BETTY DYLAN: Abdicate the Throne

Betty Dylan

Abdicate the Throne

© 2004 Dan Dubelman (823005001427)

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Raw, alt. country rock, groovy, Kenny Aronoff on drums.

notes

NASHVILLE BAND STARTS POLITICAL MOVEMENT

Dan and Vickie Dubelman, the married couple that is the band, Betty Dylan, were living the American fantasy. Vickie quit her job as a Web Designer for Disney, and Dan stopped taking high-paying consulting jobs so that the couple could tour the U.S. They sold their home, bought an RV and released their first CD, "American Trash...14 Songs and a Book," an innovative concept album that included a short novel. The book got compared favorably to Bukowski and Kerouac in Los Angeles' Music Connection, won the L.A. Music Award for most creative marketing, and the single unexpectedly hit #11 at KPIG is Santa Cruz.

Allan Pepper, the legendary promoter and owner of New YorkÕs Bottom Line nightclub (now defunct) was impressed. After booking the couple to perform and read from "American Trash", Mr. Pepper approached them about doing more shows. Pepper loved the idea of mixing drama and music. Their next show at the Bottom Line was scheduled for September 24th, 2001. The tour would include an outdoor festival in Washington D.C. for September 22, 2001, one in Boston shortly thereafter, plus others along the way.

"9-11 happened and the world changed," says Dan. "What was scary for us was that we had a commitment to get on a plane and go entertain people who really needed it. Other touring acts and venues were canceling their shows, too scared to travel and concerned that the audiences wouldn't come out."

"We faced our fears and decided that it was more important for us to show up and do what we do...even in the face of death, which is what it seemed like at the time," says Vickie. "It turned out that people were starving for it. Many people came up to us to thank us profusely for coming. They were desperate for real communication other than all the talking heads on T.V."

So, for the past 3 years, Dan and Vickie have been travelling the U.S. in their RV named "Homey", performing and communicating.

"This country really is so rich," says Vickie. "We've seen a grizzly bear in the wild, purple mountains, raging forest fires and tornadoes. What we didn't expect, " she continues, "were all the characters."

As they traveled, they met cowboys, truckers, Indians, bikers, rednecks, hippies and others. "We met a cowboy in Colorado who was very concerned about the water, the wildlife and conservation. The cowboys have become the Indians," says Dan.

As Betty Dylan, they played clubs, coffeehouses and living rooms and began to foster conversations about politics. "It's an American tradition to discuss DIFFERENCES and debate issues," Dan says. "Now, everywhere we go people are nervous to bring things up and really talk about them. We all have computers, cell phones and TV, so when you disagree you just change the channel ... there is no interaction anymore."

"People have forgotten how to talk," Vickie adds. "We've seen people take great strength from us for not being afraid. So we started to talk about it at the shows. People had a burning need to communicate but there was no place where it was okay to disagree. Where can that cowboy go to talk to a woman on a farm in Wyoming, a dude on his Harley in Kentucky, or a teacher in Maine who wants to exchange ideas with people different from him?"

"We have a slogan, 'Hippies and Rednecks Unite', that represents this ideal," says Vickie. "These days people mostly talk amongst their own party or clique of peers, which is understandable. But there's less and less allowance for diversity as our nation seemingly becomes more divided on issues. But we have to cooperate and communicate if we're going to make a better world."

So Dan and Vickie began the Abdicate The Throne political movement. "We'd just like people to feel that they can talk about issues, read articles and exchange ideas," says Dan. "Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had some pretty radical ideas in their time, too."

"We figure that it's the responsibility of musicians and artists to try to help people talk about issues. 'Abdicate the Throne' is named as a reminder that George Washington refused to become King so that we could have a true Democracy," says Dan.

"The purpose of Abdicate The Throne is to talk openly about issues with an eye towards protecting our civil liberties without censorship."

Betty Dylan has created a soundtrack album to the "Abdicate the Throne" movement. The first volume is being released to college radio July 26th. They are planning a tour and a film to support the project. Betty Dylan completed a nation-wide search to find a collaborator on the "Abdicate the Throne" film. Louisville native, and recent Vanderbilt film graduate, Clayton Hable was selected to create the documentary about the movement.

reviews

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  • Masters of words
    author: The German Rocker HAGUE51 aka Juergen

    Vickie and Dr. Dan deliver a masterpiece. It surely is not that kind of record on which you hear the growth of musical development but it shows that they have the ability to express what they say in music AND words. This is a piece of truly and good patriotism, of sorrow anger and angst to lose what once was the American dream and what stand for democracy and freedom. Listen how Vickie sings the National Anthem and you know that this is absolutely true. And hey, the lyrics are really worth listening and reading. This record with it's pure and raw sound is an angry cry that brings back the hope. Abdicate the Throne is by far the best record I heard which deals with the present problems of the USA. Even better than Steve Earle's one and I love Steve! If you're not interested in lyrics, don't mind and buy this record because it's full of energy and it rocks. The raw guitar of Dr. Dan nails you on the wall and the cover of Masters of War is the best cover ever! Rock on Betty Dylan! Rock on....

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