When is a folk festival not a folk festival?

Note: Whenever the word "folk" appears in this article it is used in context with the definition set by the National Endowment for the Arts, "Traditional arts are those art forms that are learned as part of the cultural life of a group of people whose members share a common ethnic heritage, language, religion, occupation, or culturally united geographic region. Folk and traditional arts are shaped by the aesthetics and values of a shared culture and are passed from generation to generation, most often within family and community through observation, conversation and practice."

Writing this generated images of Pete Seeger wielding a fire axe, but it is something that has been bothering me for quite some time and I had to let it out. The see was planted by something the late Jack Hardy several years ago said to me walking the grounds of the Falcon Ridge "Folk" Festival - "(this festival is) a bunch of pop singer-songwriters trying to be rock starts, and doing a piss-poor job of it."
Is it appropriate to incorporate the word "folk" into a festival's title when the music presented is not folk? I understand festivals book certain artists outside the core genre for their popular appeal in order to draw day patrons, the revenue from which is gravy, but if over time the music presented shifts from folk to pop, is it appropriate to retain the word "folk", or better to re-brand?

Let's put this into another context. The MG brand has been purchased by a Chinese company who are manufacturing and marketing a sedans as "MG". See

A Chinese MG? Not cricket, say Britons, who stay away in droves

Here is a photo of the classic MG, designed and manufactured at the 

1954 MG TF

2013 Chinese MG6 sedan

Concept MG SUV

Just as the Chinese usurped the MG brand name, turning a small sports car into sedans and SUV's, certain so-called "folk" festival promoters have usurped the word "folk" and are booking mass-appeal pop artists, their motivation being the bottom line, to draw day patrons. It may be clever marketing, but as long as there are folk artists not booked and displaced by popsters, it certainly is not cricket.
 

The precedent for renaming festivals that have dropped or reduced folk presence certainly exists. Before it was terminated, the "Boston Folk Festival" was re-branded as the "Boston Music Festival." When its focus moved away from bluegrass to "Americana", the Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival became the "Ossipee Valley Music Festival."

Should one expect a sedan or SUV from the MG company? No!
Should one expect bluegrass at a blues festival? Nae!
Should one expect rock music at a classical concert? Never!
Should one expect pop at a folk concert? Certainly not.

At any festival containing a music genre in its title inevitability there will be some cross-over and some edge-pushing, but pop concerts should be so labeled and marketed. "Folk" is not pop festival marketeers' word to usurp.

1. Non-folk artists appearing at the NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL: "Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer, sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls" -Wikipediato is a featured artist. Is she a folk artist? Apparently the producers of the Newport Folk Festival think she is, as she and several others popsters, including Feist, Jim James, the Lumineers, Milk Carton Kids, Shovels and Rope...you know, Boston's NPR music stations' playlist are on the bill.

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer, sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer

See the complete Newport Folk Festival Lineup

The Newport "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra: "Want It Back" Official 

Published on Jul 10, 2012

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra's official music video for "Want It Back" from the new album 'Theatre Is Evil' coming September 7 (OZ) / 10 (EU) / 11 (US)! Video filmed on and around Brunswick Street in Melbourne, Australia in March 2012. Pre-order the album (on vinyl/CD/digital) at http://bit.ly/AFPshop, and get concert tickets at http://bit.ly/AFPshows.
-VIDEO-
Producer / Editor / Director: Jim Batt
Artist: Curran James
Stylist / Hair & Make-Up: Anthony Cleave
1st AD / Lighting: Joel Loxton
Production Assistant: Lauren Beck
Special Thanks To: Ghita Loebenstein, Claire St Claire, Kim Boekbinder, Rick Mereki and Andrew Suttar
For more on AFP...
Official Site: http://bit.ly/AFPweb
Twitter: http://twitter.com/amandapalmer
Facebook: http://facebook.com/amandapalmer
For More On Jim Batt:
Website: http://jimbatt.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/battsignal
© 2012 8ft. records

The Newport "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.

The Milk Carton Kids: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Published on Jul 17, 2012

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale get a lot done with subtle gestures, but there's real sophistication to the three gorgeous, harmony-rich folk-pop songs they recently performed in the NPR Music offices.

Set List:

"Michigan"
"Stealing Romance"
"I Still Want A Little More"

For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts video podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

The Newport "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.

Shovels & Rope - Birmingham

Published on Feb 22, 2013

"Birmingham" is the first single from O' Be Joyful, the debut album from Shovels & Rope. Produced by The Moving Picture Boys, this video was shot in the band's home city of Charleston, SC.

2. PHILADELPHIA "FOLK" FESTIVAL: "Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop star, supported by the certified gold solo double LP" -Wikipedia

Is Todd Rundgren a folk artist? Apparently the producers of the Philadelphia Folk Festival think so, as he is billed, in capital letters no less, as their Saturday headliner.
http://www.pfs.org/event/saturday-main-stage-concert-mavericks-todd-rundgren-pocket-black-prairie-more-08-17-2013-1600

Todd Rundgren

See also "BIG news everybody! Joining us at the 2013 Philadelphia Folk Festival: Todd Rundgren..." What the Folk? from 6/6/13.

The Philadelphia "Folk" Festival claims this is folk music.

Todd Rundgren - Hello Its Me

Live in 1973, with a pre-recorded backing track

Marketeers and branders are clever people, they will do apparently do anything (except consult with and respect ethno-musicologists) to usurp a word and fill the corporate coffers, but don't hold your breath expecting these popsters to be booked into Clifftop or Harry Smith Frolic or Lowell or other folk festivals.

A believer in truth in advertising, I would have more respect for the Philadelphia and Newport festivals to re-brand themselves as "Philadelphia Pop Festival" and "Newport Pop Festival."

Or here's a novel idea, Philadelphia and Newport could return to their roots and let Amanda Plamer and her fellow travelers find bookings at Bonnaroo and similar pop festivals.

Thanks for allowing me to vent, I feel much better now and am heading to the Lowell Folk Festival.

Gee, the privilege of paying $26 bucks (for volunteering and t-shirt) to work 6-7 hours PER DAY for 3 days...

For a 5-6 year period I was a Falcon Ridge "Folk" Festival volunteer. A friend tipped me off* to the festival's current expectations for their volunteers, things certainly have changed since then, when, in exchange for four hours labor/day and a $6, then $8 charge for a tee shirt, volunteers were given 

• festival access
• camping
• three meals per day

From my friend (her name and her and the volunteer coordinator's email addresses have been removed).

*Did you get this? 

Gee, the privilege of paying $26 bucks (for volunteering and t-shirt) to work 6-7 hours PER DAY for 3 days...

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: (volunteer coordinator)
Date: Sun, Jul 7, 2013 at 4:02 PM
Subject: Volunteer positions still open at Falcon Ridge
To: (friend)

Dear (friend),
We still have a few positions open to volunteer at this years festival, August 2, 3 and 4, 2013.  If you have not yet signed up and are interested to see what's available, log into the website at http://www.falconridgevolunteers.com.  Your user name is (xxxxxxxxx). We would be glad to see you again!
Barbara and Paul

Read its volunteer page:

HomeVolunteer Information

First Time Web Site Users (Join)   |  Returning FRFF Users (Login)

Welcome to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Volunteer Website New Festival Dates: August 2nd, 3rd, 4th 2013 Our volunteers do a variety of tasks that make our festival possible, from parking the patrons, taking tickets, checking in other volunteers and performers, aiding our camping patrons, providing safety and security, to preparing food for our volunteers and/or patrons. For a small fee of $14 ($20 after July 15th) , a volunteer gets access to the festival as well as camping and staff meals provided two times a day from the day they start their responsibilities. Being a volunteer is a great way to meet a community of other like-minded individuals, where friendships and memories are made and remembered for a lifetime. The festival is three days and we expect our volunteers to be able to work all three days. Most volunteers will need to work 6 to 7 hours each day for a total commitment of 18 to 20 hours. We do have a small number of pre-festival crews that require a substantially heavier time commitment for the privilege of not working during the festival. Check the required commitment of a crew carefully before volunteering.  All festival volunteers are expected to work a full shift on Sunday. Exceptions must be worked out with your crew chief prior to the start of the festival. T-shirts are required by most crews during shifts. A payment of $12.00 is needed for the t-shirt. Payment for the t-shirt and the volunteer fee are due when your volunteer application is approved.  Log on to this site and select the Buy T-Shirt menu option. Credit Card or PayPal is accepted. We have an excellent kitchen where vegetarians and vegans are well cared for. Breakfast meats (cooked elsewhere) are offered to our volunteers for breakfast. Drinks and snacks are available all day. We have a limited number of pre-festival volunteer positions. Returning volunteers fill many of these positions. Tasks involve site set up, site kitchen operations, early parking, security and ticketing. If you think you qualify to fill one of these positions, use the comment section of the application. We are unfortunately not able to accept volunteers for less than the full three-day commitment.   No wonder a couple weeks before it begins Falcon Ridge is soliciting former volunteers.  My advice? Skip it, buy a three day pass to the Brantling Bluegrass Festival August 1-3 in Sodus NY ($55 for a three day pass that includes camping and workshops) or go to the Salem Maritime Festival August 3 for free. See other festival suggestions here.

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Preview Concert ~ Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers & Abi Tapia, 5/23

One of six stops on the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival preview tour, and the only one in eastern Massachusetts, the next notloB folk concert is Saturday, May 23.

Arlington Heights – The third of three acoustic string band / folk concerts presented by notloB Folk Concerts at the Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA 02476 (just off Mass Ave.) will be Falcon Ridge Folk Festival showcase artists voted “Most Wanted to Return” ABI TAPIA and BLUE MOOSE AND THE UNBUTTONED ZIPPERS on Saturday, May 23 at 8:00 pm (doors 7:45).

Each year some 800+ emerging folk artists and singer/songwriters apply to Falcon Ridge’s “most wanted” contest. Only 20 are invited to perform in front of the main stage audience, each act given 10 minutes. From patron ballots and input from a panel of judges, just three or four are awarded the title “most wanted to return”. The next Spring the artists tour some 20-25 Northeast USA venues and are invited back to perform as main stage artists. Due to a severe storm that closed down the 2008 festival, the festival itself is not producing the 2008 “most wanted” tour, but with the approval of Anne Saunders, festival artistic director, six venues are self-producing a limited tour by two of the four winners.

notloB Concerts are volunteer run and not for profit. Whether presented at historic and intimate museum houses like the Loring-Greenough House in Jamaica Plain or the Jackson Homestead in Newton, or at one of several church venues, or at private residences, all are run as house concerts where, after expenses, 100% of the patrons’ donations go to the artists. More information about the concert series can be found at the notloB website, http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

BLUE MOOSE AND THE UNBUTTONED ZIPPERS

Brewing up a tasty mix of traditional music infused with startling rhythms and innovative arrangements, BMUZ is one of the most dynamic groups based in the Boston area today. True citizens of the 21st century world, BMUZ takes from the rooted traditions of many cultures and translates their essence into a unique, vibrant sound.

Starting out as a group of friends jamming and swapping tunes, BMUZ has evolved into a group which performs widely in the Boston area at local venues such as Club Passim in Cambridge and festivals such as Boston Celtic Music Festival and the International Folk Festival at Berklee’s Performance Center.

The members of BMUZ use an eclectic group of instruments. Bronwyn Bird plays the accordion and the ethereal nyckelharpa, the traditional bowed stringed instrument from Sweden, where she lived for a year. Andy Reiner, who comes from a musical family and has studied at many a fiddle camp across the country, plays the five-string fiddle, and is especially rooted in the lively music of Cape Breton. A fiddler who has studied traditional music in Ireland and Norway, Mariel Vandersteel also plays hardanger fiddle, the traditional string instrument of Norway. Stash Wyslouch, who has traveled with guitar through South America and is influenced by hip hop and funk, brings a driving sense of rhythm and groove to the group. Their many original compositions, while grounded in traditional genres, are refreshing, lively and full of verve. The evocative sound of Bronwyn' nyckelharpa as well as Mariel's hardanger fiddle is held together with the fiery tone of Andy's fiddle and the driving force of Stash's guitar.

Completely entertaining on stage, it is obvious that BMUZ is having as much fun playing together as the audience is while listening to them.

ABI TAPIA

Abi Tapia smiles big when she sings. She can’t help it - she’s having so much fun.

But in the world of independent music, where it’s hip to be tortured, she sometimes feels like a Pollyanna.

Abi undoubtedly gets her optimism from her mom who was expelled from Catholic School for being pregnant with her, but called it “the best day of her life.” Abi’s first fifteen years were a blur of Southern towns and yearly uprooting as her mother chased work and higher education. But the constant moving was presented as a big adventure and instilled in Abi the idea that new places have potential for happiness, discovery and success. So she kept moving.

Following her nomadic childhood she attended college in Iowa, where she was a

Sociology major at Grinnell College, and began her professional music career while living in Portland, Maine. But Abi found herself attracted to the sweet twang and straightforward approach of country music so she migrated to Austin, Texas in 2002, where she quickly rooted herself in the city’s thriving live music scene. With its blend of country sincerity, cosmopolitan snap and plethora of skilled pickers, she continued maturing and developing her own style. Along the way she picked up awards and recognition for her songwriting from The Wildflower Music Festival, Austin Songwriters Group, the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.

The inviting warmth of the South, the expansiveness of the Midwestern Plains, the pluck and determination of a New England Yankee and a Texan’s independent spirit all come together in Abi’s “wanderlusty” music (a term she proudly displays on her guitar strap).

Tapia’s 2005 release, One Foot Out The Door, a driving collection of songs about loving and leaving produced by multi-instrumentalist Chris Gage, compelled The

Austin Chronicle to comment that “the dozen confidently written songs weave tales of a woman assessing life and love with an uncompromising eye and sometimes bittersweet results.” Featuring the hot playing of Kym Warner (mandolin) and Eamon McGoughlin (fiddle) from acclaimed group The Greencards, the CD rose to the Top 40 on Americana radio.

Abi chased the music around the country, playing legendary listening rooms like Club Passim, The Bitter End, The Bluebird Café and Eddie’s Attic, while other nights she sang her heart out in crowded living rooms, libraries, or under a gazebo on a sprawling Texas ranch. Her songwriter’s sensibility allows her to appreciate the details and subtle differences of each place she visits and offers potential adventure and inspiration. That inspiration led to 12 new songs and Abi Tapia once again called on Chris Gage to produce.

2008’s The Beauty in the Ruin explores sadness and frustration, which after 8 years of the starving artist’s life Abi had plenty of, but there is a common thread of hope, redemption and joy in all of these supposedly sad songs. It is full of sing-able hooks and straddles country, folk and rock with ease, incorporating fiddle and pedal steel as well as some crunchy electric guitars and big drums. Abi and Chris got along so well that Gage and his wife and partner Christine Albert (together known as the Americana duo Albert and Gage) collaborated with Abi to release The Beauty in the Ruin on their label, MoonHouse Records. Happily, Abi is packing up and heading out across the country with her wanderlusty music in hand.

With a new album to promote, a strong community of friends and fellow artists in

Austin, the energy of and support of her partnership with MoonHouse Records and the ability to find the bright side in any situation, how could Abi not be smiling? But she won’t stop moving, because there could always be something even better just over the horizon.

SPECIAL BONUS….Falcon Ridge Folk Festival is providing at least two and up to four 4-day festival/camping passes that will be raffled away at the end of the concert.

Dinner and a show! Phone ahead for reservations ~ 781-648-8882, present either your ticket (purchased at the Music Emporium) or printed email reservation receipt and get 10% your party’s food tab at Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant, 1360 Massachusetts Ave. (down Park, just around the Mass Ave corner to the left). Details at the website, click on Restaurants near the venue.

And desert! Members of the Park Avenue Congregational Church will be baking Saturday afternoons and selling their whole wares to take home and slices to consume during these concerts (as well as coffee, tea, water, etc.). So save room for desert!

Suggested minimum donation is $15.00 at the door & $10 for seniors and students with ID. Regular patron admission is $12.50 if a reservation emailed to notlobreservations (at) concast.net is made at least 24 hours prior to the concert. Advance tickets are available at Music Emporium, located at 165 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, MA 02420.

More information about the concert series can be found at the notloB website:

http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

ARTIST WEBSITES:

http://www.bmuz.net/

http://www.abitapia.com/

2008 Falcon Ridge / Grassy Hill "Most Wanted" artists tour

The FALCON RIDGE/GRASSY HILL EMERGING ARTIST SHOWCASE is open to all performers who have NOT showcased or appeared as part of a feature act at the fest in the last 2 years and who will not be appearing in any other capacity in the current year. This is a 2 song or 10 minute spot on our Mainstage on Friday afternoon. Artists new to the Northeast, not nationally touring or those with limited exposure are encouraged to apply.

Some 800+ artists apply, but only 20 or so are selected. The FRFF family and a panel of judges pick 3 or 4 winners. This year those artists are Amy Speace, Blue Moose & the Unbuttoned Zippers, Abi Tapia, and Lucy Wainwright Roche.

From the FRFF website: "FRFF is off to a late start this year due to the aftermath of last year's very severe weather that closed the festival early on Sunday. Our annual spring Preview Tour is not to be this year, but there may be a few shows here and there featuring the four top voted 2008 Showcase artists..."

BMUZ and Abi will be appearing together at:

Saturday, April 18
The Golden Apple Coffeehouse
Mt Kisco, NY
www.goldenapplecoffeehouse.com

Sunday, May 10
The Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts
Washington, DC
www.kennedy-center.org

Friday, May 15
Cafe Veritas
Rochester, NY
www.cafeveritas.org

Saturday, May 16th
Common Ground Coffeehouse Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
www.commongroundfusw.com

Saturday, May 23
Notlob Folk Concerts
Park Avenue Congregational Church, Arlington, MA
http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

Friday, May 29
Pioneer Arts Center of
Easthampton (PACE)
Easthampton, MA
http://www.pioneerarts.org

Contact the individual venues for reservations and more information.

For FRFF info go to http://www.falconridgefolk.com/

“Most Wanted” Emerging Artists from the 2008 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Abi Tapia and Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers to play 6 shows in the NE

“Most Wanted” Emerging Artists from the 2008 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Abi Tapia and Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers will play 6 shows in the Northeast

Each year the audience at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival votes for their favorite acts from the Emerging Artists Showcase. The top 4 vote getters are invited to return to the Festival the following year to perform in the “Most Wanted Song Swap.” The selected artists from the 2008 festival are Abi Tapia, Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers, Lucy Wainwright Roche, and Amy Speace.

These selected artists often participate in a “Preview Tour” before the festival. Due to previous commitments and scheduling difficulties, this year’s preview tour will only include six dates and two of the acts. Still, these shows will be a great opportunity for loyal Falcon Ridge Folk Festival-goers and Northeast folk fans to get to know these emerging artists and reconnect with friends. www.falconridgefolk.com

Artist Biographies:

Brewing up a tasty mix of traditional music infused with zesty rhythms and innovative arrangements, Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers is one of the most dynamic groups based in the Boston area today. True citizens of the 21^st century world, BMUZ takes from the rooted traditions of many cultures and translates their essence into a unique, vibrant sound.

The members of BMUZ use an eclectic group of instruments. Bronwyn Bird plays the accordian and the ethereal nyckelharpa, the traditional bowed stringed instrument from Sweden, where she lived for a year. Andy Reiner, who comes from a musical family and has studied at many a fiddle camp across the country, plays the five string fiddle and is especially rooted in the lively music of Cape Breton. A fiddler who has studied traditional music in Ireland and Norway, Mariel Vandersteel also plays hardanger fiddle, the traditional string instrument of Norway. Stash Wyslouch, who has traveled with guitar through South America and is influenced by hip hop and funk, brings a driving sense of rhythm and groove to the group with his guitar and melodica. www.bmuz.net

Abi Tapia undoubtedly gets her optimism from her mom who was expelled from Catholic School for being pregnant with her, but called it “the best day of her life.” Abi’s first fifteen years were a blur of Southern towns and yearly uprooting as her mother chased work and higher education. But the constant moving was presented as a big adventure and instilled in Abi the idea that new places have potential for happiness, discovery and success. So she kept moving. In fact, she just moved from Austin, TX to Berkshire County, MA.

Her new album, The Beauty in the Ruin, explores sadness and frustration, which after 8 years of the starving artist’s life Abi had plenty of, but there is a common thread of hope, redemption and joy in all of these supposedly sad songs. It is full of sing-able hooks and straddles country, folk and rock with ease, incorporating fiddle and pedal steel as well as some crunchy electric guitars and big drums. www.abitapia.com

Performance Dates:

Saturday, April 18, 2009 8pm

The Golden Apple Coffeehouse
Mt Kisco, NY

www.goldenapplecoffeehouse.com

Price: $15/$8 Seniors and students

Sunday, May 10, 2009 6pm

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC

www.kennedy-center.org

Tickets: Free

Friday, May 15, 2009 8:00 PM

Cafe Veritas
Rochester, NY

www.cafeveritas.org

Saturday, May 16th, 2009 8:00 PM

Common Ground Coffeehouse
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

http://www.commongroundfusw.com

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 8:00 PM

Notlob Folk Concerts
Park Avenue Congregational Church
Arlington, MA

http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

Price: $15/$12.50/$10

Friday, May 29th, 2009 8:00 PM

Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton (PACE)
Easthampton, MA

http://www.pioneerarts.org

Price: $12/$10 Members

Broken Blossoms & Folk Arts Quartet, Arlington, 4/11

notloB Concerts is proud to present BROKEN BLOSSOMS & FOLK ARTS QUARTET at the Park Avenue Congregational Church, 50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights, MA 02476 just off Mass Ave.) on Saturday, April 11 at 8:00 pm (doors 7:45).

Suggested minimum donation is $15.00 at the door & $10 for seniors and students with ID. Regular patron admission is $12.50 if a reservation to notlobreservations@comcast.net is made at least 24 hours prior to the concert. Advance tickets are available at Music Emporium, located at 165 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, MA 02420.

notloB Concerts is new to Arlington but has been producing quality acoustic folk/roots/Celtic/blues/bluegrass concerts in Boston and the surrounding area for more than two years. Their concerts are 100% volunteer run and not for profit. After production expenses, all patron donations go to the artists.

This is the first of three stringband/Celtic/folk concerts Notlob will be producing at this venue during the months of April and May, the others being

• On May 9, Joy Kills Sorrow (newgrass) & The Boston Boys (bluegrass)

• On May 23, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival 2008 "Most Wanted" winners Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers (Scandanavian folk) & Abi Tapia (contemporary singer/songwriter).
  

See the website for information about concerts in June and beyond.

BROKEN BLOSSOMS

The beauty of Broken Blossoms is that they are both new and familiar, rooted in tradition, yet rejuvenated by unique arrangements—a happy convergence of traditional bluegrass, gospel, country blues, and folk-pop.

Broken Blossoms is the unification of a group of highly recognizable performers in Boston's celebrated folk-music circuit—its members gathered by gifted songwriter and guitarist, Andy Cambria, in support of one the area's most prominent singer-songwriters, Jenee Halstead, who released a solo LP (The River Grace) in 2008.

Halstead performed regularly with Cambria, mandolin player David Goldenberg, bassist/hammered dulcimer wizard Simon Chrisman and banjo player Charles Rose, throughout 2008. The group recruited friend and fiddle virtuoso, Kimber Ludiker, just before the year drew to a close and recorded a four-song EP in January 2009. Tracked live in one day at the Unity Church of God in Somerville, MA, the eponymous debut offers up three original songs penned by Cambria and Halstead alongside the band's arrangement of the spiritual, "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning."

Although the members of the band have impressive personal resumes, with performances on such legendary stages as Grey Fox, Wintergrass, The Birchmere, The Grand Master Fiddle Championship, Falcon Ridge and Club Passim to their credit, it is their strength and style as a unit that's made an instant impact on Boston's roots-music scene. Talent buyer, Geoff Bartley, operator of Boston's bluegrass Mecca, The Cantab Lounge, describes them thusly: "Every time I hear this band, they're tighter, deeper and more poised. The sultry vocals and refined songwriting, steeped in traditional roots and bluegrass, vault the group into another category. Look out—these folks could become well-known very fast."

The EP, Broken Blossoms, was released March 23, 2009.

FOLK ARTS QUARTET

The Folk Arts Quartet (FAQ) combines folk styles from the fiddle world with the arts heritage of the classical string quartet. The result is a new hybrid genre, "ChamberGrass." As the four young women of FAQ pioneer this style they are gaining recognition for their musicianship and innovation.

The members of the Folk Arts Quartet…

Liz Davis Maxfield, Cello

Julie Metcalf, Viola

Ivonne Hernandez, Violin

Hannah Read, Violin

…met while studying at the Berklee College of Music. Although they were classically trained, they all have extensive experience in folk styles. Hailing from Scotland, Canada, and the United States, they each have distinct musical styles. The FAQ has had the honor of being mentored by some of the best contemporary string players around, including Matt Glaser, Natalie Haas, Eugene Friesen, John McGann.

The Folk Arts Quartet arranges traditional tunes and original compositions using an array of techniques and ideas—some they've learned from Classical string quartet pieces, others from folk bands, and others they've invented on their own. With the addition of the occasional beautiful song or energetic step dance, their groovy, contemporary style nods to their many influences and breathes new life into folk and chamber music.

The Folk Arts Quartet has performed in legendary Boston music venues including Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Boston Celtic Music Festival; and the Berklee Performance center. The FAQ has been highlighted by Berklee College of Music as a representative ensemble of the College and its string department for feature performances around the world.

The Folk Arts Quartet has stormed onto the global folk scene, receiving rave reviews wherever they perform. From their unique look to their fresh take on folk and chamber music this is a group not to miss!

ARTIST WEBSITES:

http://www.brokenblossomsband.com/

www.myspace.com/brokenblossomsband

www.myspace.com/folkartsquartet

http://folkartsquartet.com

Park Avenue Congregational Church, UCC

50 Paul Revere Road, Arlington, Massachusetts

By car: From Route 2, take the Park Avenue exit (Exit 58), and turn north into Arlington on Park Avenue. Continue to the top of the hill, past the water tower on the right, and down the long, steep hill just until you see the traffic lights at the intersection of Park Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue. The church is on the left, one block south of Massachusetts Avenue at the intersection of Park Avenue and Paul Revere Road.

By bus: MBTA

Parking: Ample on-street parking is available on Park and Massachusetts Avenues.

Have dinner before the concert at Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant, 1360 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. 781-648-8882

Show proof of admission (your email reservation confirmation or ticket stub) for 10% your food bill.

Thak you for supporting live music.

-notloB Music
http://www.reverbnation.com/notlob

NOTLOB FOLK CONCERTS NEWS, APRIL, 2009

NOTLOB FOLK CONCERTS NEWS

APRIL, 2009

"In this era of pop-driven acoustic music, Notlob is keeping the folk tradition alive."

~ Jack Hardy

Notlob Concerts are 100% volunteer run and not for profit. After production expenses, all patron donations go to the artists.

We hope you find the entire concert series special, we strive to bring you the best. Spring marks a turning point:

• A new “string grass” series featuring young musicians, in Arlington,
• A new house concert series in Malden,
• A new “small” series in an historic house (sound familiar?) in Newton,
• A folk legend at a new venue in Somerville.

Separate reminders sent about one week before each concert will contain information about the featured and opening artists; you can learn more about all by visiting their websites. But two concerts being announced here today are worthy of special mention.

• Folk legend “Spider” John Koerner (he taught Bob Dylan some fundamentals in Minnesota) will be in concert in a new venue in Somerville on Friday, June 5. Elizabeth Butters opens.

video

• Voted “most wanted to return” to the 2009 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival are emerging artists (and Boston’s own) Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers and (recent transplant from Austin to the Berkshires) Abi Tapia! Due to last year’s tornado, Falcon Ridge is not sponsoring the “most wanted” tour, but Notlob is doing its part to keep the tradition alive! This concert is produced with Anne Saunders’ approval. This is one of just two “FRFF most wanted” concerts to be produced before the festival (the other is in New York).

In this edition

1. Next concert
2. April through August concerts! / Advance tickets / Reservations
3. Volunteers needed
4. Other traditional folk, folk revival, roots, bluegrass, blues and Celtic concert recommendations
5. New partnership with “Not Your Average Folk”
6. Housekeeping

1. Next concert – Broken Blossoms & Folk Arts Quartet, Saturday, April 11, 2009 @ the Park Avenue Congregational Church, 55 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights.

Directions, Parking, Public Transportation & Handicap Access

Suggested minimum donation is $15.00 at the door & $10 for seniors and students with ID. Regular patron admission is just $12.50 if a reservation to notlobreservations@comcast.net is made at least 24 hours prior to the concert.

More information about Broken Blossoms and Folk Arts Quartet will be sent a week or so before the concert.

2. April through August concerts!

Date & Time	Venue	Artists	Suggested Donation
Saturday, April 11, 8:00pm	PA	Broken Blossoms & The Folk Arts Quartet	$15 @ door $12.50 adv res $10 seniors & students
Saturday, April 25, 8:00pm	PHCM	The Bowmans	$15
Saturday, May 9, 8:00pm	PA	Joy Kills Sorrow & The Boston Boys	$15 @ door $12.50 adv res $10 seniors & students
Saturday, May 16, 7:30pm	JH	Kitchen Celtic ceilidh, Sean Smith, Doug Lamay & Katie McNally	$10 door, $7.50 adv res, seniors & students
Saturday, May 23, 8:00pm	PA	Falcon Ridge 2008 "Most Wanted" winners Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers & Abi Tapia	$15 @ door $12.50 adv res $10 seniors & students
Friday, June 5, 8:00pm	UCG	"Spider" John Koerner, Elizabeth Butters opens	$15.00 door $12.50 adv res $10 seniors & students
Friday, June 19, 8:00pm	JH	Brendan Hogan	$10 door, $7.50 adv res, seniors & students
Saturday, July 11, 7:30pm	JH	Mary Lou Ferrante & US Sam	$10 door, $7.50 adv res, seniors & students
Saturday, August 15, 7:30pm	JH	Tim Mason & Tom Begich	$10 door, $7.50 adv res, seniors & students

Venue Key:

• UCG = Unity Church of God, 6 William Street (corner of College Ave.), Somerville
• JH = Jackson Homestead, 527 Washington St., Newton
• PA = Park Avene Congregational Church, 55 Paul Revere Road, Arlington Heights
• CH = Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, 155 Powderhouse Blvd, Somerville
• PHCM = Private house concert in Malden. By invitation only. If interested, send inquiry to the reservations address.

RESERVATIONS. Reservations for any concert can be made by sending an email at least 24 hours before concert time to notlobreservations@comcast.net.

Tickets for the Park Avenue Congregational Church concerts are available at The Music Emporium, 165 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA. Request you pay the full “suggested donation” amount.

3. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. A call to future patrons of the PACC (Arlington) venue. Concerts in the parish hall will require additional volunteers for room set-up/take down. And for all concerts a house photographer is needed. If you are interested, please read the volunteer policy ~ http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com/volunteering ~ and send a message via the email address listed there. Benefits await.

4. OTHER CONCERT RECOMMENDATIONS.

We believe the wider information about quality concerts is spread, the larger the folk/roots/Celtic/blues/bluegrass community will become. This is especially important as the world, national and local economies sour. Spread the word, support local live music and build the community. We wish there were one unified, uncensored music calendar, but until it exists, this is our contribution.

Wednesdays, ongoing ~ Avi and Celia’s "The Front Room Sessions", (Notl0b alum’s, by way of the Rowan Brothers). Wednesday nights at the Burren, Davis Square, Somerville.

Friday, April 3 ~ Grammy Award-winner and Blues Hall-of-Famer James Cotton w/ Lil Stevie & the Westsiders @ The Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley. More info/tickets.

Saturday, April 4 ~ Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks w/ Ellsworth and Hicks (OK, not folk/roots, but allow us a guilty pleasure). @ The Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley. More info/tickets.

Sunday, April 5 ~ MUSICIAN STIMULUS TOUR ~ Laura Cortese (Notlob alumna, by way of Lissa Schneckenburger, stay tuned for more details about both in the May newsletter) brings her 2009 MUSICIAN STIMULUS Tour to Club Passim in Cambridge. Following the show Laura will host her 6 month old game show Spell or Dare at 10pm as an after party for her show. As Laura tells it, “You shouldn’t need a swanky job or 5 figure salary to enjoy it.” Laura hopes her tour will inspire down and out CEO’s to join the pink slip brigade and become musicians.

Friday, April 10, 8:00 PM ~ The Eilen Jewell Band w/ Brendan Hogan (both Notlob alum’s) @ The Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley. More info/tickets.

Friday April 17, 2009 8:00 PM ~ Teddy Thompson with special guest Joyce Andersen at The Newburyport City Hall Auditorium, 60 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA. Richard & Linda's legacy continues. One of the country's most important emerging artists in a solo, acoustic evening in this intimate 19th centrury theatre. Tickets.

Saturday, May 2 ~ The Krueger Brothers @ Dukakis Performing Arts Center at Monty Tech, Fitchburg, MA. Virtuosity...Innovation...Humor…Performances are exciting, calming, entertaining and spontaneous, reflecting their sheer joy in playing music. Info/tickets (tell them Notlob sent you).

Ongoing ~ Bob Franke songwriting workshops. Bob is offering intensive songwriting workshops, which will be held right at his cottage on the lake in Peabody, MA. If you are interested, and either live in the Boston area, or are willing to travel there, please contact Bob at 978-535-3331, or e-mail him at bob@bobfranke.com for more details and dates.

(Insider tip - these and other “under the radar” concert suggestions can regularly be found in the NorthEastFolknRoots Database and Calendar. Your active participation is most welcome).

5. Not Your Average Folk

NotYourAverageFolk.com is proud to partner with the Notlob Concert Series to bring their amazing events to more folk and acoustic music fans. Not Your Average Folk is an online folk and acoustic music events magazine. Visit NotYourAverageFolk.com to see a full list of all shows happening in the Boston Area, read articles about upcoming artists and events, and support local music. To get a weekly concert calendar in your email and free music CLICK HERE to join our email list! If you are fan you get lots of free perks and if you are a venue or musician you can great exposure! Stop by NotYourAverageFolk.com and join our email list!

6. Housekeeping.

The fine print. Notlob Parlor Concerts presents the best local and touring roots, Americana, newgrass, traditional and contemporary folk and blues artists at several venues around the greater Boston area. Past artists include the Sacred Shakers, The Folk Brothers (David Massengill and Jack Hardy), Peggy Seeger, Geoff Bartley, Mary McCaslin, Bob Franke, The Rowan Brothers, Christine Thompson Lively, Dennis Brennan, Aoife O’Donovan (Crooked Still), Kristin Andraessen (Uncle Earl), Mike and Ruthy Ungar Merenda (the Mammals), Pat Wictor, Jud Caswell, Sharon Lewis, Brian Webb and many others. Visit the series’ website at http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com. Concerts in your home can be arranged.

Reservations / information. Send email to notlobreservations@comcast.net

at least 24 hours prior to the concert. More information about the concert series can be found at the Notlob website: http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com

Mailing list & street team: http://www.reverbnation.com/notlob

Keeping in touch. There are several ways to stay informed of scheduled events:

• Website ~ http://notlobmusic.googlepages.com
• Mailing list & street team ~ http://www.reverbnation.com/notlob
• Blog ~ http://notlobmusic.blogspot.com
• MySpace ~ http://myspace.com/notlobhouseconcerts
• Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Notlob-Music/45410911136
• Email questions to notlobreservations@comcast.net

Volunteering / Street team. This is a 100% volunteer-run effort. Concerts would not be possible without volunteer assistance. All interested in helping can read the Volunteer Policy at http://groups.google.com/group/notlobmusic/web/volunteer-policy

“Guerilla” publicity builds community by spreading the word to family, friends and neighbors. Posting flyers in your neighborhood music shops, book stores, coffee shops and workplace is appreciated. To register, go to http://www.reverbnation.com/notlob, then send an email to notlobreservations@comcast.net requesting printer-ready files. Be a regular guerilla and you’ll receive a nice reward.

Admission is by donation. A suggested minimum donation (varies by concert), with discount to those making reservations and students and seniors, is requested. Your donations cover rent, sound system rental, sound engineer, publicity and other production expenses. 100% of the balance goes to the artists (many of whom travel many miles).

Photography, video recording, & sound recording. No still, video or sound recording is permitted without permission of the artist and the house. If you would like to share photos of past concerts, email the pictures and/or web link to notlobreservations@comcast.net

Refreshments. Coffee, soft drinks and water are available. No outside food or beverages, please.

Keep your lamp trimmed and burning!
Jeff Boudreau