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My DragonCon Schedule! (and a brand new song)

Here’s the updated (final?) list of my scheduled DragonCon appearances and concerts this weekend!

Friday 7pm: Princess Alethea’s Traveling Sideshow, Marriott A707
–I’ll be playing the Enchantress (Sea Witch Yaaas!) in our retelling of The Little Mermaid, and announcing the debut of my brand new song, “Where the Ocean Meets the Land”!

<a href="http://music.sjtucker.com/track/where-the-ocean-meets-the-land-dragoncon-mix">Where the Ocean Meets the Land (DragonCon Mix) by S. J. Tucker</a>

Friday 11:30pm: In Concert, Hyatt Hanover F/G
–My only late show, courtesy of the Filk Zone. Sure to be silly & sweet. Come on over.

Saturday 2:30pm: Music for the Art Show
–Most likely I’ll be doing soft noodly jazz guitar things. Should be relaxing for everyone. Come see the artz!

Sunday 10:00am: Singing Workshop, Hyatt Hanover F/G
–Ooof. If I can get up, drive in, and sing this early in the morning, SO CAN YOU.

Sunday 2:30pm: More Music for the Art Show
–I may only play for half an hour this time, so that I can run down the hall and catch part of the Doubleclicks’ concert before it ends.

Sunday 8:30pm: In Concert, Hyatt Hanover F/G
–My second show at the behest of DC Filk. I’m so grateful to them!

Monday 1:00pm: In Concert, AmericasMart Concourse Stage II
–Special guest stunt Mythpunk Nathaniel Johnstone on deck!! YES.

If you’ll be there, don’t miss The Cog is Dead, The Doubleclicks, Tuatha Dea, Mikey Mason, Valentine Wolfe, The Blibbering Humdingers, Emerald Rose, and all my other song siblings!! Feel free to share this post!

It’s been over a decade since my last DragonCon. I’m overjoyed, and a little bit scared. 😀 That’s usually the recipe for great things!

Just Found Project Pagan Enough

Inciting a Riot PodHost and author Fire Lyte started Project Pagan Enough to help encourage radical inclusivity, tolerance, and respectful discourse in the Pagan community. I’m so grateful to have found #projectpaganenough today, when 111% of me is in utter slimy horror over having just learned of the anti-semitic, transphobic, bigoted words being posted on the so-called Asatru Folk Assembly’s Facebook page. It’s pretty gross. I realize that it’s not without precedent, but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.

The post I have seen linked from the group’s Facebook page comes from a blatantly backward place. I know, I know; Facebook has been a simmering trash heap of horrors for a long time where hate speech is concerned. This understood, I applaud those who are calling the AFA out on the content of these posts, both in the name of understanding and in the name of speaking up for radical inclusivity, which really shouldn’t be as radical as it is. I’d love to see Asatru or Heathen community members and other Asatru or Heathen groups do some (more) calling out of their own. I realize that the neo nazi/skinhead element of that community has been around for decades, and I have great respect for those on the Asatru path who stand against it. Please continue to do so.

Project Pagan Enough and author/artist Lupa Green’s #notinmypaganism response to the above are helping me (and others, I am certain) to respond to this nonsense with strength and constructive thought, instead of just sitting over in the corner, feeling helpless against our paralyzing squick and despair.

Let’s keep the goodness going, my friends.

Fire Lyte says “Project Pagan Enough is my movement to encourage pagans, and those of like mind, to react with kindness, intelligence, and poise in situations involving religion, practice, dogma, etc.” I say yes and I’m in and thank you.

The hard part of Project Pagan Enough is that, by saying yes to it, we agree to do right by our own commitment to rational discourse and understanding. For instance, we have to attempt to understand why the racism, transphobia, and anti-semitism of the AFA is there, and why some AFA members see nothing wrong with it. We have to put in the time to interact and educate, rather than just blocking, shunning, and screaming at each other. We have to hold ourselves, each other, and our community-at-large accountable. We do.

Eyecandy

I’ve been enjoying various photo manipulation apps on my phone; thought the results would be a fun thing to share today in case anyone needs a smile.

The photo I started with – the ceiling of our entryway at home

How it looks with a mosaic filter applied – hello, stained glass!

The same photo x4, mirrored, flipped, and with a little bit of color adjustment. I used the Layout app and Instagram’s color filters to create this version.

The British Library Sound Archive

I am in awe. I am so grateful that this exists, that there are people in the world so passionate about capturing and cataloguing so much sound and information. There are recordings of the sounds made by extinct species. There is folk music from countries I may likely never see. There is everything. My fellow audio nerds who love both recordings and the equipment they depend upon, this is relevant to your interests!

MaLCon + Doubleclicks = Love!

Finally got to connect with The Doubleclicks over the weekend, and my joy knows no bounds! Thank you so much to Nikki E. and all her team at MALCon in Denver for that opportunity! The con was very welcoming and fun, and I’m still smiling.

10/10 would squee again! Hoping that we all get many more chances to do so.

Moar Doubleclicks!

MALCon Concerts This Weekend

This year’s MALCon features author Guest of Honor Jim Butcher, Music Guests of Honor The Doubleclicks, and Artist Guest of Honor Peri Charlifu!

Sooj’s FRIDAY concert:

Mad Hatter’s Madcap Party, McAnally’s Pub, Fri Aug 12 8:30:pm – 10:30:pm

Don your finest, oddest, or favorite apparel for this year’s Mad Hatter’s Madcap Party while you enjoy SJ Tucker, who’ll court and cajole you with her evocative original music.

Sooj’s SATURDAY concert:

Sooj Unplugged, Kings Landing, Sat Aug 13 3:00:pm – 3:50:pm

Join S. J. Tucker (aka “Sooj”) as she gets more intimate, going unplugged and talking about songwriting and working with prompts.

Sooj’s SUNDAY concert:

Sirens in the Spotlight: Music for Mermaids,

McAnally’s Pub, Sun Aug 14 10:30:am – 11:20:am

Known as “Sooj”, S. J. Tucker is a vanguard of the Mythpunk movement and a dynamic live performer. Let her engage you with evocative ballads, highlighting the sirens among us.

Traveling Songs: Still Traveling!

It’s been almost a month since I announced the release of the Traveling Songs collection. The response has been truly delightful, and I’ve gotten some super sweet feedback from fans, colleagues, and friends about the various songs included. I’ve even learned that I have fans living in Israel!

Poet Jess Halsey put up her thoughts on her blog, and they made my day. Below is my favorite part of her post. She nails it.

“An album is a guided presentation of a story. Even if the listener has no idea about the destination, the map has a line and the road follows the bard’s voice. We, the ones living outside the storyteller’s head, can wander down the path and explore the story. Traveling Songs lets you jump the border and dive into the uncharted, wild terrain of SJ’s imagination. Traveling Songs gives us the opportunity to throw the map away and listen to a pure, undiluted year’s worth of S. J.’s musical creations.”

Read the rest here, and check out Jess’s work while you’re there.

I’m back on the road this week, headed east. I had a fantastic, intimate concert in Sunset, UT on Tuesday evening, and this weekend I’ll be performing at MALCon in Denver. After that it’s home for a hot minute for the first time since July 4th! HOME! Check out the rest of the tour dates here.

#soojtravelingsongs is Go!

My name is S. J. Tucker, and I’ve been touring, performing, recording, and releasing original music full time for twelve years.

(so. many. albums)

I would like to introduce my very new touring rig. His name is Shadowfax.

Car shopping & research can be draining and scary, even when it hasn’t been over a decade since you last bought a car.

As you can see, mischief got managed, and within plenty of time to prepare for my summer touring activity. It’s still sinking in how cool this is.

My previous touring vehicle, Golde, who’s been extremely dependable and otherwise awesome, enters her new, low pressure position as home-based work truck at 388k miles.

Shadowfax became my new touring rig a few weeks ago. I’ve had two successful runs with him now- one to New York state and back with the band, and one out to the Northwest.

The only way to truly reduce my carbon footprint would be to stop touring entirely. But I’m not doing that, not yet, for all sorts of reasons, most of them good. So, my bandmates and I are on the road in safety & style this summer, with cargo space *and* comfort, thanks in no small part to the steady support of fans & friends the world over. ✨?✨?✨?✨

Shortly after Shadowfax came home with me, I asked my Instagram followers this question: If I were to announce a “traveling songs” fundraiser for Shadowfax, with new and unreleased music as incentives, would you all be interested and able to take part?

A whole bunch of you left supportive comments and said yes; thank you.

Here’s what’s happening.

I’m not using GoFundMe or Kickstarter or any other fundraising platform for this.

It’s just you, and me, and Paypal, but mostly just you and me.

I’m offering up the new songs I wrote between February 2015 and February 2016, as part of a song-a-week challenge. All of them are new and all but two are currently unreleased. There are 52 songs all together, all at least two minutes long, most of them quite a bit longer than two minutes. Everything from a steampunk murder ballad to a lullaby for my best friend’s cat. Every genre from fun and folky to full-blown electronica.

Normally, I wouldn’t release my rough recordings and studio demos, but this is a special situation.

See, I have all this new music- quite a bit more than I’ve ever had before after a single year of songwriting, and I know that you, music fans, like to help out when you can. Otherwise, Kickstarter and IndieGoGo and Patreon and all the rest wouldn’t be so popular.

So this whole situation gives me an opportunity to share new music with you a lot sooner than I normally would. And that’s pretty cool.

For $11, you’ll get eleven of my new, unreleased songs.

Click here to pay $11 at PayPal and get the 11 Elite download!

For $22, you’ll get twenty-two of my new, unreleased songs, hand-chosen by me.

Click here to pay $22 at PayPal and get the Top 22 download!

For $42, you’ll get the whole circus. 52 new original songs.

Click here to pay $42 at PayPal and get The Whole Circus download!

Tour Update: Albuquerque concert with Celia next week, and beyond!

Happy July, everyone!

First things first: I have a concert at Tortuga Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico next Wednesday. Yesterday, I found out that the amazing Celia would be passing through, and so I invited her to join me! Can you join us both? I hope so!

GET TICKETS HERE!
(They’re a bit cheaper if you grab them in advance- $10 or more online, $15 at the door.)

JULY 6, 7PM
TORTUGA GALLERY
901 EDITH BLVD SE
ALBUQUERQUE, NM
87102

Doors open at 6:30pm, and music starts at 7:00. There will be a short intermission between sets. Special thanks to Kat, Jill, and Pax for helping this concert come to life.

After our Albuquerque visit, Ryan and I have a few free days on the road before we need to land in Oregon. Where are your favorite places to go adventuring in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, or Utah? Send me a message and let me know! I’m sure to post photos on Instagram of where we end up going – follow me there if you like!

My next concert is in Oregon, at the lovely Summerstar festival with my dear collaborator Betsy Tinney, cellist. The festival runs the course of the July 14-16 weekend and is a witchy-friendly event. You have until July 6th to register if you haven’t yet done so. Get all the info at the festival’s website.

“Summerstar is about growth, understanding and acceptance. It’s about moving beyond the boundaries imposed by yourself, others and our own inability to cope outside of our experiences. We embrace sincerity and genuine curiosity about what makes us, changes us and drives us as people. We encourage stepping up to the unknown and moving forward with the strength of our collective Wills to guide us. Finally, we hope that you will move and grow in accordance with your own Will. Our site location is revealed to paid registrants only. This encourages only those who are sincere and interested in sharing a magickal experience to attend.”

After Summerstar concludes, I get to spend just a short time in Washington state, something I’ve been able to do each summer for more than a decade now. The Pacific Northwest is one of those places that truly recharges me, body and soul, and I’m so grateful to all of my fans and friends who keep asking me to come back.

Sacred Spiral Sanctuary is hosting Betsy and me for another duo show on July 23rd, down in Ethel, WA. It’s a beautiful place!

Get tickets right here – this show benefits Cascadia Cares.
July 23, 2016 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Sooj & Betsy at Sacred Spiral Sanctuary
1853 US-12
Ethel, WA
98542

“Join us as we welcome singer-songwriter extraordinaire S. J. Tucker and her powerful, hypnotic, soul-stirring songs, together with cellist Betsy Tinney, whose work has been called reminiscent of dark chocolate and fine red wine. Feast your ears! Tickets are $25, and this concert will benefit Cascadia Cares, a non-profit organization that empowers people with food and resources. Join us for a potluck at 5pm; concert starts at 7pm. We will be outdoors, so please bring blankets or chairs for your comfort.”

Betsy and I will perform together on the Kitsap County side, Sunday afternoon, July 31st! Our Silverdale shows have traditionally been rewarding and wonderful, filled with great memories for band and audience alike. We hope you can make it! We’ve made this one an earlier show so as not to be too hard on our friends and fans who have to go to work the next day.

GET TICKETS RIGHT HERE! $10, $15, or $20, buyer’s choice!
Sunday, July 31st, 5-7pm
Sooj & Betsy perform at the Silverdale Grange Hall
12641 Clear Creek Road NW
Silverdale, WA
98383
“Sooj and Betsy offer a dynamic duo show, Kitsap side, at the cozy Silverdale Grange Hall, on a Sunday afternoon! Come one, come all! Doors open at 4:30pm. Music begins at 5pm. There will be a brief intermission between sets. Special thanks to William for helping to host this show!”

NEXT MONTH AND OTHER SWEET NEWS

-Betsy will be hosting her annual Music Under the Trees concert in Redmond on August 6th. More details about that soon!
-I’ll be appearing at Myths And Legends Convention in Denver on August 12-14, along with the Doubleclicks! Jim Butcher is the author Guest of Honor, and it’s sure to be a blast. More info here!

-I get to go to Venus Music Festival in Illinois for the first time at the end of August, and I couldn’t be more excited! This event is hosted by one of my song sisters, Summer Osborne, and her awesome wife Lori. More info here!

-Rather big announcement: Just confirmed that I will be performing at DragonCon this year for the first time in ages! Will I see you there?

–Coming Soon: I have a new touring vehicle! We had our first successful run with said vehicle on our mini Tricky Pixie tour up to New York Faerie Fest last month- that trip was so wonderful, and I’m so grateful to our concert hosts and attendees in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and New York state! I posted about the new ride on Instagram before we started that trip, and I asked a big question. If I were to offer some new music as a super simple little fundraiser to offset some of the new car costs, would you all go for that? The response was delightfully positive! Watch for more info about this from me very soon, most likely on my blog.

-Last but never least: Do you have your download or your physical copy of The Green Album yet? Did you know that we’ve already helped Rainforest Trust to secure over 1800 acres of rainforest since the CD release concert last month? Come and be part of something truly good.

Thank you all so much for reading this post this weekend! I know that holiday plans take a lot out of us sometimes. Know that I value your attention and your participation in the music and the magic that I get to make.

June Tour-Memphis, St. Louis, Indy, Newark OH, Columbus & New York Faerie Fest!

Hi, fans and friends! I just got back from the first ever Caldera Pagan Music Festival, which hosted three solid days of concerts AND the release of our compilation CD The Green Album, and it was the experience of a lifetime. My gratitude and all of my high fives go out to the organizers, the community, and all of my friends and colleagues on stage and backstage. Keep your ears open for the future of that event, because CalderaFest will be back! Just wow.

I found out early this week that I get to play a set in Memphis this Saturday, at a #SemicolonProject event hosted by Underground Art in Cooper-Young! This is my only Tennessee gig until this fall. It’s free, it runs from noon to 6pm, and I’ll be playing around 4:30. Hope you can make it, Memphis peeps!

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 12-6PM: ILLUMINATED SEMICOLON EVENT TO BENEFIT MEMPHIS CRISIS CENTER!

Underground Art

2287 Young Ave
Memphis, TN 38104
More info here!

***

The next set of shows is particularly of interest to Tricky Pixie fans!

We’re going on the road together later this month to tour up to New York Faerie Fest together!
These are all of the appearances that we’ve got for 2016, and they’re happening this month! We hope to see you there.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 7-10PM: TRICKY PIXIE & MAMA GINA’S SASSY SUMMER SOLSTICE SHOW!
WHERE: The Bell House
4 Eldorado Ct
St. Louis, MO 63119
USA

GET TICKETS HERE!

Mama Gina’s soulful blues voice will steal your heart, and Tricky Pixie’s wicked wit and whimsy will bring it back to you! Don’t miss a chance to let these powerful folks wrap you up in song and rock your soul!

This event is sponsored and hosted by Harmony’s Flame School.
All ticket proceeds go to the artists, who adore you for your support even now!
Doors open at 6:30pm and music goes from from 7-10pm.

Bring a dish, stay and celebrate! Come one, come all!

UPDATE: At the time of this writing, Mama Gina is in the hospital in St. Louis, preparing for emergency foot surgery that’s forced her to cancel her area shows at The Focal Pointe and StL Pagan Picnic this weekend. That makes your support and attendance at the June 18 concert, which is going forward as planned, doubly important and doubly appreciated. Please join us if you can and help Mama Gina feel the love! If you cannot be there, please help us spread the word.
Join in the excitement and share the Facebook event page.
***

Our next stop is a shared show in Indianapolis with the Heather Dale Band! RIGHT?!? We are all so stoked! Best Monday night ever!

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 7-9PM: TRICKY PIXIE & THE HEATHER DALE BAND!
Spiritual Gardens
5559 Madison Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Hang onto something, Indy! A whole tribe of badass bards are coming to see you, all at once!

Whimsical scamps Tricky Pixie and the effervescent Heather Dale Band all travel the continent, doing their best to leave magic and inspiration in their wake, but they do not often meet up at the same concert! Well, it’s happening! We hope you’ll join us at this shared Summer Solstice show!

Admission is $10 advance, $20 at the door.

Paypal for tickets (family & friends setting, please!) to hostess Michelle at thespiritualgarden3x3@yahoo.com

Doors at 6:30, music at 7.

Thanks to Michelle for having us!
***Over to Newark, Ohio next, which is just outside of Columbus, for a concert under the stars!

TUESDAY, JUNE 21ST, 7-9PM: TRICKY PIXIE LIVE OUTDOORS AT KILLEN KEEP/VIOLET FLAME GIFTS!

118 W Locust St
Newark, OH 43055

GET TICKETS!
Killen Keep and Violet Flame Gifts welcome all Tricky Pixie fans and weeknight revelers to this very special outdoor concert, the band’s first time ever performing in Newark!Some seating will be available, but please bring your most comfortable camp chairs if you have them.

Advance tickets are $10, $15, or $20, buyer’s choice. Day-of-show admission is $20. All ticket sales benefit the band and Violet Flame Gifts.

Violet Flame Gifts and Killen Keep are housed in a beautiful Victorian house on Locust Street. Our concert will be behind the house, augmented by sunset and starlight. Parking is available on the street and in two large parking lots – one is directly across from the house and another is directly behind.
***

Onward and Northward to New York Faerie Fest, the jewel in our crown this month! We’re so happy to be returning, and meeting up once again with dear friends Sharon Knight & Winter and the delicious Wendy Rule!

FRIDAY JUNE 24-SUNDAY JUNE 26: TRICKY PIXIE AT NEW YORK FAERIE FEST!
2195 NY-79
Harpursville, NY 13787

GET TICKETS!

Elfin & Sylvan Folk, Wood Sprites & Faerie Folk, and All you Humans who still Believe in Magic…
Join Us in the Rolling Hills and Hollows of Rural New York for Central New York’s Faerie Festival!
A time of Escape from ordinary Reality… into Magical Play!

***

Betsy, Alec and I are sorry that we can’t get everywhere around the country together to sing for you this year, but we’re happy to tell you that we’ve all been working on various recording projects. Those projects include, yes, the next Tricky Pixie CD! We have laid down preliminary tracks on both new and old favorites.

It’s going to be a while before the work is done. We will let you know when we’re getting close!

In the meantime, check out Alec’s Patreon, Betsy’s Patreon, and Sooj’s newly released song on the pagan music compilation The Green Album, now available for download! 25% of every single download or physical CD sale of this collection goes to the Rainforest Trust; great tunes for a great cause! Alec and Betsy are featured on Sooj’s track, and the other artists come from all over the globe: Damh the Bard, Wendy Rule, Ginger Doss, Spiral Dance, Spiral Rhythm, Tuatha Dea, Bekah Kelso, and more!
Check it out and spread the word!
***

The band and I part ways again after New York Faerie Fest, but I’ve got two sweet concerts at The Magical Druid in Columbus, Ohio on my way home- the evening show is sold out, but there are still quite a few seats left for the afternoon concert!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 7PM (sold out) AND 3:30PM: SOOJ SOLO SHOW AT THE MAGICAL DRUID!

The Magical Druid Spiritual Resource Center
3165 N High St
Columbus, OH 43202
Get tickets for the afternoon show here!

Sooj stops in for some music and magic at The Magical Druid on her way south! She’ll share both old favorites and new gems, so bring your ears and your energy.

We’re capping the tickets at 25 for that afternoon, so grab yours in advance if you can – ticket link coming soon! Advance tickets are $10, $15, or $20- purchaser’s choice. If any seats are left, day-of-show tickets will be $20.

The Magical Druid is at 3165 N High St., Columbus, OH 43202 (the northeast corner of High St. and Pacemont).

UPDATE: the evening show is sold out, so Sooj is giving an additional AFTERNOON set, beginning at 3:30!
***

That takes us all the way to July! I’ve got concerts scheduled in New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington so far, with more in the works, and August will take me from Washington to Denver and all the way to Illinois! Get all the info right here on my tour calendar page.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and to see what I’m up to.
Wishing you the sweetest of summers and hoping to see you soon!