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As those of you who have read this column for a while are aware, I have tremendous respect for the work being done to preserve and honor the cowboy culture worldwide by the Western Folk Life Center in Elko.
Its mission is to present and preserve the traditional and contemporary arts of the American West. Each year it produces the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, America’s quintessential event honoring the Western cowboy. The silver anniversary of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be celebrated Jan. 24-31, 2009; the experience is “not-to-be-missed” and will bring you back for more in years to come. Tickets will be available for non-members beginning Oct. 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.westernfolklife.org. It will be a banner year so don’t wait too long to get your tickets and be sure to call for hotel reservations before you do.
This year something special is happening. For the first time in its 25-year history and in celebration of its silver anniversary, Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is bringing two of its perennial favorite performers to Reno, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, for a special one-night-only performance at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.
The show will feature the mind-bending poetry of Polish hobo rodeo poet Paul Zarzyski and the vocal modulations and swingin' cowboy tunes of yodeler Wylie Gustafson and his band “Wylie & The Wild West.”
Paul Zarzyski began writing rodeo poetry in the late 1970s and performed at his first Elko Gathering in 1987. Today, he is swiftly becoming one of the most revered and honored poets in the West. His poetry shares the stories of the cowboys and the outdoorsmen in a dynamic and exhilarating modern style. In 2005, Paul was selected as recipient of the Montana Governor’s Art Award for Literature for his contributions to Montana’s literary traditions. His publications include two books and chapbooks and two spoken-word CDs. His recent book “Wolf Tracks on the Welcome Mat” won the Western Writers of America 2004 Spur Award for Poetry, and his 1997 collection “All This Way for the Short Ride” received the Western Heritage Award for Poetry from the Cowboy Hall of Fame n Oklahoma City. His spoken-word CDs are “Words Going Wild” and “The Glorious Commotion of It All.”
“Wylie and the Wild West” play a blend of western swing, classic country, cowboy and folk music that keeps the audience entertained and coming back for more, Wylie Gustafson’s music is true to his heart and to his life. He finds inspiration in ranch life, punching cattle, and the wide-open spaces of the West. “Wylie & the Wild West” have performed nearly 50 times on the Grand Ole Opry, have played for packed houses at such prestigious venues as the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and the National Folk Festival. Wylie recently appeared on the The Conan O’Brien Show, where he taught Conan how to yodel.
“The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is the place where our art form and way of life is celebrated like nowhere else in the world,” explains Wylie. “Before we head back to Elko in January for the 25th celebration, we want to share what we do with the people of Nevada who have supported this event for so many years. So if you can’t make it to Elko, or even if you can, don’t miss this special Reno performance!”
Tickets for the Reno performance are available for $10, $30 or $50 and can be purchased in advance at www.pioneercenter.com, by phone at (775) 686-6600, or in person between 11a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Pioneer Center Box Office located at 100 S. Virginia Street. A limited number of tickets are available at Shepler’s Western Wear, located at 255 E. Plumb Lane in Reno. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the performance. A 10 percent discount will be extended to students and seniors with valid ID as well as Western Folk Life members.
A special VIP sneak preview fundraising event will be held that evening prior to the public performance. Participants will be treated to hors d’ouevres and cocktails and a short private performance, and they will have a chance to meet and have their pictures taken with the performers. Passes to the VIP event are available in limited quantities for $250. Contact Marianne Gellman at the Western Folklife Center for more information, (888) 880-5885 or mgellman@westernfolklife.org.
If you would like to submit poetry, a book review of your own or what your book club is reading email bpwhyman@sbcglobal.net.
Its mission is to present and preserve the traditional and contemporary arts of the American West. Each year it produces the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, America’s quintessential event honoring the Western cowboy. The silver anniversary of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering will be celebrated Jan. 24-31, 2009; the experience is “not-to-be-missed” and will bring you back for more in years to come. Tickets will be available for non-members beginning Oct. 1. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.westernfolklife.org. It will be a banner year so don’t wait too long to get your tickets and be sure to call for hotel reservations before you do.
This year something special is happening. For the first time in its 25-year history and in celebration of its silver anniversary, Elko’s National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is bringing two of its perennial favorite performers to Reno, on Tuesday, Oct. 28, for a special one-night-only performance at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.
The show will feature the mind-bending poetry of Polish hobo rodeo poet Paul Zarzyski and the vocal modulations and swingin' cowboy tunes of yodeler Wylie Gustafson and his band “Wylie & The Wild West.”
Paul Zarzyski began writing rodeo poetry in the late 1970s and performed at his first Elko Gathering in 1987. Today, he is swiftly becoming one of the most revered and honored poets in the West. His poetry shares the stories of the cowboys and the outdoorsmen in a dynamic and exhilarating modern style. In 2005, Paul was selected as recipient of the Montana Governor’s Art Award for Literature for his contributions to Montana’s literary traditions. His publications include two books and chapbooks and two spoken-word CDs. His recent book “Wolf Tracks on the Welcome Mat” won the Western Writers of America 2004 Spur Award for Poetry, and his 1997 collection “All This Way for the Short Ride” received the Western Heritage Award for Poetry from the Cowboy Hall of Fame n Oklahoma City. His spoken-word CDs are “Words Going Wild” and “The Glorious Commotion of It All.”
“Wylie and the Wild West” play a blend of western swing, classic country, cowboy and folk music that keeps the audience entertained and coming back for more, Wylie Gustafson’s music is true to his heart and to his life. He finds inspiration in ranch life, punching cattle, and the wide-open spaces of the West. “Wylie & the Wild West” have performed nearly 50 times on the Grand Ole Opry, have played for packed houses at such prestigious venues as the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and the National Folk Festival. Wylie recently appeared on the The Conan O’Brien Show, where he taught Conan how to yodel.
“The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering is the place where our art form and way of life is celebrated like nowhere else in the world,” explains Wylie. “Before we head back to Elko in January for the 25th celebration, we want to share what we do with the people of Nevada who have supported this event for so many years. So if you can’t make it to Elko, or even if you can, don’t miss this special Reno performance!”
Tickets for the Reno performance are available for $10, $30 or $50 and can be purchased in advance at www.pioneercenter.com, by phone at (775) 686-6600, or in person between 11a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Pioneer Center Box Office located at 100 S. Virginia Street. A limited number of tickets are available at Shepler’s Western Wear, located at 255 E. Plumb Lane in Reno. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the performance. A 10 percent discount will be extended to students and seniors with valid ID as well as Western Folk Life members.
A special VIP sneak preview fundraising event will be held that evening prior to the public performance. Participants will be treated to hors d’ouevres and cocktails and a short private performance, and they will have a chance to meet and have their pictures taken with the performers. Passes to the VIP event are available in limited quantities for $250. Contact Marianne Gellman at the Western Folklife Center for more information, (888) 880-5885 or mgellman@westernfolklife.org.
If you would like to submit poetry, a book review of your own or what your book club is reading email bpwhyman@sbcglobal.net.
