tis the sneezin'

well, young mirabelle has been laid up for a score of days w/ a stop-and-go nose issue. seems like it's worst in the morning then gets better by nightfall. poor thing is keeping a stoic pose, and mom and dad have the sweater stains to prove she's smart enough to not only do away w/ the clogged olfactories, but to remind us whenever we look at our sullied garments that we need more lysol and purell...or maybe a big plastic bubble to live in. the good dr. says it's a sign that her immune system is working so we prefer to encourage that point of view. in music news, there's lots to crow about, though the wren the wren is king of all birds:
Dec. 1--I perform in traditional tattered Dickensian garb at the Georgetown Holiday Market. That'll be me up at 2600 Wisconsin Avenue, strapped firmly to my squeezebox, fighting off the maddening throng. If you haven't got a penny then a ha'penny will do. and if you haven't any idea what a ha'penny is then my you're crude (adapted from the old english lyrics).--11-4 pm

Dec. 1 (evening)--private--Charlottesville

Dec. 2--I again weather the feverish shoppers and revelers at the Annual Georgetown tree-lighting. Come down, take your picture with the mayor, Father Christmas, and Frosty the Accordionist--from 4-7 at 3000 K St. NW

Dec. 2--Verbunk performs at Fellini's in downtown Charlottesville from 9 - 12 pm. we have the definitive minor swing version of your holiday favorites--rudyard, the red-nosed uncle, 'beernuts roasting on an oil-can flame' and 'splinter vunderland (polka)'.

Dec. 5--I perform at Charlottesville's 'Democrat Dinner' at the Sage Moon gallery in downtown Charlottesville 7 - 9 pm.

Dec. 6--Boar's Head--private--6:30-8:30 pm

Dec. 7--Private--3-4 pm

Dec. 8--Bat Mitsvah (private)-12:30-2:30 pm

Dec. 8--private--Holiday Party--7 - 9 pm

Dec. 13--Verbunk performs at the Sage Moon Gallery in downtown Charlottesville--5 - 6 pm

Dec. 14--I perform with Chris Leva and the Guano Boys. Visit www.guanoboy.com for more info on this trans-Atlantic, pan-Caribbean jabberwocky of a band. Lots of fun to insert myself (and my squeezebox) into this groove. But, alas, after baiting the hook, i fear that this is a private party.

Dec. 15--Tell Us a Tale welcomes one and all to the annual radio broadcast from the gravity lounge. This year, Matty Metcalfe and Crewe d'Bayou are a privileged musical act for the show. We'll be doing lots of New Orleans-inspired Holiday songs, including the Louis Armstrong hits 'Christmastime in New Orleans' and 'Dat you, Santa Claus?' featuring our favorite guests John D'earth on trumpet and Dawn Thompson on percussion and vocals. The event starts at 2 pm and we play at 3:30 sharp. For more info see www.gravity-lounge.com

Dec. 15--Matty Metcalfe and Crewe d'Bayou perform at Fellini's from 10 to 1 that evening. Come down and catch our zydeco/funk/jazz/cajun brand of New Orleans soul.

Dec. 16--private party -6-8 pm.

Dec. 28th--Peyton Tochterman and High Society at Gravity Lounge--8 pm

Dec. 31st--Verbunk performs at First Night Virginia. Keep your eyes on www.firstnightva.org for info.

And of course, email me about any details i might be forgetting.

veni, vidi, vici, vhyme, oyveh, ab, aram, ees, ahs, eesh

As your (my/one's) readership may have observed, with the dimmest of wit or eyesight, I have titled most blog entries this year w/ clever-meets-clunky plays upon each month's name--nom-de-gyear, if you will. won't you? ok, then. if that is how it is, then i will tell you that my initial, knee-jerk association with the word 'november' began with my surmisal that it belonged to that class of latin numerology relating to the English (or Arabic, really) number nine. to my great shock, if you count backwards, forwards, or fourswords, you'll keep coming to the inscrutable gaveled verdict that november is not the ninth, but the eleventh month of the year. here is where the roman scholars may pound your fist firmly on the laptop, upsetting your jar of mead and cursing zeus' triton. "by the axe head of prometheus, i know the answer!" you cry, clovened gruel spluttering onto your modern aged 'thunder-book'. "yes, that is correct," i tell you, before you upset the mater, puella, and romulus/remus (ok, that's all i know from six years of latin). the roman calendar began in march and ended in december, making november the ninth month. mystery solved, watson. on a more interesting note, november is a month of sacrifice," or "blood-month," the time when the early Saxons prepared for winter by sacrificing many animals, which they then butchered and stored for food. so here you go, please scavenge on the following musical sacrifices i offer up this month:

November 3rd--Matty Metcalfe and Crewe d'Bayou--at Fellini's #9 in downtown charlottesville. music starts at 10 pm. call 434 979 4279 for directions. or follow the beaded, masked parade.

November 4th--I return to Fellini's the following night with Verbunk, the ear-scratchingest, goat-wranglinest posse of musical infidels this side of dracula's castle. tico-suave. we start at 6 pm.

November 11th--My students participate in the Metcalfe School of Music bi-annual Student Showcase, showering you with the finest musical talent under my tutelage. I'm particularly excited about my Rock Band 101 class, which I started this semester--including piano, accordion, two bassists, and electric guitar. We will be rocking out on some classic tracks by the Clash, Chuck Berry, Dick Dale, and the Beatles.

November 18th--I perform on accordion at Barboursville Vineyards for a private occasion.

November 24th--I am honored to be the musician at Georgetown's annual tree-lighting ceremony, performed by the mayor of Washington D.C. Festivities start at 3 pm.

November 29th--At the Outback Lodge with Shakesphere--check out more on this Afro-Caribbean convulessence (not a word, webster?)--i'll make it mean a collusion meets a collision of transatlantic proportions, at essence. see www.guanoboy.com for details.