Today is July 1st. Anne Feeney’s birthday (which she was thrilled that it happened to coinside with Canada Day!) So let me start with this. The Anne Feeney “Hell Raisers Fund” is thrilled to announce three $1000 Grants to up and coming activisits who are taking it to the streets and grabbing power by the lapells and speaking truth through a bull horn. If you know of anyone that you think is deserving of such a grant.
Yes, I had an incident on the road. I hit a ladder that was summer saulting down the road but thanks to the good folks in Phoenix Arizona - I dodged a bullet and was back on the road in 24 hours.
Thank you for all of the well wishes.
Paul and I are going to be getting our new album any day now. Thanks to all that have bought an advance copy. And since we still don’t have them yet - there is still time. for just $25 I will send you a signed copy Postage included. Just click on the picture and you will get yours sent to you. For those of you that have already ordered - I anticipate getting those out just after the Oregon Country Faire. I am a one person opperation so thank you for your patience.
The Beat goes on. Paul and I will be playing shows from Santa Cruz to Anhorage The dates are below. If you see a date that is open and you would like to invite us into your living room for a show, just drop me a line.
M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .R.E.T.O.R.T.
July 1, 2025
Oakland, CA
Independance day is coming up, and this year - i think it is particularly important to remember a few things about the United States.
Independence Day
By Chris Chandler
The very thing that makes America greatisthe the thing we are most afraid of:
our diversity.
~
From the beginning
America has been a hodgepodge
of sundry, and diverging groups.
It is what makes us great.
~
Two, three hundred years ago,
(and even last week)
it was the best and the brightest,
that came here.
~
And they Knew,
if thier children were born here,
they would be citizens.
~
It is a part of what makes us great!
~
It was the adventurers,
the free thinkers, the risk takers
that came here.
~
It was the debtors, the n’er-do-wells
looking to start over,
the extremists,
the fanatics, the radicals, the persecuted
and the prospectors
that longed for the salvation of a new beginning.
~
It was the draft dodgers, the exiled intellectuals, the starving,
and the industrious.
The refugees.
~
The came from all over the world and spoke
many different languages.
At one point we nearly adopted German as a national language.
~
In 1776,
there were two and a half million non native people
in what is now the United States.
~
No nationality held a clear majority.
There were more nationalities and more religions
being practiced in one location
then anywhere else on earth.
~
Twenty percent were of African decent.
(More than from any single country in Europe)
~
At one point
it could be argued that the 18th century
version of Swahili
was the most spoken tongue in the western hemisphere.
~
Granted, they did not come here willingly.
It is one of our greatest shames
that it has taken us so long to realize
the gifts they had to offer.
~
For even though Africans were subjugated
for most of their history in the western hemisphere,
their contributions to what makes America great
is immeasurable.
~
And, the same is true of the contributions of those who have been the most mistreated,
the Native Americans,
the Chinese and the Mexicans.
~
Most of our greatest achievements
have been at the behest of
... the newcomer
... the outcast
... the refugee.
~
It was the new-comer,
the immigrant,
the refugee...
that put his body on the line against an armed private militia
in the struggle to give us the eight hour day.
~
It was the newcomer,
the immigrant,
the refugee...
that swelled the ranks of the Union Army
and put an end to slavery with the barrel of a gun.
~
the immigrant,
the refugee...
educated in our universities that sat in Houston, TX
and Cape Canaveral
as we put a human on the moon.
~
It takes a great deal of courage and gumption
to come to a new land and begin again.
And once ya get here,
even if it may seem you have arrived with nothing,
the one thing ya still got is courage and gumption.
~
Even today. It is what makes us great.
Even if it is what we fear the most.
~
Many fear the new comer.
But I say, what des the new comer have to offer?
~
We are all after all, newcomers.
We are still so young, and so big.
Europeans poke fun at us saying we think two hundred years is a long time,
yet they think two hundred miles is a long way.
~
Our American trailblazers
have conquered great distances
with a mule and an axil.
~
IN 1776
We, a largely impoverished
rural, uneducated loose connection of villages
were able to defeat the mightiest army on earth
with nothing but a wagon load of hunting rifles
and declare ourselves free.
~
Only a great and inspired people could do that.
~
Yes, What we have done with that history has not always been pretty.
~
No people’s history is pretty.
~
Perhaps if our history were pretty it would surely be that... History
~
Pretty people don’t last.
~
But in America, it has often been the ugliest of the ugly
that prevail.
And prevail we do.
~
But today,
I choose to celebrate what is great about our country.
~
Our diversity.
H.E.R.E.S. .D.A. .D.A.T.E.S.
Sunday, July 6th, 2025 7:00 pm
OPENING FOR CAROLINE AIKEN AND FRIENDS TRACTOR TAVERN
5213 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Friday, July 11th, 2025
OREGON COUNTRY FAIRE ARTIST AT LARGE
Saturday, July 12th, 2025 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
OREGON COUNTRY FAIRE HOARSE CHORALE
Veneta, OR
Sunday, July 13th, 2025 1:40 pm to 2:40 pm
OREGON COUNTRY FAIRE BLUE MOON STAGE
Venita, OR
Wednesday, July 16th, 2025
HOUSE CONCERT HOME OF KIRSTIN SCHIPPER
Text 240 476 4976 to RSVPAsheland, OR
Thursday, July 17th, 2025 8:00 pm
HISTORIC EAGLE HOUSE PATSY KLINE ROOM
124 C streetEureka, CA
Website: https://www.historiceaglehouse.com/
Friday, July 18th, 2025 8:00 pm
CHRIS CHANDLER AND PAUL BENOIT RETURN TO SANTA CRUZ THE LIVE OAK GRANGE HALL
1900 17th AveSanta Cruz, CA
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/liveoakgrange/
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
Sanfrancisco Secret Fest with John Elliott and Dawn Oberg TBA
Text 240 476 4976 to RSVP
Sunday, July 20th, 2025 7:30 pm
THE CHRIS CHANDLER AND PAUL BENOIT SHOW THE MONKEY HOUSE
1638 University AveBerkeley, CA
Website: https://www.themonkeyhouse.org/
Monday, July 21st, 2025 7:00 pm
CHANDLER AND BENOIT RETURN TO WILLIAMS OREGON SUGARLOAF COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BANDSHELL
206 Tetherow Rd
Williams, OR 97544
Website: https://sugarloafcommunityassociation.org/events/
Thursday, July 24th, 2025 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm
THE WHOLE EVENING WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST REGGIE GARRET AND CHRISTINE GUNN EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE
1707 NW Market StreetSeattle, WA 98107
Phone: 206-789-1621
Website: https://www.ballardjamhouse.com
Friday, July 25th, 2025 - Sunday, July 27, 2025
SEATTLE SCOTTISH HIGHLAND GAMES ENEMCLAW STATE PARK (WITH JEN DELYTH)
Enemclaw, WA
Website: https://www.sshga.org/
Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
BARBARA BARTELL PRESENTS BORING BREWING COMPANY
38250 Pioneer BlvdSandy, OR
Website: https://www.boringbrewing.com
Wednesday, July 30th, 2025 7:30 pm
THE CHRIS CHANDLER AND PAUL BENOIT WITH SPECIAL GUESTS! FLOYDS COFFEE AND WINE BAR
1996 S. East Ladd AvePortland, OR 97214
Website: https://www.floyds.coffee/
Thursday, July 31st, 2025
THE CHRIS CHANDLER AND PAUL BENOIT SHOW RETURNS TO COTTAGE GROVE THE AXE AND FIDDLE
657 E Main StCottage Grove, OR 97424
Phone: 541-942-5942
Website: https://axeandfiddle.com/
Friday, August 1st, 2025
THE CHRIS CHANDLER AND PAUL BENOIT SHOW RETURNS HYBRID CAFE
941 W 3rd AveEugene, OR
Website: https://www.thehybrideugene.com/events
Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 6:30 pm
HOUSE CONCERT IN PORTLAND HOME OF DEAN AND ABBY BOUDOURIS
DM me for the address. Or email dean@technw.netPortland, OR
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025 6:30 pm
A FUNDRAISER FOR KXCR THE UU CHURCH
87738 US-101
Florence, OR 97439
Website: https://kxcr.net/
Doors at 6 o'clock show at 6:30
Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 6:30 pm
HOUSE CONCERT IN BELLINGHAM THE HOME OF CARYN SIMMONS
DM me for the addressBellingham, WA
Thursday, August 7th, 2025
TENTATIVE THE CHRIS CHANDLER AND PAUL BENOIT SHOW WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST CHRISTINE GUNN NEW TRADITIONS
300 5th Ave SWOlympia, WA
Website: https://newtraditionsfairtrade.com/
Friday, August 8th, 2025
TENTATIVE TBA
Vancouver, BC
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
FUN HOUSE CONCERT ON SALT SPRING ISLAND RSVP FOR LOCATION INFO
email me at baldchandler@yahoo.com for location info or Jenn Christianson agent99@hotmail.comSalt Spring Island, BC Canada
Sunday, August 10th, 2025 7:00 pm
VICTORIA FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY PRESENTS THE NORWAY HOUSE
1110 Hillside Ave.Victoria, BC
Saturday, August 16th, 2025 7:00 pm
HOUSE CONCERT AT THE HOME OF TOM BEGICH AND SARAH SLEDGE
TEXT ME FOR UPDATES 240-476-4976
ANCHORAGE, AK
Sunday, August 17th, 2025
HOUSE CONCERT AT THE HOME OF SARA PERMAN AND JONNY NEWMAN
Text me for Details 240-476-4976
Girdwood, AK
Tuesday, August 19th, 2025
HOUSE CONCERT AT THE HOME OF SCHAWNA THOMA AND MICHAEL POWELL
Text me for details 240-476-4976
ANCHORAGE, AK
