Welcome 2011

It has been an exciting year for us, thanks to all of the friends and fans that make it possible for us to do what we love to do. You probably are mostly up to date on what we've been up to. If so, you're welcome to skip on down to the news about our upcoming schedule in January 2011. If not, here is the Reader's Digest version of our 2010.

We shipped the new CD, Turn Back A Page, to over 500 radio stations, DJs, and other airplay venues in mid-February with an "official" release date of March 2. Much to our delight, it shot to the Number 5 position on the Folk Radio Airplay Chart in March (after a slow start in February) with three songs in the Top 20. We were on that chart a total of 5 months.
The CD release concert at Whitehall's Historic Howmet Playhouse was a big success.













In May we took a tour in Europe with our friends and band mates John King and Dan Seabolt. While there we played several private parties in addition to 5 club dates and an outdoor concert in a lovely French village. We made a lot of friends and had a lot of fun sharing our music in Belgium and France.

We played a number of fun outdoor shows closer to home during the summer. In July we were please to have The Highway Song from the new CD featured on NPR's Car Talk, so it's now officially "another stupid car song". That's OK with us.

This Fall we attended the Folk Alliance Region Mid-west (FARM) conference near Chicago, and we were honored to play an Official Showcase at SERFA, the South East Regional Folk Alliance conference at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas. November brought us to Muskegon's Frauenthal Center for the Arts for A Concert With Friends, a benefit for United Way of the Lakeshore. It was a great pleasure to have Jim Hurst on the bill with us. We also had a wonderful time playing for a sold out house at the Paint Creek Folklore Society's Tin Whistle Coffee House with Kitty Donahoe, Maggie Ferguson, and others.

December brought us to Zellie's Opry House, a wonderful Roots Music venue in Howard City MI; If you haven't seen a show there you should make the effort. We were also invited to play a "Special Assignment" slot for the annual A Winter's Tune concert, where select songwriters are invited to present their brand new original Christmas songs at Grand Rapids' Wealthy Theater. Turn Back A Page has been nominated for Best Local Album and Best Traditional Album in WYCE Grand Rapids' Jammie Awards. Results will come in February. Also, the new CD is NUMBER 2 on the Year's Top Forty List on Steve Jerrett's Sunday Morning Coffee House show on KOPN, Columbia MO, and was named among the year's Top 30 Albums by Norm Mast and Al Kniola, hosts of the Back Porch program on WVPE, Southbend, Indiana.

That brings us to the present, January 2011. A trip to Livonia's Trinity House Theater is in the offing. We'll play a benefit show for Muskegon's Mission For Area People (MAP) sharing the stage with Carol Johnson and the Carl Webb Band. And we get to return for two shows at the Langeland House Bed and Breakfast for the Musical Interludes Concert Series there. You can check the schedule here or at our website or social profile for the details on all these shows and more.











Detailed Schedule for January:

Jan 8, 2011 8:00 PM Trinity House Theater
38840 6 Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48152-2605
(734) 464-6302
We're excited to have a night at Trinity House. It's a wonderful venue to play and to attend. Doors open at 7:30.
Members' tickets $12.

Jan 15, 2011 6:00 PM Orchard View Auditorium Muskegon, MI
16 North Quarterline
Muskegon, MI 42442
Tickets Call 231-760-1350
Benefit for MAP - Muskegon's Mission for Area People. Carol Johnson family show starts at 6:00. Also featuring the Carl Webb Band. Child care and activities available. Under 12 - $5. Concessions. A family-friendly event.


Jan 29, 2011 7:00 PM
Musical Interludes at the Langeland House Bed and Breakfast
1337 Peck Street - Muskegon, MI 49441 - (231) 728-9404
Comfortable house concert setting. This show fills up, so get your reservation early. $5 off ticket with non-perishable food donation. Please call for tickets & details: (231) 728-9404

Jan 30, 2011 4:00 PM Musical Interludes at the Langeland House Muskegon, MI
1337 Peck Street - Muskegon, MI 49441 - (231) 728-9404
Comfortable house concert setting. This show fills up, so get your reservation early. $5 off ticket with non-perishable food donation. Please call for tickets &details: (231) 728-9404

That's all for now. Thanks again for making 2010 a fun and rewarding year for us. Please come see us when you can.

We wish you a Happy New Year and hope that you have the 2011 of your dreams.

Ruth and Max
http://www.ruthbloomquist.com/ (visit and check the schedule any time)
http://www.myspace.com/ruthmaxbloomquist (friend us?)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruth-and-Max-Bloomquist/101518542307?ref=mf (Like us or see what we're up to?)
http://www.reverbnation.com/ruthandmaxb (check the schedule, hear some music, sign up for the mailing list)

Great Weekend November 12 & 13

What a wonderful weekend we had Nov. 12-13! Friday's "A Concert With Friends" presented by Bob Scolnik at Muskegon's Frauenthal Center was a success. Over 750 in the audience and several thousand dollars raised for United Way. Nice job, Bob! It was a real treat to play with our friends in the beautiful and historic Frauenthal Theater, and a special treat to introduce our friend, 2 time IBMA guitarist of the year, Jim Hurst to our friends in Muskegon. He is a wonderful musician and entertainer, and the Frauenthal audience loved him. We are so grateful that he was able to join us along with our wonderful more local friends, the Oat Bran Boys and the Hawks and Owls Band. Naturally, we all ended up on stage together for the big finale.
On Saturday, we traveled over to Rochester Hills (near Pontiac/Detroit) for the Paint Creek Folklore Society's Tin Whistle Coffee House, a once a year fundraising event for the PCFL. We shared the headline with singer/songwriter Kitty Donohoe. The Fellowship Hall at University Presbyterian Church was packed with a sold out audience, so all the performers enjoyed a wonderful experience. Also on the bill was singer, songwriter, and Folk DJ Maggie Ferguson, and the Better Late Than Never Trio. The folks at Paint Creek really put on a successful event. Be sure to check out one of their shows in the future.

Our next outing will be December 4 at Zellie's Opry House in Howard City. We had a great show there with John and Dan last Spring and we'll have them along with us again for this date. Zellie's is a wonderful old church that has been a roots music venue for many years and has been recently renovated. It's an intimate venue with the feel of a classic old theater, or it could be called West Michigan's answer the the Ryman. (also a made-over church though it is a bit smaller) It's gonna be fun!

A Concert With Friends 2010

This is one of our favorite shows all year. This year we are honored to have two time IBMA Guitarist Of The Year Jim Hurst on the bill with us in addition to dear friends and great performers, The Oat Bran Boys and Hawks and Owls. Don't miss it!

Schedule

Hi! Thanks for stopping by. We're really excited to be attending the SERFA conference. We're playing an Official Showcase and several "guerilla" showcases. It's going to be fun. Here's our schedule as it stands today.

Wheatland and Midnight Special

We had a blast at the Wheatland Festival. We saw some great bands, including the legendary Hot Mud Family, Slide Ireland, and Quebec's Genticorum. Of course, we did some jamming with many friends at the King Family Camp, including John and Rich King, Dan Seabolt, Scott Nesbit, Banjo Jim, Tom Devries, Jay Round, Bruce Ling, and more. A little rain on Saturday dampened the spirits of no one.

We thought the fun was over when we left the festival, but we just found out we were included in the playlist for this week's (September 10, program no. 036 - 2010) Midnight Special, the nationally syndicated program from Chicago's WFMT hosted by Rich Warren. There we were right between Joel Mabus and Jeff Daniels in a set of three Michigan songs. Woo-Hoo.

We're really excited to be bringing our music to The Historic Town Hall in Elk Rapids, Michigan. Here's the poster, which pretty much says it all. If you're in that area, please do print it and share it.

#5 On the Folk Radio Chart (and a new video)

Our new CD, Turn Back A Page, shipped to Folk DJs everywhere in mid-February with the official release date of March 2. The March Folk Radio Airplay Charts are in, and we couldn't be happier. We are listed in every chart: Top Albums (#5), Top Songs (3 songs), Top Artists (#10), and Top Labels (#31). The charts are published on the FOLKDJ-L via email subscription and on the related website. You can follow the link and click on March to examine the charts. We feel like we're in pretty good company.

We offer our sincere thanks to all the Folk DJs who have been playing us for the past month. It means the world to us to be able to share our music with so many people all over the world.

On March 5 we played our CD release Concert at the Howmet Playhouse in Whitehall, MI. It was a tremendous success. Most of the show was video taped and the audio was recorded separately, too. Final combined results are still to come, but here is an early version of Ruth's THE HIGHWAY SONG.

Ruth and Max Bloomquist Kick Off Frauenthal 80th Anniversary Series

Muskegon's Frauenthal Center For the Performing Arts is having it's 80th anniversary this year, and it was our honor to help kick off the celebratory series of events. Our March 20th concert there, billed as "Folk Night at the Frauenthal," was doubly auspicious for us because it came less than three weeks after the release of our new CD, Turn Back A Page.

There's a lot of history in the old place and we tailored our show to reflect that a bit by rediscovering a few popular gems from the 1960's Folk Revival including Blowin' In The Wind, Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound, Today, and others. We have some history with the Frauenthal, too, having once held our own concert and then opening for the Kingston Trio on her stage in the late 1980's with our Amaryllis band. More recently, we opened a show for Prairie Home Companion's Garrison Keillor there and have participated in all three of the Concert With Friends events produced by Bob Skolnik's Mona Lake Productions.

Opening act for this concert was singer/songwriter Mike Snell. Mike sounded great, and the combination of his original songs, well chosen covers, and finger picking style on both six and twelve string guitar were reminiscent of the late John Denver.

In addition to the 1960's covers, we played a number of songs from Turn Back A Page plus some of our favorite older originals and a couple of favorite covers. Ruth opened our second set with her solo medley of I Dream of Jeanie/Danny Boy.While the audience couldn't hope to fill the near 1800 seat capacity of the Frauenthal Theater, they were warm and generous with their applause and support. With the house lights down and the stage lights up it had the energy and intimacy of a full house in a smaller venue. What a wonderful stage to play!

There will be more events in the Frauenthal Center's 80th Anniversary Series. Watch for them and go. It's a win/win situation. You'll get a great show and support this beautifully and faithfully renovated old gem of a theater. It's up to you to help keep live entertainment and wonderful venues like the Frauenthal alive.

(Pictures by our good friend Tom Willi)

Two New Dates in March

First, we offer our heartfelt thanks to all who attended our CD Release Concert at the Howmet Playhouse. (picture above by Tom Willi) We were humbled by your kindness and generousity. AND, thanks, of course, to John King and Dan Seabolt for your invaluable musical contributions and collaborations. We couldn't ask for two more inspiring stage partners. For our Street Team, Dawn, Tom, David, and Kate, Soundman Steve Albert, and Cindy Beth with the entire crew of the Howmet Playhouse we have nothing but gratitude and admiration. The entire evening was a wonderful success.

We are excited about two upcoming dates that you may not know about. We hope you won't miss the chance to join us in two very different and wonderful venues.
On Saturday March 20 we will be performing at Muskegon's choicest venue, the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, as part of the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of this beautiful facility. We have played the Frauenthal several times (picture above by Tom Willi) in the last few years, and we can't get enough of the place. We'll be doing two full sets, and West Michigan's own Mike Snell will be opening the show. Come on out and help us enjoy and celebrate the history and the splendor of the Frauenthal. Show starts at 7:30. Reserved Seating. Frauenthal Box Office M-F 11 AM - 6 PM 231-727-8001 or Star Tickets 1-800-585-3737 www.frauenthal.org

If you would enjoy a more intimate atmosphere, join us on Friday March 26 at Fennville's Salt Of The Earth. We always enjoy playing this excellent restaurant and music venue. Executive Chef Matthew Pietsch creates marvelous offerings from mostly locally grown and produced ingredients. No fillers, no additives, just wonderfully good food. Trust us. You won't be sorry. A full bar is offered that includes Michigan wines and beers. We start at 8:30. There's no cover charge, so come on out and enjoy dinner or one of their famous wood-fired pizzas. 269-561-7258 www.saltoftheearthfennville.com

Remember that our new CD, Turn Back A Page, is always available wherever we are performing and at the following outlets and websites.

In Muskegon: Sun Wind and Rain, Glass Reflections, and the Muskegon County Museum Gift Shop.
In Grand Rapids: Schuler Books and Music on 28th Street and on Alpine Ave.
In Lansing: Elderly Instruments
On Line: www.cdbaby.com, iTunes, www.digstation.com, www.amazon.com

Thanks for taking the time to read this month's newsletter. We are truly grateful for your support and we hope to see you soon.

Please join our official Fan Email List at
http://www.reverbnation.com/ruthandmaxb
And join us on FaceBook at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ruth-and-Max-Bloomquist/101518542307

Sincerely,

Ruth and Max Bloomquist
www.ruthbloomquist.com

Turn Back A Page Release Concert A Success

Our March 5 CD release concert was a big success as far as we're concerned. Cindy Beth Davis and her staff at the Howmet Playhouse in Whitehall treated us and our fans right. A cash bar was available before the show and during the intermission.

We were joined on stage by John King (guitar) and Dan Seabolt (fiddle) and they added wonderful depth and dimension to the show as always. We are so very lucky to be associated with such talented musicians and fine individuals.

The set list included all the songs from Turn Back A Page, our newest CD release, plus one or two from each of the previous three and a few of our favorite covers. We even had two father-daughter dance couples dancing in the orchestra pit during Ruth's song, Daddy Dance.

After our encore, our friend Joe Wolff presented Ruth with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and each of the guys in the band with a bottle of something nice.

Video and audio were recorded separately, and we hope to post a song or two on YouTube when they are synced and edited. Many thanks to Dave and Kate with the cameras and Steve for both mixing live and recording audio.

The large crowd of fans was very generous at the CD table, which was managed with aplomb by Street Teamers Tom and Dawn Willi. During the second set we presented a door prize consisting of a new CD along with a Michigan Girl mug and a Michigan Girl pin to the winner of a drawing from names and email addresses of participating audience members who wished to be added to our ReverbNation email fan list.
Opening act was guitarist Justin Wierenga who told us he was treated very well by our audience. His freeform jazzy new age style seemed a good foil for our more rootsy sound.

Turn Back A Page is available from us at all of our gigs of course, and also at several brick and morter establishments and many online sources including: CDBaby.com, iTunes, Elderly Instruments, Digstation, etc.

In-Studio at WYCE promotes Acoustic Saturday Nights

We went to the Grand Rapids studios of WYCE, the great community radio station, and talked with Music Director Pete Bruinsma about the new CD, Turn Back A Page, and our upcoming concert of the Grand River Folk Arts Society's Acoustic Saturday Night series (February 13) Follow the link to hear a stream of the broadcast. We talked with Pete and played a couple of tunes.
http://www.grcmc.org/?page=news&news_id=916

New CD Release Date

We are excited and happy to announce that our new CD, TURN BACK A PAGE, is currently being shipped to us. We are hoping to mail them out to friendly radio stations around Feb. 12. The “official” release date is March 2. Please join us for a special CD release concert on March 5 at the Howmet Playhouse in Whitehall, MI. For more information and to reserve tickets call… (231) 894-4048.

Locally in Western Michigan, we hope to once again have them available at Sun Wind and Rain in Muskegon, Glass Reflections in Muskegon Heights, Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids, and Elderly Instruments in Lansing. It will eventually be available for purchase or download at CDBaby.com, iTunes, digstation.com, amazon, and other online distribution sites.

Of course, our favorite way to get our music into your hands is to see you in person. Our schedule is at our website, so take a look and make a plan to come on out to get your autographed copy. We can’t wait for you to hear it.