Gerde's Folk City at 50

Monday, May 20, 2013

COEN BROTHERS' ODE TO GREENWICH VILLAGE STORMS CANNES FILM FEST

Press on the Coen Brothers' (see below) latest feature.

Won't be long before the nation experiences more about the Greenwich Village scene and Gerde's Folk City.

The new Coen Brothers' film, Inside Llewyn Davis, is engrossing the critics at the film festival in Cannes. Some of the characters' names are artistically twisted for the movie. A little bird told me that there's a club owner named "Nick" Porco in the flick and the bars and clubs (The Kettle of Fish, Gerde's Folk City) are noted by their real names.

The star of the movie, Oscar hopeful Oscar Isaac, opened up for Erik Frandsen last March for the FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO concert series.

Oscar plays his own guitar and sings in the movie; footage and audio concealed by the Coens so far.

It won't be long before the delicate sounds are known by all.

Oscar Isaac, tune up at the Gaslight Monday before the big shooo

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, the FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO series draws to a close. I'm up to my ears in filming the documentary on Gerde's. I'm gettin' out of show biz so I can educate the Coen Brothers with my own film. PORCO POWER!

Erik Frandsen, Kate Sland 86'd

Oscah

Also amongst the crowd, co-stars Goodman, Garrett Hedlund
and Ethan Phillips. Where's F. Murray?

John Goodman joined in for the finále

After party, party at Chez Fresneaux, 114 Macdougal

Advance reviews for the instant classic coming from the Coen Brothers:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/05/cannes-big-revelation-the-coen-brothers-latest-is-i-fargo-i-level-good/276014/

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/cannes-review-inside-llewyn-davis-92546

http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/coen-brothers-folk-revival-inside-llewyn-davis-serenades-cannes-film-festival/2013/05/19/dfdc895a-c088-11e2-9aa6-fc21ae807a8a_story.html

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-cannes-coen-brothers-llewyn-davis-20130519,0,2371100.story

http://technology.xin.msn.com/technology-news/cannes-buzz-eva-longoria-handles-twitter-gossip-inside-llewyn-davis-causes-stir-1

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/cannes-film-festival-2013-review-inside-llewyn-davies-starring-carey-mulligan-and-justin-timberlake-8622949.html

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/coen-brothers-inside-llewyn-davis_3675055

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/movies/coen-brothers-inside-llewyn-davis-is-popular-at-cannes.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Friends of Mike Porco concert series winds up Tuesday, May 21st at 130 W.3rd. The Village Underground, the very club formerly known as Gerde's Folk City, hosts the festivities.

Join us in celebrating the 50th birthday of Gerde's graduate Bob Dylan's Freewheelin' album.

Twelve other acoustic all-stars will perform the album in its entirety.

Here's the track list and artists:

Side one
"Blowin' in the Wind" – Terre Roche
"Girl from the North Country" – Randy Burns
"Masters of War" – Judy Gorman
"Down the Highway" – Rick Ilowite
"Bob Dylan's Blues" – Mike Heaphy
"A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" – Willie Nininger

Side two
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" – Samoa Wilson
"Bob Dylan's Dream" – Rashad Brown
"Oxford Town" – Richard Chanel
"Talkin' World War III Blues" – POEZ
"Corrina, Corrina" (Traditional) – Rick Ilowite
"Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance" – Nick Holmes
"I Shall Be Free" – Ernie Vega

$5 at the door.

Don't think twice!

Former site of GERDE'S FOLK CITY in Greenwich Village host to FREEWHEELIN' AT 50 concert

To celebrate the album’s 50th birthday, a baker’s dozen of contemporary folk singers will perform the album’s 13 songs (and more) in a special concert on May 21 at the Village Underground — a most fitting venue, because 130 West 3rd was the second site of Gerde’s Folk City, the club that launched Dylan’s career. Also fitting: Bob Porco, grandson of the legendary Mike Porco (who founded Gerde’s and booked Dylan to his first paid New York gigs) is producing the celebration.
~Michael Lydon
http://thevillager.com/2013/05/09/concert-celebrates-50-years-of-freewheelin-bob-dylan/

More than one American Icon created with one snap

$5 at the DOOR

DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALL RIGHT!!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Freewheelin'_Bob_Dylan

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Concert Celebrates 50 Years of Freewheelin' - Article

http://thevillager.com/2013/05/09/concert-celebrates-50-years-of-freewheelin-bob-dylan/

Thank you, Michael 'Scoop' Lydon for a little advance press on the big show next Tuesday, May 21.

The Village Underground

130 W. 3rd
NYC
The former home of Gerde's Folk City

Doors at 7
Show at 8
$5 at the door

Side one
"Blowin' in the Wind" – Terre Roche
"Girl from the North Country" – Randy Burns
"Masters of War" – Judy Gorman
"Down the Highway" – Rick Ilowite
"Bob Dylan's Blues" – Mike Heaphy
"A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" – Willie Nininger

Side two
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" – Samoa Wilson
"Bob Dylan's Dream" – Rashad Brown
"Oxford Town" – Richard Chanel
"Talkin' World War III Blues" – POEZ
"Corrina, Corrina" (Traditional) – Rick Ilowite
"Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance" – Nick Holmes
"I Shall Be Free" – Ernie Vega

.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

MIKE PORCO'S CONDO SETTING FOR INTERVIEW WITH HIS SONS

In the quest to give an accurate description of my grandfather Mike Porco, I went to capture some conversation with my father Bob and my Uncle Angelo. They live in Lauderhill, Florida together in Grampa's old condo. Many of the musicians who played Folk City knew either one or the other son at some point. I was impressed with Uncle Angelo's memory of the scene on West 4th. He had an NC-17 tale to tell hanging out with John Lee Hooker and two chicks!! Who knew?! My father remembered more from the West 3rd location. Both had interesting tales of the Mike Porco before Gerde's became Folk City. There were some sad moments that were bound to come out (Mike spent more time with Dylan and Feliciano than his family) but overall, heartwarming and comical shit.

~Bob

To the land of white belts and snow birds

Please, don't get up on my account, Dad. I'll get my own fucking beer

Don't be shy

Bob Sr. and Uncle Angelo

Jonathan Levin, working it

Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?

Porcos, 3 different ones

What does the "Swap Shop" have to do with it?...wait for the movie

Back to NYC

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Richard P. Havens

Farewell
'we are all connected'
(Photo Vincent Vok)

Wiki:
On March 20, 2012, Havens announced on his Facebook page that he would stop touring after 45 years due to health concerns.^[22] On April 22, 2013, Havens died of aheart attack at home in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was 72.^[23]^[24]^[25]^[24] The BBC referred to him as a "Woodstock icon",^[26] while Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young said Havens "could never be replicated".^[26] The Daily Telegraph stated Havens "made an indelible mark on contemporary music",^[27] while Douglas Martin of The New York Times reported that Havens had "riveted Woodstock".^[28]

(Havens riveted more than Woodstock. He riveted his peers)

FREEWHEELIN' 50TH ANNIVERSARY concert May 21

One more show to round out the yearlong Friends of Mike Porco series. The first 14 were at the famous Gaslight.

Twelve musician friends, 13 songs. Entire album played before your eyes.

The venue for May 21 is the very same basement of the Folk City from the 1970s and 80s.

5 bucks. Can't go wrong.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

MORE F*CKING COOL PICTURES FROM IZZY YOUNG'S TRIP TO NYC

IZZY YOUNG recently came to NYC to do interviews for my documentary on Mike Porco and Gerde's. Folk City began as an idea in the minds of a stranger named Tom Prendergast and Israel Young. It was called "The Fifth Peg" for the first 5 months of 1960. Izzy is the only man on earth that could tell me the story. And in the end, he taught me a ton more about bricklaying.