Hola Amigos,
Howdy from Austin, Texas! I hope wherever you are, things are going well for you. I’m really just now getting a grip on 2023. The transition from 2022 to 2023 was pretty rough for me. I came down with the flu the days following Christmas. When I realized that it was more than allergies and went to the doctor, it was too late for Tamiflu and boy it hit hard. Although I had my flu shot in the fall, it was still pretty brutal and I was down for a good 2 – 3 weeks. On the guilty side, I binge watched a couple of Netflix entire series, on the good side, I read three whole books. Thankfully, I’m all good now and excited about the new year!
I’ve got many interesting events lined up this year. My first gig for the year is coming up right around the corner at the popular Dallas singer-songwriter mecca, Poor David’s Pub on Friday, February 24. (North Texas friends, please come!!) Wednesday, March 1st , I’ll be at our local Buda, Texas favorite dance hall, Buck’s Backyard with my buddies, Marvin Dykhuis and Chip Dolan.
Then for the first time, on Sunday, March 5 we’ll be at The Bend General Store, you guessed it - in Bend, Texas! It will be what we Mexicans call “una tardeada,” a Sunday afternoon casual gathering of friends, family, food, and beer. (Find it on the map and come on out!)
The next gig is something that requires a paragraph of its own because it involves an international, patriotic, and personal backstory: The event in Austin will take place at The Bee Cave Art Foundation in Bee Cave, Texas, (just outside Austin), on March 31. It is a fundraiser for “Project Hope”, a collaboration that brings together art students, military veterans, goodwill, and cultural exchange between Austin, Texas and southern Italy. On September 9, 1943, the 36th Army Division from Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas, landed in Paestum, Italy, to begin the liberation of Europe from Nazi control. The people of Paestum have never forgotten, and will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of this landing with an art and music event on September 9, 2023. A sculpture by famed Italian Artist, Franco Palmentieri, which will also include art from Italian and American children and American military veterans, will be placed on the landing beach.
In addition to this, I will be included in a musical celebration, representing Texas, during the event filled weekend. My involvement began during my European tour in 2019, when I was graciously invited to play in Paestum. I was so charmed by my hosts and by the entire town and its history. I learned of the ancient Greek and Roman times, ruins of which still stand. I also visited one of the earliest Christian churches, (from 100 A.D.!!) which still stands. I sang a couple of my songs that my friend Giorgio Cafasso translated to Italian, on the piazza overlooking the church and the old ruins. It was quite surreal. I am very thrilled about returning to Paestum in September. Please check out more details and information about Project Hope on the BCAF website or email ruthannbeecavearts@gmail.com. Donations are needed and are welcome – this is a non-profit volunteer program. Maybe a trip to Paestum can be part of your 2023 travel plans!
On April 29, I’ll be playing a special house concert in Wenatchee, Washington (two hours east of Seattle). It is a house concert series with a long history of presenting touring singer-songwriters. I’ve heard much about it and am happy to have been invited to play there! Please contact Bill at bwicheta@nwi.net or at (509) 662-9067 for information.
In May, I have two favorite music clubs lined up: May 12 in Houston, Texas, at Anderson Fair, and May 18 in Tucson, Arizona, at Hotel Congress. Both long time classic great listening rooms. On these gigs, I’ll be accompanied by Marvin and Chip.
Here’s an interesting piece of news and some information about a concert in Tubac, Arizona, that will take place on Wednesday, May 17. My husband Lynn and I split our time between our Austin area home and a ranch in southern Arizona (between Tucson and Nogales). I’ve gotten to know and love the area and the people in this beautiful and friendly corner of the country. I’ve made friends and discovered the local women who have a “club” called Women Who Wine. These friendly and fun gals host a once a month gathering at houses or businesses for, yes, wine and fun. Over the last couple of years, Lynn has embarked on a project of building an outdoor stage at the ranch, and it is complete! We hope or plan to begin using it for events such as house concert? Mini festivals? – we’re still in the planning phase of that.
However, we have decided to combine a concert christening the stage and a Women Who Wine event on May 17. My music compadres, Marvin and Chip will be along on that and we’re very excited about all of it! By the way, the “women” part is not restrictive for this event. We are opening it to good friends and known music fans. It will be a “bring your own lawn chair and cooler event” most likely, (jeans and boots strongly suggested attire). There will be a suggested donation for the event and we may possibly make it a pot-luck event. We’ll figure that out when we know how many people will attend.
If you are in the area, or if you think you may want to travel there, Tubac has plenty of B&Bs, RV parks, and camping. The lovely town also has some cool shops, cafes, bars, etc. Please feel free to email me tishhinojosa@gmail.com if you may be interested in this event.
I am planning to leave summer clear of too many travel gigs. I may play locally around Austin or Tubac, but we want to stay still in the two places we love, to work on music, and to be with our families. We will get plenty of travel in September when we visit our OTHER favorite place: Paestum, Italy!!
Ciao!
Tish