Rock Garden Tour

THE YEAR OF THE KAZOO

You're probably wondering what we've been up to. Thanks to Kat Burdine for perfecting the design of my coat hanger kazoo holder. Looks like we can cross that New Years Resolution off the list.

Mythic Ipso-lope

Last Friday Rock Garden Tour took part in Ipso Gallery's latest biggest thing, an arts event called Artifact. We posted about it the other day. The above photo features the object we handed off to our artist Andrew Kosten, and some kazoos. While the kazoos did not inspire Kosten's piece (see elements from said piece below), they do inspire us nearly every day.

Ipso Gallery, located at Fresh Produce (the same yahoos that produce our show), supports the arts by throwing art parties and donating money. This year's take goes to the downtown sculpture walk in Sioux Falls. Please stop by the space and have a look for yourself. Our piece is even better in color.

Pain Does Not Exist, But Vaporous Entities Do!

If you turniped yer radio for last week-end's Rock Garden Tour on SDPB Radio you probably noticed the glitch. At some point during an interview with Brookings, SD film-maker Aaron Toronto our audio skipped worse than a thrift store copy of Rambo First Blood Part II (soundtrack). As you already know, a scratchy lp's utility stretches far beyond its sonic offerings. You can hang them from fruit trees to deter deer and possom and the neighbors. But for the Rock Garden Tour, an audio glitch can kill an entire week's worth of work. And it did. Bummer. So, long story sort of mid-sized, you'll have the opportunity to catch last week-end's show this week-end instead.

So what happened? Why the glitch? We suspect paranormal activity, probably a vaporous entity of some kind. It was the week-end of Halloween after all. Which reminds me, we dressed our baby up as Johnny Lawrence from Karate Kid.

The above image documents our experience. Johnny tough guy started strong, lost a little edge as soon as we left the house, at some point morphed into a skeletal Andy Warhol, and then into Uncle Fester. All in all, a great night.

One last thing before I sign off and start working on next week's show (would love to tell you more about it but I'd rather not give away the ending).

For the second year in a row Rock Garden Tour is sponsoring a piece in Ipso Gallery's major fund raiser (that's me holding the piece, it arrived in the mail yesterday). This year's event is called Artifact. Ipso paired 10 sponsors with their own artist, sponsors provided their artist with an object (the artifact) and a word to inspire a work. The sponsor also put up some money, half to the artist and half to the Ipso Gallery who donates the bounty to the downtown arts community. This year's take goes to the Sculpture Walk in downtown Sioux Falls.

Rock Garden Tour's Artifact: A jackalope mount we picked up a few years ago in Plankinton, SD.

My word: Township

Ipso Artifact features works from Rock Garden Tour regulars Letwan from Pest Control (the above picture features the extreme upper right corner of her piece), Mary Groth, and 8 others. Learn more about Artifact right here. If you're in the neighborhood on Friday November 4, please stop by the gallery and say hello.

If you're wondering about that image at the very top of this post, that's the pic of the week, a new "feature", corporate's idea.     

AVANT-GARDENER

If you ever listen to the live recording of our show Thursday nights from 8-10pm on KCFS 94.5 in the Queen City, you know we ask a So.Da.Pop! Quiz question at the top of the 9pm hour. Sort of an old radio stand-by we know. Not necessarily our style but its fun, plus it gives a chance to connect with a listener, plus at least the question is inspired by SD pop culture, plus at least we're not reading a list of famous people's birthdays. Regardless, the above photo is a major hint at the answer to tomorrow's question. This guy just rode his bike by my office window, one of the avant-gardenest things I've seen all day. 

SAVE THE WHALES FOR ANOTHER DAY

We've been talking about ourselves a lot lately. Yes, our Deadwood performance went gang-busters. Yes, we sold that mother out. Yes, Oil Can sang harmony on a Bob Dylan cover. And while, yes, we'd prefer to live in that moment forever there is life after Deadwood. Time to move on. We've wanted to tell you about the Plain Green Conference for some time now. It's a sustainability conference that takes a humble approach to saving the planet, or should I say plain-et. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. You can't accomplish huge things without taking care of small things. But don't take our word for it (we're still in Deadwood singing tunes about Frenchy Gale the fingerless farmhand) instead do exactly what this whale-man crusader says. 

Poly-Blend Is So Hot Right Now!

Thanks to @katburdine for helping us with these screen printed shirts. Listeners have been asking for RGT apparel, it looks like corporate finally listened. They'll be on sale in Deadwood, SD (Festival of Books this week-end!) at the RGT merch gazebo (in the Franklin Hotel) along with some gig posters (signed by News from Pierre!) and a pair of RGT stickers (give Presho a chance!). So if you're planning on joining us for the live show on Friday night, do yourself a favor and bring some spending papers.  

GATHER ROUND! THE FAMILY!

Rock Garden Tour Family Band gathered in downtown Sioux Falls this week-end for a crash course in South Dakota themes and parody tunes about Presho. Above, Cousin Leo lays down something wholesome.

We decided to add some drums to the mix this time around. Other than a wicked tuba solo to simulate the honking horn of an El Camino Super Sport, hi-hat was the only thing missing from our song about Murdo, SD.

Haiku excitement. I performed a poem about Java, SD and paid the price. All in all, Rock Garden Tour Family Band rehearsal went about as well as these things go. We'll be ready to go by showtime, more or less, this Friday night in Deadwood, SD at the South Dakota Festival of Books - Franklin Hotel 7pm. It's free.

Less Talk More Flux

Letwan from Pest Control exhibits works of sharks, bears, pipes, flags, an abstracted penguin and one cute little baby. She's joined by Ceca Cooper and Diana Behl in a show titled Anthologies In Flux in Galleries A and B at the Washington Pavilion. 3 talented artists, 1 great exhibition. Go there and celebrate some real SD/regional talent. Reception opens September 9 (TONIGHT!) from 5:30-7:30. 

 

The Argus Leader wanted to give you a place to share your 9/11 story so we gave them the key to our Telestory Booth. Feel free to stop by Argus Leader headquarters to share. Your story might end up on the Rock Garden Tour broadcast.    

 
REUNITED AND IT FEELS PRETTY MUCH LIKE IT DID BEFORE