" Totem Pole" Rik Palieri profile picture

" Totem Pole" Rik Palieri

Story Teller, Song Writer & Roustabout Songster

About Me

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Rik Palieri- Folk-singer, Songwriter & StorytellerRik is a talented singer, song writer, multi instrumentalist, storyteller and member of "The Mythical Order of The Rose Tattoo", who lives the musical life to the fullest. He is a very energetic performer who captivates audiences of all ages with his stories and songs. In a typical performance Rik will sing an old ballad with a fret less banjo, stomp out a Leadbelly style blues on the 12 string guitar, squeeze an exotic instrumental on the Polish bagpipes, spin out a wild and wooly story of his travels, pluck out a tune on the Ozark mouth bow, blow a mournful melody on the Native American flute and end the evening with an original Yodel-sing-a-long Rik has performed at concert halls, schools and festivals throughout the lower 48 states, toured Alaska by float plane, rode camelback in Australia and sung on trains throughout Europe... He has appeared on countless TV programs including recent spots on ABC's 20/20. He also has his own Public Access TV show "Song Writers Notebook", that has featured interviews with artists like Pete Seeger and U. Utah Phillips. Rik has recorded six albums. His newest CD is called "Hobos & Heroes". He is also an occasional writer for Sing Out!, Banjo Newsletter and author of a new book "The Road Is My Mistress, Tales Of A Roustabout Songster" available on Amazon.comRIKWe call him Totem Pole. Well, it suits him. Here he comes now, strong, upright, his whole body festooned with instruments: banjo, guitar and a quadriplegic goat he claims to be Polish bagpipes. And they are! Once played, they’ll clean the wax out of your ears or make you wish you had more. Tote ‘em Pole, that’s him. Well, just part of him, the hobo part. The rest has to do with music, our music. And the road, long stretches of midnight highway, booming on to the next last lost town at the end of the world. You take all the best of who we’ve become, we Americans ; our plain, honest voice, our wandering soul, the deep, true poetry of all our places, trust, honor, hard-working hands and hearts at peace. Take all of these, stitch them together with our people’s common music, the ring of the banjo and happy feet stomping away the darkness – and somewhere in the middle of all this you’ll find Rik. He has more time and miles on him than a prospector’s mule. But he has turned up the gold. It shines from a thousand stages where, night after night he gives back to some of us what he’s learned from the rest of us. Always giving, only taking what balances out. Now, this book is part of that balance. The pay-back. This is an American life only because of all the American lives, past and present, that have flowed into and filled it up. All the hardship, all the open-handed love, the great adventure we’re all in whether we know it or not., you’ll find it all here in this one, same as you’d find it in all of us. But Rik tells it and lives it and sings it and it all comes out, like the old fiddler said, “finer’ than snuff and it ain’t half as dusty”.- Utah Phillips April, 2003

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/2/2006
Band Website: banjo.net
Band Members:". In his shows Rik plays both orginal songs, old folk and some old Country too! He also plays the 5-string banjo, guitar, Native American , Ozark Mouth Bow and every now and then is known to play the Polish BagpipesRik interviews The Gretsch Guitar Company.The Song Writer's Notebook, Backstage with Jeannie Seely at The Grand Ole Opry
Influences: Rik Palieri comes from "down east" in Vermont from whence he travels with the four winds to any where there is music to be played. He's a multi-talented performer mastering the banjo and guitar plays some rather exotic instruments like the Australian didgeridoo and the Polish bagpipe. Rik is a real tail twister and can get a drowsy crowd up and singing faster than anybody in the folk world.BUZZ POTTER "Hobo Times"

Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / Black or White

Rik with Author Clay Eals, On The Song Writer's Notebook
Sounds Like: Rik says " I like to think of my music as a cross between old country and folk. The term I like to use use is Americana or Country Roots. I guess I sound a bit like my mentors ; Pete Seeger and U.Utah Phillips with a little bit of Ramblin Jack Elliott and Woody Guthrie thrown in. If you like the sound of listening to old folk and country records then you just might like my kind of music! "
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Record Label: Laura Records- In Germany
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

The Last Round Up in a Music Town, of the 2008 German Country Roots Tour (June 26.- 28.)

The Last Round Up in a Music Town, of the 2008 German Country Roots Tour (June 26.- 28.)The Last Round UpYes friends ,if you have been following our German adventure, you will know that we are almos...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:52:00 PST

Notes From The Country Roots Tour in Germany (english)

Notes From The Country Roots Tour in GermanyThe time is passing so quickly as today marks the lastweek of the tour.The last few days have been full of shows. We did areally nice performance in the old...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:11:00 PST

Banjocamp, Singing in the Yurt, Going to the Dogs (english)

Yes, friends it is time for another exciting chapter in the life of of the Country Roots tour. When we left you last time the band was getting ready for another school program. This is an important pa...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:13:00 PST

Beer, Ballads and Radio (english Blog)

Category: MusicDear Friends of The Country Roots TourOur adventure continues as we roll down Germany, Autobahn. After the rough start the tour is well on it's way with more shows, gatherings ,food & b...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:50:00 PST

An rough Start of Country Roots Tour 2008

Dear Friends Of The Country Roots Tour Band.We hope to keep you up to date as this our 7th tour in Germany takes place with both stories and photos.The gigs are moving along with great crowds,lots of...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PST

Music For Peace

Music For Peace Panels sends out a message of Hope at Indie-Con Music Convention     This year during the Indie-Con ( Independent music Convention- on November 10th), a group of musicians a...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 07:19:00 PST

A Healing Story of Fathers & Sons

Unto the seventh generation: A story through song helps a family heal « H E » email posted Monday, 5 June 2006 by Rik PalieriCopyright © 2006 Rik Palieri. All rights reserved.    HINES...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Fri, 14 Sep 2007 07:24:00 PST

A short history of the song " Kumbaya"

Ok, Just for fun I will share a little story around the song Kumbaya . It was back in 1984 when I was doing my study program on Polish folk music that I discovered that for some reason after trying a ...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 05:12:00 PST

Notes from Nashville tour 2007

Dear friends , Here are a few notes from my recent trip to Nashville ;   Yeah Nashville was so cool! I just love it it. I spent most of my time down town metting with music folks but the bes...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 07:37:00 PST

Rik's new Blog

Tuesday, December 12, 2006 Check out this video: Utah Phillips and The Rose Tattoo at Caffe Lena Posted By:CaffeGet this video and more at MySpace.com 6:25 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add C...
Posted by " Totem Pole" Rik Palieri on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 02:54:00 PST