I've resented Joel Mabus since he first started coming to our MSU folklore society meetings 35 odd years ago. He was just too damn good--and he was always smiling!

Seriously, though, in those days, we could draw 200-400 to concerts that featured the likes of Joel and other equally talented local folks(and,though John may hardly believe it, there were some hot pickers around back then)--

I suddenly remember that, mostly as a result of the fact that they saw that there was such an active interest in "folk" music, the University started a very successful concert series, using the same campus venues that we used, that brought John Prine, Steve Goodman, Bonnie Raitt, and many others, to the campus.

But what I suddenly realized was that after this happened, the attendance for our "local" shows fell off precipitously. Hmm.