News

"GLITTER AND DOOM" TOUR CONTINUES ON IN EUROPE

CHARITY TICKET AUCTION RAISES THOUSANDS FOR CHOSEN CAUSES

TOM WAITS ended his triumphant US "Glitter and Doom" tour Saturday night in front of a sold out crowd at Atlanta's famed art deco Fox Theatre. The entire tour, which began June 17 in Phoenix and wound its way through El Paso, Houston, Dallas, Tulsa, St. Louis, Columbus, Knoxville, Jacksonville, Mobile and Birmingham before making its grand climax in Atlanta on July 5, was filled to the rafters at each venue with gratefully satiated fans and critics alike. Currently, Waits is playing to sold out crowds in Europe with shows in Barcelona, Milan, Prague, Paris, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Wall Street Journal/Jim Fusilli: "... it was an unforgettable experience... The dark humor of Mr. Waits' work can disguise its beauty and compassion. But throughout this performance, there were transcendent moments when the song and its expression permitted a profound understanding of what he was communicating. That's what makes a concert by a gifted songwriter extraordinary."

VANITY FAIR.COM/Michelle Ciarrocca and Leonardo DiSanto: "And he lived up to every inch of his reputation as a dynamic and theatrical performer. There is a certain grace in Tom's weird angular gyrations and Frankenstein's-monster posturing. 'I didn't expect him to be so sexy,' said one fan. Indeed, what could be sexier than the man standing, arms outstretched, beneath a shower of glitter?"

Atlanta Magazine.com/Steve Fennessey: "The greatest musical event of the year... the single best musical event I've ever witnessed."

Knoxville News Sentinel/Wayne Bledsoe: "Waits' voice is actually more complex than most would give him credit for. His most marked asset is an almost feral growl... Yet, Waits can also sing in a high, almost fragile, voice as well and croon with the rough beauty inspired by Louis Armstrong."

Ft. Worth Star Telegram/Preston Jones: "That unmistakable national treasure of a voice gave the troubadour the air of a carnival barker. Waits' best moments were grotesque and beautiful creations calling attention to themselves."

Dallas Morning News/Thor Christensen: "... he can be a tender balladeer, too, as he showed in 1976's 'Invitation to the Blues' and 'Innocent When You Dream,' a lullaby as touching as any the Gershwins ever wrote."

Blender.com/Mike Errico: "Tom Waits has traveled to the source of the American songbook and returned with an alternate theory of its evolution. The ingredients are recognizable in flashes-Vaudeville, bebop, spoken word, Brill Building, funk, hip-hop-but the connections he makes between them are utterly unique... he connected the dots for a rapt and grateful audience."

Birmingham News/Mary Coluso: "Tom Waits keeps 'em spellbound at Alabama Theatre. Although the concert lasted more than two hours, Waits kept listeners on the edges of their seats, wondering what he'd so next. No sluggish spots, no dead ends, just an immaculately paced, consistently exciting meld of music and theater."

Orange County Register/Rex Reason: "Waits could sing almost anything and sell it as fact... his set is transcendent... After nearly two hours, the catharsis is over."

Meanwhile, Waits' "scalping tickets for charity"-auctioning premium seats on Ticketmaster.com in Phoenix, Houston, Columbus and Altanta--was a success earning nearly $16,000.00 to be distributed to the following charities:

The Young Adult & Family Center - UCSF - In Honor of Dr. Kim Norman The Young Adult & Family Center (YAF) at UCSF is dedicated to innovation the creation of clinical services, clinical training, clinical research, health education, outreach and public policy advocacy for the benefit of adolescents and young adults aged 12-24 and their families. Our mission is to advance adolescent and transitional age youth's mental health in all communities, with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable, through leadership in clinical care, clinical research, education, outreach and public policy.

The Young Adult & Family Center - UCSF Department of Psychiatry University of California, San Francisco 401 Parnassus Avenue San Francisco, CA 94143-0984 415-476-7000 email: Kim.Norman@ucsf.edu href="http://psych.ucsf.edu/lpphc.aspx?id=2374" target="_blank">http://psych.ucsf.edu/lpphc.aspx?id=2374>

Summerfield Waldorf School Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm provides an inspiring curriculum based on the developmental needs of the whole child. The school and farm is situated on 38 acres in Sonoma County, California. Summerfield's educational mission is to create a supportive environment that nurtures the development and education of our students. And, in turn, our students receive the foundation they need to contribute to their own communities and the wider world. It is a well balanced classical curriculum where music, arts, and practical work enliven our students' academic achievement. Waldorf education is now the largest private school system in the world.

Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm 655 Willowside Road Santa Rosa, Ca. 95401 (707) 575-7194 href="http://www.summerfieldws.org" target="_blank">http://www.summerfieldws.org

Children's Village of Sonoma County- In Honor of Georgia Lee Moses Children's Village of Sonoma County is an innovative foster care home for children and youth in foster care. We opened its first four homes in August 2006 serving children and their siblings in foster care. We are a community care facility serving children and youth in foster care who are unlikely to be adopted or re-unified with biological parents. Our program is the first of its kind to place on-site volunteer grandparents assisted by Village "parents," professional therapeutic staff and 100+ volunteers - all of whom are guided by the notion to create a loving, nurturing and supportive family atmosphere for the kids. The Village concept was a dream of Founder and Executive Director, Lia Rowley. She was spurred to action to create an alternative to the foster care setting after working with vulnerable populations for three decades and after learning of the murder of a 12 year old girl she knew, Georgia Moses.

Margherita Gudenzi Fund Development Manager THE CHILDREN'S VILLAGE OF SONOMA COUNTY Tel. 707.566-7044 href="http://www.thechildrensvillage.com" target="_blank">www.thechildrensvillage.com

NAMI - Sonoma County - In Honor of Jermiah Chass* NAMI Sonoma County is a grassroots family and client organization, dedicated to improving the lives of all people affected by mental health challenges. Our mission is education, support and advocacy. We provide classes, support groups, art therapy, resources and referrals, and a library. Some of our services are in Spanish, and all are provided at no charge.

*Jermiah Chass, 16, was a much loved family and community member and an excellent student at Analy High School, Sebastopl, California.He was shot to death by police responding to a 911 emergency call from his parents, who were trying to get the mentally distressed boy to the hospital. Jeremiah was the first of four mentally distressed individuals shot dead by police in response to 911 calls in little more than a year. Obviously, there is a profound lack of understanding and training of officers who are sent out on these calls. One of NAMI's goals is to prevent further casualties and to work with local authorities providing police the necessary training and education to respond.

NAMI Sonoma County 1717 Yulupa Ave Santa Rosa CA 95405 707.527.6655 href="http://www.namisonomacounty.org" target="_blank">www.namisonomacounty.org

Catholic Charities The largest provider of homeless services in California's Redwood Empire, between the Golden Gate Bridge and Oregon, is Catholic Charities. The Family Support Center serves children and their parents, 130 people daily, providing food, shelter, on-site childcare, medical care, a school liaison and tutoring, and a teen center, while helping homeless parents find jobs, housing, and the help they need to address tough issues such as domestic violence, parenting skills, mental illness or chemical dependency.

The Homeless Service Center is a daytime drop-in center for single adults and couples, providing 100 clients per day with showers, laundry, storage, telephone/message service, mail, community referrals and intake for four other shelters and emergency sick beds. All told, Catholic Charities assists over 300 people each night at six shelters, focusing on immediate needs and crises, especially for children, while moving adult clients and parents towards independence.

Catholic Charities PO Box 4900 Santa Rosa CA 95402 (707) 528-8712 href="http://www.srcharities.org" target="_blank">www.srcharities.org