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Tim Easton, American songwriter and fellow Buckeye, has learned the ways of the hardcore troubadour…making his way around Europe and America by busking in the streets and playing the clubs. Although Rolling Stone Magazine praised him as “having a novelist’s sense of humanity” Tasty Brew Music Host Diana Linn believes his education as a Poetry Major at Ohio State University is the not so secret ingredient to his lyrical life. When she saw he was on the roster for the 2019 edition of the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma, she knew she had to try and have a sit down conversation with him. Although her familiarity with his work was on the fringe, she wanted to dig deeper.

As soon as she hit the registration desk at the Okfuskee County Historical Society in Okemah, (incidentally the recording site for Tim’s latest CD “Exposition” )she asked the volunteer staff for help in contacting Tim. Within two hours she had a text. They met shortly thereafter in front of the Crystal Theater but where to record a conversation? There was no media room and no readily available space to sit down and chat. A Woodyfest volunteer AGAIN to the rescue…”I live at the rock house down at the corner of Woody Guthrie Boulevard and Broadway. The back door is open, the air conditioning is on; there’s nothing but two chairs and a table in there but you’re welcome to it.” Tim was game and so was Diana Linn. They had a conversation in a virtually empty house sitting in two velveteen rockers facing each other with a lavalier mic attached to a water bottle handle. Tim talked about growing up in Japan, opening for the Flatlanders and Townes Van Zandt, busking the streets of Europe, heading his own record company, traveling to Alaska to teach songwriting workshops so you can fish and an upcoming State Department sponsored trip to Russia. Woody Guthrie would have loved Tim Easton.

Also on the planned playlist for this week, new music from Amy Speace, Tullie Brae, Samantha Fish, The Steel Wheels, and much much more!

Now THAT’s Americana!