I've collected some great contemporary ballads about natural disasters for today’s program including the story of two horseback riders who saved people from the deadly 1903 Heppner, OR flood, the brave Colorado State Tropper who saved many lives during the 1976 Big Thompson flood before being swept away by the waters, the sad tale of a survivor of the 1949 Mann Gulch fire in Montana, and a tribute to the brave men and women who fight wild fires.
It's not all gloom and doom- there’s comic relief by John Hartford, Christine Lavin, Loudon Wainwright III, and Tom Lehrer.
The show ends with a musical tribute to the brilliant mathematician and hilarious 1950s and early 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer and virtuoso Tex Mex accordionist Flaco Jimenez, both of whom we lost at the end of July.
Featured artists include Portland singer- songwriter and ukulele-est Avery Hill, Portland’s Cascadia Folk Quartet, Erica Wheeler, James Keelaghan, Portland favorite Tom May, and blues from Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie, Willie Dixon.
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You can contact me at: pasturesofplenty@kboo.org
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Cool Tom Lehrer and Flaco Jimenez Concert Videos
Hilarious Tom Lehrer 1967 concert in Copenhagen:
https://youtu.be/QHPmRJIoc2k?si=j5Oz91KQ7-_IyKtl
Flaco Jimenez NPR Tiny Desk Concert:
https://youtu.be/gOMRNSmwa3U?si=THfbNc8EUnRvDjis
Flaco Jimenez with the Texas Tornadoes in 2005:
https://youtu.be/rGxuiQ988rA?si=MfZu_4g1RAROR4e0
Great Concert film by Les Blank of Ry Cooder with Flaco Jimenez with a great band live in 1987:
https://youtu.be/tbtoXRFOwEc?si=n8LAS3eYKJrEreOh
Flaco Jimenez with Los Super Seven on Austin City Limits in 1999:
https://youtu.be/narXa5kKB74?si=mu6kOD6NXUiaF6xn
Flaco Jimenez with The Mavericks on the Tonight Show in 1996:
https://youtu.be/tYyg21lRAs8?si=oJ4-4QWuTy2L37xB
August 2025 Folk Music Concert Calendar
TOPAZ FARMS AMERICANA HARVEST FEST THURSDAYS 6-830 PM
• August 7 Fruition, with the Takes
• August 21 Horse Feathers with Alela Diane
• August 28 Laura Gibson and Ural Thomas & the Pain
ARTICHOKE MUSIC (SE 20th & POWELL) CONCERTS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS DOORS 630 SHOWS 7PM
• Sunday August 10 Artichoke Benefit featuring Ron Roseland with Kyle Glenn & Richard Tillinghast
• Thursday August 14 Artichoke Afternoons with Steve Cheseboro 1-230 pm
• August 14 Thursday Night Coffeehouse Showcase
• August 29 A night of Chicago blues with John Primer & Steve Bell
• September 5 First Friday Concert Lloyd Jones with keyboardist Brady Goss
HAYLOFT CONCERTS IN SALEM SATURDAYS AT 630 PM
• Aug 2 Kathryn Claire & Margo Merah (Portland to Amsterdam, a folk music collaboration from the heart) with Laura Kemp
• Aug 23 Kara Quello & Co. does Broadway
• Sep 13 Mary Flower and Kristen Grainger & Dan Wetzel
BLUE MONDAYS WITH LLOYD JONES AT THE MUDDY RUDDER PUB 8-10PM
TUMBLEWEED MUSIC FESTIVAL IN RICHLAND, WA AMON PARK AUGUST 29-31
Thursday, August 7th
Whiskey Deaf
The Muddy Rudder Pub, SE Portland; 8pm
Sunday, August 10th
The How Long Jug Band
Oakshire Brewing, NE 42nd & Alberta Portland; 5pm
Tuesday, August 12th
Jackstraw
The Laurelthirst Pub, NE 30th & Glisan Portland; 6pm
I’ll post a link to the calendar on the August 6 POP page on the KBOO website.
And while you’re there you‘ll find a playlist of songs from today’s program, and please consider clicking on the red donate button in the upper right hand corner of the page and becoming a KBOO member. Thanks.
You can contact me at pasturesofplenty@kboo.org.