Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Norwegian Sea Stories and Bluegrass in Red Hook, Thursday, 9/24 - NOW FREE!




9/23 a.m. update - Carolina just contacted me and asked me to add that the concert is now FREE! Not sure what angel made this happen, and please do still register through Eventbrite (link further down), but - it's free! Donations to PortSide NewYork can still be made at the door or on their website, it's a good organization to support.
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Helloooooo again from the usual September work madness! Got a backlog of things I want to post about but I'm gonna skip over those right now in favor of a quick lunch-hour sharing of a press release from my friend Carolina over at PortSide NewYork. They're hosting a terrific-sounding event featuring the NYC premier of Norwegian bluegrass Paradise Mountain Boys, who are generously donating this concert to support the organization, on Thursday night - sorry I didn't give a little more notice!

Here's the press release: 


Norwegian Red Hook WaterStories, a night of bluegrass music and history

Thursday, September 24, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM 
At Atelier Roquette, 63 Commerce Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Tickets $15 on sale Event is FREE, please register at Eventbrite.

 Love bluegrass? History buff? Interested in New York City’s waterfront? PortSide NewYork has combined it all in one special night for you! Nestle in a sofa or dance into the night at the NYC premiere of the great bluegrass band Paradise Mountain Boys from Norway - and get yourself a NY WaterStory!

Produced by PortSide NewYork as part of our ongoing Red Hook WaterStories. 

Norwegians were one of the major immigrant groups in Brooklyn from the late 19th to early 20th century. They were a major presence on NYC's working waterfront and on our historic ship, the tanker MARY A. WHALEN. They were first concentrated in Red Hook, Brooklyn. At their peak, there were almost as many Norwegians in Red Hook as there are residents in Red Hook today. 

Hear about the first people to row across the Atlantic, Norwegians in 1896! And how Norwegian seaman stranded in here toughed it out in a Red Hook shanty town until Robert Moses cleared it out. and how Norwegians were a major presence on our historic ship the Mary A. Whalen .

BIO OF BAND PARADISE MOUNTAIN BOYS This is the NYC premier of the Paradise Mountain Boys! The band plays bluegrass the traditional way with all the band members around one microphone. Their six-piece acoustic outfit of mandolin, dobro, banjo, guitar and upright bass has its roots firmly planted in down-home acoustic music found in the Appalachian mountains. Traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel, with beautiful harmony singing is their thing. 


Event Schedule:

7:00-7:45pm Ordering of food from local establishments (optional but there's some good food in Red Hook!), followed by three short history talks with slides. Speakers Lars Nilsen of the Norwegian Immigrant Association, Victor Samuelsen of the Norwegian Seaman’s Church, John Weaver of PortSide NewYork. 

8:00-9:45pm bluegrass music by Paradise Mountain Boys from Norway 
9:45-10:30pm time to talk to the historians and band, read history at our ReadingTable, get interviewed at our WaterStories StoryStation, sign up to be interviewed in the future.

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