv and I think David Duchovny can do no wrong (maybe it is an X-Files thing).

I. Salutations
II. Upcoming Shows
III. Good Stuff

I. Salutations
Hello lovelies!
It has been quite a long spell since I have sent out an e-mailer (a year?!?). Last fall I made the decision to spend more time at home and then when winter arrived, I found myself a bit under the weather and it seemed prudent to plant some roots in my mountain town. Then there was that whole eloping thing and before I knew it, this summer was rounding the bend towards autumn.

The Aspens are turning their brittle gold and now the coniferous hillsides are punctuated by patches of impossible yellow. For three days last week, great numbers of robins passed through Nederland on their way to warmer climes along with a Stellar's Jay or two. The baby swallows under the eves at the post office have all fledged (there were three little ones in the mud nest right over the front door) and the entire flock is long gone. Our first snow fell on my birthday last saturday, fat flakes spinning horizontally from the west. Certainly an auspicious beginning to 35.

I am working with an new booking agent, Craig Conor at Broadline Booking. What this means is that I will be back on the road in the coming year, bringing The Reverie to a town near you (beginning with Laramie, WY this Saturday). I have missed you all greatly!

In other news, my annual home town show is set for Friday, November 10th at the Louisville Center for the Arts. It will be wonderful to once again play for the most supportive community I have ever known in a venue I simply adore. Advance tickets are on sale now on the bethamsel.org website (http://www.bethamsel.org/louisville_main.html) and as we're expecting the show to sell out, I recommend getting your tickets early. Thankfully it will be AFTER the midterm elections. I can't wait!

I hope this finds you and your loved ones very well and that autumn is a full of slanting light, delicata squash, and late season baseball!
xo
BA

II. Upcoming Shows:
9/23/06
Coal Creek Coffeehouse
8pm
110 Grand Avenue
Laramie, WY
(800) 838-7737
www.coalcreekcoffee.com

11/10/06
Louisville Center for the Arts
7:30pm (doors open at 7)
801 Grant Avenue
Louisville, CO
$10 in advance / $13 at the door
(Children under 15 and seniors half-price)
info: http://www.louisvillearts.org/
tickets: http://www.bethamsel.org/louisville_main.html

III. Good Stuff
music: Danny Shaffer's The Good The Bad And The Red Glory Ramblers
books: TC Boyle's Talk Talk
art: Regan Rosburg (gorgeous mixed media, she's my new fav: www.reganrosburg.com)

CLICK HERE to read original posting

I am sitting in my office, looking out the window at the Indian Peaks, which are beginning to look a bit spotty as the spring run off begins in earnest. With the window open, I can hear Middle Boulder Creek furious in its rush to the dam, its inevitable drop to Boulder. At last, I can see the reservior through the trees before the house. It's a relief to know the water is up, that we have some moisture sitting in town. It was a damn dry spring.

Two weeks ago excavation began on an open lot on the hill above our house in preparation for a new build. The day was uncharacteristically over cast and drizzly, cold and dark, just about the only day of that sort I can remember this spring. There were two large earth movers working in tandom, wrecking the calm in our lodgepole pine enclave. Jim and I were eating lunch in the dining room, ignoring the ocassional shudder, when we noticed movement beyond the glass doors. A very small, young fox kit was tentatively walking across our backyard just beyond the deck, soaked, red and (just like the Indian Peaks) spotty in his molting winter fur. Season dead pine needles stuck to his coat. Stella began a long, low growl, her fur up in agitiated ridges. The fox paused and turned his pointed face towards the glass, curious, his nose twitching, dark eyes unblinking. Jim quieted Stella and there we sat for five minutes, mututally investigating the situation. Fox eventually broke his gaze and wandered up to a rock outcropping on the top of our property, looking back at us every few minutes to acertain that we were not a threat. He stretched his lean body, yawned, and curled up in the rocks to sleep, his ears, sharp to attentive points, still alert atop his head, the only thing we could see above the new spring grass. I couldn't stop watching the pair of vulpes ears taking respite on our land. Eventually something disturbed his peace and he popped out of the rocks, took another long stretch, shook the rain from his bushy body, and trotted up the hill towards the road and the excavation.

We now see Fox every couple of days or so. Our best guess is that his den was disturbed by the earth movers and he has been forced to venture out solo a little earlier than expected. I know better than to put food out for him, but the urge is mighty, especialy when we have the grill going and I can see only his interested nose from the outcropping. Stella remains unmoved and would like Fox to take it on down the road. If anyone is going to get anything off the grill, it is going to be her, damn it.

(click here for origial posting)