first and foremost i want to send out warm and healing wishes to dave van ronk. the two gigs at the bottom line were benefits for him and the feeling at the gig just cant be compared to a 'regular' gig. it was more like hanging out in your friend's living room playing and singing and having a good time. you could 'feel' the love in the room and the healing spirit that was being sent to van ronk the entire afternoon.

we went to the early show, hosted by christine lavin. tom paxton opened, then arlo (with abe, sarah lee and johnny), then peter, paul and mary and at the end..everyone for this land is your land. i only have the set list for arlo's set...but tom paxton did a song he wrote about 9-11 firefighters that had almost everyone in the audience in tears...he is just an incredible songwriter... i wish i had the lyrics to post...but anyway...here goes:

chilling of the evening
st james infirmary
in a young girl's mind (s.l)
ring around the rosey rag
bob dylan radio ad story
city of new orleans

encore at the end of the set:
this land is your land

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by Sherry on Nov 26, 2001 ---</FONT></center>

WOW...sherry posted a setlist!!

thanks sherry, it sounds like a really special show and i'm glad you all got to participate! any idea of how much was raised?

Wow. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/tiedye.gif" width=17 height=17>

I think they said they raised over $3000 at the afternoon gig by selling raffle tickets, passing a hollow beachball around to throw your money in, and having Dave's hat open for contributions on the bar. Supposedly the house holds 400 people, and there were 380 at the afternoon show, and we heard the evening show was standing room only. I don't know how much money the house would have gotten in a situation like this, but at $50 a head, I think they were able to raise a fair amount for Dave. It really was a wonderful, warm, fun show, with lots of laughter and tears, and everybody rooting for Dave. They videotaped the show for him, and I'm sure he'll be able to pick up all the good vibes and good wishes.

thanks sherry and judy! we were so sorry we couldn't stay in the city for this, so i appreciate you filling us in. sounds like an incredible event. i'm sure dave van ronk felt the healing vibes that were sent out, and will continue to be.

johnc posted the lyrics to tom's song in the groupw forums, but without bothering to ask his permission, i'm going to paste them here so they won't be missed. very powerful words..

The Bravest

The first plane hit the other tower right after I came in
It left a fiery gaping hole where offices had been
We stood and watched in horror as we saw the first ones fall
Then someone yelled Get out! Get out! They're trying to kill us all
I grabbed the pictures from my desk and joined the flight for life
With every step I called the names of my children and my wife
And then we heard them coming up from several floors below
A crowd of firefighters with their heavy gear in tow

Chorus:
Now every time I try to sleep
I'm haunted by the sound
Of firemen pounding up the stairs
While we were running down

And when we met them on the stairs they said we were to slow
Get out! Get out! The whole things gonna go
They didn't have to tell us twice we'd seen the world on fire
We kept on running down the stairs while they kept climbing higher

chorus

Thank God we made it to the street, we ran through ash and smoke
I didn't know which way to go I thought that I would choke
A fireman took me by the arm and pointed me uptown
And Christ I heard him whisper as the tower came roaring down
So now I go to funerals for men I never knew
The pipers play Amazing Grace as the coffins come in view
They must have seen it coming as they turned to face the fire
They sent us down to safety and they kept climbing higher

Now every time I try to sleep
I'm haunted by the sound
Of firemen pounding up the stairs
While we were running down

Tom Paxton

Thanks for the report, for those of us who didn't get there, and thanks for those lyrics, I think. They have me in tears here at my desk, just reading them. I don't know if I could handle hearing Tom sing them, but I hope to get the chance sometime soon anyway.

JohnC must have written those words down last night during one of his precious and rare breaks at work. I found them on his dresser this morning as I was hurrying off to work.

He had mentioned "an incredibly powerful song" to me (in my drug induced fog,) on Sunday night. When I read them, it stopped me dead in my tracks.

JohnC - I'm sorry I didn't have time to tell you that I read them this morning or paid more attention to you on Sunday dear. I should have listened to you more closely... (I'm going to be reminded of those words for the next 20 years) But thank you for sharing them.

Deb - I'm sure JohnC would not mind you copying them. Thanks for doing it, so I could reread them.

Thanks to Deb for posting (and to JohnC, whose post I somehow missed), and thanks to Tom P. for making such good use of his gift.

Like Pat, I'm in tears just reading the words -- and would also like to hear it played, difficult as it's bound to be.

Best wishes to Dave Van Ronk, and thanks for the music.

johnc...thanks for the lyrics and deb..thanks for putting them over here...

even having heard it and been in tears the first time....i am sitting here again with tears streaming down my cheeks...

i think i'll go see if tom paxton has a website and tell him how i feel...

thanks again for the lyrics john! (it's odd to thank someone for making you cry!!!)

ran across this info about Tom Paxton and his song on a radio station playlist website:
Tom Paxton: The Bravest (single), Cherry Lane tdemartino@cherrylane.com

Garrison Keillor sang Tom's song on his Oct 13th show. You can listen to it here:
http://www.prairiehome.org/performances/20011013/bravest.html

Thanks to all who posted the lyrics. And thanks to Janet for the link. Just listened to Garrison sing Tom's song. I don't know how he got through it--it had me in tears just reading it--and again when I heard it.

more on Tom Paxton here, can download "The Bravest":
http://www.efolkmusic.com/viewartist.asp?artist=Tom+Paxton

thanks, janet.. i'm in tears all over again.

seriously. thanks janet. and thanks again to tom paxton -- not only for writing the song, but for making it available on the net. i think that maybe a lot of people really need that song, right now.

yes, i should have added a thanks to tom for making it available, also!