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Pete Seeger American Favorite Ballads, vol 3, Smithsonian Folkways, 2004.

There are five CDs in this series, all terrific - this is just the one I have in front of me. Pete's 90th birthday is May 5th, and thank God for Pete Seeger. He's done as much to keep traditional American music vital for the past sixty years as anyone - maybe more than anyone.

This one's crammed with gold nuggets: Gypsy Davy, Erie Canal, Arkansas Traveler - 27 in all! Sing along with it, Pete wouldn't have it any other way.

Pick archives

June 24, Kenwood

The Fourth Annual Dog Days Fest will rock the Ranchito on August 22nd, with sweet’n’spicy sounds from Solid Air, Adam Traum, Michael McNevin, and many more.

Tickets are just $15 in advance and $18 at the gate (kids under 12 are free) and include free camping. They are available now, online or through the mail.

Benefit for Kenwood School Music

Proceeds from this year's Fest will benefit the Kenwood Educational Foundation and will be earmarked for music education in the Kenwood Elementary School. Thanks to you, the next Johnny Cash may come out of Kenwood Elementary.

Music, Music, and More Music

As usual, the pooch party is chockablock with tunes, with scheduled performances from 2pm-9pm, followed by a free-for-all jam until the moon goes down. In addition to Solid Air, Traum, and McNevin, this year’s show features perennial Cur-ville faves Smith-Harper Express featuring Mayne Smith and Johnny Harper, Larry Potts, Doug Blumer and Friends, and Dale Henry Geist, and introduces Three at Last, The Bodie Travelers, and Ed Hance with their “main-stage” debuts. Hovering over all this will be our effervescent MC, the divine Rose Logue.

Kids-only Fun Farm

We're stackin' up some haybales in a corner of the yard, staffing it with a couple terrific teens, and letting the kiddies loose on face paint, nerf balls, and more. There will be a kiddie pool, so pack a suit! You can watch from a safe distance, while enjoying a little adult conversation, or dancin' yer butt off.

Pickin' Circles and Campin' Out

The Ranchito features plenty of level ground on which to pitch a tent or just lay out under the blanket of stars in the Valley of the Moon. We're going to have a few fire pits, and you're going to bring your acoustic instrument so you can pick around the campfire all night long. See if you can get the coyotes to howl. (You can pick in the daytime, too - there will be ongoing song circles in the front yard.)

This Year's Theme

“It Takes a Pack to Pitch a Party” is the theme of this year’s canine clambake. In keeping with the theme, all the artists are helping to put on the show, from designing posters to stage-managing to selling tickets. “Without the help of a lot of dedicated folks,” say founding Cur-villagers Dale Henry Geist and Laura Hinerfeld, “Cur-ville could not have happened this year.”

Carrying through on the theme, and in honor of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday, there will be a "singalong moment" at this year's Fest, so get ready to sing out!

The Rockin' Heart Ranchito

If you’ve never been to the Rockin' Heart Ranchito, it’s a spectacular setting for a summer hoedown. Nestled amidst the vineyards and pastures of the Sonoma Valley, the venue is literally in the back yard of hosts Hinerfeld and Geist. And there’s plenty of free off-street parking in the horse arena.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned to this space for more news, Fest FAQs, and more.

Gitcher Tickets Here

Price: $15 advance* / $18 gate

• Kids under 12 free
• Includes camping!

*If you saw "$12 adv." on our postcard, we apologize: it was a misprint.

DDF09 Artists

• Solid Air
• Adam Traum Trio
• Michael McNevin
• Smith-Harper Express
• Larry Potts
• Doug Blumer & Friends
• Three at Last
• The Bodie Travelers
• Dale Henry Geist
• Ed Hance
• MC: Rose Logue

What Else Ya Got?

• Kids-only Fun Farm
• "It Takes a Pack" singalong
• Horses! Goats! Gophers!
• Song Circles - Bring Your Instrument
• Camping Out Under the Stars
• Food, Drink, Friends, and Sunshine

Help Wanted!

It's cool to be on the crew. Besides the camaraderie and the war stories, you'll get a snazzy DDF09 T-shirt, all the food you can drink and all the beer you can eat.

We need help with:
• Prep: grounds, signage, etc.
• Parking
• Cooking and serving food
• Clean-up
• And more...

Call or email us if you want to help. We will love you forever.

Cur-ville 08 Pics

Stacy Keith, of the Bodie Travelers, send us these terrific pics from last year's Fest.

Wanna Play Cur-ville?

If you're interested in playing Cur-ville, please read this article. Now that baby's here, the only thing we're booking is the Dog Days Fest - for '10.

Read article.