Jon Sencabaugh writes to ATS

Dear Rex and Neal,
My name is Jonathan Sencabaugh of Medford Mass. I am a 22 year old singer songwriter, guitarist and drummer. I have my own band called The Influenced (www.myspace.com/theinfluencedband). I just want to say thank you for your songs. I am so passionate about music and my father just introduced me to your songs. He has been a huge fan since his college days at UMass in the mid seventies. He introduced me first to "Highway Song" and it is literally one of the best songs I have ever heard. Its such a haunting song and I can not stop listening to it. I feel so in touch with it. I know you must get a lot of emails and may not have time to respond but just as long as your read this email I will be happy. This music is what makes life so beautiful. I am going to be a father in a few months and being so young, it hasn't been all fun. My family and friends are real supportive but not they are not the only things getting me by. Your music is really giving me hope and no other music has really done this to me before. You both just play so well together and I needed to let you know. I hope to see you play live someday and I am going to be checking out any news of shows in the near future. Thank you again.
A new fan,
Jon Sencabaugh
jsencie@yahoo.com

May 08 Newsletter

I don’t know why it has suddenly washed over me that Dan Fogelberg is gone. Maybe it was hearing his Souvenirs CD recently while driving with my friend Bobbi to one of our gigs. I received some mail immediately after his passing last December but it took until now for it to truly resonate with me. Dan is one of the singer songwriters that I always admired and wished we could have shared a bill with. “Same Old Lang Syne” is one of my all-time favorite songs, period. I think “Part of the Plan” is my second favorite of his and of course “Leader of The Band” is such a compelling song, especially knowing that his father really did conduct bands. Truth be told, I have barely kept up with his recordings but plan on immersing myself in his music now. While reading his on line bio I loved that he described himself as being “fearless” as a young aspiring artist. I know first hand this is what it takes to succeed in this crazy business. He (like me) dropped out of college to chase his dreams. Ironically, Dan ended up living and dying in the state I grew up in and dared to leave against all odds to pursue a career in music. One day I would love to return to Maine as well. After all is said and done, I can only say what an incredible life lived, how blessed he was and how blessed we are to have Dan Fogelberg’s music indelibly woven in our life’s fabric.

In June, Neal and I are performing several shows with Danny O’Keefe, another amazing singer songwriter. This will be our first time on the same bill with Danny and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am about this. Besides having a top-5 Billboard hit with “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues,” Danny also had several Fm classics like, “Angel Spread Your Wings,” “The Road” which Jackson Browne covered on his live album, “Magdelana” and of course, “Catfish” which David Bromberg played on as well. Danny also has a co-write with Bob Dylan, a duet sung with Linda Ronstadt and has been covered by Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and a cast of thousands.
OK! Thanks again for your support and please do come out and see us while we all still can.
Peace, Rex & Neal

March 08 Newsletter

In like a Lion out like an avalanche. OK, so much for global warming (just kidding!) as we shovel out here in the northeast. February was a relatively quiet month for ATS but yours truly had a fabulous time indeed by playing two shows solo in the Woodstock, NY area before traveling to Vegas (baby!) to see Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles extravaganza, LOVE. If you have only one vacation left in your lifetime you absolutely must see this show. I also got to hang in Tucson, AZ afterward with my two main Maine ladies Anna and Ann who treated me to LOVE for my 60th birthday present. I’ve purposely left out their last names because as you know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! Tucson highlights included lots of hot tubs at Anna’s, golf on a beautiful sunny day w/Ann and an evening of delicious food and live music at Jim (of the Way Back Machine)and Rebecca Lipson’s home. Jim was instrumental in getting ATS to the Tucson Folk Festival back in 2005. I stayed an extra few days with Jim back then to see the amazing Sajuaro cactus in the even more amazing Sajuaro National Park. Life’s been good to me so far as well. So have my friends!

That’s about all the news that fits for now. Thank you all again and again for your undying ongoing support. As always, we can’t do it without you.
Peace & LOVE,
Rex (& Neal)