First Person Singular's HOOT!: I GET MY NEWS FROM BALLADEERS: Story Songs & Troubadour Tales

"Frankie and Johnny". "The Streets of Laredo". "Ode to Billie Joe". "Fast Car". In a tradition dating back to British street-singers, European troubadours, even Homer himself, the urge to set narrative to music resulted in some of the world's best known tales. A ballad can say a lot more than "I will always love you," and our next HOOT! will showcase the comedies, tragedies, high dramas, and yes, even eternal loves of popular song's great characters. But we'll need your help! Bring us your shanties, corridos, blues, and parlor songs, sit us down and tell us all the tale. It'll be a HOOT!

Hosted by Joe Christiano & Theresa Kelly

HOOT! is First Person Singular's theme-based musical open mic. A new take on the traditional hootenanny, HOOT! delves into the entirety of popular song - our modern folk inheritance - in programs that highlight our perennial obsessions: love, cars, money, summer, and pitching wang-dang-doodles. In addition, we'll celebrate the singular songbooks of select artists, and create living mix-tapes out of myriad sub-genres. Ready for new experiment in collective performance? Then sign up below and get in on the act! It'll be a HOOT!

MAY WE SUGGEST:
"1952 Vincent Black Lightning" by Richard Thompson
"Jolene" by Dolly Parton
"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations
"Massachusetts" by The Bee Gees
"Red Dirt Girl" by Emmylou Harris
"Raspberry Beret" by Prince
"A Pair of Brown Eyes" by The Pogues
"Leader of the Pack" by The Shangri-Las
"Ebony Eyes" by The Everly Brothers
"Angel from Montgomery" by John Prine"
"The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" by Marianne Faithfull
"A Matter of Time" by Los Lobos
"Stoney End" by Laura Nyro
"King of California" by Dave Alvin
"Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips
"Wichita Lineman" by Jimmy Webb
"Caleb Myer" by Gillian Welch
"Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed
"Lawyers, Guns, and Money" by Warren Zevon
"Harper Valley P.T.A." by Jeannie C. Riley
"Swordfistrombone" by Tom Waits

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" "Old Man River," "Mack the Knife," "Red River Valley," and other great standards.

"Barbara Allen," "Pretty Polly," "John Henry," "Bandit Cole Younger," "Jesse James," "House Carpenter," "Stagger Lee" and other old, weird, American songs.

You get the picture. Now tell us the story!

THE RULES
1. Cover songs only! (And covering your Aunt Tillie doesn't count).*
2. 1 to 2 songs per performer.
3. Quick set-up. Small amps are okay, but HOOT! is essentially unplugged.
4. Piano on hand. Apart from that, bring your own ukelele.
5. No "sing and scram." Every performer deserves an audience, and HOOT! is designed to be a group effort.
6. You may perform solo, duo, small group, a capella, instrumental - however you see fit.
7. $3 (or what you can afford) in the hat for all attendees - performing and non.
8. * Original songs are occasionally permitted, but must be credited in performance to Paul Anka.
9. SIGN UP at: http://www.1stpersonsingular.com/hoot.html

Come sing, or just come for the show!

More info at www.1stpersonsingular.com