Hey! Hello Again!! (July 4, 2003)

The Ukulele Man is STILL alive and well (fat and a little less sassy) and recovering from COMFEST!! Thanks for dropping in to the Web Site(!!).
It’s still being tweaked, but like the old saying goes, " ‘Home’ wasn’t built in a day." (for now, use only "CONTACT" to contact me – we’re working to get the bugs out of "MAILING LIST")
And now, some new NEWS:
COMFEST was a fantastic extravaganza (from which the Uke Man has yet to totally recover): "Participation" is the key word. Four-hour shifts on trash/recycling/clean-up, emceeing bands at the Poplar Street stage, spreading resistance at the Not In Our Name booth, and then gigs Saturday at the Jazz tent doing a rant with jazz band back-up and a set Sunday at Poplar Street with the full band! Not to mention catching some of the hundred or so other bands and enjoying favorite foods, beer, and booths - like Retro 1 (my favorite : http://www.retro1.com) an oasis where a Uke Geezer can rest his bones surrounded by fascinating items and friendly folks.
COMFEST was FANTASTIC!!!
I’ve added the "rant" from the COMFEST "Circus of Cool" show to the WORDS section under POEMS. Hope you like it (if you don’t know Walt Kelly and Pogo, his possum creation, the relevant allusion is the quotation: "We have met the enemy, and he is us").
The new CD, Ukulele Man / It’s a Crazy Old World, is getting even closer to completion. We are aiming for September 2003. You’ll like it.

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Well, that’s it for now (below you will find some pertinent old NEWS you may have missed). I’ll try real hard to write again soon. Check in, Please!
Yours -
Tom Harker, Ukulele Man

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Some of the old News (prior to the July 4 update): The shows at Larry’s, Dick’s Den, and the Stagecoach BBQ and Blues (see links below) were great. At the stagecoach the old man and five prodigals played a two and a half hour set, 32 (all original) songs (and on the seventh day I rested).

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If you are a ukulele fan and haven’t heard about The Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum and the Ukulele EXPO 2003, check out the web site (http://www.ukulele.org). It’s not too late to make plans to attend.
I’ll be leading a workshop on song writing, but there will be a plethora of other opportunities as well. Check it out.

* * *
Finally, we’ve all made it through another year of High School graduations, and I’ve finally gotten around to writing a commencement address appropriate for the graduating class of Ellipsisville, Ohio (my home town and the home of the Fighting Lhasa Apso’s, on whom we dote). Check out "editorials" under Words.

Hey! Hello!!
The Ukulele Man is alive and well (fat and sassy) and living in sincerity!! Thanks for dropping in to the Web Site(!!).
It’s still being tweaked, but like the old saying goes, " ‘Home’ wasn’t built in a day."
And now, some NEWS:

The new CD, Ukulele Man / It’s a Crazy Old World, is getting closer to completion. We are aiming for September 2003. You’ll like it.

* * *
The shows at Larry’s, Dick’s Den, and the Stagecoach BBQ and Blues (see the link) were great. At the stagecoach the old man and five prodigals played a two and a half hour set, 32 (all original) songs (and on the seventh day I rested).
The Dick’s Den gig was for "Circus of Cool," a spoken word rant accompanied by an improvising jazz band. I love it. A lot of energy and therapy. If you are near Columbus, OH, watch for the rewarding, but irregularly presented, Circus of Cool.
COMFEST (the Community Festival) is coming up soon (also in Columbus). If you’ve not been, you’ve missed out. Free music all over Goodale Park, all sorts of booths, food, art, clothing, information, jewelry, CD’s, antiques, retro furniture, etc., etc., etc. – June 27, 28, 29. The counter culture is alive and well (the festival even recycles the trash!!). Check it out.
Uke Man and the Prodigals play Sunday (see Shows). Uke Man does his Circus of Cool rant at the Jazz tent Saturday, at 7:40 P.M.

* * *
If you are a ukulele fan and haven’t heard about The Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum and the Ukulele EXPO 2003, check out the web site (http://www.ukulele.org). It’s not too late to make plans to attend.
I’ll be leading a workshop on song writing, but there will be a plethora of other opportunities as well. Check it out.

* * *
Finally, we’ve all made it through another year of High School graduations, and I’ve finally gotten around to writing a commencement address appropriate for the graduating class of Ellipsisville, Ohio (my home town and the home of the Fighting Lhasa Apso’s, on whom we dote). Check out "editorials" under Words.

* * *
Well, that’s it for now. I’ll try real hard to write again soon. Check in, Please!

Yours -
Tom Harker, Ukulele Man