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On October 24th at 7 pm at King’s Books, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, WA, United For Peace of Pierce County will be sponsoring a benefit concert for UFPPC and the GI Coffeehouse in Lakewood featuring the 4 member family singing group, Wickline. Bob Wickline has written a series of songs in response to the war, debt, corruption, and blatant attacks on public education, the environment, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. The CD album, “Wake up…America! We Shall Reap What We Sow” was released by Wickline in 2006. In this eight-song collection of Bob’s “poetry put to music,” frustration and fear for the future turn toward a positive, hopeful world view, a world where empathy, education, and cooperation can heal our troubled nation.

Kentucky-born Bob Wickline is a professional singer, songwriter, poet, public school teacher and public speaker, who has presented musical keynotes at numerous rallies, conventions, and conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Musically, Bob has had seven singles on the national charts, and has co-produced three CD albums.

During their eighteen years with the Washington State Arts Commission’s Cultural Enrichment Program, THE WICKLINE GROUP presented over two thousand elementary school assemblies teaching “The Origins & History of Bluegrass Music.” As a single act, or with his musical family and friends, Bob has performed concerts at fairs, colleges, churches, conventions, and a wide variety of community events. With Lynda, his wife of 36 years, and two daughters, Mandi and Marcee, Bob and his family have been recording, singing on stage with WICKLINE, and performing in venues and theatrical productions for the last three decades throughout the Pacific Northwest. Their greatest adventure was a cross-country trip promoting the Carter Foundation/Unicef’s “Children First” campaign, ending with an appearance as featured performers in a 1996 Summer Olympics event in Atlanta, Georgia.

United for Peace of Pierce County has existed since 2001 and has a stated mission of opposing unilateral military intervention, favoring diplomacy instead. UFPPC gives money to other organizations such as the Citizen's Hearing On the Iraq War, and has been a major fund source for the Anniversary of the Iraq War in Tacoma. UFPPC has donated to the UN High Commission for Refugees, Jobs With Justice, and the Tacoma Puppetistas, and more. This event will be focused on raising funds for the GI Coffeehouse in Lakewood, WA. The evening will be opened with music from Tacoma duo Steve and Kristi Nebel.

Americana duo, Steve and Kristi Nebel are an internationally touring duo that has been performing together for fifteen years, recorded ten albums as a duo, and three albums as founding members of "The Madrones" and "The Fabulous Filucies". Both of the Nebels sing lead, or harmony, and both of them play instruments, Kristi; bass guitar, and Steve; guitar.

Here are some comments from abroad and home about the work of Steve and Kristi Nebel, both live and recorded:

". . . “Beautiful stuff ! But somehow it's also something more. I was reminded of Paxton's exuberance, and songs reflecting so vividly the country he comes from; the heartfelt concerns and perceptions of nature in ‘The Crow’, and a sense of how humanity "treats" itself, and it's privileged lease holding on this planet in ‘Harbor Island’ . There was Paxtonesque fun-poking in ‘Superman's Dilemma’, and Steve`s perceptive ‘Lillian`s World’ was for me his strongest writing. Kristi's wonderful voice was most powerfully in evidence in ‘On Fishermen’, written along with Steve."

Bob Benbow, retired lorry driver, and co-organizer Acoustic Music Club, Leicester, UK

“. . . there's something in each of you that has the ability to connect beyond the words and music. You are a gift...that I am so grateful to receive.” Linda Frank

"No one exemplifies the socially aware musician better than Steve and Kristi Nebel. Steve and Kristi do a truly wonderful job of combining searing social concern about war and peace with a delightful spirit of love and happiness. Kristi . . . sings with a hauntingly beautiful voice which is at once ethereal and earthy." Geoff Bard, Victory Review

There is no admission charge for this event. There is a suggested donation of $10. This event is sponsored by King’s Books, and United for Peace of Pierce County.

http://www.ufppc.org

contact: Steve Nebel; stephennebel@msn.com

Bob Wickline; robertwickline@aol.com