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LOCAL Announcement :: Miscellaneous

Pat Humphries Performs May 7 in Chicago ARea

Singers and Songwriters Pat Humphries & Sandy Opatow, two activist musicians well-known in protest circles, will perform May 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, near Chicago. Tickets are $12 in advance and are available at Women & Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640
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Powerful, Passionate Songs about the Lives of Real People

PAT HUMPHRIES AND SANDY O. IN CONCERT

Friday May 7, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Evanston (Ridge at Greenwood)

Tickets are $12 in advance and are available at Women & Children First Bookstore, 5233 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 Tel: 773.769.9299 ($15 at the door) .For more information on the concert call Susan at: 773-973-2416.

Called the "true spirit-child of Woody Guthrie," Pat Humphries brings her powerful, singable songs to concert halls, coffeehouses, festivals, conferences and demonstrations across the country. Pat has traveled twice to Cuba as part of the Pastors for Peace Caravans and was part of a women's delegation that included author, Margaret Randall, to observe the 1996 Nicaraguan elections. In addition to performing at local and national demonstrations, Pat has written music and advocated for migrant farmworkers in New York State, the Refugee Women's Network in Atlanta, United Students Against Sweatshops and the School of the Americas Watch.

In May 2002, NPR's All Things Considered featured the story of an underground "folk anthem" that was 'everywhere,' despite its having no commercial airplay and no major label, or even moderate-sized indie label, support. The song was "Swimming to the Other Side," by activist musician and award-winning songwriter, Pat Humphries. The NPR segment included interviews with Pat and folk legend, Pete Seeger, who said, "The powers that be can control the media (but) it's hard to stop a good song . . . Pat's songs will be sung well into the 22nd century." The response from NPR listeners was tremendous and unprecedented. In addition to emails that flooded Pat's and NPR's inboxes, so many people ordered "Hands" that it was the #1 seller on Amazon.com for three days--outselling Eminem's just-released live recording, and every other rock and pop artist. There is hope! In fact, Pat and the “Swimming” phenomenon were featured in the Nov/Dec 2002 issue of Hope Magazine (www.hopemag.com).

Pat's much acclaimed anthems, "Keep on Moving Forward (Never Turning Back)," "Common Thread," and "Swimming to the Other Side," are sung at peace and justice events around the world and have been translated into 7 languages. The U.N. Fourth Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, opened with "Keep on Moving Forward" and "Common Thread" has been chosen as the theme song of the NYC Labor Chorus.

“If I Give Your Name,” by Sandy Opatow and Pat Humphries was the Grand Prize Winner in the Folk Category of the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Contest (www.jlsc.com). The song sheds light on the silent suffering of family members of undocumented workers lost on 9/11 in the World Trade Center and was one of 12 grand prize winners out of 24,000 entries. Hear "If I Give Your Name" at www.pathumphries.com and find out more about the situation of undocumented workers at www.tepeyac.org/wtc.html.

Pat is now performing with her partner, Sandy Opatow, who adds exquisite vocals, guitar playing and songwriting. Pat and Sandy were in the process of moving to the Washington DC area from New York City when the events of September 11th, 2001, occurred. Since then, Pat Humphries & Sandy O. have been performing at concerts, teach-ins and rallies, including leading 10,000 people in NYC singing their song "Peace, Salaam, Shalom," less than a month after September 11th (documented on the Voices for Peace video, www.turningtide.com/voices.htm) and again at a peace vigil in NYC on the first anniversary. The duo's songs, including "CodePINK" www.pathumphries.com, written for the CodePINK Women's Vigil for Peace, have been featured on Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now!" with Amy Goodman (www.webactive.com/pacifica/exile/dn20011206.html).

Pat's singing has been described as "spellbinding" and Kathyrn LaMar of the San Francisco Folk Magazine said about "Hands", "Every single song is full of heart, soul, and verve, and I still can't listen to the whole thing without crying while trying to sing along--a sign of a true masterpiece."

For NPR interview, songs, gig info, cds, "peace, salaam, shalom" t-shirts: www.pathumphries.com T-Shirts and CDs will also be sold at the concert.
 
 

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