Summertime from 2003

featuring Leo Kottke, The Nilsson Sisters, and Dan Newton

Come see a show this summer! Garrison Keillor is on the road for many live performances. If you like storytelling, poetry, and singalongs with fellow fans, you’ll love attending these events. The West Coast is up next with stops in Bend, OR, Monterey, CA, Napa, CA, and San Francisco, in mid-July. Join us.

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Listen to the classic show

Tanglewood is a special place and we thank everyone who came out to enjoy the live show this past Saturday. It was the 17th time A Prairie Home Companion visited this historic venue nestled in the Berkshires. Well, this week, we decided to revisit an earlier show from the Tanglewood shed — this one from June 28, 2003, with Leo Kottke, The Nilsson Sisters string quartet, pianist Hsing-ay Hsu, and accordionist Dan Newton.

Highlights include talk about the area and Norman Rockwell, leading into Dan Newton and the Guy’s All-Star Shoe Band playing the “Norman Rockwell Polka,” Leo Kottke picking “Standing on the Outside” and “Corrine, Corrina,” The Nilsson Quartet joining Garrison on “Summertime,” a hobo script, some sound effects, Catchup, Guy Noir, and the latest News. Listen to the show.

More about our guest performers:

LEO KOTTKE was born in Athens, Georgia, but grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he began playing the trombone. Kottke learned theory and harmony from playing the trombone, but was introduced to his instrument of choice, the guitar, by his mom. When he was 12, she bought him a dime store guitar to entertain him when he was sick with mono. Kottke is now renowned as one of the most innovative acoustic guitarists of all time.

THE NILSSON SISTERS grew up in Anoka, Minnesota, and learned to play violin from their grandfather. Although they live and work separately, the siblings enjoy combining their musical talent whenever possible. Kristina Nilsson received her master’s degree from the New England Conservatory. She was a founding member of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Boston Pops. Elsa Nilsson graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and has served as Concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company Orchestra. She also held a position with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Jenny Lind Nilsson studied violin at the New School of Music in Philadelphia and the Manhattan School of Music. Jenny is an active freelance musician in the Twin Cities and the New York City area and she plays viola with the Minnesota Opera.

DAN NEWTON, a.k.a. “Daddy Squeeze,” studied folklore and music at the University of Nebraska and traveled extensively in the British Isles and across the U.S., learning whatever he could about regional music and food. Dan now resides in St. Paul where he maintains his lifelong fascination with all things spicy, pungent food, French roast coffee, dark beer, jug band, Cajun, cumbia music, and more. Dan spends much of his time playing accordion with his Café Accordion Orchestra, performing the repertoire of the popular Parisian dance bands of the 1920s and ’ 30s musette orchestras.

Funny how time slips away yet some things seem to be as relevant today as they were years ago. Here are the lyrics to “Where Are All the Democrats?” from this week’s classic show:

Where are all the Democrats?
Long time passing,
Where are all the Democrats?
Long time ago,
Are they writing their memoirs
And learning how to play guitars
Or did they go to France
To buy a pair of pants?

Where are all the journalists?
Long time passing,
Where are all the journalists?
Long time ago,
Are they having too much fun
Embedded down in Washington,
When will they look around
And see what's going down?

Where are all the weapons of
Mass destruction?
Where are all the weapons that
Drove us to war?
They are hidden in Iraq
Down the street around the block
We searched in May and June
We’ll find them pretty soon.

Where are the Republicans?
We are all OK.
We are all Republicans
In the U.S.A.?
We’re happy in the G.O.P.
Where the food and drinks are free
We’re doing really fine
Here in the summertime.

© Garrison Keillor 2003

A classic returns! Proclaim the timeless virtues of the hometown we all share when you wear our most popular A Prairie Home Companion® shirt — the one that sells like hotcakes whenever the show goes on the road. It features the closing words from each edition of the News from Lake Wobegon®: “Where the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all of the children are above average.” Short-Sleeved T-shirt is 100% cotton. Sizes M–2XL. Sweatshirt is cotton blend.

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From the Archives: The News from Lake Wobegon

Are you missing the News from Lake Wobegon? This collection is our newest project, where we have been diving into the archives and releasing every Lake Wobegon story from Garrison’s first long-form monologue delivered in 1980 when the show went national. These stories have not been heard since the mid-1980s, so hop in the car and listen to all the monologues from 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, and our newest release, 1984 (each year contains 3 CDs). Enjoy.

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