The (Almost)# Original Internet Auction
Close your eyes and remember back to 1998. Ok, open them again or you won't be able to read the rest of this page.
Although less than a decade ago at this writing, it was a very different time on the Internet. It was before the dot-bomb bubble burst, before just about all of the iconic names on the Internet had been coined. Napster had not appeared, no one blogged, and Google was still flagged by a spell-checker as an incorrect spelling for goggle.
Janis, of course, has made a habit of being an innovator. When she decided to sell off a lot of her memorabilia (and her mother's, who had recently died) in order to start funding a scholarship at Goddard College, she realized the the Internet would give fans worldwide a chance to participate in this unprecedented event.
The problem was, an Internet auction was pretty much uncharted territory. eBay, as we know it, did not exist. There wasn't even a pre-written program that would allow you to run an Internet auction. Not to worry; Janis has always shown great judgment in selecting her webmasters, and Michael Camp, the webmaster at the time, managed to code up his own version of an auction format message board and put it in place on the janisian.com website.
Items auctioned ranged from stage clothes to studio charts to first drafts of songs a pair of drinking glasses used in an impromptu brunch with Nina Simone and James Baldwin. At the end of the auction, over $65,000 was raised, which was the seed fund to start the Pearl Foundation.
You can see the original Internet Auction pages by clicking here.
*In researching this page, we found that actually a small website named auctionweb.com was running at that time, dealing mostly with antiques and computer hardware. Lacking in marketing funds, it would have been a completely a wrong fit for a fan auction of this type, and could not have hoped to pull as many visitors as a major artist site like janisian.com. In any event, the web staff was not aware of their existence.
Later, auctionweb.com would change it's name to eBay.com. I think they are actually still around somewhere.
*100% of these donations goes entirely to the Pearl Foundation*
You can use the convenient PayPal button below.
OR...
Send us an email offering a donation in return for something special. See the Pearl Foundation pages for more info!)
Or if you don't have a computer, you can send a check to:
The Pearl Foundation
Rashford Kruse & Asso.
Post Office Box 121228
Nashville TN 37212
(Please include a note explaining how you found that address without a computer and what exactly you are doing with MP3 files. Thank you.)
You can also explore a few items that benefit The Pearl Foundation 100% by following the URLs below:
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All tour dates updated on May 16, 2020
Sunday June 27 to Saturday July 3
Swannanoa Gathering Fiddle Mando Banjo Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Fiddle Mando Banjo Week
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. The final week will also feature a second, more interactive class tentatively titled "War Stories". Time of classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Sunday July 04 to Saturday July 10
Swannanoa Gathering Traditional Song Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Traditional Song Week
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Sunday July 11 to Saturday July 17
Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Sunday July 18 to Saturday July 24
Swannanoa Gathering Old Time Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Swannanoa Gathering Old Time Week
Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Sunday July 25 to Saturday July 31
Swannanoa Gathering Cont. Folk & Guitar Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Cont. Folk & Guitar Week
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone: N/A
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Thursday, August 5
The Kate, Old Saybrook, CT
The Kate
Old Saybrook, CT
Phone: (860) 510-0473
Visit the venue's website
Janis returns to The Kate a scant year later, at their insistence. She's sure it's too soon, they're sure it's not. She's writing furiously so she can present some new material, and looking forward to visiting one of her all-time favorite venues again! Expect some good, relaxed fun, some tears, an after-show appearance for signing things you've brought and things you may purchase at the "merch table"!!
August 6th
Pearl Foundation private concert, , Massachusetts,
Pearl Foundation private concert
, Massachusetts,
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
A private concert benefitting the Pearl Foundation.
Saturday, August 7
Shalin Liu, Rockport, MA
Shalin Liu
Rockport, MA
Phone: (978) 546-7391
Visit the venue's website
Janis has been hearing about Shalin Liu from friends for more than a decade, and it's taken this long to coordinate schedules so she could do two nights in this prestigious venue. Expect old songs, new songs, stories, and time afterward for hellos and signing whatever you bring or buy! Since she'll be there for two nights, things should get a bit more relaxed than usual - maybe an extra step out guitar solo, or an audience Q&A. Who knows?! We can promise that this ten-time-Grammy-nominee will put on a great show, with plenty of heart and soul. 8 pm show
Sunday, August 8
Shalin Liu, Rockport, MA
Shalin Liu
Rockport, MA
Phone: (978) 546-7391
Visit the venue's website
Janis has been hearing about Shalin Liu from friends for more than a decade, and it's taken this long to coordinate schedules so she could do two nights in this prestigious venue. Expect old songs, new songs, stories, and time afterward for hellos and signing whatever you bring or buy! Since she'll be there for two nights, things should get a bit more relaxed than usual - maybe an extra step out guitar solo, or an audience Q&A. Who knows?! We can promise that this ten-time-Grammy-nominee will put on a great show, with plenty of heart and soul. 8 pm start!
Tuesday, August 10
Shea Theater, Turners Falls, MA
Shea Theater
Turners Falls, MA
Phone: (413) 648-7432
Visit the venue's website
And the new venues just keep on coming! We're really excited that Janis will be playing this town-owned theater, a centerpiece of the Turner's Falls resurgence. Expect old songs, new songs, stories, and time afterward for hellos and signing whatever you bring or buy! * 8pm showtime
