I know it's an ancient thread but see a couple of semi-current posts. In '69 and very early '70s I played Bunkhouse 70 several times, first as a single act then a duo with Wanda Mundy who is still playing out there I think.

I remember Al Rhody winning a talent contest for which the prize was a " $500 Martin Guitar!" Al had a hell of a time getting his prize out of the notoriously cheap Les Stork but eventually he got almost enough money to buy the '69 D-28 he still plays; last of the brazillian rosewood Martins, so well worth fighting for. Al went on to a successful career as a Nashville songwriter, after a number of years in Torontos' folk scene working with the likes of Murray McLachlin.

Bunkhouse 70 was a small club, upstairs over a clothing store I think it was.

While Wanda and I were booked there the New Kingston Trio were booked at Ronnies' Riverqueen and since they had a Sat. matinee and we didn't we were able to wander over and sit in with them for a couple of numbers. Another time Sonny Terry and Browny McGhee were booked there and we went over to see them as well. One night when we were on stage at the Bunkhouse 70, probably mangling a blues number, Sonny and Browny walked in to return our visit.   Being a pasty-white middle class kid with very little life experience I felt like dropping through the stage having been caught in the act.

Another guy who played there a fair bit at the time was billed as Jolan Q. Lucid, probably the best ragtime player I ever heard. He had an old Martin D-21 on which the fingerboard was just about worn out at every position right up to the soundhole. He'd apparently played with Maria Muldaur at one time and was full of stories about guys like Blind Eric Flatpick ( author of the First and Second Laws of Tuning) and a guy who supposedly built himself a swamp in Indianna and drove around in a fully restored 1932 Maytag.

I was working part time at a little music shop, Coda Music, which was pretty much put out of business by the arrival of the brand new Long and McQuades' just up the street. The owner, Gav Hussey, was a good jazz sax man with a regular gig at Frank Bakers' Attic.

There were a number of places for aspiring folkies in town at the time. The Lynn Valley Hunt Club ( believe it or not) booked acts from time to time, and of course you could always play the Classical Joint in the pre-renovation days Gastown. There were noon hour concerts at either UBC or Simon Fraser, I forget which although we did do one of those. I remember that because the mike stands had been stolen just before we got there and I had to do the gig standing up, singing into an Electrovoice 'hammer' which had been thrown over a convenient flourescent fixture hanging from the ceiling. Try doing 2 sets singing straight up into the air with a very directional mike.

Great times.
KH