Hey, first, wishing you all a safe, fun and relaxing Fourth of July extended weekend. I hope whatever you plan to do, or not do, over these next few days nourishes your soul and recharges your batteries. And to those of you who must work over the weekend, you have my sincere sympathies. This is one of those years where we’re actually not recording one of our live tapings over the holiday, so we are all off from work here at eTown World Headquarters (which occupies a portion of the awesome solar-powered eTown Hall, located in beautiful little downtown Boulder) starting in a day or two. It promises to be a warm and sunny weekend, and I plan on taking full advantage of this rare break! Nick is off the road from touring with Hot Rize over the holiday, too, which makes it that more satisfying, getting to spend it with my baby.
We’ve got a really special show for you to enjoy over this holiday weekend, one of our ‘back by popular demand’ fare. Here’s what’s special about it:
First, the fabulous East LA band Los Lobos is with us. This iconic California Chicano rock group (whose name is Spanish for “The Wolves”) is both Nick and my favorite band. We love these guys, both musically and personally. We’ve been friends since they were first on the show over 20 years ago (funny story: Those guys had been listening to a Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers CD on their bus during their tour; when they arrived to do the show, they learned in passing that Nick was in fact Wendell Mercantile and they instantly bonded with him! They’ve had a mutual admiration thing going ever since).
Second, also with us this week, an amazing singer/songwriter Damien Jurado. His recent Indie CD projects have earned him glowing reviews and an ever-growing, enthusiastic fan base, and with good reason. He’s a brilliant musician and composer, plus he’s incredibly smart and quirky too. Creates mind-blowing stuff. Really cool.
Speaking of cool, we also have a cool eChievement Award story featuring a pair of friends from California who’re making renewable energy available at little or no cost to low-income families. Can’t beat that, right? I mean, with all the global warming and climate change going on, being able to keep cool on the Fourth of July using solar energy is pretty dang great.
So Happy Fourth y’all . . . Fire up the coals, crack open a beer, light up a sparkler and tune in!
Best always,
Helen