Happy Independence Day :)

Allison Crowe, live, with a tune and message from the great American topical songwriter Phil Ochs” “When I’m Gone”.

Happy Independence Day, everyone, and a special shout-out to all our dear friends in the USA who are celebrating this July 4th weekend.

Here’s to joy and peace :)

Photos by the wonderful Billie Woods.

Historic Cassidy Inn Disappears in Ring of Fire

The historic Cassidy Inn, where Clark Kent / Superman (Henry Cavill) was bussing as Allison Crowe performed "Ring of Fire" in a bar scene for the 2013 Hollywood blockbuster, "Man of Steel", has played its final note in a blaze. The entire building is now ash following a July 4th inferno.

Cassidy Inn inferno, July 4, 2016 - Nick Boyle Photography

The Cassidy, located just south of Nanaimo, BC, Canada was originally a coal miner's hotel, and, in later years, a biker bar, and, lastly, a movie set. Photos and more history of the building and MoS can be found in Allison's "Man of Steel" gallery @ https://www.facebook.com/23720081675/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10151670513006676

Hollywood movie director Zack Snyder talks about filming an scene in the historic Cassidy Inn with musician Allison Crowe – for “Man of Steel”, the 2013 reboot of the Superman film franchise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKhcg6tLYLY

Last night, July 4th, the Cassidy, a coal-miner’s residence and biker bar before it became an Hollywood movie set, vanished in a giant ring of fire. Word on this news story is @ http://www.cheknews.ca/fire-damages-cassidy-inn-195684

Independence Day - July 4th Musical Salute!

The independent spirit fuels the music and operations of Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. It’s only natural that Allison Crowe, since embarking on her own course as an international touring and recording artist, looks to Ani as a model. Allison’s Rubenesque Records Ltd. has taken the road less traveled since 2001. From “Live at Wood Hall”, (released by RRL in 2005), here’s Allison in concert with a cover of Ani’s song, “Independence Day”: https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/track/independence-day

This track joins a cadre of tunes for a July 4^th feature of the “Cover Lay Down” blog. Boyhowdy presents music of Allison + Ani alongside Eva Cassidy, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Richard Shindell and a dozen more artists performing songs of Paul Simon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bobby Darin and more.

"Cover Lay Down" founder Boyhowdy, aka Joshua Farber, pens the latest installment to an eloquent "America The Beautiful: More Coverfolk For A Thoughtful Fourth" posting this Independence Day for our American friends and neighbours. It's an episode worth revisiting, notes Farber, "as music which speaks of and for a people, American folk music holds a particular place in the conversation which is America...making it real and vivid, whether it is through the lens of policy critique or protest cry, the immigrant experience or the internal monologue of a singer-songwriter struggling to be free."

Farber wraps the intro to this musical salute: "Happy Birthday, America. Long may your contradictions endear us to you. May you never lose hope. And may we never stop singing."

Independence Day - July 4th Musical Salute!

The independent spirit fuels the music and operations of Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. It’s only natural that Allison Crowe, since embarking on her own course as an international touring and recording artist, looks to Ani as a model. Allison’s Rubenesque Records Ltd. has taken the road less traveled since 2001. From “Live at Wood Hall”, (released by RRL in 2005), here’s Allison in concert with a cover of Ani’s song, “Independence Day”: https://allisoncrowe.bandcamp.com/track/independence-day

This track joins a cadre of tunes for a July 4^th feature of the “Cover Lay Down” blog. Boyhowdy presents music of Allison + Ani alongside Eva Cassidy, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Richard Shindell and a dozen more artists performing songs of Paul Simon, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bobby Darrin and more.

"Cover Lay Down" founder Boyhowdy, aka Joshua Farber, pens the latest installment to an eloquent "America The Beautiful: More Coverfolk For A Thoughtful Fourth" posting this Independence Day for our American friends and neighbours. It's an episode worth revisiting, notes Farber, "as music which speaks of and for a people, American folk music holds a particular place in the conversation which is America...making it real and vivid, whether it is through the lens of policy critique or protest cry, the immigrant experience or the internal monologue of a singer-songwriter struggling to be free."

Farber wraps the intro to this musical salute: "Happy Birthday, America. Long may your contradictions endear us to you. May you never lose hope. And may we never stop singing."

Fourth of July reflections

boyhowdy at the Cover Lay Down blog presents a genuinely thoughtful reflection and celebration of America for this July 4 weekend. And, he includes, in a terrific song selection, Allison Crowe's cover of "Independence Day" by Ani DiFranco.


The post's final note: "Happy Birthday, America. Long may your contradictions endear us to you. May you never lose hope. And may we never stop singing."