Youth! Where art thou?

The venues where I like to listen to folk music are usually smoke free. A great number are alcohol free, and I have never seen excessive drinking. This does not describe a place where youth "hangs out." Hell, when we were youth we would not have hung out with us. There were no smoke free coffee houses. Many a "folk night spot" was just a bar with entertainment.

I went to a concert of the "Cry, Cry, Cry" tour (Lucy Kaplansky, Dar Williams, and Richard Shindell). Lots of young people there. I suppose they were mostly drawn by Dar Williams who went on the Lillith Fair tour. These three "folk" artists in their own "write" dedicated this tour to singing the songs of the artists they admire.

I realize that these three are unknowns to many on the 'Cat, but they are part of the keeper of the flames for folk music. Hell, Richard opened for Baez on her last tour. 30 years ago that was Pete's job (partly because he was an "unknown" who deserved to be known).

I suspect Richard is a generation behind me. Lucy and Dar are maybe one half of a generation behind him. Most of the artists I go to see are younger than I am. Perhaps their time will come to lead the generation behind them.

I believe in the "cycles' thing. I figured folk music would have an increase in popularity when I got older. I figured I would make a killing by singing all the old Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul, and Mary songs. Well, the boomlet came, but it wasn't like the '60's. And I'm glad I can sing some new songs that were written last year.

Roger in Baltimore