Month: November 2015

December Shows Updated Update :)

UPDATE to this Update: It turns out my set -time- at Everybody’s Coffee this Friday will be about 5-5:50 pm! The Crossing will do the 6-7 slot. So there you have it. Please know I will sing about 3 tunes and otherwise be doing instrumentals of Christmas songs on cigarbox, found-object guitars, bring out the Taylor and dobro on a couple as well. It’s all acoustic so very laid-back for the Wilson Walk that happens each year here in Uptown as people do music in various establishments up and down Wilson Ave. in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

Besides a couple of jail/prison dates, I have two Christmas sets as well as a VA Hospital set and a New Year’s Eve event coming up. Hoping you’ll enjoy the holidays and thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

GK Christmas music @ Everybody’s Coffee

Home


935 W. Wilson Ave.
Chicago, IL
GK plays 5:10-5:50 pm
http://everybodyscoffee.com/info.php

and then:

GKfrankfortChristmasPoster2015

And New Year’s Eve:

December 31, 7pm @ Christian Family Fellowship
3025 South Westwood Blvd, Poplar Bluff, Missouri
http://cffinetwork.com/

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THANKSgiving 2015

From the first snow of the season as I left Chicago at 4:30 a.m. to beautiful (mostly!) Ohio weather, coffeehouse shows, several prison sets, Interstates but also back-country two lanes with plowed corn and bean fields, seeing a turkey fly up to sit on a high branch and roost as I drove by him and a sunset… I’ve got plenty to thank God and yes, family and friends for!

As I stood. sang and spoke before men on death row this past week, as I listened to and prayed for them, the obvious compassion in my life and the contrasts ring so very clear. There but for the grace of God… and how can I best bring them a glimpse of it?20151124_164004

The sun goes down in Ohio as it does here in Illinois and everywhere each night… but it’s a beautiful sun, sky and woodland God created. Every day is new and His mercies are on the table for us regardless. Each end means a fresh beginning. “In EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Straight up, I give Thanks:

for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

for the best wife a man could want

for amazing daughters, sons-in-law, grandkids

for an authentic, faithful community/church

for a zillion friends all over the world

for a future in His hands

for the eternal life He brings me

health, songs, spiritual and practical gifts

for clarity of purpose, calling, path and service

continued Amazing GRACE

May you who are reading this enjoy the love and mercies of God this Thanksgiving (USA) and through the Christmas season!

John 3.17

With deep thanks, I wish you the strongest, truest Love, -Glenn

Amazing Extended Weekend!

BIG thanks to the many peeps who came out both in Wilmington and Bellville, Ohio shows! The staff at Joe’s Java and Brumby’s were just superb, kind comments and conversations, great interview with Karen at Final Flight Radio and Rev. Blues blew harp with me in Bellville… and then:

My friend John McClure, longtime chaplain in maannnyyy Ohio prisons brought me to several doing blues, worship, sharing my journey and he gave a great word (as usual) in each place including 2 death row sets.

In case you did not know I am 100 percent against the death penalty for a load of reasons both biblical and practical, but another time for that.

Some of these men may well get released re. dna. Some of them may experience their last Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am very, very grateful to bring music and even a glimmer of hope to them, and also to those many we saw in the other max. security prisons over these days.

John and his kind wife are gems- hosted me a couple nights as well.

In each and every stop sweet, and in many cases, pretty deep discussions took place. A lot of folks have a lot of needs. And what a joy to see so many old friends too.

So I am home with Wendi now and just so thankful.

Ha, yep, Thanksgiving indeed… safe travels and now home with my sweet girl, our amazing family… and tonight get to sleep in my own bed 🙂

I am so thankful to God for His grace!

As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn

Christmas and Beyond- New Music From GK

I and others in our fellowship have worked with The Bridge (Chicago) for some 10 years now. They reach out to ex-prisoners and at-risk peeps helping with genuine friendship, biblical answers to their questions and needs, food, housing and job placement. In short, they do amazing and needed work and we’re proud to work with The Bridge.

http://www.missionusa.com/thebridge.html
Several months ago they informed me they’d decided to record a project of songs that I am largely featured on and which I have finished tracking. They told us that all proceeds of this project must to go to our Cornerstone Community Outreach shelter as we work with the poor -many whom are veterans. They get us and they understand the issues. Wow.

HOME

So I hope you and others you pass this info. on to will be uplifted and encouraged by the music as well as opportunity to help the many in-need people of CCO.
Here is the first single, a pre-release mixed for the holidays as you’re about to hear.Enjoy!

http://www.homesforheroeschicago.com/
With deep respect and warm thanks to the staff at The Bridge.

Wishing all a BLESSED Thanksgiving and indeed, Christmas!!
-Glenn

Chicago Cigarbox Git Fest 2016

Great fun tonight, many kind comments and enjoyed it as per usual. Thanks to Brian, Tony and crew 🙂

Here are a few shots, mostly a dark placeBrauerhouseCBGfest but just a few phone shots.LowebowCookin

Tonight’s git arsenal included my Shane Speal 3 stringer, Ascendent Instruments 3 stringer, an Altoids tin super short diddley bow (1 stringer) I made and my Rat Dog (now that he is in Florida, Swamp Dog) bedpan 4 stringer. Some cool stuff in the side room.LoweGitsFunGear

The Percolater amp rocked as did the Trimmed and Burnin’ Spanky amp.

Next weekend, 2 Ohio shows. I will update them in the week.

Now- TOMORROW night (Sunday, Nov. 15) I will pop out a lil’ surprise gift for everyone- cuz Christmas is coming. Also what’s coming is a fresh and very diff. project I’m included in to be released around the end of January. Hint- it’s not blues, nor rock at all… but it’s music I believe in -and for a very important and good cause.

For now, G’night!

-Glenn

Veteran’s Day USA, 2016

So it occurs to me that plenty of people would like to wish away war, weapons and the sometimes rather sick symbiotic link between mega-corporations, politicians and the military -the latter who are at the mercy of the first two to do whatever they are commanded to “in the nation’s interest”. Ahhh… let’s see… any possible issues with any of this??!

And yet and still- I cannot claim full pacifism for a number of reasons, and though a serious Bible dude, running to Old Testament law to affirm just any conflict or use of force has not only biblical but ethical and moral implications a lot of folks are unwilling to admit. The same for gun legislation- which, by the way, I support elements of. Yep, balance, not HARD RIGHT nor HARD LEFT. Wisdom is not quite as easy (I know, “let them ask of God” and…) but fact is, everyone reading this including me only has “partial knowledge” much less wisdom on every and all topics. Humility is severely lacking in these debates and in the end it often seems (to me) screaming and attacking is merely a defense for one’s own personal view, not that of seeking truth or justice.

Having said all of this: I support our veterans, active and inactive, retired or not because they are human beings with the same basic needs, many with a spouse, kids, families, all with parents and grandparents. Veterans are PEOPLE, ALL OF WHOM GOD COMMANDS ME TO LOVE “as myself”, as in any neighbor. Another “command” -of Christ Himself. Most of us have issues with commands, no?

I continue to disagree with various calls to arms by all sorts of nations (including the USA), but at times believe it was and is important and needed.

Enough of this long preface to hopefully stir some thought amongst those who read me from time to time.

What’s the punchline?

FIND A VETERAN OR TWO IN NEED AND DO PRACTICAL STUFF TO LOVE THEM BY MEETING A NEED THEY HAVE.

Love must go beyond talk and far beyond choosing “those people” or “those Other people” for God’s love reaches out to all: friend, enemy and those who (by your view) may seem to slide back and forth between them both.

Thank, pray for and do something of practical, kind help for those who serve or have served.

Thanks for stopping by! -Glenn

Next GK Solo Blues Set: Sat. Nov. 14 Lombard, IL

GKcoffeeAt the Fourth Annual Chicago Cigar Box Guitar Festival. Baby! So here’s the scoop from their Facebook page:

“We are back again with our 4th annual Chicago CBG fest! After last year there was no doubt we would be returning to Brauerhouse in Lombard IL, the venue and the fest are a perfect fit. With a great stage and sound system, top notch food and service, there is no place we’d rather be.”

Friday 13th @ 7:00pm. $13
Midnight – Mikey Classic and his Lonesome Spur
11:00pm – AJ Gaither
10:00pm – Dan Phelps
9:00pm – 7 Hills Stomp
8:00pm – One Hand Dan
7:00pm – Jeff Dale

Saturday 14th -Doors 1:00pm $17

Midnight – Mississippi Gabe Carter
11:00pm – Reverend KM Williams
10:00pm – Scotch Hollow
9:00pm – Lou Shields
8:00pm – Pitchy and the 44’s
7:00pm – Johnny Lowebow
6:00pm – Stacey Puckett
5:00pm – Glenn Kaiser
4:00pm- Dusty Curbside
3:00pm – Dead Eye Zack
2:00pm – John Nickel

Once again we will be raffling off two CBGs courtesy of Hardtime CBGs

Cigar Box Guitar Market and Open Mic all day Saturday!

http://chicagomusicsociety.com/wordpress/chicago-cigar-box-guitar-fest-iv-brauerhouse/

Henry’s Cigarbox Guitar (Diddley Bow)

HenrysDiddleyBowTossed together a lil’ diddley bow git for GKB’s smallest true and super cute fan -from Germany! He is also a drummer, but I figured he could learn some slide, bang on the string with a pencil or stick and who knows?:)

Anything to drive Mama and Papa nuts is cool. I DID keep her acoustic, no pickup… they will thank me.

So she is a take-down design due to possibly needing to be taken apart and stowed in a suitcase for flights.BottomOfBox

The box opens from the bottom and has a solid copper nail in the center, so I placed a hole in the top for the neck to be pushed through, slotted the bottom as per normal and simply looped a .053 wound acoustic string around the walnut neck, up over the bolt/nut bridge and then drilled a hole to fit the round-headed bolt serving as a nut.
BackOfMachineHead
I did add 2 smaller nails near the ends on either side to help keep her shut if they decide to not take it apart.

But the cool thing is with this git, you just loosen the string with the tuner, pop the loop off the bottom of the neck, loose the top (re. the 3 tiny nails) and pull the neck slowly out of the top of the box for flight storage if need be.

I had a decent real tuning machine so used it- unusual for me but for him, the best! More simple for Papa to change the string when needed.

She is tuned to A with that low E string, scale bridge to nut is 17 inches, nearly 2 full octaves to play on/within.

Total length is 20 1/2 inches and the box is solid wood Romeo Y Julieta.PositionMarkers

I sure love these kind friends 🙂 Hope Henry has as much fun with it as I do building and playing ’em.

As always , thanks for stopping by. -Glenn