Music in Philadelphia?

Subject: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Linda Mattson
Date: 02 Mar 05 - 06:17 PM

Hello to all Pennsylvania Mudcatters,
I'm going to be in the greater Philadelphia area (Collegeville, King of Prussia) for work on the weekend of March 12-13. I'll have a car. Would anyone have information regarding old-time, traditional, folk music concerts, sessions, song circles, music stores, etc?

Thanks!
Linda Mattson

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Mongrel Dog
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 01:09 PM

I will also be in Philadelphia soon and would also appreciate this info. Help us Philly area Catters!

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: GUEST,seen on da web
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 01:16 PM

"Chulrua" -- in concert -- Saturday, March 12th, 2005, 8:00 PM --

HOLY TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
212 S. High St. (High and Union Sts.)
WEST CHESTER, PA.

"Chulrua" is Paddy O'Brien on button accordion, Patrick Ourceau on fiddle, and Pat Egan on guitar & vocals. Link: http://mail.vet.upenn.edu/~dalton/

Admission: $15, children under 12 free. [phone] [business hours] /[phone] [evenings].

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: UB Ed
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 01:21 PM

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=67003

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=60400

And Max himself is purported to be in West Chester PA, just down 202 from King of Prussia in the Iron Hill Brewery, but this may be more of the stuff of legends.

Ed

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: GLoux
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 01:55 PM

Try:

World Cafe Live in West Philly

The Point in Bryn Mawr

Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem

-Greg

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Susan of DT
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 03:45 PM

There is a listserve called Phily Folk, a Philadelphia Folksong Society, a Bucks County group, and something in West Chester.

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: SharonA
Date: 03 Mar 05 - 08:31 PM

Hello from the chilly Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania! Linda, the answer to your question depends on how far you are willing to travel around the greater Philadelphia area. From the Collegeville/K of P area, Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem is quite a trek, although it's an excellent venue for folk music. The Point in Bryn Mawr is much closer, and of the highest reputation -- can't go wrong there, though the emphasis is not on old-time/trad. The West Chester gigs mentioned are further away, further south. There's plenty to see and hear in the city's folk scene, but you have to travel AND deal with parking.

One of the area's better-kept secrets is in Phoenixville, not far from Collegeville: Steel City Coffeehouse. Link: www.steelcitycoffeehouse.com

In Philadelphia, a GREAT folk venue is the Mermaid Inn in the Chestnut Hill section. Unfortunately their jams are on Tuesdays and their Seisiun is on a Wednesday. They've got an R&B band playing the weekend you're in the area; don't know if that's your thing. Link: www.themermaidinn.net

Also check out The Tin Angel in Center City. Link: www.tinangel.com

The two folk-song societies that Susan of DT mentioned can provide info about song circles as well as concerts (especially the Bucks County Folk Song Society's links page):

Bucks County Folk Song Society; link: www.bucksfolk.org

Philadelphia Folksong Society -- they have a monthly concert the 2nd Sunday of the month, so you'll be in the area for that! This month, Canadian band The McDades are performing at PFS's venue in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Link: www.pfs.org

...As for music stores, Medley Music in Bryn Mawr is extremely reputable, and a short drive from The Point. Be sure to look at the "Acoustic Roots" page on this site: http://www.medleynet.com/

There's a lovely little store tucked away in New Britain, near Doylestown, called the Bucks County Folk Music Shop -- a fine place to find unusual folk instruments and knowledgable staff. Link: www.bucksmusic.com

...But this is just a smattering of what the Philly area has to offer in the way of folk music. Hope it's enough to get you started on your hunt to find what you want. Good luck, and have fun!

Sharon

links repaired by mudelf

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: GLoux
Date: 04 Mar 05 - 01:22 PM

There's nothing there in March, but in the interest of completeness of what's around in Philadelphia, there's the Lansdowne Folk Club in Lansdowne.

There's also Fortissimo Folk which puts on a series of house concerts.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Mar 05 - 05:45 PM

Very true, Greg! (Hmm, I wonder if I've run into you at any of these things without knowing it??) Well now, if we're talking about interest in completeness of what's around, I should mention these, too...

Mom & Pop's Coffeehouse at the New Falls Church in Levittown, PA (Charlie Zahm is there tonight, but no concert the weekend Linda's in town). Link: www.momandpops.org

Perkasie Patchwork Coffeehouse at Perkasie Mennonite Church in Perkasie, PA (near Quakertown). Link: www.perkmenno.org

Sellersville Theater 1894, Sellersville, PA (the town next to Perkasie). Livingston Taylor plays there on March 12th, Solas appears on March 13th. Link: www.ST94.com

Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA (Folkie alert -- HOT TIP: Check out their May 15th event listing!!) Link: www.keswicktheatre.com

Philadelphia Songwriters Project (Resource for local/regional songwriters; includes showcase concerts, workshops, master classes.) Link: www.phillysongwriters.com

Philadelphia Songwriters Alliance -- This is the organization of which I am co-chair. We hold a monthly house concert, a monthly "song-share" circle (friendly comments, not "critiques", by fellow songwriters), and special workshop events. Link: www.geocities.com/philasong

Sharon

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Mar 05 - 06:16 PM

Holy moley, I forgot about the event on Saturday, March 12th at "Plowshares Coffee House" in Phoenixville, PA!! Linda Mattson, you may be very interested in this one -- as I said before, Phoenixville is near Collegeville. "Plowshares" is located in the Schuylkill Friends Meeting (a Quaker meeting house). The event is the Plowshares Songwriting Contest Finals Showcase. This national contest is judged by a panel of local folk-music celebs; one past judge is Philadelphia Folk Festival MC Gene Shay. Ten contest finalists will perform their songs; the audience will vote for their favorite and this vote will be factored in with the judges' decisions to determine the winner. Past winners include Dan Pelletier, Eliot Bronson and Kate McDonnell. For ticket info, directions, etc., see link: www.plowsharesmusic.org

The contest is coordinated and hosted by Erik Balkey, who will also be running two workshops that afternoon at the Plowshares Coffee House -- on songwriting and on touring. To contact Erik about attending these workshops, see his website: www.erikbalkey.com

Sharon

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: SharonA
Date: 04 Mar 05 - 06:21 PM

FYI, here's yet another local venue: Centre For The Arts in Quakertown, PA (formerly the Main Street Theatre). Link: www.cfaonmain.com

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Linda Mattson
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 03:00 AM

Thanks to everyone for your tips. I knew there was a great wealth of folk music in Pennsylvania. I've looks at a zillions links and found some good ideas. I even saw a concert by an acquaintance of 25 years ago - John Lionarons. He and his friends lived in San Francisco for a brief time back then, and then moved on.

If you are ever out San Francisco way, check out:

Sea chanteys onboard the Balclutha led by Mudcatter Chanteyranger
San Francisco Folk Music Club

and Berkeley

Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse
Sally Greenberg (British / Irish singer/songwriters and more)

Peace and good singing,
-Linda

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Big Mick
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 09:21 AM

I now live just across the river in Medford, NJ. I work out of an office in Cherry Hill. I think I am going to be very happy that you started this thread.

All the best,

Mick

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Bearheart
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 01:12 PM

I tried the Bucks county links (I visit that area a couple of times a year to teach) and couldn't get them to work. Anyone know what the story is or where I might find those sites?

Bekki

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Big Mick
Date: 06 Mar 05 - 01:35 PM

Bekki, I have repaired the links in the post above. Folks, when making a link, remember you have to begin it with http://.

All the best,

Mick, the mudelf

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: GLoux
Date: 07 Mar 05 - 09:07 AM

It's not exactly Philadelphia, but just a bit south in the Wilmington and Newark DE area: the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music put on some very interesting and excellent concerts.

-Greg

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: SharonA
Date: 07 Mar 05 - 04:13 PM

Big Mick: Thanks for fixing those links. The Bucksfolk.org link didn't work my first time trying it today, but did work a few minutes later. So, Bearheart, keep trying! (This is why I usually use the website name when I make blueclickies -- that way, folks will know where to find the site even when the clicky doesn't work!)

You say you work in Cherry Hill, Mick? Philadelphia Songwriters Alliance holds its events in different homes in the Delaware Valley, including one in Cherry Hill! In fact, our March house concert will be held there on the 26th. Check out our schedule on the website, RSVP to the contact person listed there so you can get driving directions, and come on out! We'd love to see some 'Catters there!!

Linda: Thank you for the SF links! An ex-boyfriend of mine (also a folkie) moved out there and is now happily married. I see he's pictured on one of the SF Folk Music Club pages. I'll PM you with his name; say "hi" to him and his wife for me!

Small world, isn't it?
Sharon

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 07 Mar 05 - 05:23 PM

Seamus Kennedy - Mudcatter - is going to be performing at the Sellersville Theater on March 9 & 10, and at the Army War College in Carlisle, PA on the 11th.

Seamus Kennedy

Subject: RE: Music in Philadelphia?
From: Suffet
Date: 25 Sep 05 - 09:58 AM

Greetings to all our friends in and around Philadelphia!

The Philadelphia Folksong Society Monthly Workshop will present...

HOOT!

featuring

MACDOUGAL STREET RENT PARTY
Joel Landy • Eric Levine • Anne Price • Steve Suffet
Saturday, October 8, 2005
7:00 PM

At the home of Sharon & Steve Fine and Diana Snyder
139 East Wynnewood Road (corner of Beacom Lane)
Merion Station, PA 19066
Phone for directions: 610-667-0716

Free, but open to society members only! If you are not already a PFS member, you are welcome to join.

HOOT! is good, old-fashioned hootenanny. Put on your black beret, light up a Gaulois, and take a swig of Matteus from your wine skin. It's the closing days of the Eisenhower era, and an eclectic assortment of friends has gathered in a Greenwich Village pad to make joyous noise the only way they know how. The bathtub is in the kitchen, the toilet is down the hall, and the Great Folk Music Revival is about to begin. Can you dig it?

The Gaulois is mentioned by artistic license only. This is a non-smoking venue!

HOOT! is part of Daniel Pearl Music Days, an annual global event celebrating the ideals of tolerance, friendship and shared humanity, inspired by the life and work of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl, who would have turned 42 on October 10th.

There will be a potluck dinner at 7:00 PM and the music starts at 8:00. Please bring a dish to share. There is no other admission charge. Also, please feel free to bring your instruments to join in the music-making. Allergy note: There are dogs in residence.

For more information, call the Philadelphia Folksong Society office at 215-247-1300, or visit their website: http://www.pfs.org/

MSRP website:http: http://msrp.home.att.net/

We are so classy we don't even need www!

Be there!

--- Steve