Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi

Subject: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Music
From: kat Logan
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 03:26 PM

HI! I'M NEW TO THIS SITE AND GRATEFUL TO HAVE FOUND IT! I'M LOOKING FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO PERFORM FOLK MUSIC IN NEW ENGLAND. I PERFORM WITH MY PARTNER AND WE SING TRADITIONAL FOLK, BLUEGRASS, BLUES AND ORIGINALS. WHO ARE THE CONTACTS AND WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT IT? THANKS FOR ANSWERING! KATRINA

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Crowhugger
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 04:05 PM

Welcome, Katrina! You've come to the right place to ask. Personally, that's not my geography, so I can only help by posting this to refresh your question to the top of the list (until someone posts something on another thread, of course.

You've found a fine bunch of wackos here; still getting to know them myself.

If you can do me a kind turn, it is very hard on my eyes when you SHOUT. Mixed case instead of all caps will show you're chatting in the cafe with whomever happens by.

You're gonna love it here!

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: wysiwyg
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 04:23 PM

Hi Katrina!

Crowhugger and I are two of the newer kids on the block and stand with everyone to welcome you to our merry band. Be sure to spend some time looking around at all of the features of this site, there are so many resources within it that you will not believe it!

You might find some info on your question in the LINKS section (there are 2, I mean the one in blue up top of the page) where there are clusters of links on various topics. If you start there, keep surfing, and keep checking back here for info and fellowship, you are bound to find yourself quite busy.

Have you registered under the name shown here? If not, join/register soon so you can get a personal page!

Looking forward to getting to know you.

For one way of getting to know a little about some of the members, Click here

and

Click here

Have fun! This is the candy store every folkie dreams of getting the key to.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 06:09 PM

My favorite place to perform folk music is in my living room. In the summer, on the back deck. Or the living rooms and dining rooms of my neighbors. But sometimes we do it on the back lawn.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: honestfrankie
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 08:45 PM

Liquor stores are some of my favourite places. You can practice the same two or three songs all day and make a buck at the same time. Good luck.Actually there are some really good folk clubs in the New England area. Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem(I think) Penn., The Chocolate Church in New Bedford. If you got hold of anyone from these places they all seem to know one another and could certainly steer you in a good direction.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: JedMarum
Date: 17 Feb 00 - 11:31 PM

Try John Henry's Hammer in Worcester MA, also John Stone's Inn in Ashland, and any number of bars, pubs restaraunts from Framingham to Boston. I would search the threads for questions requesting where the best jam sessions in town are. I refreshed one for you, if you want more type Boston into the (thread) Filter and search back 180 or so days. You'll find others.

Make a few sessions. Meet the area folkies, have fun, ask their advice. It'll work; I promise you!

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: GUEST,Jake
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 04:05 AM

The Chocolate Church is in Bath, Maine. I'm familiar with New Bedford and there is no Chocolate Church there.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Crowhugger
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 07:44 AM

Uszcivy Franek,

You're right about the liquor sklep. BTW, pardon my declensions.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: wysiwyg
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 08:30 AM

Hang out at the local college and its hangouts and meet people. See if there is a campus coffeehouse and open mike.

You can organize a house concert after you "seed" your area with free appearances such as: At local benefits (contact your chamber of commerce, etc. to find out which local nonprofits would like a free visit for one of their events). Play free for schools, nursing homes, and libraries till they start calling you. Play at church services. Play in the park. Play at a blood drive-- at large ones there are many bored people waiting. If you are in a town of the right size, there will be a radio or TV station dying for something to put on the air-- get interviewed for a folk-oriented project you undertake, and play on the air. Or have the Red Cross pub;licize you playing at the blood drives (I'm serious, I manage a chapter, I would do it in a NY minute.) And have a flyer everywhere you go. Accept any invitation you get, to play, no matter how wacky or demeaning or inconvenient. Remember--- THEY WANT YOU. People are hungry for music everywhere.

Then do a house or church concert. Make it a potluck supper too so people will be sure to come, food works!!! Advertise that half the proceeds will go to some worthy local cause (I suggest good old, popular Red Cross!) Then start holding these often, involving the other players that will come out of the woodwork. Let them open for you. Eliminate the benefit aspect, maybe.

To make it work you need someone outside the two of you who believes in you and will either help lay the groundwork or remind you to keep on it, so your day job doesn't overwhelm your plan. But be intentional-- make a plan and follow it, and then be watching also for the many unexpected opportunities that will arise once you start implementing your plan.

This is what worked for us, in small-town rural PA. If we did not love our day jobs we probably would probably be getting good money now, but we focus on fun and songleading intead and use these opportunities to enhance our day commitments-- Red Cross for me, and my husband's church and related ministries for us both.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Wesley S
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 10:21 AM

I would guess that there are some nursing homes or assisted care facilities that would love to have you perform. Any art festivals with music stages around?? And charity functions. My group has performed for several years at the local Cropwalk - a walk that raises funds to end hunger. Lots of folks there that will hear you and be a source of jobs later. Don't forget to take lots of business cards with your phone numbers so people can contact you later. Good Luck.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 11:28 AM

Rug Room Coffeehouse at Murray Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 North Main St., Attleboro, MA 02703 (.8 mile off Interstate 95 at exit 5; 12 miles north of Providence, 35 miles south of Boston)looking for performers for next season. Second Saturday of September; first Saturday October through June, except when pre-empted by church fair. E-mail me for address if you're interested in sending demo tape to Dan McDermott of Bristol, R.I., who does the booking.
Stone Soup Coffeehouse in Providence, and Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, MA., have websites that should be easy to find. Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin, MA., probably does. Black and White theater in Middleboro, MA., used to book folk acts..
Lots of other folk clubs in region. When in doubt, call the local Unitarian Universalist Church. Most of them seem to sponsor coffee houses or folk nights.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 12:20 PM

Katrina,

One of the best places to perform folk music is for senior citizens at retirement and nursing homes. Older people really understand what you're singing about and you can bring great joy into their lives.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 12:23 PM

Katrina- Where in New England? There are some places here in New Hampshire with open mikes, etc.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 04:11 PM

Thanks for the response everyone. some great suggestions and ideas!

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 04:50 PM

Also check New England Folk Almanac and try to tune in WGBH-FM (89.7) on Saturdays between noon and 2 p.m., for Celtic Sojourn, and 2 and 6 p.m. for Folk Heritage. Their listings cover most of the venues in Massachusetts, southern N.H., southern Maine and Rhode Island.

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 09:35 PM

One simple solution would be to subscribe to Folkfare, New England's Guide to Folk and Acoustic Music Events. Tom and Kathy Murri publish this handy guide monthly, and it lists performers and where they are playing in the New England states. It also lists by venue, and includes addresses and telephone numbers of more coffee houses, etc., than you ever dreamed existed! To subscribe ($15 per year) write to:

Folkfare
P.O. Box 586
Hadley, MA 01035

Usual disclaimer: I read it, but have no connection with it.

Sandy

Subject: RE: Help: Looking for Places to Perform Folk Musi
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Feb 00 - 11:09 PM

Hi Katrina, lucky for you , you're in the best area of the country for folk music/musicians. There are over 200 venues within an hour of Boston. Try a search for Billy Hockett's folk calender or try the search by looking for "Music For Robin" (Robin was Billy's daughter & a great woman & promoter of music in this area). Billy's puts out a calender that list folk music venues in the New England area. You could also try a search for New England Folk Song Society. Upcoming in April is the NEFFA (you can do a search for them) Festival, great music & you'll find alot of Mudcatter's there. Also try the Boston Globe's Thrusday calender section, a great listing for folk music. There are plenty of seesions of all kinds, singing, Irish, Old Timey, Blues, Bluegrass. For Bluegrass try the Boston Bluegrass Union. During the summer there are plenty of small town festivals to hook up with. The National Park Service which handles the Charlestown Navy Yard (where Ironside's is tied up), the Salem waterfront & various other spots, they're very nice & helpfull & seem to want the type of music that will reflect the occasion. The Fanueil Hall marketplace is spot for busking as is Harvard Square in the warmer weather. Let me know if you have any more questions & good luck. Barry