The November 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 11,366 airplays reported on 373 playlists submitted by 99 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Editor’s Note: I would have posted the charts last week but was preoccupied with other important matters.

The festival will feature more than 50 musical artists and acts performing daily from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Seven stages –including the shady, family-oriented Dulcimer Grove — will offer a diverse array of international, regional and hyper-local performers, daytime workshops, in-the-round sets featuring several artists/acts, and more. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their crafts, while a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase.

This year’s festival headliners are, Gangstagrass (a group whose innovative sound is a fusion of bluegrass and hip hop) John Oates (formerly of the popular Philadelphia-based pop-soul duo Hall & Oates), and virtuosic banjo player Tony Trischka’s EarlJam – A Tribute to Earl Scruggs (in which the acclaimed bluegrass artist and backing band trace the musical story of the American bluegrass legend known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style).

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Adam Ezra Group, Calvin Arsenia, Cajun band Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Craig Bickhardt with Aislann Bickhardt, Johnathan Byrd, Ellis Paul, The Faux Paws, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Dom Flemons, John Flynn, John Gallagher, Jr., The Great Groove Band, Alice Howe & Freebo, Jess Klein, A.J. Lee & Blue Summit, Crys Matthews, Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Celtic roots ensemble RUNA, The Secret Sisters, Shanna in a Dress, Alexis P. Suter Band, Stephen Wade, Nigel Wearne, and Windborne. A number of talented Canadian artists are on the bill – including Angelique Francis Band, Cassie & Maggie, J.P. Cormier, Dave Gunning, Miss Emily, and Genevieve Racette.

John Flynn, a Delaware-based singer-songwriter and social justice activist & troubadour, has been a frequent performer at the festival and closes it out this year on the Main Stage. “When people ask me how I’m doing I often say ‘better than I deserve.’ They always think I’m joking but I’m really not,” he told AcousticMusicScene.com. “I am so grateful for the chances I’ve been given in this life and that’s kind of how I feel about the Philadelphia Folk Festival. These folks have supported my music from the very beginning, and it’s a real honor to be getting a chance to appear with so many wonderful artists on the final night of this year’s fest.”

Artists Affiliated with Music Artists Cooperative (MAC) and Xtreme Folk Scene Also Slated to Perform

The Philadelphia Folk Festival also will feature performances by members of the Philadelphia Folksong Society’s Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) and from The Xtreme Folk Scene, a Philadelphia-based music community dedicated to supporting dynamic and innovative folk music that pushes the boundaries of tradition and celebrates the fusion of various genres.

The Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) is an initiative designed to support professional musicians who perform regularly in the local area, with many touring nationally as well. Slated to perform on the Lobby Stage on Friday, Aug, 16, between 1-5:30 p.m. are Last Chance, CubiZm, Jefferson Berry & the UAC, Bethlehem and Sad Patrick, Jersey Corn Pickers, Kicking Down Doors, The Hoppin Boxcars, and Meghan Cary. On Saturday morning, Aug. 17, Mara Levine and Gathering Time will perform on the Craft Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and on Sunday morning, Aug. 18, The Honey Badgers and The Edgehill Rounders play the Tank Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Other MAC-affiliated artists set to perform during the festival include Emily Drinker, Aaron Nathans, David C. Perry, Jackson Pines, and Two of a Kind.

The Xtreme Folk Showcase, entitled “Anger, Hope, and Outrage,” will feature performances by Sug Daniels, Anarkkhipov, Persistent Resonators, A Day Without Love, and Matt Pless on the Tank Stage on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Xtreme Folk Scene also presents Xfest, an annual music festival featuring some of the edgiest folk artists in the greater Philadelphia area.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents – is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours, as well as a Thursday night Camp Stage kickoff performance for campers only.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival – including stage schedules — and to order tickets, visit folkfest.org.

Established in 1972 at the urging of Peter Yarrow, the Kerrville New Folk Concerts have become a highlight of the annual festival that is geared towards singer-songwriters of various musical styles. It is the longest continuously running festival of its kind in North America.

Now in its 54th year, the Kerrville Folk Festival extends through Sunday, June 9. Besides concerts each evening, Kerrville features “Ballad Tree” song-sharing sessions, late-night and afternoon song circles and jam sessions at various campsites, concerts and activities for children, organized canoe and kayak trips on the Guadelupe River, Hill Country bike rides, guided nature walks, yoga, beer and wine seminars, a Young Artists Performance Incubator, a professional development program for teachers, as well as a songwriters school and instrumental workshops.

A listing of all of this year’s New Folk Finalists was included in a previously posted article: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2024/04/17/finalists-named-in-2024-kerrville-new-folk-competition/.

A three-CD retrospective collection, Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots & Branches, features socially conscious contemporary, folk and roots music by a wide array of established and lesser-known musicians who have recorded for Appleseed Recordings. Founded by activist attorney Jim Musselman, the Pennsylvania-based independent label is dedicated to “sowing the seeds of social justice through music and exploring the roots and branches of folk and world music” and contributes a percentage of its profits to environmental, human rights, and other progressive organizations.

The collection’s 57 tracks include a few previously unreleased songs by Donovan, John Wesley Harding, Tom Morello, Tim Robbins, Bruce Springsteen, Jesse Winchester, and more. Among the other featured artists are Eric Andersen, Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, David Bromberg, Jackson Browne, Aoife Clancy, Johnny Clegg, Judy Collins, Ani DiFranco, Lila Downs, Jonathan Edwards, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Dick Gaughan, John Gorka, Emmylou Harris, Kim & Reggie Harris, Levon Helm, Anne Hills, Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sharon Katz & the Peace Train, Dolores Keane, The Kennedys, Roger McGuinn, Natalie Merchant, Tom Paxton, Joel Rafael Band, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Rush, Tom Russell, Tommy Sands, Pete Seeger and his siblings Mike and Peggy, Al Stewart, John Stewart, and Sweet Honey in the Rock.

John Flynn, a folk-rock troubadour and social justice activist following in the footsteps of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger, has been performing and recording for more than three decades. He has brought his powerful voice and songs to stages at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, among others. “She Persisted” is from his latest release, Vintage. Here’s a link to the song’s lyrics on his website: https://www.johnflynn.net/jfnet/lyrics/she_persisted.htm.

Top Albums of October 2018

1. Appleseed’s 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches by Various Artists (111)
2. Horrible World by Kathy Kallick Band (87)
3. Live at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame by Earls of Leicester (83)
4. Vintage by John Flynn (77)
5. Little Beast by Lucy Wainwright Roche (74)
6. Grenades by Kaia Kater (72)
7. Everyday Street by Lucy Kaplansky (67)
7. Music of Our People by Darol Anger and Emy Phelps (67)
7. Pretty Bird by Kathy Mattea (67)
10. Damn Sure Blue by Kate Campbell (66)
11. The Bloom of Youth by Childsplay (64)
12. Family Recipe by Michael Jerling (54)
13. Last Day on This Earth by David Roth (50)
14. Home for the Harvest by Craig Bickhardt (49)
15. Royal Traveller by Missy Raines (47)
16. Songs of the Plains by Colter Wall (45)
17. Make Your Own Luck by Mustard’s Retreat (40)
18. Secularia by Eliza Gilkyson (39)
19. Dead Reckoning by Jellyman’s Daughter (38)
20. One at a Time by George Mann (37)
20. Nowthen by Rich Krueger (37)
20. Wings by Zoe Speaks (37)
23. Acrobats by Moors and McCumber (36)
24. Reckless Abandon by Susan Shann (34)
25. Reflection by Andy and Judy (33)
25. March Though Storms by House of Hammil (33)
27. Roses in November by Tret Fure (32)
27. Shout and Shine by Fink, Marxer & Gleaves (32)
29. Ready to Go by Reggie Harris (31)
29. The Hermit’s Spyglass by Ben Bedford (31)
29. 40th Anniversary Bash by Hot Rize (31)
29. The Tree of Forgiveness by John Prine (31)
33. Sing Me Back Home: The DC Tapes by Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard (29)
34. This Too Shall Light by Amy Helm (28)
35. Invisible Forces by The Whispering Tree (27)
35. Didn’t He Ramble: Songs of Charlie Poole by David Davis and the Warrior River Boys (27)
37. Black Cowboys by Dom Flemons (25)
37. Lucky Star by Brooks Williams (25)
39. No One Travels Alone by Jon Brooks (24)
39. Welcome to the Ether by Wes Collins (24)
41. The Broken Heart of Everything by David Francey (23)
41. Sentimental Season by Randall Kromm (23)
41. Holler by Amy Ray (23)
41. Kanawha County Flatpicking by Tyler Grant and Robin Kessinger (23)
41. Homestead Hands by Lark and the Loon (23)
41. Years in the Making by Loudon Wainwright III (23)
41. Beginning Again by Rod Macdonald (23)
48. Lovers Tree by Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan (22)
49. 2018 by Holly Near (21)
49. Armadillo on a Hot Tin Roof by Vi Wickam and Justin Branum (21)
49. Don’t Apologize by Beth Snapp (21)
49. Been on Your Side by Courtney Hartman and Taylor Ashton (21)
53. Rize Up by Roy Zimmerman (20)
53. Hot Jazz, Cool Blues and Hard-Hitting Songs by Barbara Dane (20)
53. Help Me to Believe by Charlie Koch (20)
53. Glory Bound by Wooks (20)
53. Ghost Light by John McCutcheon (20)
58. Triumph by Kate Callahan (19)
58. Some People I Know by The Brother Brothers (19)
58. A Good Dog Is Lost by Ken Tizzard (19)
58. Vote by Mike Laureanno (19)
58. Time to Fly by Mare Wakefield and Nomad (19)
58. The River and the Light by Martha Scanlan (19)
58. True in Time by John Gorka (19)
65. Full Detroit by Paul Sachs (18)
65. Come Hell or High Water by Malcolm Holcombe (18)
65. See You Around by I’m With Her (18)
65. Letters Never Read by Dori Freeman (18)
69. Supposed to Fly by David Graff (17)
69. Dying Star by Ruston Kelly (17)
69. Wilderness Years by Jory Nash (17)
69. Quarter Past Tonight by Chicago Farmer (17)
69. The Lies the Poets Tell by Laurie MacAllister (17)

Top Songs of October 2018

A platform for luminaries and rising stars, the annual conference is the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry and community. Folk Alliance International’s Official Showcases are jury-selected nightly mini-concerts featuring emerging artists and touring legends from around the world. The performances are 30 minutes in length and are held concurrently on ten full-production stages throughout the host hotel over three nights.

More than 800 artists/acts applied for the opportunity to perform for hundreds of festival and venue bookers, agents, managers, labels, media, and music industry representatives. The curated showcases feature artists representing a diverse array of folk genres including Appalachian, Americana, bluegrass, blues, Cajun, Celtic, global roots, Indie-folk, indigenous, Latin, old time, traditional, singer-songwriter, spoken word, and every imaginable fusion.

Breakthrough artists from previous conferences include The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Darlingside, David Francey, John Fullbright, Kaia Kater, Lake Street Dive, The Milk Carton Kids, Nickel Creek, The Stray Birds, Valerie June, The Waifs, and The Wailin’ Jennys. Past showcase performances have also included guest appearances by Judy Collins, Béla Fleck, Rita Coolidge, Ron Sexsmith, Archie Fisher, Peggy Seeger, and more.

Bringing together musicians, educators, and music industry professionals from around the world, the Folk Alliance International Conference is known for its community atmosphere, business and networking opportunities, and as a hotspot for discovering new talent.

The 2018 conference will feature presentations by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Richard Thompson, the Louis Jay Meyers Music Camp, the International Folk Music Awards, and the third annual Kansas City Folk Festival. Celebrating 30 years of community and song, the conference will YEARS OF COMMUNITY AND SONG, honor the first three decades of the organization’s growth and activity, as well as the broader story of folk music during that time.

Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org) is a Kansas City, MO-based nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on a news release issued by Folk Alliance International, on whose board of directors I serve. I’m also board president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), one of its five regional affiliates, which holds it annual conference, Nov. 9-12, in Stamford, CT. I am not involved in the selection of Official Showcase artists.

More than 100 artists and acts are slated to perform during the festival. These include David Amram, Eric Andersen, Baile An Salsa, Sam Baker, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Cry Cry Cry (featuring Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell and Dar Williams), Skip Denenberg, Brian Dunne, Samantha Fish, John Flynn, Bella Hardy, Sierra Hull, The Infamous Stringdusters, David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach, The Kennedys, Laura Love Duo, Heather Maloney, John McCutcheon, Tift Merritt, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Graham Nash, Old Crow Medicine Show, Corin Raymond, RUNA, Son of Town Hall, Spirit Wing, Spuyten Duyvil, Taj Mo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band, Ken Tizzard, Susan Werner, and Toronto-based duo The Young Novelists.

Among the notable up-and-coming local touring artists who will showcase their talents during the festival are Ben Arnold and the 48 Hour Orchestra, Michael Braunfeld, The End of America, Ladybird, Man About A Horse, Mist Covered Mountains, Andrea Nardello, No Good Sister, and Katherine Rondeau & The Show.

As the names above suggest, the Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Both notable national and international touring artists and emerging ones are on the bill.

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase the talents of three up-and-coming young artists — Jeremy Aaron, Quentin Callewaert and Sara Chodak — during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning. (Aaron also plays fiddle with the Hudson Valley, New York-based Americana-roots band, Spuyten Duyvil, during the festival.)

In addition to musical performances and workshops on eight stages – including contradancing with Groovemama, a Martin Guitar Jam and an old time & bluegrass jam — there will be an array of children’s activities in the shady Dulcimer Grove – including craft-making and performances by The Give & Take Jugglers and such children- and family-oriented artists as the husband-and-wife duo Two of a Kind. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their creations in an open-air juried crafts area.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents — is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours. David Dye, host of the syndicated World Café radio program, will host a special Thursday night concert on the Camp Stage –featuring Kentucky-based singer-songwriter Joan Shelley, Brooklyn, NY’s The National Reserve, and Toronto rock duo Whitehorse — exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

Both day and full-festival passes are available, with ticket prices starting at $65 for a single-day. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult, while discounted tickets are available for youth, ages 12-17.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival and to order tickets, visit
www.pfs.org//Philadelphia-folk-festival/. A festival app also has been developed for use on smartphones before and during the festival.

Editor’s Note: As president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday morning, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. Cheryl Prashker, my predecessor at NERFA and percussionist with the Celtic roots group Runa, will join me.

Among the dozens of artists and acts slated to perform are Mike Agranoff, April Mae & the June Bugs, Boris Garcia, Michael Braunfeld, Bumper Jacksons, Burning Bridget Cleary, Mya Byrne, Meghan Cary with Analog Gypsies, CJ Chenier and the Buckwheat Zydeco Band, Darlingside, Del & Dawg (living legends of bluegrass Del Mc Coury and David Grisman), Iris DeMent, John Flynn, Fortunate Ones, John Francis, Sam Gleaves, The Hello Strangers, Si Kahn, Christie Lenee, The Lone Below, Los Lobos, Mist Covered Mountains, Peter Mulvey, David Myles, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore, Pine Leaf Boys, River Whyless, Katherine Rondeau, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Session Americana, Sharon Shannon, Roger Sprung, Spuyten Duyvil, The Stray Birds, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Tall Heights, Tempest, Vishten, Toby Walker, Robin & Linda Williams, Avi Wisnia, Scott Wolfson & Other Heroes, The Wood Brothers, and Peter Yarrow.

As the names above suggest, the Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Both notable national and international touring artists and emerging ones are on the bill.

Through a new partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance, a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will showcase the talents of three up-and-coming 20-something artists – Kaia Kater, Kirsten Maxwell and Ethan Pierce– during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning. Maxwell will also be part of a Next Gen Folk set on Friday (along with Deer Scout and Jason McCue) and a Sunday afternoon Songsmiths session (with Michael Braunfeld, Sam Gleaves and Peter Mulvey), while Kater joins David Myles in a Sunday afternoon Oh Canada! set.

In addition to musical performances and workshops on eight stages – including contradancing with Groovemama, a Martin Guitar Jam and an old time & bluegrass jam — there will be an array of children’s activities and kid-oriented musicians in the shady Dulcimer Grove. Singer-songwriters and social activists John Flynn and Si Kahn will conduct a short workshop on “The Role of Musicians in Movements for Social Justice. ”

As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their creations in an open-air juried crafts area.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents — is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours. David Dye, host of the syndicated World Café radio program, will host a special Thursday night concert on the Camp Stage –featuring Liz Longley, Quiet Life and The Sheepdogs — exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival and to order tickets, visit
www.pfs.org/Philadelphia-folk-festival/55th-folk-festival/.

Editor’s Note: As vice president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday, Aug. 20.

Some 800 performing artists, presenters, promoters, agents and managers, folk DJs and others actively engaged in contemporary and traditional folk music will converge on the Hudson Valley Resort in Kerhonkson, New York, Nov. 12-15, 2015, for the 21st Annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. AcousticMusicScene.com will again have a major presence as it hosts afternoon and late-night song swaps, in addition to its popular Midnight Hoot at the close of the conference’s first day.

Booking gigs may be the primary objective of some performers who attend the NERFA Conference, and many presenters and folk DJs do scout out new artists and those whom they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, the conference experience is much more than that; it’s really about forging connections, building community, and attending workshops and seminars to learn about options to further careers, promote the music, and attract audiences and listeners.

Taking center stage during this year’s conference will be 14 artists/acts selected by a panel of judges, each to perform a 15-minute formal showcase set in the resort’s theater on Friday and Saturday nights. Slated to perform on Friday are Jim Gaudet & The Railroad Boys, Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore, The Young Novelists, Robert Jones & Matt Watroba, Les Poules a Colin, Shun Ng and John Flynn. Saturday’s Formal Showcase lineup features Mile Twelve, Pat Donohue, Sultans of String with Anwhar Kurshid, Yann Falquet & Pascal Gemme, Ken Whiteley & The Beulah Band, Cosy Sheridan, and Don White & Christine Lavin.

After the formal showcases, attendees will shuffle between four conference rooms to catch short sets by 40 additional artists who were selected by a different set of judges. Performing in quad showcases on Friday night are Scott Ainslie, Mari Black, Susan Cattaneo, Cricket Tell the Weather, The Early Mays, Efrat, Friction Farm, Jan Krist and Jim Bizer, David Massengill, Kate McDonnell, Mist Covered Mountains, David Myles, The Nields, Rant Maggie Rant, Dave Rowe, Amy Soucy, Spuyten Duyvil, Jim Trick, Letitia Vansant & the Bonafides, and Dan Weber. Saturday’s Quad Showcase artists include Eric Andersen, Marc Allen Berube, Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary, Shawna Caspi, Joe Crookston, Durham County Poets, Angela Easterling, Jane Fallon, Gathering Time, Lynne Hanson, Jacob Johnson, Sharon Katz & the Peace Train, Evie Ladin Band, Mamalama, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio, Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers & Wendy Ramsay, Lindsay Straw and Carla Ulbrich.

Following the juried showcases each evening (as well as on Friday afternoon), AcousticMusicScene.com will join dozens of presenters, performers and others in hosting guerilla showcases in their hotel rooms that extend through the early morning hours. Open mics, informal jam sessions, private showcases, thematic song circles and round-robin song swaps round out the musical mix. It’s not unusual to see musicians staking out other areas of the hotel and jamming until 5 a.m.


AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot Features Artists and Singing Folk DJs


An overflow crowd will likely again descend on the AcousticMusicScene.com room (1506) on Thursday overnight for its popular Midnight Hoot. Following the Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase and extending from 11:45 p.m. to 3 a.m., the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot is a pre-arranged, round robin song swap featuring several singing folk DJs (Barbara and Graham Dean, Wanda Fischer and Jon Stein) and some three-dozen artists/acts – each of whom will perform one song.

Now in its ninth year, the Midnight Hoot is intended to shine a spotlight on several folk DJs who also enjoy singing, while providing them, presenters and others with an opportunity to get a small sampling of the music of a lot of artists in a short period of time.

A house band comprised of Mark Dann (bass), Efrat (violin), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), Brad Yoder (various instruments) and Jason Rafalak (mandolin) also will be there for anyone who desires accompaniment.

The musical festivities in the AcousticMusicScene.com room will wrap up on Saturday overnight with an extended “O Canada” song swap. Carrying their instruments and the maple leaf, a number of talented Canadian artists will march into the room shortly before 2 a.m. singing their national anthem.

Schedules for the AcousticMusicScene.com showcases appear below. There will be a carpeted wooden platform stage and stage lights courtesy of Stuart Kabak. Blue Point Brewing Company (Patchogue, NY) is providing craft beers.

Thursday Night
11:45 p.m. – 3 a.m. – AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot

Featuring one song by each of the following (not listed in order of appearance)

Folk DJs: Graham & Barbara Dean, Wanda Fischer and Jon Stein

Artists: Annika Bennett, Marc Douglas Berardo, Chelsea Berry, Mark Allen Berube, Robert Bobby Duo, Meg Braun, Kate Callahan, Greg Cornell and the Cornell Brothers, Pat Donohue, Efrat, Gathering Time, Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Sam Gleaves, Sonya Heller, Jacob Johnson, Stuart Kabak, Rachael Kilgour, Erika Kulnys, Mara Levine, Lowell Levinger (Banana from The Youngbloods), Rob Lytle, Kirsten Maxwell, Dennis McDonough, Emily Mure, Dan Navarro, Hugh O’ Doherty, Jim Photoglo, KJ Reimensnyder-Wagner, The Royal Yard, Ben Shannon, Carolann Solebello, Amy Soucy, Hank Stone, Jim Trick, Mark Wahl, Dan Weber, Emily White, Brad Yoder and Jason Rafalak

House Band: Mark Dann (bass), Efrat (violin), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), Brad Yoder (various instruments) and Jason Rafalak (mandolin)

Friday Afternoon

12:00 Pirate Camp: The Royal Yard (sea chanteys)

12:15 Pirate Camp: Mya Byrne, Robinlee Garber, Gathering Time, Susan Kane

1:00 Pirate Camp: Stuart Kabak, Keith Kelly, Rachael Kilgour, David Massengill

2:00 Long Island Sounds: He-Bird, She-Bird, Rorie Kelly, Scott Krokoff, Hank Stone, Christine Sweeney, Robinson Treacher

3:00 The Maine Event: Caroline Cotter, Paddy Mills, Dave Rowe, Putnam Smith, Sorcha, Ashley Storrow

4:00 Keystone Staters: Michael Braunfeld, Meghan Cary: Sing Louder, The Early Mays, Mist Covered Mountains, No Good Sister, Brad Yoder & Jason Rafalak

Friday Night

11:45 Blues All Around: Scott Ainslie, Pat Donohue, Generations: Mike & Aleksi Glick, Jon Shain

12:30 A Pair of Duos: The Levins, The YaYas

1:00 Guys of Note: Marc Douglas Berardo, Rob Lytle

1:30 NYC Roots-Americana: Greg Cornell & the Cornell Brothers, Vincent Cross

2:00 Mass. Appeal: Mile Twelve, Matt Nakoa, Pesky J. Nixon, Jim Trick

Saturday Night

11:45 California-centric: Freebo, Dan Navarro, Eric Schwartz

12:30 Powerful Voices: John Flynn and Rachael Kilgour

1:00 Strings & Songs: Efrat, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt

1:30 Harmonic Convergence: Gathering Time, Mara Levine, Kirsten Maxwell

2:00 O Canada: Bob Ardern, Amy & Rachel Beck, Shawna Caspi, Ian Foster, Fraser & Girard, Manitoba Hal, Jory Nash, Rant Maggie Rant, Suzie Vinnick, Ken Whiteley & The Beulah Band, The Young Novelists (Percussion: Cheryl Prashker)

NERFA (www.nerfa.org) is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, a nonprofit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the international folk music community – traditional and contemporary, amateur and professional – through education, advocacy and performance.

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Editor’s Note: My thanks to Stuart Kabak, with whom I partner in hosting pre-arranged late-night song swaps and open song circles under the AcousticMusicScene.com Tent @ Pirate Camp during the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, for providing a carpeted wooden platform stage and stage lights for this year’s AcousticMusicScene.com showcases. Thanks also are due to him, Mira Shapiro and Hank Stone for graciously offering to host afternoon showcases, and to Amy Blake, Sybil Moser and Gary Schoenberger for the loan of folding chairs.

In addition to hosting the AcousticMusicScene.com Midnight Hoot and other showcases during the NERFA
Conference, I will be assisting a few artists and offering a series of 15-minute mentoring sessions focused on artist bios and one-sheets, electronic press kits (EPKs), media relations, social media, website content, and what presenters look for when considering artists for their concert series and festivals. I also serve on the board of directors for both Folk Alliance International and NERFA.

Hailed as “the dean of American folk DJs” by the Philadelphia Daily News and “the godfather of American folk” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Shay has hosted and produced weekly folk radio shows in Philadelphia since 1962.

Prior to moving to the University of Pennsylvania-based non-commercial station WXPN in 1995, Gene Shay had hosted and produced The Folk Show on a succession of Philadelphia area radio stations – including WHAT-FM, WDAS-FM, WMMR-FM, WIDQ-FM and WHYY-FM. A weekly two-hour version of the show has also streamed on FolkAlley.com for the past several years, while Shay was also formerly featured on XM Satellite Radio’s The Village.

Shay, who worked for a number of commercial advertising agencies over the years, was first exposed to broadcasting at Armed Forces Radio while stationed outside Frankfurt, Germany. He joined Philadelphia radio network WHAT in 1962 –producing its jazz show before taking the helm of its folk music show.

A charter board member of the North American Folk Music & Dance Alliance (now Folk Alliance International), Shay was also both a steering committee member and coordinator of workshops for the annual Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference. He has served on the boards of the Philadelphia Folksong Society and The American Composers Forum and is a voting member of the board of governors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) in Philadelphia. Shay has also been a board member for the Philadelphia Music Alliance, which inducted him into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame in October 2013.

Here’s a link to a seven-minute video by Steve Ramm of highlights from the Walk of Fame induction:

Gala Tribute Concert and Celebration Slated for March 1

For nearly two decades, Shay has also been a member of the board of directors for Sing Out!, a nonprofit organization that publishes a quarterly folk music magazine, song collections, sound recordings, folk music books and directories. On Sunday afternoon, March 1, Sing Out! will regale him on the occasion of his retirement and impending 80th birthday. A star-studded concert is set for 3 p.m. at The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. David Dye, host of “World Café” emcees the special event that will feature performances by Tom Paxton, Janis Ian, SONiA, Silk City, Kim & Reggie Harris, John Flynn, Julie Gold, and Full Frontal Folk, among others. Dye, whose nationally syndicated radio program originates from the studios of WXPN, has said he “learned more about music from Gene Shay than any other source.” An intimate meet-and-greet reception with Shay and the performing artists will follow the concert (for those with patron tickets).

For more information and to order tickets, click on this link .

A Few Reflections on Gene Shay

“I can’t think of a person who has been more influential or key to folk music in the region,” says Mark Moss, executive director and editor of Sing Out!, calling Shay “the gateway drug to my life’s passion and work, and one helluva great guy.” While acknowledging that he will miss hearing Shay on the radio, Moss notes: “The fruits of his years on the air are and will be all around us for years to come. Gene Shay ‘is’ folk music in Philadelphia.”

Sharing Moss’ sentiments, Lisa Schwartz, president of the Philadelphia Folksong Society, who has known Shay personally and professionally for some 40 years, told AcousticMusicScene.com:

“It’s hard to imagine turning on the radio and not hearing Gene’s mellifluous voice, especially on a Sunday night. He has this amazing quality to completely disarm someone and make [him or her] feel completely and totally comfortable. Musicians love him because he genuinely appreciates them and their music — and because he’s just such a love.

There is no one who comes close to having Gene’s grasp of folk music. He’s an expert and a genius at recognizing great talent. We have Gene to thank for introducing us to some of the best music that’s ever been made. On a personal level, I feel honored and blessed to call him my friend. He and his lovely wife Gloria attended my wedding and he was one of the first people we told we engaged.” [Lisa’s husband proposed to her at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2007.]

Reflecting on Shay, Cheryl Prashker, president of NERFA, noted that he has been active with the organization since its first conference 21 years ago. “He has been very instrumental in putting together our conference workshops, not to mention coming up with all their witty titles,” she said. “For many years, Gene hosted a showcase called “Midnight at the Marquis” in which he featured many of his favorite new artists. He is also loved for hosting a ‘covers only’ party in his room on the Saturday night of the conference. We are truly very lucky to have him.”

Prashker expressed regrets that she can’t be at the March 1 gala tribute to Shay since RUNA, the Celtic roots ensemble for which she is the percussionist, will be on tour elsewhere. “As a performer, I have had the absolute privilege of appearing on Gene’s show many times with various artists,” said Prashker, “from my initial appearance with my New York- based group CC Railroad in 2000 to many of the singer songwriters you have heard over the years to my current group.” She described each visit as “special to me, since I knew I was in the room with a true giant in our community. I tried never to take that for granted. He always knew what questions to ask and always made the artist feel welcome and at home and as if we were the special ones.”

Booking gigs is the primary objective of some musicians and singer-songwriters who attend these conference, while many presenters and folk DJs come primarily to scout out new artists and those whom they have not previously heard and seen in live performance. However, the conference experience is much more than that; it’s really about learning and networking, forging connections, renewing existing relationships, and building community.

FAR-West Conference, Oct. 16-19, 2014 in Oakland, California

More than 300 performing artists, presenters, managers, agents and others engaged more than peripherally in the world of folk and acoustic music are expected to converge on the Marriott City Center in Oakland, CA, Oct. 16-19 for the 1lth annual FAR-West Conference. There they will listen, celebrate, recognize and enjoy the richness of folk music and arts in the West. Several conference events also will be open to the public for nominal fees.

Conference highlights include the opening Venues’ Choice Concert on Thursday night and juried Official Showcases on Friday and Saturday evenings. On Thursday, Oct. 16, from 7-9:30 p.m., venues from around the region will each present artists of their choice. These include The Woodshed (Keith Greeninger), Studio 55 (Run Boy Run), Mighty Fine Guitars (Walter Strauss), SF Live Arts @Cyprians (David Jacobs-Strain), and The Palms (Red Meat). Official Showcases extending from 6:30-10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17, will feature John Flynn, Kenny Kerr, Linda McRae, Cej, FarmStrong, Honey Whiskey Trio and Beth Wood. Saturday’s lineup includes Freebo & His Fabulous Friends, Dan and Laurel, Dulcie Taylor, Corinne West Band, C. Daniel Boling, Barbara Dane and Tish Hinojosa. Each of the Official Showcase artists will perform 25-minute sets in the hotel’s grand ballroom. A limited number of tickets are available for the public to each of these events for $15 and may be purchased online at www.farwest.brownpapertickets.com.

Following the Venues’ Choice and Official Showcases, from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., there will be late-night private guerilla showcases arranged by conference attendees and held in their hotel rooms, as well as a New Voices Showcase for conference first-timers – all taking place on one floor. Also on the docket are jams that often extend until dawn. The Suzanne Millsaps Memorial Coffeehouse, named after a beloveded folk DJ who passed away, will feature short performances by a total of 80 artists/acts on Thursday overnight and Friday and Saturday afternoons.

During the daytime hours, conference-goers can choose from among a broad array of more than 24 panel discussions and workshops focusing on such topics as the art of accompaniment, the changing landscape of music media, co-writing, harmony singing, house concerts, international touring, music and healing, playing for contra and square dances, recording your song, shooting video to promote yourself, starting and sustaining a music nonprofit, and teaching at workshops and camps. Musicians and folks from related businesses and organizations also can get to know each other in the conference’s networking center.

The annual Best of the West Awards will be presented during a Saturday afternoon luncheon. Established by FAR-West in 2005, these awards honor individuals — one performing artist and one non-performer — who have maintained an enduring presence in the folk and acoustic music scene in the West and have established themselves as true leaders and inspirations to others through their talents and efforts on behalf of the community. This year’s honorees include a noted blues, jazz and folk artist and the executive director of a Marin County, California-based nonprofit organization that brings free, lively quality music and arts to people who are institutionalized of otherwise isolated from society.

Barbara Dane worked with some of the biggest names in the blues and jazz worlds during the 1950s and 1960s and made frequent appearances on notable radio and television shows of the era. During the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, she became increasingly politically active in the struggles for peace and justice and gravitated more towards folk music (or began to really embrace folk music). Dane also became a club and record label owner and produced music by other artists. She has remained active in the music world and as a champion of social justice causes well into her 80s.

Cassandra Flipper succeeded the late Mimi Farina at the helm of Bread and Roses, which is now marking its 40th year of bringing hope, healing music and wellness to a very underserved segment of society. Through its staging of more than 600 shows yearly in more than 125 institutions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Bread and Roses also brings a sense of community to the organization’s more than 1, 400 volunteers.

The FAR-West Conference concludes on Sunday afternoon with a Story Expo featuring seven storytellers who enjoy the enrichment that music brings to their art. Tickets for this event, slated for 2-3:30 p.m. and priced at $10, also are available to the public via Brown Paper Tickets. A pre-conference Wednesday Song Showcase at High Street Station in Alameda featuring 20 artists performing two songs each and a post-conference Sunday Afternoon Song Showcase at Oakland’s Awaken Café also are open to the public. For more information, visit www.far-west.org.

FARM Gathering, Oct. 23-26, in St. Louis, Missouri

Fifteen Official Showcase artists have been selected by a panel of judges to perform during this year’s conference, which has attracted more than 200 registrants to date. Friday night’s lineup includes Dana Cooper, No Fuss & Feathers Roadshow, Scott Cook, Andrew Calhoun, The Wilhelms, Josh Harty, and Dennis Stroughmatt et L’Espirit Creole Duo. Gracing the stage on Saturday night will be Mark Dvorak, Heather Pierson, Paddy Mills, Lyal Strickland, Ashley Condon, Moors & McCumber, and The Underhills.

Friday and Saturday afternoons will feature an array of workshops and panel discussions, while the evenings’ official showcases will be preceded and followed by Performance Lane (an open mic of sorts featuring select artists who are not performing in juried showcases), private showcases hosted by conference attendees in their hotel rooms, jams, song circles and community singing that extend from midnight into the early morning hours.

During the conference, singer-songwriter and Red House Records president Eric Peltoniemi will receive FARM’s Folk Tradition in the Midwest Lifetime Award, an annual honor bestowed on an individual who resides in the region and who has made a significant contribution to the folk community for at least 25 years. Engaged in the music industry for more than 40 years, Peltoniemi also has been a Grammy Award-winning producer. He’s spent three decades with Red House, where he succeeded Bob Feldman as president in 2006. In addition to his own recordings, Peltoniemi’s songs have been recorded by Bok Trickett & Muir, Robin and Linda Williams, Sally Rogers, Claudia Schmidt and various Finnish artists, among others.

The FARM Gathering concludes on Sunday at noon, following a continental breakfast and a membership meeting.

A Taste of FARM will afford those individuals who only want to attend the evening concerts an opportunity to do so. One-night is $20, while a three-night pass costs $50. For more information, visit www.farmfolk.org.

As previously noted, FAR-West and FARM are part of the larger Folk Alliance International (www.folk.org). The 27th International Folk Alliance Conference & Winter Music Camp is set for Feb. 18-22, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. Folk Alliance International has three other regional affiliates. The Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (SWRFA) held its annual conference in Austin, Texas earlier this fall, while the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) has slated its 20th annual conference for Nov. 13-16 in Kerhonkson, New York and the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) conference takes place next May in Montreat, North Carolina.

Editor’s Note: I am an elected board member of both Folk Alliance International and NERFA. A communications and public relations strategist, I will be part of a panel discussion on “Communications and Marketing for Artists” during the FAR-West Conference.