CALIFORNIA SINGER/SONGWRITER *THREE CONCERTS ON FEB. 19 * LIVE TV BROADCAST * BILL'S COFFEESHOP NEWSLETTER * Vol. 12 * February 12, 2011

LOOK WHO'S PLAYING FOR

SATURDAY  NIGHT MUSIC

Saturday, Feb. 12, 7 pm: Slewgrass. Great local music. Check out this video of the classic "Wagon Wheel" www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkQl5WdVdfc

THREE CONCERTS ON

SATURDAY, FEB. 19

You won't find this anyplace else in Iowa City: Three concerts in one day. Come and see all these fine musicians on Saturday, Feb. 19:

3 pm: Awful Purdies. Wonderful local band. "Sassy" my roommate calls them.

Check out this video of "Mountain Man" from the Friday Evening Concert Series last summer:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIlxNjIX_6c 

7 pm: Almost Circle. Second concert at Uptown Bill's. Definitely worth a listen.

9:30 pm: David Berkeley. Singer/songwriter from California. "Sings in a lustrous melancholy voice with shades of Tim Buckley and Nick Drake" ~ New York Times. Here he is singing "Fire Sign" www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JA6W5NnrVs.  $10 cover.

LIVE TV BROADCAST

FROM COFFEE HOUSE

Another live TV broadcast of Tom's Guitar Show is planned Tuesday, Feb. 22 at Uptown Bill's.  This is a monthly one hour potpourri of guitar music. Here's a look at last month's show: patv.tv/blog/2011/01/31/uptown-bills-2/

OPEN MIC EVERY

FRIDAY NIGHT

Fifteen performers were part of Open Mic on Friday, Feb. 11. Who will be on hand next time? Come Friday, Feb. 18 and find out. 7 to 9 pm. 

HEY CNN! IOWA

IS RIGHT HERE

Last week's Newsletter noted a recent visit to the CNN website which produced a pop~up suggesting the viewer was from outside US. That prompted a number of responses from our readers:

Kelly Dobson is quite sure where Iowa is. Growing up across the Missouri River in Nebraska, he remembers that you could see Council Bluffs from the rivers. So take that CNN.

Susan Rebedeau, who lives on the edge of Mason City, writes: "I know where Iowa is." She didn't say this, but one can almost hear her saying: "You know, it's not really very hard to find."

Holly Hart believes there may be confusion between IA, the abbreviation for Iowa, and IO, the "biggest, baddest" moon of the planet Jupiter. This is understandable, she writes, because the first galactic caucuses are held on IO and the first earthly caucuses in IA. 

Further thoughts are welcome on why CNN thinks Iowa is outside the US.

GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY

PLANNED FOR APRIL 10

A group of UI grad students are planning a day of music and films to celebrate the birthday of Bill Sackter. Their event is planned for Sunday, April 10, 2 to 7 pm. Barry Morrow, Bill's friend and screenwriter for the Bill movies, will join the party by phone from California. Plan now to attend this special event. 

WE THOUGHT YOU'D BE

INTERESTED IN THESE...

...Salsa Night Fundraiser is planned Friday, Feb. 18 for Life Skills, a local organization which promotes independent living for individuals with disabilities. 7 pm to 1 am. Hosted by UI chapter of American Rehabilitation Counseling Association. For details, contact Ruth Mercado Cruz via UI email. 

...CSPS is one of the finest music venues in our area. Located at 1103 Third St. SE in Cedar Rapids, it has been undergoing a yearlong renovation. Reopening is set for June. You can follow the remodeling at the CSPS website: www.legionarts.org.

...If you're in the Twin Cities this weekend, try to make time for a performance of "Laramie Project" at Hastings High School. Janelle Ranek, a terrific director who has worked with young actors for more than 20 years, is the director for this moving show which tells the story of a community's reaction to the murder of Matthew Shepard. 

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Bill's Coffeeshop Newsletter is a virtual extension of Wild Bill's Coffeeshop and Uptown Bill's Coffee House. Published since 2000, the Newsletter is written by Tom Gilsenan, a former manager of Wild Bill's and now director of Uptown Bill's. You can write to him at tomgilsenan@gmail.com

Wild Bill's Coffeeshop is a project of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It has been a part of campus life in Iowa City for more than 35 years. Located in North Hall, the coffeeshop is open weekdays from 8 am. For more information, check the Friends of Bill's Coffeeshop page on Facebook. You can also call the coffeeshop at (319) 335-1281. Donations to support the work of the coffeeshop may be sent to: Bill's Coffeeshop Fund, University of Iowa Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244. Contributions are tax deductible.

Uptown Bill's is the crosstown cousin of Wild Bill's. Now in it 10th year, it includes a bookstore, performance venue and other businesses in addition to a coffeeshop. Located at 730 S. Dubuque, Uptown Bill's is open every day from 8 am. For more information, check the Uptown Bill's page on Facebook. You can also call Uptown Bill's at (319) 339-0401. Donations to support the work of Uptown Bill's may be sent to: Extend the Dream Foundation, Uptown Bill's, 730 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City, IA 52240. Contributions are tax deductible.