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Larry Wilder
First Thursday concert
Larry Wilder sports many musical labels
Appearing at Open Mike Thursdays at The Skyroom, Zig Zag, OR
Long Black Veil now on CD Baby
New albums online at Spotify
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Parties,Weddings, Anniversaries, Reunions - Any Event!
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David Currey: Guitarist/Singer
Love Revival & Never Been So In love
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Singer-songwriter Larry Wilder has many musical labels that de- scribe him, like historian, musicolo- gist, educator, and champion yo- deler, not forgetting being honored with The Champion of Americana by those who follow him and his music. When he performs, he has the ability to capture the spirit of his audiences and was the perfect featured artist for Cascade Geo- graphic Societys First Thursday Concert For Human Trafficking Awareness in August of 2018. The two concerts performed by Wilder filled the air of the highceil- ings of the two former saloons that now make up the Cascade Geographic Societys Museum of the Shanghai Tunnels, located at 213 and 215 Northwest Couch Street in the Old Town/Chinatown Area in Portland, Ore. The mu- seum houses not just collections of artifacts from those maritime days of shanghaiing, but also the organizations Breaking Through The Silence Project (A Human Trafficking Education Program). The Museum of the Shanghai Tunnels has proven to be an ideal place for the First Thursday Concert For Human Trafficking Awareness. Not only does the site occupy two former saloons from the days of shanghaiing, but is located above a section of this infamous Portland Underground. And, with the Break- ing Through The Silence Project lo- cated there, you have the historic to the contemporary information about human trafficking being covered. Wilder has been in the business of performing professionally in front of a variety of audiences for about 50 years. He not only performs his original songs, but reaches deep into folk, bluegrass, gospel, pop, rock, or whatever genres of roots music he chooses, to give the listener a history lesson of tunes. There was indeed an educational richness as the singer-songwriter played his guitar and banjo as his voice interpreted the songs from the shanghaiing days in Portland, along with his own originals. The songs selected by Wilder to perform were generally famil- iar, but always captivating. It was
By Michael P. Jones
easy to see why his rich talent and sincere dedication to his craft has made him popular amongst audi- ences of all age groups. Wilders performances at the First Thursday Concert For Human Traf- ficking Awareness were impressive and fun. His sincerity about educat- ing the public about slavery today, which is now called human traffick- ing, became very obvious as he sang two concerts worth of music. Songs from the rich Americana songbook, plus his yodeling abili- ties, provided a very unique eve- ning of great music. From Tom Doole y (an 1858 Appalachian bal- lad), to Shell Be Coming Round the Mountain (that emerged from a 17th-Century religious tune), to T For Texas For Tennessee (re- corded in 1927 by Jimmie Rodgers as what he called a Blue Yodel or hillbilly song with yodeling), Healing Waters (which emerged from the Salvation Army history), to Come All You Fair and Tender La- dies (a ballad from an 1858 Appa- lachia), and even Sloop John B (a Bahamian or West Indies Folk tune that was most likely pre-1900s and was made popular by The Weav- ers in 1951 for their Bluegrass fol- lowers, the Kingston Trio in 1958 for their Folk audiences and then exploded into popularity by Rock n Roll listeners when recorded by The Beach Boys in 1966). Wilder, however, seemed to grab the air out of the Museum of the Shanghai Tunnels with his original songs. Old Shanghai Days and The Lady On The Isle Of Liberty really illustrate the amazing talent of this singer-songwriter. Old Shanghai Days reveals the cruelty of those victimized by the shanghaiers in Portland. Wilders cleverly-written lyrics capture the hardships of those who found themselves as one of the lost souls in the infamous Portland Underground. Unsuspecting vic- tims, who were typically sailors, loggers, cowboys, sheepherders, and other transient workers who wandered into saloons, would find themselves (after getting drunk or being drugged) dropped through trap doors in the floor of the es- tablishment. Once underground, they were hauled off into a holding cell, then later taken through an underground network and sold to a sea captain who forced them to work aboard ship for no pay until the journey ended and they were kicked off the vessel. Wilder also reveals the victimization of women by white slavers. These brutal people, who were white men (thus the term white slavers), locked what they considered was now their rightful property into tiny un- derground holding cells. They were later sold into prostitution in other cities or countries. The song Old Shanghai Days also brings the historic events of human trafficking up to what is happening in todays disheveled world of modern-day slavery. Wild- er clearly understood the repercus- sions of ignoring the past crimes of what took place in the Shanghai Tunnels and brought the story up to what is unfortunately happening in not just our city and country, but the rest of the world. The Lady On The Isle Of Liberty is not only a real tear-jerker, but a song thatll make you think, no mat- ter which side of the immigration debate youre on. Wilder reached down into the recesses of his heart and came up with lyrics and music that tends to captivate the audi- ence. You seem to have no choice but to listen until the last word is sung and the final note is played. Wilder put his feelings about im- migrant children being taken away from their parents at the border into both words and music. This controversy involving people from Mexico, Central America and South America, has riled up people on both sides of the debate, in- cluding this singer-songwriter who wanted people to just drop the political rhetoric that was loudly drowning out what was really hap- pening and to just think. The Lady On The Isle Of Liberty is a song whose message you can- not escape if you choose to listen to its lyrics. However, when Wilder sings the verses first in English and then followed by the same verse in Spanish, you get a whole new feel- ing about the situation. The words he sings, even if you dont know Spanish, are clearly haunting. The Cascade Geographic Soci- etys Breaking Through the Silence Program (A Human Trafficking Education Center), hosts the First Thursday Concert For Human Traf- ficking Awareness. This event is every first Thursday, from February through December, as a unique way to help educate the public about modern-day slavery through original or historic music. All of the First Thursday Concerts For Human Trafficking Awareness are in the Museum of the Shang- hai Tunnels, located at 213 to 215 Northwest Couch Street in Port- lands Old Town/Chinatown area. Singer-songwriters are wanted to perform their original songs in two 30- to 45-minute concerts which are filmed by volunteers from MetroEast Community Media and then later are broadcast on thirteen East County cable access stations.
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