Loose and Easy, Raw-boned, Organic, Country Gospel Music

COME, SEE and HEAR The NEW EARTH BAND at these FOLLOWING EVENTS.  WE’LL FILL YOUR TANK and CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES, THEN WE’LL SEND YOU OUT WITH A FIRE IN THE BELLY, TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS – BECAUSE GOD CAN’T DRIVE A PARKED CAR !!!

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On Wednesday, July 15,  New Earth Band  bassist Harry Wilkinson  underwent major surgery.   The anticipated length of his recovery has not yet been determined, but Harry has now returned home after 5 weeks in the hospital, and has begun what will without doubt be a lengthy rehab period.  We solicit your earnest prayers for Harry’s complete recovery and speedy return to his family  - and to The NEW EARTH BAND!

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Friday, September 10, 2010, 2p -  The NEW EARTH BAND  will bring an hour of  loose and easy Country Gospel music to  the residents of the Wyomissing Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1000 East Wyomissing Blvd, Reading, PA (www.wyomissingnursing.com).

Saturday, September 11, 2010. 10:30a -  The NEW EARTH BAND’s Lee Schappell will bring a heap of easy, happy, rural Gospel music and a short, down-home “Knowing God”  message to the Sabbath morning worship service for the  residents of  the Manor at Market Square,  803 Penn Street, Reading, PA (www.manoratms.com).  Hey, Jon Starks!  This is right in your back yard!  Come on over with your guitar and join us!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010, 2p - Activities Director Bonnie Payne, of the Sinking Spring ManorCare (www.hcr-manorcare.com), 3000 Windmill Road, Sinking Spring PA,  has invited The NEW EARTH BAND  to put together an afternoon of happy, hopping-good Country Gospel music for her residents and staff.

Monday, September 20, 2010, 6:30-8:30p – The NEW EARTH BAND  returns to the skating rink at Ozzy’s Family Fun Center (www.playozzys.com), 5411 Pottsville Pike, Leesport PA, bringing  with them the happy hop of their bouncing-good Country Gospel Music.  Come to eat, blow off steam, try out something here at Ozzy’s that you haven’t tried before, and enjoy the good-time music in the entire process!  All are welcome!  Bring a friend or six!!!

Sunday, October 3, 2010, 7p – The NEW EARTH BAND’s  Lee Schappell  will accompany our good friend and musical associate Dave Reinwald as he brings an evening of music and personal testimony to The Torch Community Center (www.torchcc.com), in the ClockTower Plaza, at the intersection of Routes 23/10 and 176, in Morgantown, PA.  Admission is free, refreshments are available, and all are most welcome!

Saturday, October 9, 2010, time TBA – The NEW EARTH BAND has accepted the invitation of Calvary Baptist Church  (www.calvarybaptistreading.com)  510 Park Avenue, Reading PA and The Link Center (www.thelinkcenter.com), 201 Noble Street, Reading PA to provide a healthy dose of loose and easy Country Gospel music at The Link’s first annual ChiliFest.  Watch for more info as it becomes available!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 2:30p - The folks at Spruce Manor, (www.extendicareus.com/sprucemanor) 220 South 4th Avenue, West Reading PA have  requested an encore of our most recently encored encore (whaaaat?) .   The NEW EARTH BAND’s loose-and-easy rural Gospel music will ring merrily in the halls of the Manor for its residents and staff this afternoon.

Sunday, November 14, 2010 - The Rocky Mountain Band  rides again!  The music of John Denver will ring in the rafters of  Kissinger’s Lutheran Church, 715 Berkshire Boulevard, Wyomissing PA (www.kissingerselca.org) for the benefit of The American Cancer Society.   The Rocky Mountain Band, which includes The NEW EARTH BAND’s  Little Buford and Marvelous Markie, will once again present a solid 2-hours of strong, authentic John Denver music.   Check with “On the Docket” for more complete details as they become available.  If you missed the March 6 event at Kissinger’s Lutheran Church, and missed the April 25 one at Nativity Lutheran Church, this is your opportunity to avoid missing the boat thrice, and catch a really great show for a mighty worthy cause!

Friday, November 19, 2010, 2p -  It’s another hour of hopping-good, rough-cut, Country Gospel Music with The NEW EARTH BAND  for  the residents of the Wyomissing Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1000 East Wyomissing Boulevard, Reading, PA (www.wyomissingnursing.com).

Friday, December 3, 2010, Time TBA -  The NEW EARTH BAND  has accepted the gracious invitation of the St. Lawrence Women’s Club  to provide an evening of loose-and-easy Country Gospel Music with a generous topping of Christmas.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 - The NEW EARTH BAND, once again disguised as Little Buford & The Hicks  brings an evening of hopping-good Traditional Couontry and Country Gospel mix to the residents of the Hearthstone at Maidencreek, 105 Dries Road, Reading PA  (www.hearthstonehealthgroup.com).

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 -  Activities Director Sandra Farmer has extended the invitation to The NEW EARTH BAND  to present a bouncing-good matinee of happy Country Gospel music for the residents of  The Zerbe Sisters Nursing Center, 2499  Zerbe Road, Narvon PA  www.zerbesisters.com .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, SALUTES and THANK-YOU’s :

Our gratitude goes out to the residents and staff at The Villa at Morlatton, 1152 Ben Franklin Highway, Douglassville PA (www.villaatmorlatton.com) for a great time and an enthusiastic response during our Friday, July 23 late-afternoon concert. 

Thanks again to Kass Kantner and that wild and crazy bunch at  the Sencit Townhouse Apartments, 20 South Summit Avenue, Shillington PA, for a hopping-good-time at our Thursday evening,  July 29 gig.

A sincere “Thank You”  to Nate and his staff, and to the warm and friendly residents of The Morris-Pace Assisted Living Home, 416 Reading Avenue, West Reading PA. (www.yellowbot.com/morris-pace-assisted-living-west-reading-pa.html) for their kindness and participation during The NEW EARTH BAND’s  Little Buford  (Lee Schappell) Country Gospel Music matinee, Tuesday, July 20, 2010.

Our gratitude to the management and staff of Country Music star Pat Garrett’s  Classic Country WWSM 1510-AM (wwsm2@evenlink.com) for including The NEW EARTH BAND  in the festivities on Monday, June 28, 2010, as the town of Palmyra Pennsylvania set aside ten-days on the June calendar to celebrate its 250th Anniversary.

A stand-up Independence Day Salute goes out to Kissinger’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (www.kissingerselca.org), 715 Berkshire Boulevard, Wyomissing PA, for hosting The Rocky Mountain Band’s  Sunday, June 27, 2010  “God Bless the U.S.A.” concert, with The New Earth Band’s Lee Schappell  (also of Little Buford & The Hicks) on the bass.  The proceeds will benefit this year’s Haiti earthquake victims.

Thank you, to two great ladies, Ashley and Courtney, of  Javateas Cafe (www.javateas.com), 1 Dutchland Avenue, Ephrata PA, for their kindness and helpfulness – a reallygreat smoothies! -  on Friday, June 18, 2010, as The New Earth Band’s Lee Schappell  (Little Buford), delivered 2-1/2 hours of  Traditional Country and Country Gospel Music for patrons and friends.

Grazie!  to Joe Promutico, of The Upland Cafe (em: joe@uplandcafe.com), 700 Upland Avenue, Reading PA, (phone: 610-370-7815)  for bringing in Singer-Songwriter Dave Reinwald  and The New Earth Band’s Lee Schappell (alias “Little Buford”) for an  eventful, totally unpredictable, and likely most memorable evening of Oldies and Classic Country music for his dining patrons, Thursday evening, June 17, 2010.

Thanks to Activities Director Bill Strausser  at  ManorCare, 2125 Elizabeth Avenue, Laureldale PA (www.hcr-manorcare.com), and to the sea of residents who came out to hear – and sing along, loudly and quite well (!)  at The NEW EARTH BAND’s  June 10 afternoon  Country Gospel concert.

Our sincere appreciation to Cathy Depew and her staff, and to the residents of the Wyomissing Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 1000 East Wyomissing Boulevard, Reading, PA (www.wyomissingnursing.com), for their kindness and hospitality during The NEW EARTH BAND’s  May 19 Gospel Music Matinee .

Thanks humongously to the residents and staff of  the beautiful Villa St. Elizabeth, 1201 Museum Road, Reading PA (www.villastelizabeth.com) for their warmth and genuine response during our tasty, May 18, after-supper, Gospel Music wing-ding!

Danke schoen to Activities Director Lorraine Hubiak and the residents of  Spruce Manor  (www.extendicareus.com/sprucemanor), 220 South 4th Avenue, West Reading PA  for their customary full house turn-out and enthusiastic response during our May 12 afternoon Country Gospel Music Gig!

 Gracias, Amigos to Activities Director Lana Fick and her staff at ManorCare (www.hcr-manorcare.com), 425 Buttonwood Street, West Reading PA, for their courtesy and kindness, and to the residents for a lively and enthusiastic response to our Wednesday, April 14, 2010 mid-afternoon concert.  And a Happy Birthday to our Maureen Henry!

With sadness, we bid farewell to an old, comfortable, “blue-collar” friend, ”Admiral” Kent DeMoss’s Mohnton Navy Yard Galley, 322 E. Wyomissing Avenue, Mohnton, PA, which closed its doors for the last time on Sunday evening, March 21, 2010.  Singer-songwriter Dave Reinwald, backed by a 3-piece band consisting of The NEW EARTH BAND’s Little Buford on bass, rhythm guitarist Luke Lebo, and percussionist extraordinaire Randy Angelo, closed out his run of Thursday ”Oldies” Nights with a full-house on Thursday, March 18.  And then … then came the Grand Finale on Sunday, March 22, as The NEW EARTH BAND played a marathon 3-1/2 hours of close-to-the-earth, Country Gospel Music, that had all the feeling of a wake for an icon, to a more-subdued, yet packed house, nonetheless.  We’ll miss you, old friend, and all the good, salt-of-the-earth folks for whom The Galley was a second home.  The camaraderie, good food, great service, the solid music, lousy humor and that annoying rubber chicken – Thanks, Kent!

A rousing NEW EARTH BAND thank-you to Activities Director Cheryl Anderson, her cheery staff, and the residents of  the exquisitely-beautiful  Heritage at Green Hills (www.heritageofgreenhills.com), Tranquility Lane, Reading PA, for a most enjoyable breakfast invitation, followed by their warmth and enthusiastic participation during our Wednesday morning, April 7 concert.

A massive and well-deserved ”Thank-You” from the members of the nine-piece ROCKY MOUNTAIN BAND (which includes The NEW EARTH BAND’S  Marvelous Markie and Little Buford),  goes out to the Reading and Berks Community, and to the entire congregation and staff of Kissinger’s Evangelical Lutheran Church,  715 Berkshire Boulevard, in Wyomissing, PA (www.kissingerselca.org), for their reception and response that exceeded all expectations at this charity event, “The Benefit For Haiti -The Music of John Denver Concert” on Sunday, March 7, 2010.  God bless you all!

Our genuine thanks to the staff and management of Border’s Books, Music, and Cafe (www.borders.com), in Wyomissing, PA  for their kindness and cooperation, and for the opportunity to bring the liveliest of our bouncing-good Country Gospel music to the Cafe on Friday evening, March 19, 2010.

A ‘rousing Danke Schoen to Pastor Ed and the family at The TORCH Community Center (www.torchcc.com), in the ClockTower Plaza, at the intersection of Routes 23/10 and 176, in Morgantown, PA, for a homey welcome and a great time during our Sunday evening, February 21 concert.  Incredibly, Little Buford’s long-time amigo, Paul Carlson, whom he had not seen in 40+ years, drove all the way from Wilkes-Barre, PA, with his family, to catch The NEW EARTH BAND -  and Markie’s new steel guitar – in action.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the congregation of  Kissinger’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (www.kissingerselca.org), 715 Berkshire Blvd, in Wyomissing, PA  for entrusting to The NEW EARTH BAND their entire Sunday, February 14 worship service – the music, the Scripture readings, the children’s story and the message of the morning, “Knowing God”.

Our thanks to the residents and staff of the beautiful Columbia Cottage (www.columbiacottages.com), 3121 State Hill Road, Wyomissing PA, for their courtesy and kindness at The NEW EARTH BAND’s January 19 matinee concert.

Our appreciation to the management and staff at Ozzy’s Family Fun Center (www.playozzys.com), 5411 Pottsville Pike, Leesport PA  for bringing in The NEW EARTH BAND to provide the bounce for their Monday, January 18 Faith & Family Night.

The NEW EARTH BAND extends a heart-felt thank you to all those dear sisters of the Sacred Heart Convent (www.bfranciscan.org). 450 St. Bernardine Street, Reading, PA, for their warmth and kindness – and a  most delicious dinner – before our December 18 concert.

Our thanks also to Pastor Mike McCabe of the Kenhorst Boulevard Seventh-day Adventist Church (www.kenhorst.church.org), 333 Kenhorst Boulevard, Reading PA 19607 for inviting us to fill his December 19 sermon time with some easy Gospel and Christmas mix.  However,  due to an overnight snowfall and resulting slick road conditions, we were two  band members short.  So instead of providing the music, Pastor McCabe invited Lee to deliver the message of the morning, “Israel, The Overcomer”.  

Our gratitude to the Young at Heart group at Wyomissing Church of the Brethren (www.fcotb.org), 2200 State Hill Road, Wyomissing PA for their courtesy and kindness on Saturday evening, December 12, as The NEW EARTH BAND presented a bouncing-good pre-Christmas gig in their beautiful, brand-new church building, following the Young at Heart’s sumptuous dinner.

What a wonderful night! Friday, December 4  was a most enjoyable time for The NEW EARTH BAND .  And according to all appearances,  the residents at Stabon Manor, 16th and Haak Streets, Reading PA,  agree.  The singing and the laughter made it all worthwhile!

To Rick Knerr and staff at the Manor at Market Square (www.manoratms.com), 803 Penn Street, Reading, PA,  belong our most enthusiastic kudos for a great reception, a full room, lots of singing-along, and genuine response to our matinee program on November 18.

Muchos gracias, Amigos! to Kass Kantner and the residents of the Sencit Townhouse Apartments, 20 South Summit Avenue, Shillington PA, for their lively welcome and rousing response to our “Opry at The Sencit” , Wednesday evening, November 11.   The Band was asked to “please play a little longer” and our man Mose, with his rich baritone “pipes” and blazing fiddle, acquired quite a stable of Sencit groupies.

We want to thank Pastor Don Ellwanger and the especially “folksy” congregation of The Community Bible Church (www.communitybibleberks.net) , at 333 Kenhorst Boulevard, Reading, PA, for inviting us to provide all the music  – just pure, old-time, throwback, Country Gospel Music - for  their  Sunday, November 8 worship service.

A monstrous “Thank You!” to Pastor John and Clara VanDenburgh and their  Bible Explorations (www.BibleExplorations.com) staff for their incredible kindness and hospitality during Lee’s 10-day visit to provide music (70+ songs!!)  for The Feast of Tabernacles celebration at Terra Bella, CA.  Attendees came from the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Honduras, and Russia to enjoy this delightful 8-day convocation/camp-meeting  in sunny Central California.  Please, why not click on their web-link, above, and see how you, too, can be a living part of  the up-coming 8-day Feast of Tabernacles Celebration with saints from across the globe, this coming Fall!

Thanks go out to the Chaplain Eileen for her trust and support,  as The New Earth Band’s Lee Schappell accompanied Dave and Jackie Reinwald, and the trio brought an hour of Gospel music and encouragement  to  the women inmates at Berks County Prison, Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

Our condolences to the family of  Country Rhythm and Blues pioneer Billy Lee Riley, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BillyLee Riley) on his passing, August 2, 2009, following a brief battle with cancer.  Singer, songwriter, session musician, record producer, recording company executive - Riley did it all.   His band, The Little Green Men,  served as The Sun Record Company’s (www.sunstudio.com) studio band, and was in verity “The Sun Sound”,  for which icon Sam Phillips became world renowned.   Billy Lee Riley accompanied such greats and roots performers as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Warren Smith, and Carl Mann, in the wake of Elvis Presley’s departure from the Memphis-based company.  Pocahontas, Arkansas, native, Billy Lee Riley, dead at 75.

We shout out a boisterous “Thanks!” to Marty Benson and the Assisted Living residents of The Villa at Morlatton, 1152 Ben Franklin Highway, Douglassville PA (www.villaatmorlatton.com) for a warm and fuzzy evening, September 13.

Muchos Gracias! to the  staff and residents at Elmcroft (www.elmcroftal.com),  9 Colin Court, in Exeter Township, for a most pleasant and memorable afternoon of loose and easy rural Gospel music, September 14.

From The NEW EARTH BAND, a genuine Thank-You to the boosters, Your Berks County (www.yourberkscounty.com), headed by Al Clouser and Jay Dotterer,  for their kind invitation and inclusion in their Independence Day Carnival at Ozzy’s Family Fun Center, 5411 Pottsville Pike,  Leesport, PA.   Yooze guys are dah stimulators – yeah!

Thanks a great big bunch to Activities Director Kim Shreve, of the  HearthStone at Amity (see www.hearthstonehealthgroup.com)  located at 139 Old Swede Road, Douglassville, PA for a first-class reception during The NEW EARTH BAND’s Sunday afternoon, May 17, concert.

A sincere Thank-You to Pastor Frantz St. Iago-Peretz and to the center-city Reading  Hopewell Mennonite Church congregation for inviting  The NEW EARTH BAND to bring our rral Gospel music to the morning worship hour, Sunday, April 19, 2009.   You are welcome to visit the Reading Hopewell Mennonite Church folks at their web address: www.hopewell–reading.pa.us.mennonite.net, or contact them via email at: HMCpastorfrantz@gmail.com).

We gratefully acknowledge Pastor Bill Giersch, and the congregation of the South Seventh Street Mennonite Church, 415 S. 7th Street, Reading, PA 19602 (www.southseventhstreet.pa.us.mennonite.net) for their genuinely warm reception Sunday, March 29, 2009, as The NEW EARTH BAND delivered  a short program of Country Gospel music, sandwiched around the “Israel, the Overcomer” morning message.

The NEW EARTH BAND is grateful for the invitation extended by Penn Avenue Music, 2610 Penn Avenue, West Lawn, (www.pennavemusic.com)  to join an array of bands from a broad variety of genres in providing music for the Benefit Concert for the family of Eric Santore, which was held Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the West Lawn UMC Community Center.

We wish to express our heartfelt appreciation to the staff and to those dear Sisters who reside at the Villa St. Joseph for their warmth and genuineness during our matinee concert on January 19, 2009.

Wholehearted thanks go out to Pastor Ken Hoffer and his kind and gentle congregation at Mt. Culmen E.C. Church, tucked away on the hillside, up Turkey Hill Road, in East Earl, PA, for their hospitality and heart-felt response to our most-recent presentation of special music during their Sunday morning worship hour.

The NEW EARTH BAND SALUTES Manager Jay Cole and his first-class staff at the Adventist Book Center (email: pa.abc@pacificpress.com) for their relentless preparation and gracious hospitality during our pre-Christmas in-store concert, just prior to the Holidays.  Gracias, Amigos!!

A warm Thank-you to Pastor Brian Cassell and the Hampden Heights SDA congregation (www.hampdenheightssdachurch.org), Pricetown Road at Spring Valley Road, Reading, PA, for their gracious response to our half-hour program prior to, and featured musical selection during, their Revelation Bible prophecy seminar.

The NEW EARTH BAND offers its sincere condolences to the family of Reading radio station WRAW 1340 AM (www.wraw1340.com) disc jockey Phil Long on his passing. The son of Country Music legends Shorty and Dolly Long, Phil played with several well-known recording groups, including The Indruders, The Ethics, and The Stylistics, as well as with local bands The Romans, Little Barry & The Barons, The Santa Fe Rangers, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Me & Him Duo, Phil Long & The Sticky Buns, and The Freddie Cole Show. Phil also created and hosted the BCTV favorite “Dance Party”, featuring music and dancing from the 1950′s and 1960′s. Most recently, Phil hosted the WRAW radio classics “DooWop After Dark” and “The DooWop Shop”.

The BAND says: THANK YOU ! MERCI ! DANKE ! GRACIAS ! to WEEU 830 AM (www.weeu.com) for giving us the unique opportunity to be a part of Reading and Berks County history! The NEW EARTH BAND provided a “happy-hour” of bouncy, good-time, purely accoustic Country Gospel Music at the 100th Anniversary celebration of our beloved landmark, The Pagoda.

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