Here’s how it works: Bryan hosts this songwriters circle, you see … and every year they make a compilation CD.

Then they have a CD release party.

And at that party, there’s a cover charge (a lousy five bucks) and sell the CDs (also a lousy five bucks).

And they have loads of great entertainment and pass a tip jar.

Then they take aaalllll the money that is collected and buy guitars.

And then, elf-like, they give the guitars to children’s service agencies like Boys and Girls Club, Maude Carpenter’s Childrens Home, Youthville and many more.

In the past five years they have delivered more than 50 guitars to underserved kids who really, really want ‘em.

You can be a part of it, too.

This Saturday, Dec. 6 at the infamous Artichoke Sandwich Bar at 811 N. Broadway in Wichita.

Here’s the lineup:

• Uche
• Tom James
• Robert Baker
• Carrie Cooley
• Amanda Lind
• Elvie Malcom
• The Melodivas
• Nikki Moddelmog
• Back Porch Buddha

Learn more at the Songwriters Circle web site.

I want my Pecan Grove back next year, please.

The Buddha boys on Stage 2 for the Songwriters Showcase

Anyway, the Buddha boys were all over the place. We played in the songwriters showcase again, owing to Bryan’s win (Songs About Feelin’ Good) with “Two Flattop Guitars.” It was at Stage 2 this year, which rocks. Despite the shuffled nature of the fest, the event was well-attended — maybe moreso than in recent years, actually.

The Buddha boys on Stage 5 (before it was relocated yet again).

And we played Stage 5 (before it’s second relocation). No mics or PA. We did, however, have the able assistance of St. Louis bassman Tom Wolf for the second year in a row. Thanks, Tom.

And Bryan opened the proceedings at the final K.C. Haywood Memorial, held at Stage 7. Rest in peace, KC.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Bryan has been a winner in the competition. Here’s the roundup:

* Small Town Kids (2005)
* Made by Hand (2006)
* September 14, 1966 (2006)
* You Again (2006, alternate)
* One Candle (2007)

Note that all the aforementioned songs (except Made by Hand) are available on our CD The Incredible Adventures of Back Porch Buddha. Just sayin’.

The New Songs Showcase is managed by the fabulously talented and relentlessly cheerful Kelly and Donna of Still on the Hill. Many thanks to them for a job well done.

Bryan and Dennis on Stage 3 performing “One Candle” in 2007.

It was a heckuva lot of fun.

The first set was just Bryan and Dennis, the Buddha regulars. And it was a weird set list — full of cover tunes and old, odd or underserved selections from the Buddha repertoire. Fun stuff.

Then we were joined by bassman Dan Russell and drummer Rob Farmer for the rest of the evening. We rolled out the Abbey Road medley again, and these guys really brought it to life. In fact, their hard work resulted in a call for an encore — so when Bryan and Dennis threw down with a Jackson 5 tribute, Dan and Rob were there to accept the charges. Killa crew, I say.

Most of the show is available for download below. Enjoy!

(ps: If anybody has any photos from this show, please e-mail them to us. Thanks!)

The multi-headed Buddha is back.

This incarnation features the infamous Rob Farmer on drums and bassist-philosopher Dan Russell.

Catch us all at the Artichoke this Saturday, May 31. Dennis and Bryan will start the show with a duet set, and they’ll unleash the beast when Dan and Rob join the second set.

Listen to a little bit here … (4.1 mb mp3)

Again:

Back Porch Buddha
with guests Dan Russell and Rob Farmer
Saturday night, May 31
Artichoke Sandwich Bar
811 N. Broadway, Wichita KS

The highlights were too numerous to mention, but for my money the most incredible showing came from Buddy Miller. His hour-long nightclub set left me in tears — such a soulful performance. And he sat in with dang near everybody.

There were loads of guitars and impromptu jams sprung up at a respectable pace. Plus, there was a series of juried Open Mics. I participated in the first open mic with my new pal David Hawkins, who dug in with his mad mandolin chops. “I’ll cover Dennis’ parts as closely as I can,” he told me, “but I won’t shave my head.” Fair enough. We got ‘em laughing with a foot-stomping rendition of Mona Rigby’s Houseboat. We didn’t win (and therefore didn’t get the opportunity to play a 45-minute show in the gorgeous Atrium Lounge), because a Canadian fella named Jacob Moon cracked open a crate of awesome — great song, great voice, great player — but we hear through the grapevine that the boys from Kansas were tough competition.

The folks who put the cruise together, Sixthman, found so much interest in the jams and open mics that they threw together an afternoon signup stage in the casino (that’s right, a real-live casino with noisy slot machines and blackjack tables and the works). David and I played Raise a Glass to a very appreciative crowd. That was the greatest part of the shows — the whole event was populated by folks who really love music, and who really came to listen. I gave away nearly 50 Back Porch Buddha CDs, and I know those tunes will fall on eager ears.

A week on the ocean, surrounded by great music and great people (meet our next-door bunkies Jann Browne and Matt Barnes). A once-in-a-lifetime deal, I suppose.

(A footnote: As soon as we got home, both Miss Juli and I became horribly, miserably afflicted with the flu. We each missed a week of work, and are just now becoming vaguely human.)

The Buddha boys made another video — this time it’s Neighbors, from The Incredible Adventures of Back Porch Buddha. It was fun to shoot … very low-tech, and I think the neighbors were appropriately troubled. Thanks to Nikki and Juli for the kickass front-porch cinematography.

I mean it. This year’s Walnut Valley Festival was just plain fun. It always is, of course, but 2007 was one for the books.

First off, Dennis and I played Stage 3 for the third consecutive year — we sang “One Candle” in the Saturday edition of the New Songs showcase. Lots of great songs this year, as usual.

Then we played the coveted Saturday evening sundown show on Stage 5. Ace of bass Tom Wolf from St. Louis joined us for a handful of originals, and then we brought Barney Byard and Shalen Scheltgen out to sing backing vocals on the Abbey Road Suite. Everyone of a certain age loved it and sang along … remember, that dates back to 1969! I hope the rest enjoyed it as well. Judging by the smiles I saw, I’ll wager they liked it.

Other highlights included a 2 am concert by Drakkar Sauna, the casino down by the eastern teepee, a campsite walkthrough by Terry Quiett, Tammy’s fierce dance routine Shane’s guitar-and-vocal arrangement of the dirtiest song I heard all weekend, Wayne Gottstine’s relentless Human Jukebox episodes by the campfire and the magnificent bassoon and cello work of Nicolasa Kuster and Tanya Tandoc with Good Question.

I’m tired now, and all my clothes smell like a campfire. Only 365 days til the next one …

Later,
Bryan

This is the third consecutive year that Bryan has had winners in the competition. Here are past winners:

• Small Town Kids (2005)
• Made by Hand (2006)
• September 14, 1966 (2006)
• You Again (2006, alternate)

Note that all the aforementioned songs (except Made by Hand) are available on the new CD, The Incredible Adventures of Back Porch Buddha. Just sayin’.

The New Songs Showcase is managed by the talented and endlessly cheerful Kelly and Donna of Still on the Hill. Many thanks to them for a job well done.

And it’s pretty damn dandy, if I may say so myself. 18 songs, just as performed in concert. 10 of those songs are previously unreleased (well, to be fair, 3 of those were “released” on Songwriter Circle CDs that were sold to raise money for the Guitars For Kids initiative. But they weren’t released in our actual catalog. ‘Nuff said.)

Only three songs from the concert were omitted from the CD: Put Down Your Gun, by Peter Case; Lucky Day, by Terry Quiett; and an awesome version of the Abbey Road Suite, by Lennon/McCartney. We didn’t put them on the CD because we didn’t want to mess with the licensing concerns. BUT CD buyers will find super-secret access inside the packaging. Nudge, nudge.

Many thanks to our kickass rhythm section of mad bassist John Probst and King Drum himself, Steve Hatfield. They made us sound 10 feet tall and bulletproof.

Want to know more? Check it out for yourself.