MARCH 2011 FRIENDS NOT FANS NEWSLETTER

EVAN GREER’S FRIENDS NOT FANS NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2011

THIS MONTH’S CONTENTS:
1) Pictures and stories from baby Saoirse’s 2nd Tour: FLORIDA
2) Uprisings from Lybia to Madison!
3) New Videos Online
4) Goodbye Google-Checkout, what’s the alternative?
5) New CD Updates! Still lots of time to pre-order
6) Summer tour to IdaPalooza with Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde!
7) Upcoming Shows and Tours

IMPORTANT: NEW FORMAT!!!
so i’ve heard from several people that the pictures and other formatting weren’t showing up in their e-mails, so i’ve decided to simplify things! the best way to view the monthly newsletter from now on will be as a blog at http://friendsnotfans.blogspot.com

i’ll still be sending out the e-mail updates, but if you want to view it with all the snazzy photos and lookin pretty, you can just click the link above. if you just wanna read the raw and dirty text, scroll away.

the neat thing about having it as a blog is that i will be periodically posting updates in between monthly newsletter e-mailings, so feel free to “follow” the blog if you want to keep up to date on all the latest baby pictures, tour stories, last minute show announcements, etc. :-)

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
(for details on these shows scroll to the bottom, or better yet check the constantly updated list at www.riotfolk.org/evan)

MAR 2: St. Petersburg, FL
MAR 3: Orlando, FL
MAR 4: Tampa, FL
MAR 5: Tampa, FL
MAR 25: Worcester, MA
MAR 26: Boston, MA
MAR 29: Omaha, NE
MAR 31: Northampton, MA
APR 2: Columbus, OH
APR 3: Oberlin, OH
APR 5: Cincinnati, OH
APR 6: Athens, OH
APR 7: Pittsburgh, PA
APR 8: Reading, PA
APR 9: New York, NY
APR 10: Swarthmore, PA
APR 13: Bellingham, WA
APR 15: Olympia, WA
APR 16: Portland, OR
APR 17: Eugene, OR
APR 22 - 30: CALIFORNIA w/ BONFIRE MADIGAN (now booking!!!)
APR 31: Tijuana, Mexico w/ BONFIRE MADIGAN
MAY 1: Providence, RI
JUN 3 - 5: Tour to Ida w/ TAINA ASILI Y LA BANDA REBELDE
JUN 4: Dowelltown, TN (IdaPalooza Fruit Fest)
AUG 27: Conway, NH

How to find me online:
Riot-Folk Page: www.riotfolk.org/evan
My website: www.evangreer.org
Blog: http://evangreerfriendsnotfans.blogspot.com
Buy CDs: www.cdbaby.com/evangreer
Donate: PayPal to erf@riseup.net
Friend Me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/evan.greer2
Myspace Page: www.myspace.com/evangreer

1) Pictures and Stories from Baby Saoirse’s First Tour Ever!
It’s March 1st and I’m sitting outside barefoot getting some work done on a much needed day off at the tail end of this Florida Tour. Just a few more days of this lovely weather before we head back to Boston where we’re almost guaranteed some snow before April comes to save us!

This tour has been really special. I’m still learning how to balance tour booking and parenting, as it seems like both are truly full-time jobs! A pleasant side effect of this, though, is that we’ve had a lot more days off than usual on this trip, which has allowed us to actually spend some time enjoying nature and just hanging out as a family. We’ve taken Saoirse to some beautiful places, seen friends, eaten fabulous vegan food, AND seen manatees, alligators, and a bunch of beautiful endangered birds.

Here’s some photos!
(view all photos at http://evangreerfriendsnotfans.bogspot.com)
Saoirse in Fisheating Creek near Palmdale, FL, one of the state’s last free-flowing waterways and just a magical place in general.

Mama and baby Manatee at Blue Springs State Park near Orange City, FL
I played a show in a Park in DeLand, FL with Saoirse strapped to my back. He fell asleep during Never Surrender
!
Family shot in Sarasota, FL!



2) Uprisings from Lybia to Madison!
I almost never stay in hotels on tour but somehow we ended up in quite a few on this trip. Saoirse is a night-time nurser, so I tend to get more sleep at night than Erin does, so me and Saoirse have a morning routine of baby-Ima time where we go for a walk, play, and then he takes a nap in my pouch. It’s my favorite time of the day. Anyhow, when staying in hotels I would always take him down to the continental breakfast room to hang out and get oggled by the other guests. Inevitably, the TV would be on CNN or somesuch thing and I would try to entertain Saoirse while hoping to hear some real news from the spreading uprisings taking place across the Middle East, Egypt, and beyond. Of course, CNN is a terrible place to get news about such things, and I was growing nervous of the constant talk of “US Intervention” in Lybia. Fortunately, I was also getting plenty of e-mail updates and facebook posts of REAL news from friends culling it from english, Arabic, and other sources and getting some good info on the truly revolutionary nature of these mass protests and the implications it has for the potential liberation of Palestine and the rising freedom of the Arab world.

Here’s a great article about the Lybian resistance refusing arms and support from the U.S. They know better than to get in bed with Uncle Sam.
http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/01/stories/2011030156521500.htm

And this great video of a song set to images from the Egyptian uprising featuring hip-hop artists Omar Offendum, The Narcicyst, Freeway, Ayah, Amir Sulaiman (Prod. by Sami Matar)

Meanwhile, my pal Ryan Harvey from Riot-Folk was holed up inside the State House in Madison, WI, joining the growing resistance there to a tax bill that poses an all out assault on the rights of workers to fight for dignity and the support structures of the most oppressed members of our society. Ryan’s been posting a lot of images and news with an eyewitness view of what’s been going on there. Check out his facebook if you want to read up on it: http://www.facebook.com/ryanharveymusic

3) New Videos Online!
I’ve never spent any time trying to get good videos of my songs online, so what’s on YouTube is pretty much just whatever folks have recorded at shows and put up on their own volition. There are rumors, though, of an “official” music video featuring a collaborative song with rising South Bronx hip-hop bad-boy Majesty, so keep watch for that. ;-)

Meanwhile I’ve noticed a few new videos that folks have posted online including some recordings of new songs that haven’t been heard anywhere else online yet. Check em out if you’d like!

New song! “I’m Pretty”



New Song! “Countdown”



Cool cover of my song, “By Morning” by Colin Wood from Scotland on a cigar box guitar he made himself. Neat!



4) Goodbye Google-Checkout, what’s the alternative?
For a little while now I’ve been using Google-Checkout as a way to accept credit and debit cards from people who want to make donations for downloading my music or purchase CDs directly from me, so you know where the money is going.

Unfortunately, Google-Checkout canceled my account because apparently you’re not allowd to “accept donations” using their buttons, you have to be “selling” something.

I’ve been avoiding PayPal for some time now because they’re the biggest game in town and also make shady political decisions like dropping clients such as the Leonard Pelletier Support Committee and the recent campaign to free Wiki-Leaks whistle-Blower Bradley Manning.

For the short term, I’ll be accepting donations using my partner’s PayPal address: erf@riseup.net

In the long run, I may be getting my own PayPal link set up, but I’d much rather use something else. Does anyone know of a good alternative? Hit me up!

5) New CD Updates! Still lots of time to pre-order
Though not a single note has been recorded yet, there is much plotting, scheming, and writing happening for an epic new album to be released sometime this year. I’m excited to announce that Charlene Obernouer of Born In A Cent will be rocking the drums on the album, which is just going to make it sound so damn good. Of course the engineering will all be done by brand new papa Jory Leanza-Carey of the hibernating hip-hop super group Broadcast Live.

There’s still plenty of time to support this project by PRE-ORDERING the album now!
If you send a donation of $20 - $30 sliding scale now, you’ll get TWO copies of the album as soon as it’s done, before it’s available online. You’ll also get a super special exclusive bonus track that only comes with the pre-order. Exciting!

If you want to pre-order the album, just send a PayPal donation to: erf@riseup.net and specify that it’s for an album pre-order!

I will have a link up VERY SOON to make this much easier. Thanks for your support!

6) Summer tour to IdaPalooza with Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde!
I’m so excited to announce that I will be heading South this summer for a short tour to legendary queer music festival, IdaPalooza Fruit Jam in Dowelltown, TN!

I’ll be traveling there with my dear friends Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde, an incredible troupe of musicians with roots all over the world fronted by firebreathing poet singer Taina Asili. They will inspire, dazzle, and amaze you and get you dancing every time with their unique blend of latin rhythms, Afro-Caribbean beats, hip-hop intensity and political energy.

We’re looking to book shows for these dates between the Northeast and Ida, so get in touch if you have ideas!

JUNE 1: Buffalo NY? Philly? Pittsburgh?
JUNE 2: Columbus OH? Baltimore?
JUNE 3: Kentucky? Virginia?
JUNE 4: IDAPALOOZA!

As always, you can just e-mail me: evangreer@gmail.com if you want to book something!

7) Upcoming Shows and Tours!

MAR 2: ST. PETERSBURG, FL
7:30pm @ Cafe Bohemia
937 Central Ave. All Ages!
$10 suggested donation, no one turned away!
Sponsored by St Pete for Peace, after Food Not Bombs!
With: Ngaire and more!
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156240307763874#!/event.php?eid=134589646607988

MAR 3: ORLANDO, FL
@ University of Central Florida
On Campus at The Arboretum
5:00pm: WORKSHOP on Community Organizing 101
6:30pm: CONCERT w/ local talent The Gorgeous Oranges!
Free for UCF students! $5 suggested donation for everyone else.
All ages, sponsored by the Body of Animal Rights Campaigners, and more!
Contact: Madelyn@knights.ucf.edu for more info.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156240307763874

MAR 4: TAMPA, FL
@ University of South Florida
Marshall Center Room 3708
WORKSHOP: Organizing Events That Build the Movement
2:00pm. All ages, open to the public.
$5 - 20 sliding scale suggested donation for all participants.
Hosted by the Feminist Student Alliance.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156240307763874#!/event.php?eid=165235703526161

MAR 4: TAMPA, FL
@ Sacred Grounds
4819 E Busch Blvd.
8:00pm. $5 - 20 sliding scale suggested donation.
With: Born In A Cent, more!
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=156240307763874#!/event.php?eid=132984463437597

MAR 5: TAMPA, FL
Tell Publix to Do the Right Thing!
Major Demonstration with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
1313 South Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, FL
2pm - 5pm
Lots more info: www.ciw-online.org

MAR 25: WORCESTER, MA
Benefit Show for the Toxic Soil Busters
@ Worcester Youth Center
326 Chandler St.
6pm - 10pm. All ages!
With: Not4Prophet of X-Vandals, spiritchild, Toxic Soil Busters, more!

MAR 26: BOSTON, MA
Art As Resistance: Music For Political Prisoners
6pm @ Community Church of Boston
565 Boylston St, Copley Sq
With: Not4Prophet of X-Vandals, spiritchild, Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde, Born In A Cent, more!
$7 - 20 sliding scale donation. All ages! Dance party!

MAR 28: looking for a house-show or something in the Omaha area!

MAR 29: OMAHA, NE
12 noon @ University of Nebraska-Omaha
Sponsored by Gender & Sexual Orientation Agency
Details TBA!

MAR 31: NORTHAMPTON, MA
No Pity Event @ Smith College
details TBA!

APR 2 - 9: MIDWEST FULL BAND TOUR
w/ EVAN GREER & FRIENDS, BORN IN A CENT

APR 2: COLUMBUS, OH
Feminist Queer House Show
Details TBA! this will be awesome.

APR 3: OBERLIN, OH
@ Oberlin College
Sponsored by Trans Action Group and more!
Details TBA.

APR 4: NEED A SHOW!
our show for this date fell through, please get in touch if you can help!

APR 5: CINCINNATI, OH
@ Cincinnati University
Details TBA, tentative.

APR 6: ATHENS, OH
@ University of Ohio
Earth Month Event.
Details TBA! Sponsored by the Sierra Student Coalition.

APR 7: PITTSBURGH, PA
@ University of Pittsburgh
Details TBA!
Sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society.

APR 8: READING, PA
@ Allbright College
Details TBA!
Sponsored by Environmental Campus Outreach

APR 9: NYC ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR
Queer / Trans Afterparty! Details TBA

APR 10: SWARTHMORE, PA
Back to the Roots Tour w spiritchild!
@ Swarthmore College
Details TBA.

APR 12 - 20: NORTHWEST TOUR w/ DANA LYONS

APR 13: BELLINGHAM, WA
@ Western Washington University
Fairhaven Auditorium on Campus
FREE and open to the public.
4:30pm: Community Organizing Workshop
8:00pm: Concert with Evan Greer & Dana Lyons
Sponsored by Social Issues Resource Center, LGBTA, MEChA, and the Environmental Center.
Contact: as.rop.sirc.asst.coord@wwu.edu for more info!

APR 14: need a show!

APR 15: OLYMPIA, WA
@ Evergreen State College
Details TBA!
Sponsored by the Environmental Resource Center

APR 16: PORTLAND, OR
@ Portland State University
Law and Disorder Conference on the Prison Industrial Complex
Sponsored by Students for Unity and more.
Keynote Speakers: Ashanti Alston
More details TBA!

APR 17: EUGENE, OR
@ University of Oregon
Details TBA

APR 18: need a show in Corvallis or Ashland

APR 19: need a show in Arcata area
APR 21: need a show in Sacramento area

APR 22 - 30: TINY FISTS TOUR w/ BONFIRE MADIGAN

APR 22: BAY AREA, CA
DETAILS TBA!

APR 23: SAN JOSE, CA
STILL BOOKING!

APR 24: SANTA CRUZ, CA
STILL BOOKING!

APR 26: FRESNO, CA
STILL BOOKING!

APR 27: RIVERSIDE, CA
DETAILS TBA

APR 28: LOS ANGELES, CA
Details TBA!

APR 29: SAN DIEGO, CA
DETAILS TBA

APR 30: TIJUANA, MEXICO