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14 Jun 99 - 01:07 PM (#86598) Subject: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady It's a rare, coolish day here in North Texas. I've got nothing better to do than engage in some creative thinking. Once in awhile during what I call my "lottery daydreams" I think about having the perfect folk club/cafe/venue, open all hours of course and with all of the magazines, albums and books anyone would ever be in the market for. Heck, it's my daydream and I'm on an unlimited budget. :) But seriously--what elements create such a place for those of us who seek them out and frequent them? My place would ideally be an old, dignified art deco apartment building somewhere in a shabbily fashionable part of a respectable-sized metropolitan area. On the third floor would be rooms and apartments for the musicians who would be performing there. Second floor would be the library/shop/listening rooms. Included in the inventory would be new and used CDs, LPs, tapes and magazines and books. Ground floor would be the performance area--nothing too fancy; a small stage perhaps, while retaining a large living room kinda feel. Furnishings would most likely be IKEA-cozy and I'd go for creating the feel of private places within a larger space. Hehe, a frustrated decorator here! :) There'd be coffee and other beverages available, along with basic food fare. Ah, but the music--! So many unknowns out there who deserve a supportive place for the playing. No big names here, just artists quietly plying their craft while passing through. Spontaneous jam sessions can erupt at any time. Ok, back to reality. Thanks for the break. Any comments? Even if no one answers, it's been fun! Folksie |
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14 Jun 99 - 01:12 PM (#86602) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Dave Swan If you're going to let some of us into this place, I'd suggest sloped concrete floors and a drain. |
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14 Jun 99 - 01:24 PM (#86606) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady Good point, Dave! All that singing and playing can lead to high spirits with no other place to go but down the drain. :) Just thought of something else. There'd really have to be an area set aside for all of us high-tech (or wannabe) computer folk geeks with the latest in audio and video software. And how could I forget my own recording studio? Since I'd be independently wealthy, I would offer the performers a CD of their set entirely gratis. And pay them decently for the performance, too. Wow, this could really turn into a mecca of sorts. Now all I need's the right lotto combination! Folksie |
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14 Jun 99 - 01:31 PM (#86607) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: danl theres a place called CB1 in cambridge, uk, which is as near as ive come to the kind of cafe dream type place. owned by a very calm laid back bloke called Dan its a cyber cafe by name and a haven by nature. its got a large window frount and inside theres a resonable sized room with walls COVERED in books which you are allowed, in fact ENCOURAGED, to take down and read while sipping your tea, coffee, turkish apple tea ( my favorate, only place in england other than the obvious i know that sell it) and can then put back and finish later when you return or buy at a very resonable price. the music is genarably a calm variety of all sorts, jazz, folk, and others, and the furniture is of the comfy but worn variety and includes a few armchairs. the best bit though is the kind of people you get there and the conversations you always seem to end up having. you know the sterotypical image of the certain type of cafe where you expect to find poets and musicians and philosophers and students and all those type of people who would sit down at your table and start discussing the meaning of life or constructing dreams on paper napkins? well this is it. they have things like introduction to philosophy nights and stuff which i havent ever had the chance to get to but have heard great things about. it also has the advantage of being a cyber cafe so having a room of computors downstairs. and they have a whole load of ancient computors and type writers on top of the book shelves as decoration which actually look quite funny really. *sigh* im getting home sick now. cambridge is a great town. one day im going to have that kind of cafe but id probably have a few more floors and a flat above it. that would be very nice. and lots of musicians. *sigh*. your right about the lottery bit though. either that or i could start up a flying pig farm..... love ivy b* |
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14 Jun 99 - 01:53 PM (#86610) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Indy Lass I love your idea, Folksie Lady. I've thought about a place similar to the one you've dreamed up. Lots of comfy couches and arm chairs,neat old lamps and tables, maybe a place to show movies...coffee, tea and dessert, wine bar,and healthy sandwiches, juices etc. And shelves of books, magazines, local art for sale...and open mic stages, main performance stages...Like a really big livingrooms for any one to come to. And maybe good dogs could be allowed in. It would be within walking distance of running, or bike paths from nearby neighboorhoods... |
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14 Jun 99 - 02:30 PM (#86623) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: The Shambles Reminds of the one about the musician who won the lottery. He was asked what he was going to do.... He replied that he would carry on gigging until the money ran out. |
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14 Jun 99 - 02:37 PM (#86626) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: MMario you mean if you had your druthers you'd rather have your druthers then do any work at all? Sounds like the life if you can manage it... MMario |
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14 Jun 99 - 05:02 PM (#86653) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Jack (who is called Jack) I used to have my Smothers Druthers, but their show got cancelled. |
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14 Jun 99 - 05:12 PM (#86656) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Uilleand Seems to be a cyber cafe thing, this kind of comfort. Jeremy's Cybercafe in Joshua Tree, CA, has the same kind of ambience. I heard it was for sale....oh to have the money and the guts. |
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14 Jun 99 - 05:23 PM (#86658) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Peter T. If I won the lottery I would pay George Lucas to hire someone who could write his Star Wars films for him. Think how powerful and interesting they might be if they weren't infantile drivel. As long as we are dreaming here.... Yours, Peter T. |
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14 Jun 99 - 05:30 PM (#86661) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: PJ Folksie Lady-- How about a pub off the main room (we could put the sloped floors & drain in there for Dave Swan) and a huge fireplace with a hearth for the Irish sessions. I'd also like to put in my request for a courtyard out back. Maybe throw in a few tables set up with checkers & chessboards... Are we allowed to bring books down from the 2nd floor library to read in the pub or courtyard? Is it okay to use somebody's large dog as an ottoman if he lies at your feet? I think I'll be coming here a lot. PJ |
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14 Jun 99 - 05:49 PM (#86667) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: folk1234 Great idea Folksie Lady. Long ago (circa 1971) and far away (Carmel Valley, CA) there was a lovely book store called The Thunderbird. We were living in Monterey at the time (Actually I was stationed at the Defense Language Institute in Pacific Grove.) When we first discovered the T-Bird, we came in and heard the most intriguing, yet beautiful, guitar music being played on a tape. This was our introduction to the music of John Fahey. Anyway, at the T-Bird you could sit and relax, take any book off the self, read for a while, and then replace it. You could enjoy homemade soups, breads, and salads, along with flavored coffees and teas. They had poetry readings, acoustic music, and other contemplative activities. Although I loved folk music at the time, this was long (18 yrs) before I bought a guitar and began to play, sing, and participate in local folk music activities. We have always dreamed of opening a similar place with a focus on folk music (my addiction) and needlework arts (my wife's addiction). Let's compare notes. I'm just up the road from you in SE Oklahoma. Please email me and maybe we can share some music. I'd like to invite you to one of our Oklahoma City Traditional Music Association meetings which include workshops, play around, and jam sessions. (lst Sat each month in OKC.) |
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14 Jun 99 - 05:57 PM (#86670) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Matthew B. With lots of guest rooms and a well-stocked kitchen for us freeloaders... um, I mean, guests, who'll be there to join the fun. |
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14 Jun 99 - 07:27 PM (#86702) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: The Shambles Could the room with the huge fire-place for the Irish sessions be provided with fixed seating? This would be to prevent late-comers from placing a seat in front of you and presenting you with their backs. |
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14 Jun 99 - 08:40 PM (#86719) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: PJ Great idea Sham! As a cure for the latecomer-sitting-in-front-of-you problem, have you tried keeping time with your foot on the back of their seat? Better yet, keep time BADLY on the back of their seat. No, just kidding, that would be terribly rude and not at all in the tradition of a warm, welcoming session. I've got it-- you could take up the bodhran. Oddly enough, we hardly ever have troble with people sitting anywhere near us... PJ |
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14 Jun 99 - 10:28 PM (#86750) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady A definite yes on the courtyard and the fireplace-lit room for the seisuns, too! I take it this will be in a clime with unpredicatable weather? I hadn't thought about having it here in TX...but now that you mention it, we've got the crazy weather and not many folk venues to boot. Hmm. Ok, I'm thinking open mic maybe twice a week, or three. And relatively unknown performers the rest of the time. Well-paid, free accommodations with a well-stocked kitchen, and a CD of their performance as well! 'Course if the "big names" wish to drop by, they are more than welcome, especially since the place will be open around the clock. A haven for world-weary folkies. That's very interesting, folk1234, because those happen to be my two passions as well. Folk music and needlework. I will definitely have a room with easy chairs for all of the stitchers who drop by! And will sell some music-related patterns and have a stitching bee while the music plays. See, it really *will* be just like home, only noisier! Good question, PJ--perhaps it would be best to have some floor-specific books down near the pub and stage, couryard and stitchery et al....there's the dilemma of the sloped floors with drains, you know, and the academicians of the 2nd floor might not like that type of tomfoolery on their reference materials! But we'll come up with a happy medium. Heck, I'll probably throw in a free CD with purchase or something. I love those Waterbug samplers. Here's a question for Sandy Paton, whose music and label I greatly admire--are there plans in the works for Folk-Legacy to put out introductory samplers? If this is a state secret, I humbly withdraw the question and will go on with my grandiosity! :) Folksie, still dreaming happily.... |
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14 Jun 99 - 11:52 PM (#86759) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Hi Guys, I hate to sound redundant, or self-satisfying.. Geez, I must have heaven... I have a big comfy couch, a fireplace, a private back yard(courtyard), privacy, a great stereo to listen to GOOD music, a gazebo out on two rivers joining, a beautiful understanding mate (finally), what can I say, you're all blasted invited. All the more to be blessed with. Get your butt's here. What a wonderful jamm we could have. I apologize. I'm not used to these hours. Love, Annap |
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15 Jun 99 - 12:00 AM (#86762) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady Sigh...a gazebo--that's lovely, Ok, I'll have one of those too. Will you be open 24/7 and sell us your books and albums? Do you have a drain handy for Dave? :) But it certainly is a wonderful invite. (where do you live?) |
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15 Jun 99 - 12:23 AM (#86765) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: PJ Folksie Lady-- Ok, how about this for the downstairs books: membership and annual renewal dues are in the form of contributing to the downstairs bookshelves the best book you've read this year. That way we get a sampling of the tastes of all the regulars, visitors, big-names who drop by after concerts, etc. The books are permanent residents of the cafe, and on the fly leaf of the book you donate you write your personal note to the cafe and its readers... Folk1234-- Ask your wife if she'll teach needlepoint to cafe visitors the first Sunday of the month. If so, sign me up. Does she know anybody who can bring a wheel and teach spinning? I've always wanted to learn. Besides the wheel would look really nice in the corner near the window. Maybe we could ask the dog owners to save up leftovers from their pooches winter undercoats, and we could spin yarn to make sweaters we know personally. Okay maybe not. Annap-- Sounds like heaven to me. Reminds me of the scene from Field of Dreams where Shoeless Joe asks "Is this heaven?" and Kevin Costner replies "Well, no, it's Iowa." I'd love to play a session in your gazebo by the river, and congratulations on being able to recognize heaven when you've got it. |
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15 Jun 99 - 12:35 AM (#86766) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady That sounds like a winner of an idea, PJ! You're on the board, ok? :) And because most folkies are at least somewhat socially conscious, how about a food donation requirement too? This would make an ideal cooperative. Because I'm a huge fan of the "old folkies" and folk revival artists (folk scare notwithstanding), I'd really like to have a lecture series as well...and of course invite all of my heroes in to tell us how it was, how it is now, and their own dreams for the future. First on my list would be Mr. Pete Seeger himself...after that, the sky's the limit. We'll see if we can get some of those academics downstairs to tell us what they've learned from their research.
(does anyone know of a sure system for winning this lotto thing?? |
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15 Jun 99 - 03:09 AM (#86775) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: bseed(charleskratz) Gawd, we folkies all have the same dream! I envision a hillside site overlooking the northern part of the Napa Valley. The largest room would feature kind of semicircular terraces around the performance area, the stage itself raised a bit over the front row terrace, providing clear views from everywhere in the room. In addition to sound recording equipment, video cameras would record performances--both CDs and videos being provided the artists, even on open mike nights. Music publishing services might help support the placee. In back of the stage, during the daytime, curtains would open to reveal a panoramic view of the valley beyond the campgrounds below. Other refinements would include the Mudcat retirement village (discussed at some length in an earlier thread) expanded a bit to include any musicians, artists, artisans (including, of course, luthiers and even bodhran makers (for PJ). A school would be a natural part of such a community--one which would welcome home-schoolers and mentoring programs; the retired Phoakies would be an important resource for the school. And then, of course, the health needs of the community... --seed |
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15 Jun 99 - 09:40 AM (#86819) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: annamill Folksie Lady and PJ, I signed off last night so I could get some sleep. I get up to go to NY at 5:30am. I'm in Central New Jersey. Please see "annaps gathering" thread. We have a jam planned for July 17th and another on August 14th. A few Mudcatters will be there and some others who enjoy folk/blues picking. Everyone is invited to come. Just bring your music and if you like, some food. Love, Annap |
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15 Jun 99 - 10:01 AM (#86825) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: AndyG Ivy B, There's a CB2 now, on Norfolk St., opposite The Boat Race. I've not been in but it's bigger and appears to be bookless. :( Candles juxtaposed with IMacs on the tables look very strange to me. Maybe you didn't need to know this. AndyG |
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15 Jun 99 - 11:35 AM (#86852) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: folk1234 Folksie Lady: Of course, my wife would love to teach needlework at your venue. We don't know a spinner, but I sure one can be found. You mentioned music-related stitchery. What about Stitch-related music? Eric Poltemini's "Tree of Life" done by Bok, Muir, & Tricket, et.al. is a great example that involves the hard pioneer life, womens difficult and unrewarding role, and the traditional quilting art form. The merging of traditional arts and traditional music can only enhance the community of your venue. |
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15 Jun 99 - 11:55 PM (#87039) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady Folk 1234: Thanks for jogging my memory about that song! Matter of fact, I'm looking for songs about women's lives as well. I shall look through my BMT albums and find that gem. Annap: I read the "gathering at annap's" thread and just got wistful and wistfuler. My husband and I are heading out to California (from whence we came) for a few months. It will be just in time for me to miss the Traditional Music festival there. To all: some really great ideas have been (de)posited here thus far. How about having some from performers' perspectives? For you, what makes or breaks a venue and gathering place? I was privileged to see the Patons in concert at the Barn, in Riverside, CA some years back. That was a wonderful concert in a very friendly place. Has anyone else been to that concert series over the years? I'd heard that the folk series is no more; but they were great while they ran. Folksie |
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16 Jun 99 - 09:37 PM (#87279) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Sandy Paton Yup, the Barn series is done. We enjoyed being there. Did you introduce yourself to us? I'd think we would have remembered, if you had. No plans at the moment for a sampler-type CD, as all the available cash-stash has to go to getting back catalog items out on CD. Might try a sampler or two later, though. The one thing I see missing at your venue-from-heaven is a large room filled with vintage instruments for dreamers who can't afford them, but would love to see how they "feel" in real life. Maybe we could recruit Bruce O. to handle the library, Fielding to take care of the vintage instrument collection, Catspaw to handle newly-designed wind instruments, and get "Blessings, Barbara" and Katlaffing to cover the hosting while you sleep. Even billionaires have to sleep occasionally, you know. (Check out the folkie retirement community thread from a few months ago. Those dreams were also fun.) Sandy |
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17 Jun 99 - 10:49 AM (#87391) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady Thanks for the excellent suggestions, Mr. Sandy! We shall have a very cozy, acoustically-marvelous room brimming over with instruments of every sort. Reminds me of the Folk Music Museum (?) in Claremont, CA. It's a shop, yes, but one where you can handle the merchandise to your heart's content. At the time of the Patons/Barton & Para concert, I was kinda shy and not nearly as knowledgeable about folk music. So I just sat in the audience and listened happily, and sang along when invited. Bought several tapes afterwards, too, which I still own. To anyone who lives in the LA area or plans to visit soon: there's a great festival coming up soon in Calabasas, the summer solstice traditional music festival. It's running again after several years' absence. It is held the last weekend in June at Soka University. (misty-eyed, now) It's where I learned the joys of shape-note singing. Folksie |
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21 Jun 99 - 02:33 PM (#88409) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: danl arge sorry about doing this again ( i always seem to get back from a stint away and resserect old threads that everyone else has left for dead but i just feel i have to add one more pointless comment to..) er yes, anyway. Andy G yes i have heard of CB2 and apparently its great and he doesnt mind if you take games like mah jong (i think thats how its spelt) in with you like my brother did last week. im planning to go when im there in august. ivy b* (sorry everyone) |
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21 Jun 99 - 02:49 PM (#88413) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Folksie Lady (chuckling) No problem at all, Ms. Ivy! That's the glory of threads. They can be resurrected at any time by people with an interest in the topic. By the way, I plan to serve my special curried vegetable dish at this venue/cafe. They are cooking now, so I'll make lots. Everyone's welcome. |
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21 Jun 99 - 02:54 PM (#88417) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: danl thats not fair! your making me feel very hungry and all the food i seem to have around is half a tin of baked beans and a pink flavored lollypop |
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22 Jun 99 - 08:20 AM (#88650) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Allan C. So it looks to me as if we would need a building about the size (and shape) of Philadelphia's Wannamaker's Dept. Store which we would uproot and place on a hillside of an area such as is found in the Napa Valley, but close enough to town as to be able to draw a paying audience - did anyone mention the audience part? Maybe I missed it. For as much fun as it is to play with other players, having an audience to stand up in front of would be pretty cool. I very much like the possibility of having either an outdoor or indoor venue (depending upon the weather). A small outdoor amphitheater surrounded by a woodlot would be pleasant. The woodlot would feature a small clearing within it - a more intimately sized gathering spot with a place for a campfire encircled with log benches. Then, of course, there would also need to be a barge made into a stage which would float in the river (Did I mention that there is a river on the property?) just offshore. There would be seating on the riverbank so that folks could watch the barge show as the sun sets. Of course, the whole place would be totally devoid of mosquitoes and blackflies! And there would be a multitude of canoes available for those who would want to paddle out to be a little nearer the barge. Or maybe some would want to just quietly drift downstream with the partner of their choice...or simply to paddle out to check their trotlines for mudcats :-] |
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22 Jun 99 - 10:44 AM (#88680) Subject: RE: If You Had Your Druthers From: Allen, you're gonna love my place!! annap |