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Where’s Aubrey at the Barns of Rose Hill 11/11: Save the Date

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Where’s Aubrey will perform all original music from their brand new ninth record, Hole, at a benefit concert November 11th at the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville.  All proceeds from the concert benefit the Shenandoah Riverkeepers.

Get your tickets now.

Here is a rough mix of track six on Where’s Aubrey’s new record Holes.  The record is currently in final production.

 

About: Local violinist Gary McGraw (The Bitter Liberals) and New Hampshire songwriter Rhine Singleton are Where’s Aubrey.  Where’s Aubrey will be joined at this show by Richmond multi-instrumentalist Charles Arthur (featured at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) and Winchester jazz drummer Nick Shrenk.  Where’s Aubrey is releasing a new record at the show called Holes.  Where’s Aubrey has performed since 1985, releasing nine records and raising $17,000 for charity. Singleton’s original songs, cloaked and hooded by McGraw’s improvisation on the fiddle and mandolin, range from old-timey folk music to modern jazz.

Gary McGraw has played the violin since he was just three years old (54 years for those of you counting), and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Barns of Rose Hill. McGraw met Singleton at the University of Virginia and Where’s Aubrey gradually coalesced into existence in the mid-90s and began recording all original music in 2001.  Gary is also a member of The Bitter Liberals.

Rhine Singleton played piano and violin as a teen, before switching to the acoustic guitar. In his time at the University of Virginia with McGraw, Singleton started singing and was inspired to write his own music. Soon after compiling a strong repertoire of original tunes, the duo began recording under the name Where’s Aubrey.

Although McGraw and Singleton regularly write and record music, it’s rare to see a live performance by Where’s Aubrey.

Date & Time: Saturday, November 11, 2023. Doors open at 6:00 PM and the concert starts at 7:00 PM.

Ticket Price: All tickets are general admission. $20 in advance until 3:00 PM on the day of the event. $25 at the door. Children 12 years and below are free when accompanied by an adult.

Ticket Information:

 or by calling the Barns of Rose Hill Box Office at 540-955-2004 (Noon to 3:00 PM – Tuesday through Saturday). When our Box Office is closed, please leave a message. All ticket sales are final; no exceptions and no exchanges.

Program Sponsors: We extend our special thanks to Michael Hobert and Mary Jane Lee for sponsoring this program!

Program Benefits: Proceeds from this show will benefit Shenandoah Riverkeeper, part of the Potomac Riverkeeper Network. A representative will be in attendance.

 

2023 Second Gig: Clark Hansbarger in Front Royal

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Somehow COVID put a mega-hurt on the Bitter Liberals.  We stopped playing shows for all of the obvious reasons, and eventually we also stopped practicing together.  For whatever reason, we haven’t managed to restart yet.

Clark to the rescue!

Bitter Liberal Clark Hansbarger is one of two master songwriters in the band.  As you may know, all of our songs have stories behind them.  Read about some of Clark’s excellent songs here.

We played a gig at the Blue Wing Frog, a restaurant in Front Royal that has been hosting a songwriters series of small shows.  Clark agreed to play a show, and Allen Kitselman and I sat it as side men.  It was magical playing this music again.

We brought our own sound system and lit the place up with crystal clear sound.  The venue was sold to capacity (around 50 people came on a very rainy evening). The crowd listened intently.

 

Clark opened the first set with 6 or 7 songs performed solo.

Eventually Allen and I joined in.

 

It was a rewarding and magical evening.  Thanks to all who came.

 

 

Performing in Campiglia Cervo: Into the Unknown

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The stadium in Campiglia Cervo is scaled to match the interstate highway system that blazes through the center of town.  We packed the stadium to the gills with what I am told was 65 people, including the vice mayor who introduced us, but not including the mayor himself who had more important things to do like look at himself in the mirror.  Just so you know, this was a much bigger show than the show Metallica put on at the same stadium!

The show was actually very good.  Intimate. Interesting. Tight.  During the rest of our time in Rialmosso we ran into lots of people who either attended or heard through the grapevine about our performance.  That was both really cool and very gratifying.

So what happened, exactly?

First we invented the idea.  And we practiced.  Then Matt arrived and things got remarkably much better.  in the end, the performance included:

April Claggett, realtime art

Gary McGraw, violin, mandolin and vocal harmony

Matt Savage, piano

Sogol Shirazi, piano and dance

Rhine Singleton, guitar, dobro, vocals, songwriting

The road crew set the stage after arriving the day before to check electricity levels and make sure all of the seating was available.  We have nothing but admiration for our intrepid road crew.  They work so hard so we can do what we do.

The show consisted of three parts as shown on the billboard above.

Here is a stage floor view of the set list for those of you collecting bootlegs.

And a view of the nosebleed seating in the back before anyone was in the house.  You can see the dancing props professionally built by our dedicated construction crew.

Publicity was run by our crack PR team who were able to put up a poster with the last of the tape.

Fortunately that poster was all it took to fill the space to the gills.  When we started (only 5 minutes late), people were standing because the seating was gone.  Even the reserved section for mastiffs and toddlers was full.

We sincerely appreciate the willingness of the locals in the area to support our art with enthusiasm and love!

The stage is set.  The weather is perfect.

And we’re off. Sogol and Matt play Bach together.

Dancing to Vivaldi Concerto in G major for Two Mandolins, Strings and Continuo, RV 532 (re-re-arranged for violin, guitar and piano).

Realtime art during We Will Float Away.

Then the game.

Here is a (raw) video compilation of the show, barely edited.  This is six minutes of an hour long show.

A complete properly-produced video will be available someday (or so we believe). We are told it is being edited by the BBC in cooperation with NPR.

Another view of the Finale from the audience.

We had so much fun inventing the game and performing it that we want to do it again.

 

 

Creating a New Art Form

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Eight of us have convened in Rialmosso, Italia to create some art together.  Sadly, three of us were almost immediately infected with COVID from the trip across the ocean.  So far, the other five of us are healthy and working together to create, well, something.  Here’s how that is going.

We have a movement artist, a painter, and three musicians.  For one section of the show we are performing this Sunday we’ve decided on an art form where we pass a token between us, one after another (and sometimes to a group).  The idea is for each artist to improvise in their medium given what the artist before them came up with in another medium.

This set of videos shows our second attempt at this performance game.

It all starts with April Claggett

 

Who passes the token to Rhine Singleton (uncharacteristically playing the dobro).

 

Who passes the token to Sogol Shirazi.

 

Who, uh oh, passes the token to me (Gary McGraw).  Fortunately, I was unable to film myself playing the violin.  (Though you can find some video on Rhine’s blog Blame it on Sally.)

Now that Matt Savage has joined us on the piano, we have five players.  This is an interesting experiment that we’re having fun with.

 

Ready…

Set…

Go…

We are also performing some classical music.  Here is some Vivaldi being worked up.  Sogol will dance to this once we figure it out.

A more pedantic video of the Vivaldi sessions.

There is Bach being worked up, and Chopin too.

 

And we’re spicing up some Where’s Aubrey tunes with simultaneous art and dance.

The incredible result of one of our improvisations

Our time together at Villa Emma has been filled with ideas, collaboration, and the joy of creating something together.

 

Making music Near Biella (Miagliano)

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What happens when you convene an eclectic group of artists with a vague plan to “make something” involving music, dance, drawing, and possibly opera?  Well who knows.  We haven’t been able to find out yet as one of the dancers came to Italy with COVID (everyone tested on arrival) and spread it to two others in our group before proper quarantine set in.  The biggest impact involved our fearless leader and chief convener Shooka taking to her bed.

The upshot on Sunday about three hours after landing in Italy was a hastily constructed spettacolo involving Bach, improvisational movement art to unplanned spontaneous music, and Where’s Aubrey in Miagliano, Italy. Amazingly, the people who came to see us actually enjoyed themselves.

We fittingly call ourselves, Into the Unknown.

Instruments fly from Germany

 

Giant guitar case travels well

 

Sogol plays Bach to open the show

 

The audience mostly avoided the actual amphitheater seats, instead opting for the shade

We shifted the “stage” to face the shade loving audience.

 

“Backstage” with a dobro

By far the most interesting part of the show was when the musicians played whatever occurred to them (us?) as the dancers moved to the improvisational music and the artist drew what she heard and saw.  We divided that piece into eight parts defined by the artist.  We also asked the audience to participate by drawing as well.

Movement art

 

Sogol and Dani and April

 

Where’s Aubrey performs with a kluged up sound system

 

Paparazzi

 

Sure

Ultimately, we all had a good time at our first performance (one of three planned so far). Benvenuto in Italia.

More about the show can be found on Rhine’s blog.

 

Machine Learning Security in Berryville July 1st

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Get your tickets for a public general interest talk on Machine Learning and Security here.

Nancy Griffith memorial

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During the 28th annual Oopstock, we spontaneously performed this version of Nanci Griffith’s song “Love at the Five and Dime” as a memorial.  Nanci died the day before we performed this song.

Thanks for the music, Nanci.

 

 

Birthday Show in New Hampshire: Where’s Aubrey

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Where’s Aubrey
photo by Tom Singleton

What’s the best way to celebrate birthday 52? With a show in New Hampshire of course. Where’s Aubrey played a show in the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire for a receptive audience at the Mole Hill Theater. As always, we played a benefit performance, this time for the LEAF (nutritious lunch) program of a public charter school operating out of the same revamped machine shop where we played the show.

Alstead

A machine

We played our sets right next to a huge blue machine. Not sure what it actually used to do. Stamp out complete cars??

Where’s Aubrey and the big blue machine

The show was high energy and fun, one of the best we’ve played.

Where’s Aubrey: Gary McGraw and Rhine Singleton

Laying into the fiddle

Rhine sings

Mando and the big blue behemoth

Where’s Aubrey in Alstead, NH

no silly allowed? definitely no silly.

fiddle and the big blue behemoth

What kind of stuff does it take to play an acoustic act??

the stage

Well, to be fair, we played our two set show. Then after a break we electrified the whole thing with drums, bass, and electric guitar. The LEAF Cutters were born. Dancing happened. Much fun was had.

=====
A message from Rhine

Dear Friends and Music Lovers –

Because you and so many others turned out last Saturday night, we not only had a total blast playing music, we raised $1250 for the healthy lunches program at the LEAF school through donations at the door. The silent auction brought in another $1000, so the event truly was a smashing success!

And, you were a wonderful audience to play for. So, we’re sending our heartfelt thanks. Hope to see you at another music event before too long!

fin

Pictures from the Where’s Aubrey Habitat Show 12.29.17

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We played a show last year. Hah. OK, last year was only 7 days ago, but it’s true. During the show, we dropped a new CD called “diversion” which you can order for yourself. Have a listen to our favorite track!

BTW, the super delicious cover art is by Eli McGraw.

Collectively, we raised $1181 for Habitat for Humanity’s work in Clarke County, bringing Where’s Aubrey’s all concert total to $15,662.

The concert was a blast to play. Here are some pictures. In each set, we started out with only two people on stage, Gary McGraw on violin and Rhine Singleton on guitar.

Where’s Aubrey performs at the Barns of Rose Hill 12.29.18 (photo Amy Barley)

 

Eventually (during both sets) we were joined by stunt guitarist Allen Kitselman and drummer Nick Schrenk (both of the Bitter Liberals).

Nick Schrenk of the Bitter Liberals plays drums with Where’s Aubrey 12.29.18 (photo Amy Barley)

 

The gang’s all here. Allen Kitselman play stunt guitar with Where’s Aubrey 12.29.17 (photo Amy Barley)

 

Where’s Aubrey plus two Barns of Rose Hill 12.29.17

 

The highlight of the evening for us was honoring our biggest fan and long time Berryville arts supporter Michael Hobert. Here’s what I said about Michael from the stage.

Michael Hobert (photo Jen Lee)

 

Rhine Singleton (photo Tom Singleton)

 

Where’s Aubrey mid-jam (photo Tom Singleton)

 

Gary McGraw (photo Tom Singleton)

 

Rhine concentrates (photo Tom Singleton)

 

Paging Allen Kitselman, Allen Kitselman to the blue courtesy guitar (photo Tom Singleton)

 

The energy was palpable during the show. Thanks to the 100+ people who came to see Where’s Aubrey perform. We’ll be back.

Where’s Aubrey Jams at Barns of Rose Hill 12.29.17 (photo Jen Lee)

 

Goofing off on stage (in the middle of a song) (photo Jen Lee)

 

Yeah, this is fun (photo Jen Lee)

 

Sensitive Big Boy Music not just reserved for the Bitter Liberals (photo Jen Lee)

 

Yessir (photo Jen Lee)

 

What a Blast! (photo Jen Lee)

Where’s Aubrey at the Barns in Berryville 1.29.17

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Where’s Aubrey will play a benefit for Habitat for Humanity’s work in Clarke County FRIDAY 1.29.17 at the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, VA.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW

Learn more about Habitat for Humanity in Clarke County.

100% of proceeds from the concert go to Habitat.

We will be releasing our eighth CD the day of the show. Art by Eli McGraw. Music by Rhine Singleton and Gary McGraw. At the show, we’ll be playing all of the songs from the new CD plus some of your favorite Where’s Aubrey tunes.

We will be joined on stage by Allen Kitselman and Nick Schrenk of the Bitter Liberals.

See you Friday!

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