There has not been much activity ’round the ol’ CST compound lately. After our show in October with Buddy Mondlock we sort of went into hibernation, and we’ve pretty much stayed there since.

Considering the early onset of winter, I’d say hibernation has been appropriate. I was not prepared for temperatures so low so early on, and I hadn’t yet dragged out the snow shovel and ice melt when that first big snowstorm hit. But they’re out now, and looking at the forecast for next week, it’s a good thing. Christmas travel might be interesting this year…

About this time every year Charlie and I start to talk about whether or not we should record a CST Christmas CD. It seems like a good idea (though one we’d need to consider much earlier in the year in order to have it ready when it’s seasonally appropriate), but we just can’t ever seem to arrive at what sort of recording it might be. We’ve talked about doing all instrumental versions of Christmas songs. We’ve talked about vocals. We’ve talked about a combination of instrumentals and vocals. The one thing we seem to have decided for sure is that if we ever do record a Christmas CD, it will be a collection of traditional Christmas hymns and carols. I’ll be surprised if we ever do a CST version of “The Happiest Christmas Tree” or “Santa Baby” or “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”

We still have other projects in mind and/or in the works, too. A re-recording of Lord, Look Down will still happen sometime; in fact, we’ve started on it a couple different times. We’ve both written a few new songs, so we’ll be looking at possibly recording an all-new CST CD sometime in the not-too-distant future.

For now, though, we’re looking at filling some dates in late winter and spring, so keep an eye on the calendar for a show near you (or one at a location to which you’re willing to travel).

We hope you have a blessed Christmas season.

On Friday, October 23, Central Standard Time will share a stage with celebrated Nashville singer-songwriter Buddy Mondlock. Buddy’s songs have been performed by an impressive list of well-known folk musicians, including Janis Ian, David Wilcox, Nanci Griffith, Peter, Paul & Mary and folk supergroup Cry, Cry, Cry.

The show is at the Paul Engle Center for Neighborhood Arts in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door, and ticket price includes supper (additional donations are welcome and encouraged). You can purchase tickets through Brown Paper Tickets or through PayPal (to FlyingMonkeysCR@aol.com; put “Buddy” in the comments box).

This is sure to be a great night with loads of great folk music! Hope to see you there.

We’d like to think so. To make our friendship electronically/virtually official, though, why not visit our Facebook profile and become a fan or cruise on over to our MySpace page and send us a friend request? No doubt you’ll find vast amounts of entertaining and informative tidbits on both.

And hey, while you’re logged on, feel free to post a link to our page(s) on your profile and help spread the word about CST.

Thanks for your friendship and thanks for listening (and reading).

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Sept. 12) at 5:00 we will play KRUI’s performance/interview program live from 380. If you’re in Iowa City, tune in to 89.7 on your FM dial. If you’re outside of KRUI’s broadcast area, just click on over to www.kruiradio.org/listen, and you can enjoy the show through the wonders of modern technology.

On another topic, last weekend we attended the first ever Storyhill Fest Midwest, and my, but it was a good time. Lots of great music and other fun stuff, too. Maybe we’ll even get to play the festival someday. So Chris, John, Jim… if you’re reading this…

Our live, in-studio performance on KRUI has been postponed. We’re not playing today at 5:00 as originally advertised, but instead have pushed back the show until Saturday, September 12. Same time, same frequency.

Last night we played the Java House in downtown Iowa City, which has always been a pleasant enough show. Last night’s was particularly fun, though. We had a few surprise fans show up, which was cool, and reeled in a few new fans, which was also quite cool. We also played a Disney tune for the first time ever during a concert. That was interesting, but apparently entertaining. Thanks for coming out last night if you were one of the folks in attendance.

Well, it seems that Central Standard Time will not win the title of Acoustic Idol after all. *Sigh…* We stormed into the semifinals [cautiously] optimistic that we’d make the next round, only to fall short. Alas, we will not be playing in the Acoustic Idol finals next Monday. But we do want to say a heartfelt thanks to you folks who came out (and stayed out, despite the lengthy delay) to show your support for CST. We genuinely appreciate that.

Oh, well–on to better things, right? Our next show is at The Java House in Iowa City on August 21. The Java House is a great place to catch a show and enjoy some of the best coffee you’ll find anywhere. The day after that (Aug. 22) we’re playing live on the radio on KRUI, the University of Iowa’s student-run station. We’re doing a show called live from 380, which airs from 5-6 p.m. on 89.7 FM in Iowa City or www.kruiradio.org/listen anywhere on the planet.

We’re working on more shows for the fall, so keep your eye on the calendar and see if you can make it out to a show sometime soon. We’d love to see you. Thanks for listening!

We played a couple fun shows over the past weekend. Thursday night was Music in the Park, and the weather actually cooperated! Last summer we were rained out twice, so it was nice to actually get to play this time around. In fact, it was nice and cool outside, and a few people were even wearing sweatshirts, covered with blankets, etc.

The cool weather continued into Saturday, when we played for the summer staff at EWALU. We’ve gone up there each of the last several years and have always really enjoyed it. Hopefully the staff have enjoyed it as much as we have.

Coming up next for CST on Monday, July 27, we’ll be back at Daniel Arthur’s in the Six Feet Under Lounge for the semifinals of the Acoustic Idol contest. We’ll be matched up against four other performers, and the top three will move on to the finals on August 3. Show time is 7:00 on the 27th, so come on out, grab some dinner or drinks, and help propel CST into the finals!

After that we’ve got a bit of a break before we return to the Java House on Friday, August 21, followed by a Saturday evening (5-6 p.m.) live performance on KRUI’s live from 380. More to come on those later.

Hi there. Well, in case you hadn’t heard, Charlie got married this past weekend to longtime friend and CST fan Kristen. Now, for quite some time she and another friend of ours, Greg, have debated which of them is Central Standard Time’s #1 fan. They’ve both offered compelling arguments, and I think the title has unofficially gone back and forth between the two of them. But now Kristen has married Charlie, which seems like a pretty significant display of fandom.

Time to step up, Greg.

Moving on… We have a number of shows coming up in a fairly short time. In just over a week on Thursday, July 16, we’re playing Coralville’s Music in the Park concert series. We’ll be playing in S.T. Morrison Park, right next to the Coralville Community Aquatic Center, and show time is 6:30.

Just two days later we’ll be back at EWALU Bible Camp for our annual show for the summer staff. That one’s at 7:00 on Saturday, July 18.

On Monday, July 27, at 7:00 p.m. we’ll be playing in the semifinals of the Acoustic Idol contest at Daniel Arthur’s restaurant in Cedar Rapids. We need a big turnout for this one to help move us on to the finals the following week on August 3 (and we’ll subsequently need a big turnout on August 3, just so you can plan ahead).

As always, we urge you to check the calendar frequently for new shows, check back for exciting news, etc., etc. Hope to see you soon. Thanks for listening!

Central Standard Time! Last night we claimed first place in the first preliminary round of the Acoustic Idol contest. That means we move on to the semifinals, which will be held at Daniel Arthur’s on Monday, July 27, starting at 7:00 p.m. There will be six semifinalists (one from each of the preliminaries), and the top three finishers in the semifinals go on to the finals the following week, August 3.

This contest is also a really good opportunity to hear some other local musicians perform in a nice, intimate atmosphere. It’s a lot of fun to get to hear some other folks play, and to share our tunes with some new listeners.

So mark your calendars now for July 27 and August 3 and make plans to be at Daniel Arthur’s to show your support for CST! We want to be your Acoustic Idol…

Come out to Daniel Arthur’s in Cedar Rapids at 8:00 p.m. tonight (Monday, June 15) to show your support for Central Standard Time in the Acoustic Idol contest! Yes, we’re giving it another shot. You see, the first time around we actually won with the judges, but didn’t have as many audience votes as another performer, so we didn’t move on in the contest. So this time it’s critical that we get some more CST fans there to push us over the top!

The Six Feet Under lounge (in the basement of DA’s) is a small space, so come early for a seat and to take advantage of their specials. Hope to see you there!