Dear Friends:

It’s a beautiful late spring day here in Charlottesville...the garden is flourishing, a locust honey flow is on, it’s Will’s last day of school, and I’m enjoying a two month stretch of free time. It’s a rare hiatus brought about by a decision to defer new recording projects until the fall. It’s also a planned vacation from the road in honor of the newest Appalseed sprout, Noah John Slothower. He dove headfirst into the world Memorial Day weekend and is thrilling little brother, Ian, and, of course Mom and Dad. (Ask to see Tommy’s pictures...) After this extended paternity leave we hit the road for a rare two week summer tour ending up at the wonderful Vancouver Folk Festival.

The first half of the year was highlighted by icy visits to northern climes followed by a fabulous and slightly warmer five week tour of Australia and New Zealand. Though this was my fourth tour Down Under it was the first with the whole family in tow. The rigors of the road took their toll on some of the less experienced travelers, but, by the mid-way point, number two son Peter was a full-fledged member of the road crew, joining in the post-concert joke sessions, toting bales and lifting barges and generally being a good mate to have around. Teenager Will discovered how much he missed his friends back home and amazed us all with his admission that he actually loves school this year. (This is not a hormonal turn I expected.) At the Port Fairy Folk Festival I was honored to be named Artist of the Year...much to my surprise and embarrassment...and I continued to be knocked out by the great musicians I encountered. I came back loaded down with CDs of new friends that, I hope, might find their way to American record labels soon. Australia was great fun, New Zealand, restful and we came back toured out, vacationed out, and ready to face the unexpected tenacity of this winter past.

We were in Australia for their national elections...leaving the Presidential primaries here behind...true gluttons for punishment, we. The difference, of course, is that, by law, their campaign season is four weeks long. Yes, let me say that again: four weeks long. Sounds pretty sweet, huh? As I look ahead to this fall the echoes of 1994 are still fresh in my ears. The ones folks voted in then are the bums they want to throw out now. Everyone wants smaller government...until the snow plows aren't there after the big storms. Everyone wants welfare reform and, at the same time, wants to throw more money at the biggest welfare system ever created in this country: the prison system. And the issue of the corporate welfare system is never raise. It’s “investment” when it applies to the business sector and “giveaways” when you talk about real people. The real character issue in this fall’s campaign will be who has the courage to discuss critical issues, propose bold initiatives, and take a stand for anything other than poll tracking. If anyone sights any leadership out there let me know. Good luck to all of us, it’s a long five months ahead.

This fall also sees me out on the road on a more regular basis, back in the studio for a trio of projects, and looking at a year that is tame by comparison to the past. Once again I’ve pared down my touring schedule. In fact, for the first time in fifteen years, I won’t doing a tour of the Left Coast this winter. Come January...after a year’s sabbatical from all board duties...I’ll be taking on greater responsibilities in my union local and helping our local Friends’ school develop a peace studies curriculum that we hope to model in advance of pitching it to the local public school system. In the meantime, though, I’m writing up a storm, attending 2-3 Little League games a week (where, I have to admit, I’ve been very well behaved), and frequenting the many wonderful fly fishing streams we have here in central Virginia.

In your meantime, have a swell summer, stay cool, kick back, go hear some live music. Hope to see you on the road. Thanks for your part in keeping me out there.

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Appalseed
1025 Locust Avenue
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
Phone: (804) 977-6321
Fax: (804) 977-9708