My only experience with the folk scene in the late 60's was once, when some friends dragged me, the weekend-hippie-rock'n-roll type to a coffeehouse. It was a storefront in downtown Hartford, CT and there were 3 performers, all women, each playing guitar. I remember hearing "Suzanne." The room was dimly lit and had wooden folding chairs and about 20 people in the audience. There were health-food refreshments, juice and herb tea and homemade baked goods. The hairy-legged females in the audience were mostly knitting. The patter on stage was about how much the singer loved her Gibson or Martin, and then they would sing.

Afterwards, one friend tried to teach me a finger-picking pattern, I who had never held a guitar, and sang his own version of "Codeine."

Some things haven't changed much at all, except that now I have my own Martin and play bluegrass with a flat pick.