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On Fri, 30 Jun 1995 WendyChap@aol.com wrote:

> What if, everyone from Undertow and Language and the web
> site were invited to a specail concert given by Suzanne Vega in NYC where
>she sang only the unreleased songs.

Are you CRAZY? A Suzanne Vega concert without "Wooden Horse" and "The Queen and the Soldier"? You've gotta be kidding.

OTOH, the concert idear sounds fine. But I think the most logical place to hold it would be Bradenton, Florida -- we could rent the Bishop Planetarium and hold a laser light show during the concert, then go feed Snooty the manatee afterward. (Bring lots of lettuce.)

Let me know when you work out the details.

-- Bob

I would favor Florida over NYC also, but how about San Antonio, Texas? After all, I don't think Shiner Bock exists outside of Texas and it's an absolute essential for a small, intimate concert such as this. We could use the Landing (a club on the Riverwalk--normally a jazz club but I'm sure they'd make an exception). ;)

Alan

Date: 95-07-01 10:49:08 EDT

From: tbuckley@mail.utexas.edu (Tom Buckley)

To: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu

I'd propose that the Daydream Concert be held in Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World and a city Suzanne is rather fond of. Plenty of venues to choose from!

Tom

Tom Buckley
Division of Rhetoric and Composition
University of Texas at Austin
(512) 471-8368

Subj: Re: A Suzanne Vega Daydream
Date: 95-07-01 10:52:33 EDT
From: ahikb@netvision.net.il
To: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu, sundiver@ix.netcom.com (Alan)

>>Are you CRAZY? A Suzanne Vega concert without "Wooden Horse" and "The
>>Queen and the Soldier"? You've gotta be kidding.
>>
>>OTOH, the concert idear sounds fine. But I think the most logical place
>>to hold it would be Bradenton, Florida -- we could rent the Bishop
>>Planetarium and hold a laser light show during the concert, then go feed
>>Snooty the manatee afterward. (Bring lots of lettuce.)
>>
>>Let me know when you work out the details.
>>
>>-- Bob
>>
>I would favor Florida over NYC also, but how about San Antonio, Texas? After all,
>I don't think Shiner Bock exists outside of Texas and it's an absolute essential
>for a small, intimate concert such as this. We could use the Landing (a club on
>the Riverwalk--normally a jazz club but I'm sure they'd make an exception). ;)
>
>Alan

Hey ya all,

I'm out of the lurking - to give you my two Agorot about this 'special' concert - Don't you feel like travelling ý? So let's have it in Israel (six years ago Suzanne Vega performed in Caesaria's Amphitheatre and it was great) - I promise to supply the drinks ! (Just don't drink and drive) By the way - I'd rather not compare her albums - I prefer taking them one song at a time, since the style might have changed and the influence might be different, but the motions and emotions follow the same pattern I just love. So, if you asked me about my favourites (and how could you, if I'm just de-lurking?) - I'd say: The Queen and The Soldier, Marlene on The Wall, Gypsy, Solitude Standing, In Liverpool and Bad Wisdom. There you go.

Happy 4th of July (to all whom it may concern) !

Ahik.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ahik Berman where dreams come true
E-mail: ahikb@netvision.net.il
Fido: ahik.berman@p7.f150.n403.z2.fidonet.org

Subj: daydream concert venue
Date: 95-07-01 12:43:04 EDT

From: schoaff@vgi.com (P. Christopher Schoaff)

To: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu (Suzanne Vega)

I believe our esteemed collegues who wish to hold the proposed concert in their own cities are denying themselves a true life experience. Why would you wish this event ready made for you? The music delivered without effort on your part? the ephemeral event falling about you like gossamer, disintegrating in the lightest breeze?

I would expect that a pilgrimage would be in order, filled with physical struggle and spiritual resolve. Ms. Vega's music is about struggle, both in its form and imagery, and in its function - an attempt to find meaning in what the artist experiences and witnesses. To experience the art is to engage in that quest with her - to struggle, to question, to not shun unanswered questions but to seek them out and revel in your effort to banish the gauzy slumber of a contented mind. Your effort will be the touchstone of your experience. I don't believe the human condition allows us to properly appreciate success without adversity.

In the end the concert will have become more than a momentary pleasure, it will be a resolution, and achieved goal, a milestone in your memory, a marker to which you may affix and understanding of who you were at that moment, and from which you can measure how far you have come. In our youth we don't understand the importance of these moments, but they are the events which make a life.

I can imagine no better place for the concert than the land which is formed the experience of the artist. New York City is the only proper site for this event. Do not ask for the art to deliver itself to you, engage yourself in the art, remove yourself from your comfort, challege your body and your beliefs.

P.S. During your pilgrimage, haircloth shirts and fasting are optional ;-).

- Chris Schoaff
Boston, MA

Subj: Re: A Suzanne Vega Daydream
Date: 95-07-01 16:43:35 EDT
From: merritt@tbone.biol.sc.edu (Thomas Merritt)
To: sundiver@ix.netcom.com (Alan)
CC: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu

OddlyOn Sat, 1 Jul 1995, Alan wrote:

> >-- Bob
> >
> I would favor Florida over NYC also, but how about San Antonio, Texas? After all,
> I don't think Shiner Bock exists outside of Texas and it's an absolute essential
> for a small, intimate concert such as this. We could use the Landing (a club on
> the Riverwalk--normally a jazz club but I'm sure they'd make an exception). ;)
>
> Alan
>

Oddly enough, Shiner Bock is now available outside of Texas. Its exported as a specialty beer, at least here, to the back woods of South Carolina. 'course the cheap price tag no longer holds... The perfect venue for the show might just be the Aladin Theater in Portland Or. A converted porn theater with about 600 seats and a lot of atmosphere....

Thomas

Thomas Merritt Biological Sciences, Univ. of South Carolina, Columbia SC 29208
Internet address: merritt@tbone.biol.scarolina.edu

Subj: Re: daydream concert venue
Date: 95-07-02 07:05:26 EDT
From: bobking@gate.net (Robert King)
To: schoaff@vgi.com (P. Christopher Schoaff)
CC: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu (Suzanne Vega)

On Sat, 1 Jul 1995, P. Christopher Schoaff wrote:
> .... would you
> wish this event ready made for you? The music delivered without effort on
> your part?

Well, yeah.

Subj: Re: A Suzanne Vega Daydream
Date: 95-07-03 14:48:21 EDT
From: Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se (Hugo Westerlund ipm)
To: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu (Undertow)

Wendy! et al., I've had the same (day)dream many times. Concerts at big venues are fine, and Suzanne has a wonderful ability to make even the largest hall seem almost intimate. Especiallt if you manage to get to the front row. But I still miss the feeling of a really small, "private" venue.

I've heard a couple of recordings from 1984, when Suzanne was still playing in small places. And despite lousy sound quality, those recordings are still my favourites. There's just Suzanne with a guitar, singing songs so intensely it simply breaks your heart. She tells stories or chats to almost every song -- she's often very funny in her sharp, personal observations of the dark side of a life. And she never misses the point. There's poetry in everything she says.

I wish there were time machines, so I could go to all the gigs I missed, especially in the early eighties. But there aren't any such devices, as far as I know. So I look forward to the album of unreleased songs Suzanne has promised us. And you can always dream of a special concert, just like in the old days, especially for us Undertowers... FolkCity is not a bad idea. It still exists -- I was there earlier this year at the annual Fast Folk Review. A great show, but there's no one like Suzanne there any more. How could there be? There's only one Suzanne Vega.

But not even such a dream concert could make up for all the concerts we've missed. Perhaps someone on the list (Brian?) remembers which songs she sang, what she would say, how she dressed (I know you wrote that down, Suzanne...). How did she change from, say 1979 to 1984? What were the audiences like? I wish someone could make these gigs come alive again...

Wishfully yours,
/Hugo
Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se

Subj: Folk City
Date: 95-07-03 21:33:15 EDT
From: Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se (Hugo Westerlund ipm)
Sender: Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se (Hugo Westerlund ipm)
Reply-to: Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se (Hugo Westerlund ipm)
To: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu (Undertow)

When I think about it, the 1995 Fast Folk Review was at the Bottom Line, another classical Vega venue. And I remember there was some talk about Gerde's Folk City closing down or being turned into something utterly un-folk. Whatever happened to it? I hope our New York friends know the answer...

/Hugo

Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se

Paul pmurf@ix.netcom.com

Subj: Re: A Suzanne Vega Daydream
Date: 95-07-04 01:48:13 EDT
From: moshe@dorsai.dorsai.org (Moshe Feder)
To: Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se (Hugo Westerlund ipm)
CC: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu (Undertow)

On Mon, 3 Jul 1995, Hugo Westerlund ipm wrote:

> I've heard a couple of recordings from 1984, when Suzanne was still
> playing in small places. And despite lousy sound quality, those recordings
> are still my favourites. There's just Suzanne with a guitar, singing songs
> so intensely it simply breaks your heart. She tells stories or chats to
> almost every song -- she's often very funny in her sharp, personal
> observations of the dark side of a life. And she never misses the point.
> There's poetry in everything she says.
>
> I wish there were time machines, so I could go to all the gigs I missed,
> especially in the early eighties. But there aren't any such devices, as
> far as I know. So I look forward to the album of unreleased songs Suzanne
> has promised us. And you can always dream of a special concert, just like
> in the old days, especially for us Undertowers... FolkCity is not a bad
> idea. It still exists -- I was there earlier this year at the annual Fast
> Folk Review. A great show, but there's no one like Suzanne there any more.
> How could there be? There's only one Suzanne Vega.

Having been lucky enough to see Suzanne perform way back when, I can only second what you have to say about the special atmosphere on those occasions. In particular, I remember one show at the Speakeasy (where the Fast Folk crowd performed back then), a tiny room with tiny tables, where my girlfriend and I had managed to snag one of the front tables. The little "stage" was only one step up, and it felt as if we had Suzanne right across the table from us. What a contrast to the larger venues we were seeing her in just a year or two later!

However, Hugo, I am puzzled by your statement that Folk City is still in operation. I wish it were. I was a regular there in the 70s and 80s. It's been closed for years, and the space turned into a bar where the only music is on the jukebox. (Actually, FC wasn't nearly large enough to hold everyone on this list. The Bottom Line, where she also used to play, would be more like it.) I think you're confusing it with the new place that the Fast Folk cooperative has opened to fulfill the role that the Speakeasy used to, but with more control.

Located at 41 North Moore St. in Tribeca, it's the Fast Folk Cafe, "home of the Fast Folk Musical Magazine." The magazine is a CD/zine combo, presenting many fine new and lesser-known artists. (Back when it was on LP, Suzanne was among those included.) For example, this Friday July 7th, ten or more of NYC's best songwriters will be taped live for next month's CD. The Cafe is an all-volunteer project and deserves your support if you're in the area. Call for info at 212-274-1636. By the way, my girlfriend (yes, still the same one mentioned above), Lise, was told by Suzanne at the Learning Annex session that she continues to be a supporter of Fast Folk (she's one of the founding mothers of its original incarnation) and that she helped out by appearing at the benefit opening of the new club.

P.S. - If you've never heard it, check out the song by the Roches, on their _Another World_ album, "Face Down at Folk City."

Moshe Feder ===> ===> ===> ===> moshe@amanda.dorsai.org
Typos unintentionla >>>FIAWOL<<< 718-461-5302

Subj: Venue
Date: 95-07-04 08:40:45 EDT
From: 74034.643@compuserve.com (Brian Rose)
To: undertow@law.lawlib.emory.edu (Undertow)

4 July 1995

Happy Independence Day to all you Americans on the list. I'm in Amsterdam for the time being, and I agree with Karien that Paradiso is the coolest venue there is.

Brian Rose

Hi folks,

> Happy Independence Day to all you Americans on the list. I'm in Amsterdam for
> the time being, and I agree with Karien that Paradiso is the coolest venue
> there is.

> Brian Rose

OK Brian and all you other Americans, so what was so bad about being under British rule? There was no need to throw all that tea into Boston harbour!!

Sharon

Sorry it's my warped sense of BRITISH humour surfacing again. Happy Independence Day

I really didn't expect to get such a strong response to this concert idea. However, only one important response remains missing--Suzanne's!

A lot of voting for venues--I can live w/out the Folk City idea--since it's gone. The Bottom Line or even Fast Folk would do nicely--but I'm sticking w/ the idea that it needs to be on Suzanne's home turf--New York City--we need to be where the artist was inspired--we need to see the city that gave her poetry it's edge.

Heck--why don't we all try to cram into Tom's Diner and Suzanne can sit on the counter w/ her guitar and sing. Now, that would be hard core.

Anyway--keepin' the dream alive!!!

Wendy!!

P.S. The website is wonderful--I spent three and 1/2 hours there the other day printing the articles out to put in a book and read. WooHooo---I have some other old articles about Suzanne that appeared around Solitude Standing days that I didn't see in there if anyone is interested--Eric or Hugo.

Wendy!

Up to Suzanne Vega Home Page

VegaNet@aol.com and
Hugo G. Westerlund <Hugo.Westerlund@ipm.ki.se>