Tom has selected Mackenzie & Marr to create two guitars for him. One is an upgraded replica of his beloved Naked Lady which was lost in a fire 20 years ago; the other, without the Naked Lady inlay, is called the Signature Dreadnought.
"If there is such a thing as a folk star, this guy merits the title. Whether performing a heartfelt ballad, singing a down-to-earth blues tune, or weaving an onstage story with strands of humor and wisdom, Rush has been winning audiences over since the 1960s." BOSTON GLOBE
"Never miss a chance to see Tom Rush live he's got that rare one-of-a-kind quality that makes you realize you've seen somebody who really matters."
Eric Thom, EXCLAIM Magazine (CA)
Some years ago on a flight from SMW (Somewhere) to BOS (Boston International) I awoke from a well-earned nap to find my seatmate having some kind of weird seizure. (I don't suppose there is any other kind, now that I think about it.) His eyes were glazed and he was gesticulating wildly with his arms as though conducting a symphony, or wrestling with an imaginary gorilla. "Are you all right? I inquired cautiously. "I'm Keith Lockhart," he replied, as though that were the only explanation required. "Ah!" I replied brightly. "I conduct the Boston Pops," he said by way of clarification. Well! That explained the imaginary gorilla.
We met again just last week when I played with the Pops for the first time, as part of my Harvard 50th reunion. It was quite a kick. When those strings and horns come in it's like the afterburner lighting up! Just one song, mind you (No Regrets), but they said they'd like to talk about having me back for more, maybe in the Fall, so I regarded this as sort of an audition. I hope I'm not giving anything away here, but I thought Keith and the gang did really well and I'm favorably disposed to giving them another chance!
But the big news-de-jour is that the concert video from the December show at Boston's Symphony Hall ("... Celebrates 50 Years of Music") is ready. A special 1-hr version was shown on WGBH-TV, Boston on Tuesday, June 4th. They are offering the full concert DVD/CD 2-disc set as a pledge gift -- you can get it at 888-897-9424 or http://wgbh.org/rush. You can also get it by contributing to New Hampshire Public TV. The pledge link for NHPTV is http://nhptv.org/rush/. I'm a big Public Television enthusiast, and urge you to get on board here!
I'll be lazing around - well, actually putting things into cardboard boxes and taking them out again - until July 19th and 20th when I'll be at TCAN in Natick, MA, and then Minneapolis, MN, Evanston, IL, and Pomeroy, OH, in August. Oh! And the Shalin Liu in Rockport, MA at the end of August (this one always sells out early) and Jonathan's in Ogunquit, ME on September 1. Links to the venues for more information are below.
Stay cool, and enjoy the summer!
Tom Rush
PS. - If you're outside the New England area, and would like to see this special, let your local PBS station know you'd like to have them air "the Tom Rush pledge special that was on WGBH."
FAQ
Ever wonder about the instruments Tom plays; what kind of picks he uses; all those wires on stage; how he tunes his guitars for various songs? Our very extensive FAQ page answers these and many more questions about Tom and people who have played with him. If you have a question, you'll probably find the answer here.
Tom's performance on Mountain Stage, aired on National Public Radio (NPR) in April, 2009, is now available online.
(photo: Brian Blauser/Mountain Stage)
Tom's video performance of Steven Walters' The Remember Song has cruised past 6 Million plays on YouTube!
But the big news-de-jour is that the concert video from the December show at Boston's Symphony Hall ("... Celebrates 50 Years of Music") is ready. A special 1-hr version was shown on WGBH-TV, Boston on Tuesday, June 4th. They are offering the full concert DVD/CD 2-disc set as a pledge gift -- you can get it at 888-897-9424 or 
Tom's performance on Mountain Stage, aired on National Public Radio (NPR) in April, 2009, is now 
