The Boston area is a stange mix that doesn't cross genres that much. There's an old timey session that draws weekly every night there's at least 1 Irish session + many inghts there's 2 or 3 going on at the same time. Lots of open mikes there's 4 shanty sessions within a 75 mile radis + 1 in Gloucester on a Tuesday eve that draws about 50 with at least half being folks that always sing along to everything + 200 "folk" venues within 100 mile radis. Yet, aside from the sessions you'll hardly (there are some exceptions) find trad except for the local Folk Song society & they draw mainly from themselves. But what's strange is that if there were a trad event, they'll come out of the woodwork. My wife & I saw Carthy/Waterson last winter, I saw some folks & musicians I hadn't seen in over a decade. Boston is loaded with trad & contemporary folk fans but you won't see unless it's a one time special or a unique event. The festivals like Old Songs & Mystic draw & the small fest get some decent attention but take the Boston Folk Festival, all singer songwriters, hardly a folkie to be found there but they get a big draw. It seems that the SS in my area do very well but the folk (aside from sessions) do poorly. Please let's not do the SS is or is not folk here again. Myself, I don't want to go to a musical show/concert/production/party unless I'm (the audience) a part of it. I want to hear about the song itself, sing along on the chorus. We used to have pig roast every year, maybe 100 people would show during the course of the day, most were singers or musicians. Irish on the porch, bluegrass on the lawn, singing inside who knows what in the barn. SOme folks & some neighbors would say "Wow, never been to a pary where poepl would play there own music". Well, I hardy have been to parties where they don't. But it seems that, that type of home grown music is being replaced be the sit down & entertain me type of music. I watch TV & in many of the series I watch there seems to be an abundance of SS background music, likle what's being played as folk music a a lot of the local venues, matter of fact, I can't believe I recognize some of the names. So is the swing of the audiences leaving what was once a folk genre & heading to a softer more commerical SS typ? Is the aduience not getting smaller but just heading in a different direction. Going from where we once spent time & energy being part of the show to a presentation where we sit back to be cleverly entertained without expending any energy? I know we're all getting older but! The shanty session I go to in Gloucester, you'll find (no teens, it's a bar) a hefty amout of 20 to 30 somethings on up to 70 somethings & the locals (mostly colorful waterfront characters) seem to enjoy it almost as well. The Irish sessions I go to are loaded with young'uns, it spans from teens to 60's & 70's a well mixed crowd. But for "folkies" it more the old folks. So what are the sessions doing that attract young folks as well as old that the concert/coffeehouse venues are not doing?
I don't get out to go to coffehouses & concerts, they cost much more than I can afford except for the very odd once a year thng. The sessions (I don't drink alcohol) cost me very little, gas to get there & a couple of drinks for the evening. Is it the same for others, I wouldn't think so but I can't say.

Barry