Hello my eTown friends,

The end of 2010 is always an exciting time for everyone here at eTown… the holidays are right around the corner, we’ve put to bed the 2010 taping season and Nick and I and the eTown staff and crew are busy tying up numerous loose ends and finishing up projects before we take a slight break.

This year is especially full of important progress: We’ve begun the final Phase 2 of eTown Hall construction for one thing (so exciting!); and eTown the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization is currently in the middle of our ‘end of year fundraising’ efforts. You know, we only ask for support for operational purposes once a year; and this year, we have great news: eTown has received a $50,000 matching grant, which means all tax deductible donations will be matched dollar for dollar.  I’d like to ask you to please take a moment and consider supporting eTown and its mission to promote great music, community and ideas.

Help keep eTown on the air! We literally cannot do it without you. To make a tax deductible contribution, visit our website www.etown.org OR you can always send a check (that’s my style, ‘the old fashioned way!’) to the eTown offices located at

Box 954, Boulder, Colorado, 80306. And truly, my deepest thanks to you.

Here’s more good news for you: This week, it’s Part Two of our special ‘eTown’s Green Rocks at Red Rocks’ show. Join me and Nick for more great music and conversation from this amazing event (originally recorded live at the spectacular Red Rocks Amphitheatre this past late summer, in front of a packed house of enthusiastic attendees). This year’s event brings biodiesel bus transportation, carpool incentives, recycling, zero waste zones, renewable energy use, informational booths, the famed eTown Eco Square and more to Red Rocks once again.

There’ll be more one-of-a-kind, great live musical performances from Lyle Lovett and Taj Mahal, plus more up-close-and-personal interviews with both Lyle and Colorado’s Governor Bill Ritter (the latter discusses the various exciting ‘green’ initiatives he’s introduced and guided into law since he’s been in office). So come share the good news, and join us this week for Part Two of this special ‘eTown’s Green Rocks at Red Rocks,’ coming to you from the breathtaking Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Have a great week, talk soon,

Helen

P.S. eTown is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Boy, the chill is in the air these days isn’t it? Brings thoughts of the holidays soon to be upon us. Speaking of the holidays, Nick is heading out on the road for a quick trip to Washington DC to visit with Jared Polis and others on behalf of eTown. While there, he’s been invited by our friend Neil Mulholland to attend The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. It’s in partnership with our friends (Neil is one) at the National Parks Foundation. That should be fun! The President and First Lady will be present as will many celebs and dignitaries I’m sure.

Nick & Helen Forster with Governor-elect John Hickenlooper

And coincidentally, eTown heads out on the road too this week, with a special show that we originally recorded in late August. Nick and I and the eTown crew return to the stunningly beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside of Morrison, Colorado for “eTown’s Green Rocks at Red Rocks.” This exceptional two-part broadcast contains not only great music and compelling conversation, it also highlights one of the greenest events to take place at the Red Rocks facility. We bring back biodiesel bus transportation, carpool incentives, recycling, the now famous eTown Eco Village Square at the venue plaza, zero waste zones, renewable energy use and more (a bit of eTown trivia: Since the first couple of eTown ‘green’ events have taken place at Red Rocks, the staff and crew there were so inspired that they’ve actually instituted some of the environmentally friendly practices we first brought to this historic venue; those practices are now part of the regular routine there!). This year we’re honored to have two truly legendary musical guests with us, Lyle Lovett and Taj Mahal. And there’s an E-Chievement Award story interview with a dedicated individual who has spent over 40 years raising awareness across the country about critical environmental issues in the West. Check out exciting live performances and intimate, ‘behind-the-scenes’ interviews in Part One of “eTown’s Green Rocks at Red Rocks.” (And don’t miss Part Two next week…)

Stay cozy . . . no matter what part of the country you are in.

Talk next week,

Helen

eTown kicks off its 2011 season with a live event that is sure to be energetic, memorable and packed with phenomenal singing and musicianship. Nick and Helen welcome Keller Williams back to the show. The unique musician will bring his cohorts The Keels, husband and wife duo Larry and Jenny Keel, who back Keller on his recent all covers album “Thief” as well as the 2006 collaboration “Grass.” As the latter title suggests, the Keels add a bluegrass-y twist to Keller’s customary one-man-eclectic-band approach. Keller will do his remarkable solo orchestration as well. Marc Broussard, the Louisiana-bred singer and songwriter, is known for his unique ability to channel the multiple spirits of classic R&B and soul into contemporary terms.

Where: Boulder Theater

On sale now:

bouldertheater.com

303-786-7030

KELLER WILLIAMS

Since he first appeared on the scene in the early ’90s, Keller Williams has defined the independent artist. Most of his career has been spent performing as a one-man band—his stage shows are built around Keller singing his compositions and choice covers while accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar connected to a Gibson Echoplex delay system that allows him to simulate a full band. However, Keller teamed up with The Keels to make his 15^th album, “Thief.” Williams describes the all covers album as “self-indulgent, like all of my albums,” that signifies not an inwardly pointed diss but a thumbs-up from one of the most tireless musical seekers around. To those of us on the receiving end, there’s nothing self-indulgent about it. If anything, it’s about as accessible and welcoming a record as Keller’s ever made. “I’m a music lover first, a musician second and a songwriter third,” Williams says, “So a covers record is a natural progression for me. I love writing songs and I love performing my songs—almost all of them. But I go out and do about 120 shows a year, and I just can’t write enough to play new songs all the time. There are always different cover songs to learn though; just flipping around on the radio, next thing you know you’ve got a song stuck in your head. If you change it around and play it completely differently, it sounds like a whole new song.”

MARC BROUSSARD

The son of “Boogie Kings’ guitarist (and Louisiana Hall of Fame member) Ted Broussard, singer/songwriter Marc Broussard was seemingly destined for a life as a music man. His upbringing in Lafayette, LA, instilled in him an affinity for R&B alongside the Cajun trappings of southern Louisiana. Drawing vocal and stylistic influence from Otis Redding and Brian McKnight while bearing the preternaturally gruff vocals of John Hiatt and Dr. John, Broussard was barely 20 at the time of his first album’s release. The road to this point has been longer than one would expect from an artist as young as Broussard…4 albums…countless tour miles and ovations everywhere from Austin to Bonnaroo and homecoming at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

His philanthropic cred is strong too, through donating all proceeds from the sale of his Bootleg to Benefit the Victims of Hurricane Katrina, undertaking a month-long tour of U.S. military installations in September 2007, building homes with Habitat for Humanity and donating his service as spokesperson for Louisiana’s United Way of Acadiana – all of which contributed to Hard Rock International’s decision in 2007 to present Broussard with its “Love All, Serve All” Award in recognition of his multifaceted generosities.

Hello all,

I hope you’ve had a wonderful, rejuvenating Thanksgiving weekend. After two decades of doing the whole thing, cooking the turkey with all the trimmings and hosting tons of family and friends at our house, Nick and I decided to take a break from the huge culinary extravaganza that has come to be associated this with particular holiday. A friend hosted us and our one daughter (Nick’s natural born and my ‘step’ – hate that term, call her my ‘chosen’ daughter) Liz who was in town with her husband Todd and our granddaughter (to whom Todd is a great stepdad), plus Nick’s sister, at a brunch at the amazing Q’s Restaurant in Boulder. Very festive, delicious and fun. Then mid afternoon we all split off to do our own thing: Nick and I took a stroll (it was gorgeous and crisp that day), then headed home to hang with the cat and take a short nap, followed by a trip to the movies! We saw two actually over the weekend: The Social Network (it’s excellent) and also Inside Job (also excellent; I feel that all Americans should be required to see Inside Job by the way, a really great documentary about how and why we are in the complicated economic mess this country is currently in . . . Sound like a snooze? It’s not, its actually incredibly well done and I guarantee it will keep your attention! Plus, Matt Damon narrates, and I love anything he does, the man is so talented and thoughtful. Seriously, this is a terrific film, feisty, informative and infuriating; and the interviewer guy is perfect at holding these guys to task – on camera. Don’t miss it!). Anyways, it was a totally chill weekend for us, a much needed relaxed and refreshing break.

I know a lot of you, unlike us, traveled to reach friends and family this past holiday weekend; and I hope you all had a lovely experience. This week, eTown travels a bit as well, just a short distance down the road from the historic Boulder Theater to Colorado University’s Glenn Miller Ballroom: We welcome two musical groups who are seriously catching the attention of a lot of music savvy people. Mumford & Sons brings their unique sound all the way from London, England. This young, dynamic quartet share their high energy folk-rock sound and beautifully written original songs. The British foursome has only been together for three years but, when you hear them, it’ll be easy to understand why they continue to sell out venue after venue on their US tour. Also taking the eTown stage this week is Danielle Ate the Sandwich (that’s Danielle Anderson and her band), who has built an impressive Internet fan-base in a relatively short amount of time with her great singing and quirky, charming original tunes. Nick and I and the eTones have tons of fun joining Danielle with musical and vocal support. And the conversation between Danielle and Nick is . . well . .  I don’t think I’ve laughed so much at a show in a while. There’s also an inspirational E-Chievement Award story this week that highlights the continued need for aid in New Orleans. It’s eTown at its finest, so don’t miss it.

Best, Helen

eTown webisode 26 – Mumford & Sons perform “The Cave” from etown on Vimeo.

eTown webisode 24 – Mumford & Sons perform “Roll Your Stone Away” from etown on Vimeo.

eTown webisode 25 – Danielle Ate the Sandwich performs “17 And 53″ from etown on Vimeo.

One of the most respected and beloved members of the Brookdale Public Radio crew passed away over the weekend. We have set up this page for our listeners to leave comments remembering our friend, Dave Mac. Below is the obituary written by Dave’s brother Duncan:

He was born in New York City and graduated the University of Indiana at Bloomington. He was a radio personality on Sirius Satellite Radio where he was known as Dave Mac. Dave hosted shows on The Spectrum, Sirius Blues and Sirius Disorder channels. There will be a tribute to Dave on the Sirius website and also on air starting on January 10. For many years, Dave also hosted Brookdale Community College’s 90.5 FM “Box of Blues”. Until recently, he was musical director for “Jody Joseph and the Average Joes” band.

He is survived by his parents, Leon A. and Patricia D. McNamara, his fiancée Rita C. Truex and his brothers, Duncan McNamara of San Carlos, CA, and Malcolm McNamara.

Visiting hours will be Thursday, January 11, from 6 to 8 PM, at the John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Avenue, Red Bank, NJ. A memorial Mass will be held on Friday, January 12, at 10:30 AM at the Church of the Nativity, 180 Ridge Road, Fair Haven, NJ. Burial services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s memory may be directed to the American Cancer Society or Radio Station WBJB, Brookdale Community College.

We have posted a few pictures of Dave on our Flickr.com account.

Here’s is some video of Dave interviewing the VooDUDES in the Fall of 2001. Thanks to BTV for the footage:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8114288096271019132

Here are some samples of a Writers In The Raw Dave did on May 12, 2004 at Harry Roadhouse in Asbury Park, NJ

“Save Me” | “In A World of Silver & Gold” | “Simple Things” | “Shadow of Love”

Requires:

Please feel free to leave your comments of Dave. He will be missed.