Nov 9, 2009
The record is coming! The record is coming!
Hey all – hope your week is off to a smooth start. It’s an exciting week for us in The Dimes camp as we’re having our first CD release shows this weekend for the new album. We’ve been looking forward to this weekend for what feels like forever. And, to add a little coincidence to it all, it just so happens that this week (today in fact) marks the 137th anniversary of the Great Boston Fire of 1872 – the fire, and the heroics of Boston Fire Chief John Damrell, are the subject and inspiration for the song “Damrell’s Fire”, which is the first track off the new record.
As for the story, the Great Fire of 1872 was certainly one for the books. Historic Boston may very well have suffered the same fate the city of Chicago did just one year prior had it not been for Boston Fire Chief John Damrell. Wooden roofs on structures built right along side each other, inadequate water supply in much of the city, together with a horse flu epidemic that kept the city’s fire engines from moving anywhere quickly seemed to have created the perfect storm in the winter of 1872. Had it not been for John Damrell and the brave men of the BFD, historic Boston may have been left in ashes. The song inspired by the story, “Damrell’s Fire”, is over in our new player on the blog page and up on our new myspace page, so feel free to listen – here’s the info again for the record release shows this weekend!
Friday, November 13th
Seattle Record Release Show
The Tractor Tavern
5213 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107-4809
9pm
Saturday, November 14th
Portland Record Release Shows
Mississippi Studios
3939 Mississippi Ave
Portland 97227
Early show: 7pm
Late show: 10pm
Have a great rest of the week and we hope to see you soon…maybe this weekend?
Johnny
I’m assuming you used the PBS film “Damrell’s Fire” as a main source for your song.
The film-maker, Bruce Twickler, is a college friend of mine, and I sent him links to your web site and myspace page.
By the way, you should read David Hackett Fischer’s book, “Paul Revere’s Ride” for a scholarly updating of this story. It is also important for understanding Boston and New England 18th century social history, and how Revere fits into that history.
Hi Steve -
Actually, I didn’t see the documentary until a few weeks ago, but I loved it – I did, however, find the website for the PBS film while working on the song and it does indeed have a ton of great information about the fire and Damrell. The song title was kind of a nod to that and to the great work they did on that film.
I’ll check out that book by David Hackett Fischer – good timing too, I’m actually working on a tune about William Dawes…
Hey — don’t miss the woman who was almost Paul Revere, she just had similarly bad PR (and she was a woman): http://womenshistory.about.com/od/waramrevolution/p/ludington_ride.htm
Hi Kamy – great point! The story of Sybil Ludington (whom many call the “female Paul Revere”) is a great one, and much like William Dawes (who’s story inspired a song in itself), she’s often overlooked. Incidentally, it turns out that Sybil Ludington and William Dawes had the same birthday. Gotta love history’s strange coincidences.
- Johnny