Hi Kids: The only "scene" that I'm aware of in Montreal and environs is in the hands of brave individual promoters and the Artists themselves. The Yellow Door continues as a shadow of it's former self. Places like the Side Door have shows on the West Island.

There are rumblings of Folksiness up and down Blvd. St. Laurent, but I'm out of the loop on that. Performers who have been in the game for a LONG time rent halls and roll the dice to see if any $$$ can be made.

Toronto seems to have more activity, but I'm not the one to ask about that. Most "Folkies" I know travel cross country, doing clubs & festivals here and there.

The joke is that EVERYBODY seems to play guitar these days, and places like Smoked Meat Pete's off the island are packed on Jam nights. TWO per week! Thursdays & Fridays. But that's mostly Blues and Rock with a tiny bit of "Folkish" songs.

That whole Greenwich Village thing was a SPECIAL point in time. Like a comet, here and then gone forever.

When you consider that Folk is now "specialty programming" on radio, mostly College & Internet, it will tell you a lot about where the "Folk Scene" is today.

I should pre-empt all of this by telling you that Im pretty much of a hermit when it comes to actually going out and checking "wats hattenin" so there could easily be something going on and I really wouldn't be aware of it.

Looks like you are going to have to "ride the rails" and check it out for yourself. But you will probably be playing on streetcorners or in the subway. Doin' that Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger thang.

Or as Charlie Parker once asked, "how do I get to the Village?" The answer, "start walking, take out your horn and start to play, and when nobody listens or looks at you, you're there..."

Or as one Genius said, "the new currency of this decade will be getting somebody to pay attention..." bob

p.s. check MySpace and head for the nearest Festival...