We Take a Request .... From Facebook!

This week's freebie from The 1937 Flood answers a request that came from up along the northern reaches of the Information Highway.

The Flood occasionally gets and plays requests, but here's a first -- a request that came in from Facebook! Our old friend Strat Douthat lives in Plainfield, Vermont, these days, but back in the early 1970s, he lived near us here in Huntington, West Virginia, where he was in charge of the local Associated Press bureau. Strat and wife Gail were regulars at the parties where The Flood was being born, serving as spiritual advisors, if you will, in the band's formative years.

Well, recently, Strat was checking out our Facebook page and left a message saying, "You guys still do 'Blackberry Blossom'?" Joe Dobbs remembered that was always one of Strat's favorite fiddle tunes, so he ran off a fresh batch for him at last night's rehearsal. Click here to hear the tune!

By the way, if you haven't checked out our Facebook page, we hope you will. And we've made it easy for you. Just click here! And be sure to click the "Like" button at the top of the Facebook so you'll be kept up to date on all the Flood doin's.

 Finally, remember that the tunes from the jam sessions make up our weekly Flood podcasts. You can subscribe for free and get the music automatically delivered to your computer each Thursday. For details on that, click here.

This week's freebie from The 1937 Flood features a stroll down mem'ry lane...

Our dear friend, Floodster Emeritus Chuck Romine, dropped by last night to show off his new tenor banjo and that got us nostalgic for the old tunes -- including some tunes that even pre-date Chuck's six-year stint with the band by, oh, several decades or so.

For instance, The Flood has featured Dave Peyton and Joe Dobbs on this version of "June Apple" since its earliest days. Last night, Michelle Walker called for the tune and Joe and Dave delivered. Click here to hear it!

Oh, and here's a little extra -- and an interesting footnote on that tune. Just this week, The Flood officially released its first-ever DVD, called "Making of 'Wade in the Water.'" While most of the DVD features videos shot last August at the Live at Trackside studio as The Flood recorded its latest CD, it also includes a few videos built around some of The Flood's earliest recordings. Among them is a version of "June Apple" recorded at a party more than 30 years ago. For a hoot, you can compare last night's rendering with what we did with it in 1981. Here a link to a YouTube video. 

 And more information about the new DVD -- including how you can order online (hint, hint…), click here. 

 Finally, Remember that the tunes from the jam sessions make up our weekly Flood podcasts. You can subscribe for free and get the music automatically delivered to your computer each Thursday. For details on that, click here.

Hi friends,

This morning we wrap up the great Joe Dobbs Book Tour, rolling into downtown Huntington. At 10 a.m., we'll be hoisting the Flood flag at Heritage Station, 210 11th St.


Whether or not you've made any of the earlier stops on the tour -- Ashland on Thursday night,  South Charleston last night -- you definitely want to catch this one! We'll be setting up near the wonderful River and Rail Bakery inside the building, near the Cabell Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau facilities. The whole band will be on hand, along with guest artist Jacob Scarr, our Floodster emeritus. Joe will read an excerpt from his new memoir, A Country Fiddler, and then visit with readers and sign copies.

And as if you needed further incentive, Joe and The Flood aren't the only pretty faces at the Station this morning. Outside starting at 10 and going all day, the shops of Heritage Station will be holding their first boardwalk sale and artisan market. Come on, Huntington, step out early and party downtown!

We got so much great press attention this week for the tour:

* Dave Lavender wrote an excellent story in The Herald-Dispatch on Thursday. Click here for a .pdf of it.

* Doug Imbrogno also wrote a wonderful piece in The Charleston Gazette on Wednesday. Click here to see Doug's story.

We also featured the tour in this week's Flood podcast, along with a great fiddle tune. Click here to hear that.

Hello, South Charleston! Here's come the Joe Dobbs Book Tour TONIGHT!

Hi friends,

We had a GREAT launch of the Joe Dobbs Book Tour last night in Ashland with a packed house at the Paramount -- what a hoot! -- and now we're eager to move on to South Charleston tonight.

One slight change in the plan. We said earlier that tonight's show at The Daily Cup (246 7th Ave. in South Charleston)  would be 6:30. However, the good people at the Cup have asked us to move that up to 6 p.m. and we're happy to do that.

If you not been to the Cup before, it's easy to get to. Coming from the west (Huntington/Ashland), just take I-64 and get off at the MacCorkle Avenue exit (the one at the end of the new big bridge) and go east. You’ll pass a Krispie Kreme on the left. Keep going for a couple blocks and turn right onto E Street. Go two blocks and turn left onto 7th Avenue and it’ll be about two or three blocks farther. Here's a map too.

Meanwhile, if you can't make it to South Charleston tonight, there will be one more chance make the tour. We'll be at Huntington's Heritage Station, 210 11th St., at 10 a.m. Saturday. Put it on your calendar!

We continue to get great press attention this week in advance of the tour:

* Dave Lavender wrote an excellent story in this morning's Herald-Dispatch. Click here for a .pdf of it.

* Doug Imbrogno also wrote a wonderful piece in The Charleston Gazette on Wednesday. Click here to see Doug's story.

We also featured the tour in this week's Flood podcast, along with a great fiddle tune. Click here to hear that.

The Joe Dobbs Book Tour Starts TONIGHT in Ashland

Hi friends,

Just a quick reminder that The 1937 Flood kicks off the Joe Dobbs Book Tour at 7:30 TONIGHT at the Paramount Arts Center's Marquee Room, 1300 Winchester Ave., Ashland, Ky. The whole band will be on hand with music and good times. And Joe will not only play, but also read excerpts from his new memoir, A Country Fiddler, as well as visit with readers and sign copies.

And if you can't make it tonight, remember, the tour has two more stops this week:

-- 6:30 p.m. Friday at The Daily Cup, 246 7th Ave. in South Charleston.

-- 10 a.m. Saturday at Heritage Station, 210 11th St., Huntington.

We've had a great press attention this week in advance of the tour:

* Dave Lavender wrote an excellent story in this morning's Herald-Dispatch. Click here for a .pdf of it.

* Doug Imbrogno also wrote a wonderful piece in The Charleston Gazette on Wednesday. Click here to see Doug's story.

We also featured the tour in this week's Flood podcast, along with a great fiddle tune. Click here to hear that.

Hope you can join us on at least one of the stops on the tour and celebrate the JoeFest!

Come to the Joe Dobbs Book Tour This Week in Ashland, South Charleston and Huntington!

This week's freebie from The 1937 Flood features a track from the new Flood CD and news of three back-to-back Flood concerts coming up later this week.

Flood co-founder Joe Dobbs has written a highly-acclaimed memoir called "A Country Fiddler," which is causing quite a pleasant stir in the music community. Now to help spread the word,

The Flood is launching its three-day "Joe Dobbs Book Tour" this week. The tour kicks off this Thursday evening in Ashland, Ky., with a 7:30 show at the Paramount Arts Center's Marquee Room. On Friday at 6: 30 p.m., we're in South Charleston at The
Daily Cup. And then on Saturday we wrap up the tour with a morning show -- 10 a.m. -- at the wonderful old Heritage Station in downtown Huntington.

See our web site -- 1937flood.com -- for all the details.

Meanwhile, to get us in the mood, here's a track featuring Joe from The Flood's latest "Wade in the Water" CD. Click here to hear the tune!

Remember that the tunes from the jam sessions make up our weekly Flood podcasts. You can subscribe for free and get the music automatically delivered to your computer each Thursday. For details on that, click here.