Early Fall Greetings to All Sentient Beings!
I love that word “sentient.” According to Webster’s it means “able to feel things.” And thank God we still can. It’s so tempting to pull way in, armor up, knuckle down and simply endure.
So tomorrow’s the Autumn Equinox—at 8:03pm CDT, to be precise—so we’re tipping over from summer to fall. You wouldn’t know it in Memphis today as it’s 98º as I write this. But there are a few red leaves on the maple out back….
And now, the news.
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CONTENTS of This Newsletter
1. Scotland: We’ve added a 2nd tour for 2023! (Oct 2-12)
2. Ireland 2023: A few seats still available for my May tour
3. Sherpas: Fine tuning FINAL mixes of new album right... NOW
4. Upcoming shows: NC (this coming Sunday!), TX (in October, with Sherpas), MI (solo in November)
5. TK Poem of the Month: The Sofa (That Ate Chicago)
6. Wisdom from my favorite optimist: Steven Pinker
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1. 2023 Scotland tour #2 added!
My May 2023 Scotland Tour sold out so quickly that I’ve been invited to host a second tour. Excited, I am.
NEW Scotland 2023 Tour, in a nutshell:
What: I’ll be hosting an additional 2023 tour for Traceless Tours
When: Monday, October 2–Thursday, October 12, 2023
Where: Our home bases will be Edinburgh, Pitlochry and Inverness
Tour Company: Traceless Tours
For more info:
—Visit my website’s Scotland page HERE.
—Visit my page at Traceless Tours *HERE.
...and send the Contact form at the bottom of the page. You'll receive a prompt reply.
*Includes a sample itinerary
—And click HERE for more on Traceless Tours.
AND to contact me directly, email me at scotland(at)tomkimmel(dot)com
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2. Ireland 2023 tour in a nutshell:
What: Next spring I’ll again be hosting a musical tour of Ireland
When: Tuesday, April 18—Thursday, April 27, 2023
Where: Our home bases will be Counties Dublin, Waterford and Clare
Tour Company: Inishfree Tours
I’m especially excited about this tour because it’ll be my first chance to explore Glendalough, Dublin and Ireland’s rich east coast… and to revisit Waterford (in the south) and colorful Clare (in the west).
For more info:
—Visit my website’s Ireland page HERE.
—Visit Inishfree’s 2023 schedule HERE…
…and click the ENQUIRE button.
And for more on Inishfree Tours, click HERE.
AND to contact me directly, email me at ireland(at)tomkimmel(dot)com
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3. New Sherpas album: the homestretch
Over the past couple of weeks Tom Prasada-Rao, Michael Lille and I have been long-distance tweaking and tightening the mixes on our new album—our first in over 20 years—and I am so looking forward to sharing it.
Next step: Mastering and pressing. Stay tuned.
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4. Upcoming shows in North Carolina, Texas and Michigan
NC… THIS COMING WEEKEND
When: Sunday, September 25, 2022 4pm EDT
What: *SEMI-PRIVATE SHOW (solo)
Where: Asheville, NC
*This concert is open to public if reservations are requested.
—For reservations and more info, email americanastage(at)gmail(dot)com
TX... in OCTOBER
When: Saturday, October 15, 2022
What: The SHERPAS play the Welcome Home Festival
Where: Kerrville, TX
—For more click HERE
MICHIGAN... in NOVEMBER
When: Friday, November 11, 2022 8pm EST
What: Green Wood Coffeehouse presents Tom Kimmel (solo)
Where: Ann Arbor, MI
—For more info click HERE
NOTE: I’ll also be playing for a “folk mass” the following day (Saturday, November 12, 5-6pm EST).
When: Saturday, November 12, 2022 5-6pm EST
What: Folk Mass at Green Wood Methodist Church
Where: Ann Arbor, MI
—For more info click HERE
—Note: This will be my third opportunity to provide all music for one of these lovely services, and I so look forward to it.
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5. TK Poem of the Month
The Sofa (That Ate Chicago)
We have only one chair
that offers any support
whatsoever and the others
are like cushy bowls
with concave seat backs
that invite the kind of posture
heretofore exhibited
only by contortionists.
And on our sidewalk sale sofa
I’ve tried various pillows and pads
to support my lower back
only to discover
even when I’m properly propped
that I am receding into
the recesses of cushions
like a house into
a Florida sinkhole,
my knees approaching my face
and the back of the sofa
swallowing me from thigh to neck.
I see in the mirror
that my body is beginning
to resemble the shape
of a crescent moon,
white and bright
and curved like a finely tuned bow
tightly strung and poised
to release an arrow
into my living room.
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6. Wisdom for our time from Steven Pinker
I must own up to the fact that these days I all too frequently despair. Climate change, war, vitriol in the media, social media, family and community as I’ve never witnessed. But I recently listened to this esteemed scholar’s BBC podcast series, “Think With Pinker,” and he and his thoughtful guests make a strong case for a bigger picture.
Here’s a quote from the podcast that caught my attention:
“There are a few scientific issues that have become political war zones, but most don’t. There are noisy factions that distrust vaccines, but not antibiotics; climate change, but not coastal erosion. The arc of knowledge is a long one, and it bends toward rationality.”
—Steven Pinker (b. 1954), psychologist and author
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Till next time, Maximum Peace, Love and Understanding,
TK
PS Thank you to Elixir Strings. I have strung my guitars with the crème de la crème of strings for over 25 years. I'm grateful for the ongoing support.