Hey Kids!

I've got Lots going on this weekend! Come out and say HI! And make sure you check out my website for all the cool stuff coming up over the holidays!

The flute fund is at $2,000 now!!!! Y'all RAWK11 I will have have close to $3,000 by the end of December ( picked up some holiday office work)- I need to reach $5,000 to buy a good USED instument-- Please find out how you can help at :
www.anniebenjamin.com

See ya there...
annie
www.myspace.com/anniebenja

Hey Kids!

I've got Lots going on this weekend! Come out and say HI! And make sure you check out my website for all the cool stuff coming up over the holidays!

The flute fund is at $2,000 now!!!! Y'all RAWK11 I will have have close to $3,000 by the end of December ( picked up some holiday office work)- I need to reach $5,000 to buy a good USED instument-- Please find out how you can help at :
www.anniebenjamin.com

See ya there...
annie
www.myspace.com/anniebenja

As many of you know I am in desperate need of a new flute-
My flute that I have right now is 25 years old , has serious metal fatigue and isn't worth repairing anymore- It hurts my hands to play and at times I am struggling to get a good sound out of it. My flute techs are amazing and have done all they can- I fondly refer to it as my " Frankenflute" but it's time for it it to go to it's final gig in the sky-

I really need a good professional flute and they are very expensive. Being as my "day gig" is as a musician, I have been SLOWLY sacking away whatever extra money I have , but it will take me a long time to reach my monetary goal, and I need an instrument to work. I have been trying to figure out how I am going to make this happen for a while. I am dependent on my fans ( and beer sales ---)

My musician friend Geoffrey Ricketts ( please check him out!!!!) came up with a great idea! He suggested that I ask each of my FB friends and fans to donate $5.00 each that I could raise enough cash to get a very good used instrument.

I would greatly appreciate anything you can donate towards a flute. We've added a link to paypal on my website for donations.... www.anniebenjamin.com- All donations will go directly to the flute fund. P

thanks a million for everything! Y'all are the best
I look forward to YEARS of great flute music in the years to come!
Annie
--------------------------

Annie and Mark Zeus at Hops House This Friday!
Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a nice summer -
I spent the month of June in Bavaria with my family. Most of our time was spent on the Starnberg See just south of Munich , but we took lots of sidetrips to places including Salzburg, Rottenberg, and Nurnberg. It was gorgeous, a very relaxed pace and the weather was COOL! I've taken most of this month off as well , as I've needed a long break-

Times have gotten tough for those of us playing live music across Texas. Many venues have shut down or can't afford to pay for live shows anymore. I know of venues that have cut back and only have shows one night a weekend now. It makes it difficult for those of who do this for for a living-
WE NEED OUR FANS NOW MORE THAN EVER!!!!!

This Friday I'll be back out and about in Houston for a show With Mark Zeus  for an evening of FUN and ENLIGHTENMENT. This is a *FUNDRAISER*. ALL DONATIONS will go toward the recording and production costs of a joint DEMO/CD project we are hoping to get out PRONTO!! 

I will be selling my handmade goodies at the  White Rock Local Market on August 8th. This a wonderful new green market on the Second Saturday of each month- Yummy produce, meats, honey and fun handmade items - Please come support the self owned businesses in East Dallas....
www.whiterocklocalmarket.com

See ya there!
Annie
www.myspace.com/anniebenjamin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Gigs

Friday, July 30
Annie Benjamin and Mark Zeus ( Without a Face opens)
CD FUNDRAISER!!!!!!!!!
8:30 pm - 12:00 am
J.P. Hops House
2317 S. Hwy 6 (N. of Westheimer)
(281)496-0623
Houston, TX
www.jphopshouse.com


Thursday, September 24
Ken Gaines, Willie B. and Annie Benjamin in the round
Anderson Fair
Houston, TX
www.andersonfair.com
more info coming soon




Don't Forget Life's Blessings

....

MARCH MADNESS and MORE!!!!

WOW! It's one of those perfect pre-spring Texas days here-It's had to imagine that Dallas was a cold -sloshy -muddy mess just three days ago- I am sad that I am not going to be at SXSW this year. Instead I am planing on spending this year in my rock and roll garden. I now have "Jethro Tull" coreopsis, peace roses, "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" and am hunting down the Paul McCartney hybrid tea roses. I will be planting the "Porter Dark" cherry tomatoes in remembrance of Porter Waggoner.  I guess I need to plant some pumpkins to smash.... I've got ALOT of shows coming up in the next six weeks so there's lots of opportunities to celebrate all things spring with some good music. This Wednesday, March 18th I'll be at the Lakewood Bar and Grill with Courtney Fairchild and Tiffany Shea. It's been about 10 years since the three of us have been on stage together-- Courtney's bringing along her drummer Gabe  and we  will each play a set of our latest and greatest tunes . Then we will close out the night with an in the round set! It'll be a night of some powerful gal bonding! On Saturday, March 28th,  my very dear friend Mark Zeus  and I will be sharing a night of acoustic music at Opening Bell Southside. Mark is a wonderful songwriter; in fact he won the Texas Music Association's Song of the year in 2007 for his song " You've Cried Enough". Mark is an accomplished guitarist and he's also an amazing mandolin player. We will sit in with each other and this will be a good chance for y'all to hear my inner "Ian Anderson" come out of hiding. Mark's gonna play a short set at Bill's Records earlier in the day , so go check him out. Please make sure you check out my upcoming shows as well- I have LOTS coming up in April! see ya there! xo Annie www.myspace.com/anniebenjamin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I was interviewed recently for the "Rockin" Moms" website. You can read up on my perspectives on momdom and music and how the two work together in my world- www.rockinmoms.com Recently, I was asked by songwriter Gary Floyd to play flute and sing in the chorus on a song called "Look No Further ...(It is I)" that he was recording for Hope for Peace and Justice.  It is an incredibly moving song and I encourage you to check out the video ( I actually made it into  the video)  It was a real privilege and honor to be of this amazing project and to work with the talented folks involved . annie's cd are available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/anniebenjamin2 www.mytexasmusic.com www.itunes.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, March 18th Lakewood Bar and Grill w/ Courtney Fairchild and Tiffany Shea annie plays at 8 pm www.lbgdallas.com Saurday, March 28th Opening Bell Coffee- SOuthside w/ Mark Zeus 8:00 - 11:00 www.openingbellcoffee.com Tuesday. March 31st Balcony Club featured songwriter 7:00 - 7:30 pm 1825 Abrams Rd (upstairs next to the Lakewood Theater) Friday, April 3rd Fifth Street United Mehodist Church opening for Lori Drier 7:15 pm www.fumcftw.org Saturday, April 4th Dallas Museum of Art flute duets with David Lee Schloss 2:00 -3:00 , 3:00 -4:00 www.dallasmuseumofart.org Saturday, April 11th Dallas Museum of Art flute duets with David Lee Schloss 2:00 -3:00 , 3:00 -4:00 www.dallasmuseumofart.org Friday, April 17th White Rock Coffee w/ Billy Bucher on percussion 8:00 - 10:00pm www.wrcoffee.com Saturday, April 18th Dallas Museum of Art flute duets with David Lee Schloss 2:00 -3:00 , 3:00 -4:00 www.dallasmuseumofart.org Saturday, April 25th Dallas Museum of Art flute duets with David Lee Schloss 2:00 -3:00 , 3:00 -4:00 www.dallasmuseumofart.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't Forget Life's Blessings

..............

Annie
Benjamin and Mark Zeus at Opening Bell Southside

Saturday,
March 28, 2009

For Immediate Release (March 2,
2009) - Veteren Texas songwriters Annie Benjamin and Mark Zeus will be preforming an all accoustic show at the Southside Location of Opening Bell Coffee on Saturday, March 28, 2009 from 8:00 –11:00 pm. The cost is $5.00 per person.

/Annie Benjamin/, whose
career spans more than two decades, has regularly performed her
unique,original songs throughout the Dallas
area and beyond. Annie's powerful soprano-like vocal is versatile and infectious, aptly accompanied by
her strong rhythmic guitar style. She is also well-known for her prowess on the flute, both in the
classical and popular arenas. Her music is a varietal mix of styles: 
Jazz to Country- Rock to Gospel. She has
self-produced two albums. Her most recent, /Some Kind of Wonder/, was released in April
2007. The song, "Mudflap Girl" from her first release,
/Life's Blessings/, was featured on NPR's
/Car-talk/. In 2008, her music was featured in the Television
series ,/The Art of Living/. Recently,
Annie's music has also been featured in the local theater productions
of Nickled and Dimed/ and /The
Land/. She currently hosts a monthly songwriting workshop
affiliated with /The Dallas Songwriters
Association/.For more information visit:
www.myspace.com/anniebenjamin

/Mark Zeus/ has
been residing in Houston over the last decade, where he has become a
well-respected contributor to that burgeoning scene. However, he was
born and raised in Chicago where he, in addition to establishing
himself as both a solo acoustic performer and long-time band
front-man, founded /The Chicago Songwriters Collective/. Zeus
relocated to Texas in 2000 after several years of frequent touring
through the region. Prolific on guitar and mandolin, with an often
husky, dynamic vocal, his music is an eclectic mix of Folk, Country,
Rock and Blues, often intertwined with various ethnic and indigenous
rhythms. His lyrics explore experiences within the human condition,
while frequently addressing social and political issues and concerns
with humor, as well as urgency. His sixth and most recent full length
album, /One Magic Moment/, contains "Cried Enough",
which received the 2/008 Texas Music Academy Award/ for "Song of
the Year". Over the years, he has opened for a wide variety of
acts including: /The Flying Burrito Brothers, David Wilcox, Shawn
Phillips and Clarence Gatemouth Brown./ For more info visit:
www.markzeus.com

Opening
Bell Coffee/ Southside is located at

1409 S. Lamar # 012 ( Basement #012)

Dallas , Texas 75215

phone: (214)565-0383

www.openingbellcofffee.com

####

I wrote this in 1997 or so- when the Israeli Government was forcing Palestinians to tear down homes that had been added on to w/out proper permission- Many families had been waiting for years to do so and many took out loans and went into debt in order to provide a home for their families. I found it disturbingly ironic

It hurts me deeply to think it's still relevant-

ROOM- (c)1997 Annie Benjamin

I watched my father build a house
With strong and loving hands
A place to raise a family
and teach us The Quoran
My mother had a kitchen
She used to bake us bread
We shared a common table
And pillows for our heads

I live
In that house down the road
I used to live in a bigger house
But that's the way life goes

My father wrote the government
In order to add more room
With seven sons and daughters
All our space would be gone soon
But the letter from the officials never seemed to come
So my father and his brothers quickly added on
Then the army men came marching
Right up to our front door
They told my mother and my father
That we couldn't live there anymore

I live
In that house down the road
I used to live in a bigger house
But that's the way life goes

You say you remember sitting on your grandmothers knee
And her stories of the war back in 1943
How Germany wouldn't make any room
For the Gypsies and the Jews
And you say you remember her stories of a place
Where her children could be free
So tell me why can't you make a little room
For a child like me...

I watched my father build a house
With strong and loving hands
I had to watch him tear it down
With beaten angry hands

I live
In that shack down the road-
I once lived in a bigger house
But that's the way life goes