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2009
Year in Review
It seems like just a month ago I was writing the 2008 wrap up and now
here we are a few days into 2010 and writing the 2009 entry. This year
was a blur of speed. Often taking us weeks after something occurred
to process what had happened. In fact, we are still trying to step out
from the madness and get a moment to talk…these days are filled
with non-stop activity from the moment we wake until we sleep…with
that said here is the year in review (as best I can recall!):
Let's start on the personal side of things, as this is where the most
important event happened…Carter David was born on June 16th. Having
the little guy in our lives is truly incredible. As much day to day
work (and all of Miki's work carrying and delivering and recovering,
I can't believe you signed up for this 3 times!) that comes with a baby,
it is wiped away with a single smile or laugh. He has already been to
4 Rafters shows and soon will be playing guitar or maybe piano from
seeing the size of his hands! His sisters are a great help and give
him all sorts of love.
Ok, so for the band…a few of the highlights from '09:
"The Little Show that Could…": after ending '08
with the Ice Storm that left many towns in New England without power
for weeks (and our basement flooded!) our big triple bill headline with
Elizabeth Lorrey and GS Picard was pushed to January 3rd of 2009. Playing
the Bull Run is a special event, as the room provides a great listening
environment and a true professional experience. We played as a trio
(w/Skip on Keyboards) and the show left a lasting impression on us to
where we want to go as a band in 2010…
"I heard it on the Radio…": We were lucky enough
to get a bunch of radio appearances: WGAM, WUML, and WMBR. JoeG from
WMBR is the new purveyor of local original music and not only did he
have us in studio twice but played a bunch of songs from our CDs. Big
thanks also goes out to Mark and Bernie and the folks at UML.
"Festival…the best time of year": Only weeks after
little Carter was born he attended his first Rafters show in the great
city of Lowell - during the Lowell Folk Festival! From there we had
our first official main stage appearance at the 2009 Wachusett Valley
Folk Festival. With acts like John Gorka, Gandalf Murphy, and The Kennedys
on the bill it was an extreme honor to be included. Thank you Jean and
Denise!
"Can I get your autograph?": Ok, so 2009 had us playing
shows with two of our biggest musical inspirations: Lori McKenna and
Chris Trapper! We opened for Lori up in Lancaster MA for the Wachusett
Music series and shared an on-air (WMBR) appearance with Chris for the
"Acoustic 4 Autism" release promotion. We got to hang out
and talk and generally get blown away that we were hanging out and talking
with them!!! They both are as nice and cool as you could imagine…now
all that's left is a show with the Indigo Girls!
"CDs Here! Get your CDs Here!!!": November - Friday
the 13th we released our second CD "With the Sun"! Huge thanks
to everyone who came out to the show (more on this below). The CD would
not have been completed without the help of Mark "Papa" Donahue
for his wizardry on the mastering process, and all of the fine musicians
who lent a drum part (Ray and Rob), bass (beej), piano (Elizabeth),
and keys (Skip). The hope is we were able to grow a bit on our sophomore
effort. We also were a chosen artist for the "Acoustic for Autism"
compilation CD. Our song "Every Mile" off of our first Cd
was included alongside songs from Chris Trapper, Kris Delmhorst, and
Elizabeth Lorrey. A thank you to Lou and Mike for including us in the
project! Speaking of "With the Sun"…
"It's a SELL OUT!": We ended the year with an awesome
show of support from all of you!!! THANK YOU for coming out to the "With
the Sun" CD Release party at the Bull Run! Wow. We are still internalizing
this show and its impact. The show was recorded and we hope to have
a DVD or audio CD of it out this summer. As most of you know, this show
was a double CD release party we shared with Elizabeth Lorrey as she
released her first solo effort "Awakening". 2009 would not
have been the same without the time we spent with Elizabeth musically
and personally. It is an honor to have her in our lives!
The first half '09 was all about baby, the second half was…well…all
about baby! This made for the year to fly right by. Most times just
getting to the show was an extreme challenge which we could not have
done without the help, love, and support from our family. Thank you
to everyone (Jodi, Kevin, Grampa, Obachin, Nunna, Pa, Jess, EL…)
who spent their nights watching the kids and allowing us to continue
this musical journey! Without you it would not be possible. It would
also not possible without the awesome support we received from all of
you who made it out to the shows, bought our CDs, and sang along. We
understand how difficult it can be just to get out of the house for
the night and to think that you took the time to spend it with us is
very awesome! So THANK YOU! Happy New Year!
Dave and Miki
http://www.myspace.com/fromtherafters
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