FinnFest USA Presentation this Saturday on Fin-A-Billy: American Roots Music and Rebellion in Finland

Howdy Friends, I will be giving a virtual talk about my research in Finland for FinnFest USA's Folk Arts Series this Saturday and I welcome any and all interested friends to attend. The title of the presentation is "Fin-A-Billy: American Roots Music and Rebellion in Finland."

If you've ever thought to yourself that you would like to hear me read selections from my dissertation--interspersed with eye-catching visuals, toe-tapping audio samples, and witty asides--all from the comfort of your favorite mid-century ball chair, well you are finally in luck!!

The presentation is this Saturday from 11-noon CST, followed by a half hour Q&A. The event is FREE, but one must register for the event to get the log-in info. Registration deets in the link below: https://folklife.wisc.edu/event/finnish-american-folk-arts-series-fin-a-billy-american-roots-music-and-rebellion-in-finland-with-nathan-gibson/

During the 1970s, there was an enormous American roots music boom in Finland, spawning hundreds of Fin-A-Billy (Finnish rockabilly, country, bluegrass, blues, and related genres) bands with thousands of fans. Folklorist and ethnomusicologist Nathan Gibson will share his research and musical samples of the ways many Finns have connected with American culture through American roots music over the last 60 years.

Please register for this free virtual event here.

Co-sponsored by Finn Fest USA and the Nordic Folklife project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the folk arts series features artists, community members, culture workers, and scholars—all experts in various forms of Finnish folk arts. Links to the virtual program will be sent to your registered email address one day in advance of the event.

Although this event is free and open to anyone who can and wants to take part, we do hope you will consider donating to the Finn Fest USA organization, whose hard work and dedication makes events like this possible. If you have the ability to donate any amount of money to Finn Fest to support future programming, please visit their donation page here. Thank you for your generosity.

Capitol for Capital: The WORT Winter Pledge Drive Show

Howdy Friends, I'll be back on the air tomorrow morning from 9-noon CST hosting Back to the Country on WORT 89.9fm. This week is the final week of our Winter Pledge Drive, so I'll be laying down some serious Capitol in hopes of raising some serious capital for WORT.

It'll be a morning full of '50s Capitol country 45s by Jimmy Bryant, Merle Travis, Joe Maphis, Speedy West and many more, and I'll also have a few "special guests" with me along the journey. You can stream the show and make a donation via wortfm.org or you could donate by calling 608-256-2001 ext. 1. Every donation gets its own yodel! Hope you can join the extravaganza.