Sig Paulson: News

Lots of good happenings right now in hippiebilly land! ...

Recently, I was included on the K.C. Cafe radio download album. If you follow this link...

www.kccaferadio.com  

You can get a free album of downloads! Including 3 of my songs. You will be asked to do a short listeners survey.

Songs for Download Survey

 Andrew Foshee -  For You

Buck 69 – Cold Wind, Whispers Your Name, No Time for Love

 Elliott Ranney – An Aging Sailors Dream, Sailing Through, Ellen Claire

 Forrest Whitlow – Banda Lou, Vanilla Stolli, On My Way to See Amiee Mann

 Gidgets Gaga – Good Enough

 Jane Ellen – Colors of My Life, Following My Heart, Visions of the Past

 Jeff Brodnax – Cleverly, Forcing Me to Bend, It’s Only Air

 Kathy Forste – Big Blue Beautiful World, Let it Go, 33 1/3

 Paul Vens – For the Unborn

 Sarah Pierce – Cowboy’s Daughter, My Day in the Sun, Sun Falling Down

 Sig Paulson – This Town, We Got Rain, Your Heaven

 Teri Wilder – I See Love, Only One World, Rise Up

 Tracy Newman – Alone (Performed by Kevin Fisher) sent through email

 Whitehouse – Gonna Make It Up to You, Games that People Play, I Wonder Where You  Are Tonight 

On Valentines day, I was part of a great day of music at Artichoke Music in Portland. Artichoke is not just a store. It is a community... folk music school, performing arts center. This place needs continued support. Richard and Jim who run the place have really created a great place or musician's in the N.W. If you are in Portland on S.E. Hawthorne stop by and check it out. They have a great store. Also... Buy something there if you can... anything... a book, strings whatever. We need to keep this place alive. COME TO A SHOW!!! Lots and lots of good shows at the Backstage Gate. Maybe you want to learn an instrument, or how to sing harmony. Okay... I'll get off of my soap box now... but please help support Artichoke Music. The Valentines Day show raised approximately half of what was really needed to keep Richard and Jim and our community alive.

New Gigs!...

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

McMenamin's Hotel Oregon

 

 

 

Hello everybody!

It's been a long, hard winter but I'm finally out of the day job for the summer and things are looking up. I did geat airplay this winter on KINK radio in Portland. They played my song "Everybody Wants To Drive My Car" from "Tangled In My Roots.

I have FINALLY got my new album "Totem Pole" mixed, mastered and the graphics for the cover are done... it has been sent to the reproduction house and they say they will be done in sixteen working days. That would put it in my hands on about... the 21st of July. So soon after that, my manager Ronnie Jade will be announcing our CD release party! Yipppeee!!!
Remember, you can get a copy from me directly at a live show or... you can go to my web-site and buy one by clicking on the "Buy" link and it will take you to CD Baby and you can buy one on line.

I will be visiting many radio stations as soon as "Totem Pole" is out. I think the lead song "We Got Rain" would work well on any station as a lead in for the weather. Actually, I'd like to start a movement to have it adopted as our state song because I truly believe it's a much better song than the one we got right now. Be a renegade! Join the movement now!!!

Please check the calendar page because there have been a few new gigs added. I'll be hitting the telephone hard for the rest of the summer to see what else I can come up with.

Please stay in touch by signing in to the guestbook if you get a chance. I love to hear from all of you.

Sig

Hello fellow renegades!
I was watching an old western last Saturday morning and someone called this guy a “Deserter”. The guy says back… “I prefer the term ‘Renegade”… it implies a spirit of adventure.” I totally concur! It has been and continues to be quite an adventure. I have beefed up my press kit… the third album has but one cut left to go… and then back-up vocals… then mix and master and Walla! Walla! Washington…. We’re done!
I wanted to pass on these upcoming live dates to you…
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
BROWN'S TOWN LOUNGE
Troubadour Tuesday and Tribute to N.W. Songwriters - 6:00 to 9:00 P.M.
189 Liberty St. N.E.
Salem Oregon 97301
U. S. of A.
503-391-9977
Price: No Cover
My favorite place to play in Salem!
Thursday, March 5th, 2009
BOON'S TREASURY
Tribute to N.W. Songwriters - 8:00 to 11:00 P.M.
888 Liberty N. E.
Salem Oregon 97301
U. S. of A.
503) 399-9062
Price: No Cover
In the original State Treasury Building for the State of Oregon. Party with the ghosts of the pioneers! I have played gigs from time to time since 1981 here.
Friday, April 3rd, 2009
MCMENAMINS GRAND LODGE
Tribute to N.W. Songwriters - 7:00 to 10:00 P.M.
3505 Pacific Ave
Forest Grove Oregon 97116
U. S. of A.
503-992-9533
Price: No Cover
By the big garage door downstairs. What a great place to play! It makes me think of Grand Central Station (but I've really never been to grand Central Station)
Saturday, April 4th, 2009
HOTEL OREGON
Tribute to N.W. Songwriters - 7:00 - 10:00 P.M.
310 N.E. Evans Street
McMinnville OR 97128
U. S. of A.
Local: (503) 472-8427
Price: No cover
In the Cellar Bar. Like a little Irish pub. This is over all my favorite gig. Great atmosphere.
I was once again a finalist in this years “Best Performing Songwriter” put on by Portland Songwriters Association. It was a lot of fun… thank you PSA!
I hope everyone is weathering the economic storm well… keep on paddling… as Steve Forbert would say… “What good would breaking down do?!”
Oh! I almost forgot! I have added a player to my web site! So, now when the site opens up you hear a selection of some of my songs. In addition, the Bio has been updated. Please check it all out at WWW.Sigpaulson.com And keep on renegading!!!
Sig

Hello again!
Happy birthday to me! I want to tell you all that's going on... seems like a lot to me right now. First of all, if you are in the Salem area... the new DVD of me "Live" at the Grass Roots Concert Series filmed by Pat Sevigny will be airing on CCTV channel 22. The dates and times are as follows...
November 8th, 2008 (Saturday) 05:00pm
November 17th, 2008 (Monday) 05:00pm
November 18th, 2008 (Tuesday) 09:00pm
November 23rd, 2008 (Sunday) 10:00am
November 24th, 2008 (Monday) 08:00pm
November 25th, 2008 (Tuesday) 06:00pm
November 27th, 2008 (Thursday) 05:30pm
November 30th, 2008 (Sunday) 12:00pm
December 2nd, 2008 (Tuesday) 06:00pm
December 4th, 2008 (Thursday) 05:30pm
So... if you watch and have any comments please write in to the guestbook... I'd love to hear from you.

Also... Live dates... I only have two right now... We are working hard to get the new CD "Totem Pole" finished... more on that after I give you the live dates. They are as follows...
Thursday, November 20th at 7:00 P.M. @ Artichoke Music 3130 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, Or. 97214
AND... Friday, December 19th @ Hotel Oregon 310 Evans St. McMinnville, Or. 97124 From 7:00 - 10:00 P.M.
I will be playing holiday songs as well as my own originals.

Okay... Work continues on "Totem Pole" and we are coming down to just a few tracks... a little Hammond B3 organ and honky-tonk piano by my friend Skip Jones from Eugene, pedal steel guitar by Bryan Daste of Scottland Barr and the Slow Drags from Portland and dualing electrics by Orvil Ivie and Garry Mezier. Garry will also lay down an acoustic track to "Comin' Apart At The Seams" my song for those days when nothing goes right. I hope to see you all soon and want to say thank you to everyone who shows up at the live dates. It sure wouldn't be worth it with out you! Now Michele and I are going to the Coast to have dinner for my birthday... Yaaaahooooooo!!!
Sig

First the current news. I have a gig here in Salem at Brown's Town Lounge @ 189 Liberty St. N.E. from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. this Tuesday, July 15th. And next after that is Hotel Oregon @ 310 Evans St. in McMinnville from 7:00 to 10:00 P.M.
Soooo... what went on from February until now? Lots and lots of stuff. Not all good. Unfortunately, my brother Butch passed away from a heart attack back in Wisconsin. So I was on a plane back to the frozen land in February. Butch was my older brother by 16 years. He hepled me out in many ways over the years. I'll miss him a lot! Once back I played at the Grand Lodge in Forest Grove and Edgefield in Troutdale. Both were really fun gigs and places I hope to return to soon. Then Michele and I met her sister Colleen and Jim Shaw in Virginia City Nevada at the end of March. Jim is a great drummer and percussionist and one of the funniest people walking the earth I think. We had a great time there checking out the town and playing music in the hotel room. In April I played at the Grass Roots Concert Series at the Evergreen Presbeterian Church in Salem. Stephen Lewis is the pastor there and hosts the event. He's an incredible pleasure to work with. My friend Patrick Sevigne video taped the performance and it came out great visually. Unfortunately the sound portion was not as good as I'd hoped so I'm not sure how much will make it out to the public but we are still working on that. There may be a tune or two that we put on U-tube. Anyways... Stephen Lewis called me up for a couple more gigs @ other events and I hope I will be invited back for the Grass Roots concert series. It was a joy to play. I played the Grand Lodge again in mid May and competed in the Portalnd Songwriters Association "Road To The Bite" songwriters contest at Mississippi Pizza in Portland as well as playing Hotel Oregon in McMinnville again in June. We lost my brother-in-law Bill Millican to cancer in mid June so we were on the road to his funeral down by Sacramento. Bill was a great guy. He one time rescued me and a couple of buddies when I was in the Air Force. We couldn't get any rides hitch hiking back to the base after a weekend in the bay area. He drove us well over a hundred miles one way. He was always so up and happy. Another one we will miss.
Okay... soooo
The last event was about the most fun you can have with your pants on. My brother in law Jim and Michele's sister Colleen came up from L.A. and Jim and I rehearsed in the hot garage for several days getting ready to play at Copprjohn's in downtown Salem on Thursday, July 10th. We got Mickey Grossman to help us out on bass. It was a great gig... a ton of fun. A lot of people turned out and I hope we can do some more things like this in the future.
But... Now I have to get DOWN TO BUSINESS on this next album!!! I have 3 new songs ready to go. But, before Fuzzy and I can record them I have to sit down and polish them up. Also... this leaves me still short one last tune for the line up on the album. Hopefully inspiration will hit me soon and we will be on to recording the complimentary tracks for "Totem Pole" my 3rd CD.
I guess that catches us all up. Until next time buckeroos!!
Sig

Well,
Before the month gets totally away from me I'd like to share with you five new gigs that have been added to the calendar. This next Monday, February 18th (president's day) I will be live and in person at the Gotham Tavern 2240 N Interstate Ave Ste 160 in Portland Oregon. There will be four songwriters including myself and my good friend Tom Arnold. I'll be performing from 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. Next I will be at the McMenamins Grand Lodge in Forest Grove by the big Garage door downstairs on Friday, March 21st. That's at 3505 Pacific Ave in Forest Grove. The time there is from 7 to 10 P.M. This is a really fun gig... please come down and check it out. The next night, Saturday, March 22nd I'll be at McMenamin's Edgefield in the winery. The time is 7 to 9 P.M. This is also an interesting and groovey place to play. Edgefield's address is 2126 SW Halsey in Troutdale, Oregon. On Friday, April 18th I'll be playing at the Grass Roots Festival concert series. I'll give you more info on this at a later date because I left my scribbled notepad at work and I'm at home now. I know the place is D street and Cottage in Salem. Anyways... they haven't made a firm decision on time yet so like I said I'll get more info to you later. I was also given a date and time for the Oregon State Fair. I will be at the Artisan's Village stage from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. on Friday, August 22nd. This was a lot of fun last year and if you're going to the fair please stop by and say hello.
I'd also like to tell you about two great albums released by friends of mine. The first is by Donny Wright from Portland. His album is called "Donny Wright" (Imagine that!) Donny write's great songs and has incredible musician's on his album. I'd have to say my favorite cut is Dear Aunty Em... kind of a new take on the Wizard odf Oz. He also does a killer version of "Ricky Don't Loose That Number". Check him out at WWW.donnywrightsongs.com The other album I wanted to tell you about is. "Blue Roads and Red Wine" by Tom May. Tom has been traveling the country as a folk singer since the early seventies and he's a friend of Gordon Lightfoot and David Rae who played guitar for Lightfoot. Anyway, he is a great writer too and he has a great song about Celilo Falls... I won't tell you about it because his song (Co-written by my friend Fuzzy Purcell) does a lot better job than I could. Also... "Blue Roads and Red Wine" the title track is awesome. Tom is also the host of "River City Folk" A syndicated radio show from Nebraska. You can check out Tom at his web-site http://www.tommayfolk.com Work continues on my new album "Totem Pole". We got the 9th basic rhythm track with vocals done last night. Hopefully to release this summer folks! Well... I must take my leave now. Oh yeah! Michele and I are way in to Deadwood the HBO series It's already cancelled but we got all the box sets. Warning... if swearing bothers you then you won't like it! Anyways...
Sig

Happy New Year people. Well, here we are in 2008. I have a present for all of my faithful, friend and family and any new folks just stumbling on to my site. While I'm working on the new album I have put two new songs as free downloads for you on the "Music" link of the web-site. These are tracks with just the acoustic guitar and harmonica and vocals. I think they are two songs that really stand on their own that way though. The first is "We Got Rain". Eventually, I'll be sending this to every radio station in Oregon. I think it's a funny song that would go great at the top of the weather report! The second song is "'Til God Comes Down". This is election year of course. We're going to hear a lot about all the politicians are going to do for us. All the ways in which they are better and more true and reliable than the crooks that came before them. Anyways... this is my "Bi-partisan bad, bad taste in my mouth for politician's song". If you take a liking to either of these songs I hope you'll e-mail the link to others so they can enjoy them too. Right now I'm trying to write about five to six new songs for the new album. Fuzzy and I have recorded nearly all the songs I have ready so... we'll be taking a break from recording until I develop these new ideas that have been malingering in my mind for quite a spell. Last year I did pretty well writing to the site every other month or so. I'll try to write every month this year... up the anti so to speak. Michele and I have recently discovered the HBO series Deadwood and are having a lot of fun watching that. Michele gave me an Epiphone Casino and a Vox amp for Christmas. It's great for playing fingerpicking ballads and my new edition to my repretoir "3 Bucks High And Risin'". It's a parody of Johnny Cash's "Five Feet High And Risin'" with the rising cost of gasoline as the focus instead of flood waters. So I guess that catches us up for now. Don't forget... I live for those e-mails. so write to the "Renegades!" link when you get a chance.
Sig

Hello everyone!
Played two nice gigs recently. Both were at McMenamins Brothers clubs. Hotel Oregon in McMinnville and Edgefield out in Troutdale. Nice rooms and nice folks working there. I bought a Taylor 355 Jumbo 12 string and got to play it at Edgefield. Although, I tried that gig acoustically... no PA. If I play there again I'll bring my Mackie PA. It's kind of a long hallway of cement and glass where they had me play but my feedback says it still needs a boost for the vocals. I just got the 12 string back today after sending it in for the Taylor Expressions pick up to be installed. I can't wait to try it out.
NEXT... Far West Region Folk Alliance at the Hilton Hotel in Vancouver, Washington. That's this weekend, November 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I have 5 showcases I'm playing there.SUSAN MILSAPS Memorial coffee house :10:40 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2nd. And Portland Songwriters Showcase from 1:30 to 2:00 a.m. (That's either really late Friday night or really early Sat. Morning folks!) Then on Saturday night the 3rd I will be at WEST COAST SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE:10:30 p.m. and RED NEWT RECORDS SHOWCASE at 1:00 a.m. and back to the PORTLAND SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE at 1:30 a.m. (That's either really early Sat. night or really early Sunday morning which ever you prefer!) Anywho... it should be a lot of fun and I'm really looking forward to seeing and hearing some great music and attending a few breakout sessions... trying to hook up with some house concert promoters and some festival and venue people. I'll tell you all about it in the next post. For now... gotta go.
Peace
Sig

Before I go back into the past and tell what "Happened" I'd first like to let you know what is "Coming Up". I have three shows at great venues and all on one weekend. Friday, October 5th I will be at the Hotel Oregon 310 Evans St. in McMinnville from 7 to 10 P.M. On Saturday, October 6th I'll be at McMenamins Edgefield 2126 S.W. Halsey St. Troutdale, OR 97060 from 7 to 10 P.M. And last but not least that weekend I'll end my little mini world tour at Lefty's Blues Club and Pizzaria 1230 State St. here in Salem from 5 to 8 P.M.
Also... I will be attending the Folk Alliance Region West Conference at the Hilton Hotel in Vancouver Washington November 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Hopefully I will have a showcase spot at the conference but that is as yet uncertain. The conference looks to be great though, with talent, agents and people from all angles of "The business". (Hey! Quit givin' me the business Wally!)
ANYWAY...
Many things happening in late July, August and September. My Mother Passed away on July 29th. I'll miss her very much. That of course got most of the family out here and ... well as anyone knows who's been through that kind of thing there is just a lot to deal with. So... that is one of the reasons why I haven't written to the site in so long... that and all the other things one has to do on a daily basis to sustain life as we know it.
On the positive side though one nice thing that happened was my first gig at the Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. It's a very cool place. The cellar bar is a very "Irish Pub" style bar. Not very big but the audience was very attentive and appreciative.
Another nice gig was the one at Highland Park. My buddy Stan Scharry was up from California and with Mickey Grossman playing bass and Fuzzy Purcel on Mandolin and guitar we had a great time. Other than it was about 103 that day! But the park is really quite shady and it was more comfortable than I thought it might be.
I would like to start a new feature here on the news page. I'd like to tell you about some other music... albums specifically (although it might be something live) that I enjoy and that I think you might enjoy. I'd like to invite you to respond on my guest page... maybey you have something you enjoy... maybe you thought an album I suggested sucked. Whatever... Just an ongoing feature where we can communicate about music and feel like we live in less of a vaccume.
My first album I'd like to suggest to you is "The Knuckleball Suite" by Peter Mulvey. Mulvey is a master lyracist. He's got sort of a hoarse voice and in a lower range.. sort of intrigueing. Many of the tunes are jazz flavored. I'd say it's mainly an acoustic album but there is a rocker here and there. It's an album I can't get out of my stereo... I like it that much. My favorite songs on it are "Abilene (The Eisenhower Waltz)", "Girl In The High Tops", "Thorn" (very haunting love song... all the good and bad thrown in at the same time) "Lila Blue" and "Marty and Lou". Peter Mulvey from Milwaukee Wisconsin. Check him out and let me know what you think.
That's it for now. Come out to one of the shows and say hello!
Sig

Howdy all!
Stuff just keeps happening here in hippiebilly land. I sent in my entry for Gig Harbor Folk festival with 5 tunes on it. Gig Harbor folk Festival will be August 25th and 26th this year. John Gorka and Jesse Winchester will be there this year... and many other great folk singers. Hopefully I'll be able to go back this year and compete in their songwriting competition.
I did compete on Wednesday, June 11th at Mississippi Pizza Pub in the Road To The Bite Competiton through Portland Songwriters Association. Out of 12 songwriters I was able to place in the top 3 and move on to the Semi Finals which will take place on Wednesday, August 8th. If I place in the top 3 at that competition I will go on to compete for the top spot in the competition at the Bite itself which is on Sunday, August 12th
Next... The City of Salem has waived the noise ordinance and cost of Riverfront Park for a series of concerts in the park on Tuesday nights throughout the summer and fall. I was lucky enough to secure one of those evenings. I'll be presenting a songwriters in the round with my friends Dan Lowe and Tom Arnold (with Paul Kwitike) and one other songwriter (TBA). The show will take place on Tuesday, august 21st from 6:30 to 8:30.
AND... I received my copy of the "River City Folk... best of 2006" which included my song "Parking Lot Ponies" on it. It was a great show and I was very proud to be included with so many really great writers and performers from the acoustic world. Thank you Tom May! Please check out the shows archives which can be navigated through Tom's website. I guess that's all the news from me right now. Come on down to one of the shows and say hi! I miss you when you stay in the woodwork like that.
Sig

Howdy everyone!
Well... late again, but now that I'm on Summer break I'll try to catch up on all my tasks... like writing to my journal.
First off, I'll be doing a show at the Artichoke Music Coffee House (3130-A S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland OR) from 9:30 to 10:00 P.M. on Friday, July 6th. It's the premier listening room for roots/Americana music in Portland! Please come on down and check it out.
Next will be a nice evening gig at Highland Park (on Broadway near Pine St. in Salem... don't know the exact address) That show is on Tuesday, July 10th from 6:30 to 8:30. The Highland show will also feature my buddys Stan Scharry on drums, Mickey Grossman on bass and Fuzzy Purcell on guitar and mandolin.
Then... on Wednesday, July 11th I'll be at Mississippi Pizza 3552 N Mississippi Ave in Portland. I'll be competing in the "Road to the Bite" songwriters competition. The show will feature 10 songwriters competing for a spot onstage at the Bite of Oregon later this Summer. The show there starts at 7:00 P.M.
I'd like to thank my friends Bob Rindy (Guitar and violin) Rick Snowdon (Bass) and Michael Strahan (Drums) for helping me out and doing a fine show at my boss Kathy Larson's retirment party last Friday night. We played a listening set for dinner and then played some dance stuff reaching back to the old Sahib and Mojo days. It was a lot of fun.
I'll be entering a few more songwriting competitions... trying to write some more songs for the next album and... Pat Sevigny and I will be meeting tomorrow night to discuss some videos that we can put on u-tube and some other sites. Hope everyone is having a great start to the summer. Oh! I almost forgot... I wanted to mention that "Tangled In My roots" sold out its first run and I've been back to Superdigital and we are re-stocked! I'll mention again that "Tangled In My Roots" and my first album "Movies and Magazines" is available at CDbaby.com for $12.00
Thanks... hope to see you at one of the gigs. Write to the site on the icon "Renegades" and let me know you're out there!
Sig

Whoa!
The time got away from me again. But... It is still the first half of the month! Anyway... let's see... what has been happening? I went to a song pitch hosted by the Portland Songwriters Association in conjunction with the West Coast Songwriters Association. Antoinette Olesen, head of A&R for Parthenon Music Group Inc a music row company was there screening songs. There were 43 people. Either they played their songs live or played a CD for her. I would say she took about 6 to 8 CDs with her. She listened to "Givin' 'Em Hell" from Tangled In My Roots. Yes indeedie folks... she took my CD with her. It was a great fun night. We shall see what happens with that. I will keep you all up-dated as I make tracking calls. Another tracking call I'll be making is with KLCC radio in Eugene. I sent them a copy of Tangled In My Roots trying to get it on the air. KLCC Public Radio
www.klcc.org 4000 East 30th Ave
Eugene, OR 97405
(800) 922-3682
(541) 463-6000
Give them a call and request a song off of Tangled In My Roots! It will be a grass roots movement to get me on the airwaves.
I also played at the Artichoke Music Coffee House. It's a great venue. Nice stage and set up for people who love acoustic music. I'll be trying to get in there again soon. Please check it out and let the owner Richard Columbo know what you think of it. He really is helping to build a positive healthy community through this effort. Well my little renegades... it's time once again for me to slip back into the shadows. Please... sign in to the guestbook if you visit the site. It really is an upper for me to know you were there.
Sig

Howdy!
A look at the past month...
I went to my first Portland Songwriters Workshop on St. Patricks Day. It was a lot of fun! I played a new song, "We Got Rain". It was well received and I got a couple of good suggestions... usable changes I could make. I'm really enjoying being a member of Portland Songwriters Association. It's a great place to try out new material and I feel like I've already made some good friends there.

Dan Lowe... President of the Association and great writer to boot... invited me to participate in a songwriters in the round at Urban Rhythms Coffee Co. in Beaverton on the 31st of March. Besides Dan and myself, Tom Arnold who writes some incredibly funny songs was there. It was really a fun night. Urban Rhythms has a garage door on one end that opens up to a huge patio with a fountain. As events come up there I really would encourage people to go out there and check it out. Nice little stage... although a bit cramped for three guys.

I also played at the Riverhouse on the 24th. It was great to see Steve and Joy (The owners). Had a great night and part of my core group... Terry and Jeannie Swisher came along. After my show we went down the road and heard Tom May... Great folk song writer/performer and host of "River City Folk"... Nationally syndicated radio show. I bought a copy of his album "Vested". Some nice songs on there... you should check it out. Tom told me that "Parking Lot Ponies" made it on to the "Best of River City Folk" show. He's going to send me a copy of the show. Thanks for including me Tom.

A look ahead at April...
I'll be performing "West of Idaho" and "If the Castle Burns" at the University of Oregon on April 15th between 3 and 5 in round 3 of the Willamette Valley Folk Festival New Song Competition. It takes place in the Ben Linder room at the E.M.U.

I'll also be performing for a half hour show at the Artichoke Community Coffee House $5.00 Cover)

Please check the calendar for adresses.

Looking way forward Michele and I have decided to host another Songwriters In The Round at our house .... probably on August 4th. Keep watching for details on that one.

Well... my happy little renegades! That's it for this posting. Remember... you can always find out what's happening at WWW.Sigpaulson.com And you can always find my CDs at CDbaby.com
Until next month
Mr.Sig

Well... It's that time again. Time to catch up on the world of Sig.
The first thing I want to let you know is that I reduced the prices on my CDs at CD Baby. I realized that the shipping added some dough and so... it was higher priced than if you came to one of my shows. They are now priced at $12.00 instead of $15.00. So, to all those who were asking... "How should I buy your CDs? From you or on line?" Now it is probably just a hair cheaper on line at CD Baby. You can get to CD Baby by clicking "Links" on my site and there is a link to each album.
I had a great time at the Portland Songwriters Competition for songwriter of the year. Congratulations to Sean Garcia (runner up) and Winner Tyler Stenson. Great songs and great performances by all who participate.
On Presidents Day weekend I went to Gig Harbor with Michele and our friends Terry and Jeannie Swisher. The girls went off to Seattle for the day on Saturday while Terry and I went to Safari Studios. I recorded a couple of tracks that I'll use for for songwriters competition demos. It was a real trip to meet Denny Gore who ownes and runs Safari Studios. He has a whole table full of Emmys and another full of Tellys (Awards for documentaries he's worked on) and an Oscar. Denny has toured with Lou Rawles, guest hosted the Tonight Show band, done strings for Barbara Streisand and was the musical director for Wolfman Jack's Midnight Special. Most of all though he's just a great guy. It was a fun day.
Guess that's it for now... Check out the calendar... I'll be at The River House In Pacific City Saturday, March 24th from 7 to 9 P.M..
Your Humble Renegade Troubadour

Hello everybody,
I was going to write every month in 2007 but technically it's not January anymore so... what I want to do is set up some sort of realistic goal to write to the site (and ultimately you!) every month. So... what I'm going to try now is the end/beginning of each month. I failed miserably at the once a week goal!
Well... let's see what's up shall we? I have written six songs for the next album which for right now is titled "Totem Pole". Each figure on a totem pole tells a story and that's what each song does on an album. Also, the Totem Pole is a familiar piece of art from the northwest and I'm trying to reflect on and represent the area where I grew up and live through my songs.
I'm also working on learning songs written by songwriters from the Northwest or written about the Northwest. So that I can put them into the live shows.
There hasn't been a whole lot of live shows right now... due to the day job, trying to write and get promotional materials together for songwriters competitions and event gigs for the summer. Hopefully soon I can start listing those and filling up the spring, summer and fall schedules.
I will be performing this Wednesday, February 7th at Mississippi Pizza Pub located at 3552 N. Mississippi Ave in Portland @ 7:00 p.m. I'll be one of ten finalists in the Portland Songwriters Association's performing songwriter of the year competition. I've seen some great songwriters and performers during the competition. Come on out and hear some of Portlands best!
Thanks, and I'll be getting back to you next around the end of February for an update. Remember... as dates are added you can always check out the calendar at WWW.Sigpaulson.com Sig

Well, time passes quickly! I can't believe it's been since March that I updated the news/Journal. Many things happening in rapid succession. Of course school was still on and I was teaching all day and just trying to keep up with the day job. Then my Mom got an infection in her leg on Mothers day which put her in the Hospital for 3 or 4 days. She got out and was checked in to a Rehabilitation facility. That was a rough go. The Rehabilitation itself was good but the care?.... not so much. Anyway, we got her out of there just after a month and the day she got out she had a doctors appointment and they put her back in the hospital! She recently came home though and is doing pretty good now. So... enough of that. That's just a little of what kept me busy enough to feel like I didn't have time to do the news/journal. I have completed two more new songs. The first one is called "'Til God Comes Down" and it's a protest song... I hate politicians. Don't know how else we'd run things... if I figure it out I'll write a song about that! Anyhow, I'm just sort of sick of being promised the world and getting a baggie full of baby poop. The other is also a protest song about the Oregon climate. It's called "We Got Rain". So you know... like Montana's the "Big Sky Country" and Hawaii's proud of their sugar cane... In Oregon We Got Rain! Well, time for me to go pick up Michele at work so... Later my friends!
Sig

Howdy all!
I am down with the funky chest cold again for about the 6th or 7th time this year. Will winter ever end here in the land of rainy days? The sound clips for the movie "The Mortuary Counsiler" have been handed over to Producer/Director Pat Sevigny. We're all waiting on the editing process right now. I heard there were a few shots being re-filmed too. I am going to get together with Fuzzy and record the first cut of the next album. It's a love song written for Michele and will just be me on guitar and vocal. I don't think there will be any dubs on this cut... it's too personal and I think it just works better that way. To all the people who signed in to my guestbook... thank you. It is nice to look in there and hear from old friends and to know that someone new liked my songs and took the time to say hello. I've learned a few new "Cover" tunes. "You Know The Rest", written by Steve Earle and one by the Fabulous Thunderbirds called "Why Get Up?" Time for me to write some more! With the day job it's really hard to find quiet times to write... but summer will be coming and hopefully some gigs outdoors in the sun!
Come on down to Lefty's this Sunday from 5 to 8 and boogie woogie with me and Mickey Grossman, Rod Steward and Paul Painter.
Sig

Well... Fuzzy said he was going to start giving me a hard time on a weekly basis if I didn't start writing something in the news/journal so I guess I'd better. Let's see... two weeks ago I went down to Boon's and watched a band called "Drunken Prayer" play. They were pretty dang gum cool! They have a singer/songwriter named Morgan that plays a Telecaster and a lady named Miss Audra that plays keyboard... and a bass player and drummer. I liked them a lot. Good country/honky tonk style. This week I went down and met Scotland Barr. He has a group called "Scotland Barr and the slow drags". They reminded me of the "Beachwood Sparks" ... Pedal steel, nice harmonies and good songs. Both bands from Portland... catch them if you can. I will be at Rock Creek Tavern in Hillsboro this Friday with my trio. Catch me if you can! I got my Guild acoustic worked on this week. Kirt at Bullfrog music in Corvallis did a great job... put in a new Fishman pick up and a new bone saddle. What a difference! Thanks Kirt, you do good work. I will play a brand new song written for my wife Michele this Friday at Rock Creek... (Hope she likes it!). Work continues on the sound track for the indie film "The Memorial Counsiler"... hopefully done by the end of February. OH!... I should let you know that the River City Folk show with my interview will be broadcast on February 12th. Check the River City Folk site (Or... Tommayfolk.com) for a listing of stations in your area. This is a nationally syndicated show. If you hear it please write in to the guestbook on my site and let me know.
Hope everything is good with y'all!
Sig

Happy new year everyone! There is so much going on I can hardly figure out where to start. So I'll start with events in the order that they are or will be happening.
First... I got the word from Pat Sevigny who taped an episode for his show "Oregon Jam" on CCTV, Channel 22 here in Salem that the show will air on the following dates and times
CCTV, Camcast Cable Ch 22, Salem and Keizer
Sun 1-1 7pm
Mon 1-2 9pm
Wed 1-4 9pm
Thu 1-5 4pm
Sat 1-7 6pm
Sun 1-8 10pm
Mon 1-9 9pm
Thu 1-12 4pm
Fri 1-13 7pm
Sat 1-14 6pm
I hope you'll tune in and enjoy the show. It was a lot of fun and I got to share the stage with some great songwriters and performers ... Courtney C. Patty from San Francisco, Travis Pinn from Battleground Washington and Tom and Lisa Nunes from Salem. All of us have CDs for sale on our websites and also through CDbaby.com If you like something you hear please go to the country's largest online catalogue of independent music and help us support our habbit!
Next order of busines...
New Live gig at Lefty's on Sunday, January 15th from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M.
This will be a trio gig featuring myself with Mickey Grossman on bass and Rod Steward on drums. Come on down and have some fun! For Crist's sake! You're not so old you can't stay up 'till 8 o'clock are you? Besides Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. day so you probably have it off.
Next... Tomorrow I will be taping a radio show hosted by Tom May called "River City Folk". It won't be broadcast for several months. However, when it does air... the show is syndicated and will be broadcast on the stations listed on the link for "River City Folk" on Tom's website "Tommayfolk.com.
River City Folk is proud to be carried by WFMT Fine Arts Radio to over 200 radio stations nation wide. Please check with your local radio station for an exact time and date.
River City Folk is also heard three times weekly on the
XM satellite network, though the perfomances are in a different order that they determine.
When I find out exactly when the show will air I will put a notice in the news page here.
Okay... on we go... People are listening in Belgium! I have received play lists from two radio stations in Belgium that have been playing "Hillbilly Mystic". Ray Pieters, for 24 years has had his own Radioshow “ Somewhere Between “ , now on an Internet Radiostation
“ Golden Flash “ in Westerlo, Belgium. And Freddy Celis and François Braeken at RADIO CONTACT / ROOTSTIME. Thanks to you guys for giving me some airplay in another part of the world. It is very much appreciated. And.. check out their e-line magazine @ "Rootstime.be" They did a very nice CD review on "Tangled In My Roots". Or go to my link ""Press/Reviews". I want to say thanks to all those in Belgium and the U.S. for your purchases of my CDs on CDbaby.com!
Last but not least... Work continues on the independent film by Pat Sevigny and Long Strange Trip Productions "The Memorial Counselor". The film will use three of my songs and background music by myself and Don "Fuzzy" Purcell. Pat is editing now and Fuzzy and I are soon to begin the background music. Keep watching for updates and the future release date! Check out my performance as a Russian priest! (Short but riveting!)
I know this was a long, long update. My new years resolution list is getting longer ... and it includes doing this column once a week instead of once every two months!
Later my friends...
Sig

Hello everyone!
Sorry I have not written in so long. No excuses though there were a bunch I could use. My good friend and confidant Kelly Curtis passed away last Tuesday after a long bout with Hepititus C. That led to a liver transplant and about a 9 month coma at one point and then kidney failure and on and on. I started to call him the amazing recovering man... only this time he didn't. After a four week stay in intensive care Kelly finally left us. God bless him. I played in "The Mojos" with Kelly. He was one hell of a guitar player and funny as hell. He was a great spirit. Whenever I hear Warren Zevon sing "Mutineer" I think of Kelly... "Ain't no room on board for the insincere!" Goodbye my friend.

Please check out the listening samples on the website. Go to "Buy" to purchase on-line through CD Baby... or better yet come to a show and have some fun and take one home!
Sig

The CD release party at Lefty's blues club in Salem was a huge success! Thank you to all who came down. We sold a bunch of CDs, people were dancin' and hootin' and hollarin'... it was a blast!
I have to thank some people here. Thanks to my wife Michele for helping me organize everything, putting the covers together and labeling and getting an e-mail list together and on and on people. It would have been a mess without my wife. Thank you Michele, I love you! And... here's to Rick Snowdon! Rick got me inserts layed out and printed on time and when my computer prowess failed (as it almost always does) he pulled my ass out of the fire one more time and got labels printed. the show was able to go on. Thank you to Fuzzy for all the hard work on the recording of the CD and for sticking with me when the 1st mastering session broke down. fuzzy got us a great copy of the recordings to sell at this show. The final mastering process will be the 12th of August at Doctor digital in Portland. All the copies sold at the show at Lefty's will be replaced by the new (and complete) mastered versions as soon as we are able to get them.
Thanks to my band at the Lefty's show. Orvil Ivie on guitar, Phil McCoy on Electric violin, Don "Fuzzy" Purcell on mandolin, Mickey Grossman on bass, Rod Steward on drums and Mike Renwick on percussion. I wish I could have all of them at every show! Speaking of every show... I've got one tonight. I'll be flying solo tonight at "The Flight Deck" which was formerly "Roscoes Landing" out at the Salem airport. come on out and say hi to Natalie and Barry the new owners. I have also got another Sunday acoustic spot at Lefty's on State St. in Salem on October 9th from 5 to 8 p.m.
Last but not least... thank you for supporting me and my Indie record company "Staircase records".
Dig you later peoples!
Sig

I don't know for sure how I overlooked telling you all about Mike Renwick. I think it was because Mike had already worked on the new recording before I got the News/Journal page up and running. No excuses though... Mike deserves some recognition here! Mike is an incredible percussion player. Currently he works mainly with the Patrick Lamb Band out of Portland. Mike doesn't just hang out and bang on bongos... he has studied with the best (I can't name all the people... but guys from Santana, Jazz greats etc.) and continually works at his craft. Mike plays a full percussion set up and it's always a lot of fun to check out all the musical toys he has collected. This is a guy who loves what he does and you can see it in every show. He also CRACKS ME UP ALL THE TIME! Mike is fun to work with. Besides being one of the best players I know Mike is one of my best friends in the world... (maybe that's why I forgot to tell you about him... you only hurt the ones you love!) Mike provides percussion on about half the new album (Tangled In My Roots) by himself... in other words no trap set drummer, just Mike. Then, there are a couple of cuts with Trap set drummer Lou Chavez AND Mike... for the heavy punch! Mike will be performing with us at the CD Release party at Lefty's Blues Club and Pizzaria on State St. in Salem on Sunday, July 31st from 5 to 8 P.M.

Also check out the calendar page for gigs at Poor Richards in Portland on Sat. the 16th of July and the Riverhouse in Pacific City on the 30th. (Maybe I'll have some CDs ready for that show.)

Gotta go practice now!
Sig

Last Saturday was the Songwriters in the round at our home here in Salem. Thanks to everyone who made it a very special event. Thanks to Courtney C. Patty, Travis Pinn and Lisa and Tom Nunes for putting on such fine performances... you're all such great writers and fine performers. It was really an honor and a lot of fun to share the stage with you! Thanks to my nephew Dirk Bailey, his daughter Jackie and her boyfriend Ryan for helping us to get set up and running the CD table. It was an incredible amount of work and Michele and I both thank you very much. Thanks to Don "Fuzzy" Purcell for loaning us his powered Mackie speakers and board (and rescuing me when I couldn't get it up and running!)... also for accompanying me and occasionally Courtney. AND... thanks a million to Pat Sevigny for video taping for the program "Oregon Jam". as soon as I hear when it will air I'll let y'all know! Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed the show, put money in the tip jar and purchased CDs. I don't think any of us care so much about the money but I know for me it is reaffirming to know someone enjoyed my tunes enough to want to take them home and hear them again. If I forgot anyone... please forgive my memory, sometimes the needle just skips the groove!.

Coming next on Saturday the 16th of July... I'll be at Poor Richards 39th and Broadway in Portland as a trio. 8 to 11 p.m.

Then The Riverhouse in Pacific City from 7:30 to 9:30... solo... on Saturday, July 30th.

AND... Last but most certainly not least... on Sunday, July 31st from 5 to 8 P.M. my CD release party for "Tangled In My Roots" at Lefty's Blues club and Pizzaria right near the corner of State and 12th Street here in the town of the vaguely familiar, Salem Oregon. Hope to see everyone there!
Peace, Love and Tiki Torches brothers and sisters!...
Sig

Well,
Looks like time really got away from me! I meant to write once a week... not once a month! Let's see here... what's been happening? The album is very near completion. The Blind Driver boys (Brett Groh, John Martin and Mickey Grossman) came in and did excellent back-up vocals on two tunes "Vaguely Familiar" and "Givin' 'Em Hell". There is only one track of back-up vocals to go. The lead vocalist and her husband from "True North" a local bluegrass styled band are coming in to sing some back-ups on "Hillbilly Mystic". Michele and I are going down to see them at Lefty's blues club and Pizzaria tonight. Check them out at Truenorthbluegrass.com. They have an excellent CD out. I believe the title is "Cobalt Miles of Sky". What's next? I have a gig next Friday, the 3rd of June at Poor Richards at 39th and Broadway in Portland, Oregon from 8 to 11 pm. I'll have Mickey Grossman on bass and Lou Chavez on drums. They are the rhythm section on the new album. Also... the 25th of June I'll be hosting my very own "By The Light Of The Tiki Torch Circle" Songwriters in the round here at my home from 7 to 10 pm featuring Courtney C. Patty from San Francisco, Travis Pinn from Battleground, Washington, Lisa and Tom Nunes from Salem, Oregon and hosted by me from Salemtown too. I'm really looking forward to that and hoping I can get the new album out in time!
Peace, love and understanding children!
Sig

It was a great night at the Riverhouse for my first gig in a while. It's nice to be back out there and it was a great crowd. Nice to see Steve, Joy, Lonnie and the whole crew. Got a background vocal track done this week on "Hillbilly Mystic". I'll go in this week and try to put a part above it and see how that works, Meanwhile the Blind Driver boys are working up some nice back-up harmonies for "Vaguely Familiar" and "Givin' 'Em Hell". That will be it... next the mix and mastering and soon it will be out there. Oh-oh! Here comes the post-partum syndrome!. I'm looking at the writers camp for the Sisters Folk Feastival this summer. John Gorka will be there as an instructor... hope I can go! don't miss my gig at Dragonfly Coffee Co. on 17th street here in Salem this Friday the 6th.
Later my friends.
Sig