Ohio Valley Filk Fest 24

GoH: Tim and Annie Walker

Tim and Annie Walker are mainstays of the British Filk scene (the Brits have a scene? Heck, I think that they deserve a full act, myself...); and have this to say about themselves: "We found filk in 1995, via Pern fandom and never really looked back. As well as joining British Filk-Rock band, Phoenix (and performing on stage whilst Annie was 8 months pregnant!), we've played as a filk/folk duo - Wilderwood (bringing filk to the masses...) as well as performing with anyone who'll let us near their stage (Talis Kimberley, Mich Sampson and Bill & Brenda Sutton amongst others).

Our music is nothing if not eclectic - we like and source everything from Dixieland jazz to modern pop and rock, giving it a SF and fantasy twist along the way. We may lapse into Fleetwood Mac if tired, as we play in a tribute band (Ed: Fleetfoot Mike... and yes, that's Tim and Annie on the front page)... and it tends to slip out if we don't pay attention...

Our passions include history, media fandom, the importance of dreaming and chocolate. All of these may or may not appear in any one given set.
We can't tell you how much we're looking forwards to OVFF and both performing and listening to everyone there!"

And if you can't get enough of them at OVFF, you can go to their house, and rent their holiday cottage and spend some time in England with them! You can find more about Tim and Annie at their own home page at www.walkerwork.co.uk.

Toastmaster: Graham and Becca Leathers

Graham is a recent Canadian import, courtesy of Becca's ability to sing. He also juggles as well as writes and sings. He has been paid to work as an actor, bald eagle researcher, balloon sculptor, comedian, mime, movie extra, radio voice, and, well obviously, as a musician.

Becca works as a chiropractor, eliciting tones both pure and profane from her clients. In the late night hours she is an illicit tea-pusher; hooking many innocents on caffeine just so that they can stay up later at concerts. Sometimes she plays guitar, too.

Just don't ask them about the zombie trains that they keep in the attic...

Honored Listener: Jan DiMasi

Jan DiMasi found filk in the early 80's at Confusion, in MI. The room was attended by Julia Ecklar, Clif Flynt and Tom Smith ( before he got good).

She started giving cure light massages to get to know the filkers better and to pay back how wonderful she
felt during the Filk.

In 1996 the Chicago/Milwaukee filk scene was at a lull and Jan started having housefilks and was
building the DucKon filk track. Spot, the 3 year old Ball Python, started traveling with Jan and was an instant hit. Her philosophy of snake ownership is to share and let other people visit with Spot to get their snake fix. And if you don't know Spot, then definitely take some time to get acquainted. (Just imagine how much GOOD filk he's heard! Ed.)

Her sense of humor and love of filk are infectous- and she'll even get you interested in beading!

InterFilk Guest: Sibylle Machat

Sib is truly unique, and has to be seen and heard to be experienced. In her own words, describing herself using LOLCATS and AYBABTU (All Your Base Belong To Us). Only Sib would think of actually mixing these...

Or: just what you always never honestly really and madly wanted - the Sib, in Lolcats and "All your base are belong to us:"

Narrator: In A.D. 1978, Sib's life was beginning.
Captain: What happen ?
Mechanic: Well, the usual ... nothing much, growing up, elementary school, ..., University, etc bla bla ... let's forward to 2008!

(No bombs were armed in the writing of this biography!)

Operator: We get information.
Captain: What!
Operator: Sib works at Universities, teaching students American & English literature & culture.
Captain: It's true!!
LOLCATS: Your life, 'xplain you it!??
LOLCATS: Your cheezburgerbasez has be ours now, let us show you them!!!

Ok, ok, I can't do it. AYBABTU with LOLCATS beat me. And aren't we all glad for that? So, yes. Erm, this is me. In a couple of short sentences ... I live in a small town in Germany called Flensburg, work for the University of Flensburg in a German-Danish cooperation course of studies, and thus teach both at the University here and at the Syddansk Universitet in Sonderborg in Denmark.

LOLCATS: Destruction, you has wai to now!

No wai! And wasn't I abandoning the format? I am, however, hopefully, eventually, on my way to finishing the PhD I am writing right now, when I have time. Which isn't that often, but what can you do?

Captain: What you say !!

I share my flat with Rimsky and Korsakov (two guinea pigs), a couple of plants, instruments I can/can't play (depends on the instrument (trust me, I've never taken my violin anywhere yet, and that is A Good Thing :-) )) and a lot of books. Hence one could assume that I am rather fond of reading, and that'd be true. I'll read everything and anything except horror, trashy romance, and crime stories (literally anything - milk cartons, SF/F books, the history of the Byzantine Empire, the collected poems of Longfellow, Focault, last weeks newspaper, ...). When I am not reading or teaching (or sleeping, eating, etc bla bla ...) I really like to go sailing. I'm also fond of ...

LOLCATS: You haz no chance to relate your whole life make you time!!
LOLCATS: Ha Ha Ha Ha ....

Ok, LOLCATS, ok. You're right. So: Filkwise, while I occassionally (shh, don't tell anyone) write something, uh, kinda serious, I usually fall, admittedly, on the more silly side of the spectrum. I write about everything and anything, though media phenomena (and making fun thereof) and the intricacies of language seem to be re-occuring themes. Als, ah, instruments seem to be optional, really. As, come to think of it, is singing. Hmm.

Operator: Captain!!
Captain: Leave off writing ZIG SIB!!
Captain: If you want to know more about Sib: www.thesib.com
Captain: Move now, SIB.
Captain: For great justice.