Whatever the genre of music you favor, if the audience is not entertained, it will vote with its feet. The best folk singer/performers I have seen always had a "presence" that kept people focused on them as they performed. This doesn't necessarily equate to "schtick" or "patter," but it does require some self-awareness in terms of how others perceive you while you are singing. I have watched introspective, self-absorbed coffee house "folkies" die agonizing deaths on stage. Singing is all about sharing. Keeping audience attention is a great part of it, like it or not. An audience of one is the ultimate waste.