Israel Goodman Young JOURNALIST

THE FIFTH PEG

Eventually was converted into FOLK CITY after Izzy Young and Man-of-Mystery Tom Prendergast convinced MIKE PORCO to add a stage and a PA system to his humble red sauce Restaurant named Gerde's.

Below are some notes taken by Izzy between January and May 1960.

(NOTE the people showing up. Art and Paul AKA Tom and Jerry AKA Simon and Garfunkel) 

(Courtesy Dave Peller, Archivist)

BOB DYLAN at the BRADY THEATER 10.23.16

This past Sunday was the anniversary of Mike Porco's birth. He would have been 102.

Bob and I are still here on Earth, so I paid him a visit for my own sake.

I spent time at the Guthrie Center much of the weekend and made a 'deposit' which is a story for another day.

Afterwards, while I was taking in the sunshine outside across from the Guthrie Museum, a tour bus rolled by. 

A sign on the door said ''Closed today at 3:30 for private event'' which clearly meant Dylan was popping in. It was confirmed to me by Michael Chaiken of the DYLAN ARCHIVE fame that 'Bob' was coming over. 

So I waited. But…I got hungry and left. Sorry to have missed you, Bobby. 

I'm sure Dylan felt the PORCO energy lingering in the museum when he came through. I sure noticed him later that evening when we were in the same room at the Brady Theater. A lovely time was had by 4,200 eager listeners. 

Here's a sample of the sighting:

Joan Baez FULL Concert Oct 13, 2016

Joan Baez

Here's Joan's show from October 13th
2016
The day our friend Bob was declared winner of the
Nobel Prize.

Mike Porco would have a lot to say about it.

Ms. Baez was kind enough to
meet and greet outside the venue.

The footage and audio are raw. The show was
100% awesome but I sometimes let the camera
sit on my lap.
I hope you enjoy what you see.
If you want better, go see Joan Baez in person.

https://www.amazon.com/Joan-Baez-75th-Birthday-Celebration/dp/B01E6B1F0W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476583556&sr=8-1&keywords=Joan+Baez

https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Hits-Joan-Baez/dp/B000V63CH6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1476583556&sr=8-2&keywords=Joan+Baez

https://www.amazon.com/Diamonds-Rust-Joan-Baez/dp/B000V657N8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1476583556&sr=8-5&keywords=Joan+Baez

NYC's Folk Music Director OSCAR BRAND

I was fortunate to meet and speak with Oscar on a few occasions. I was able to thank him for helping my Grandfather make Gerde's Folk City what it became. Oscar was the City's authority- quite literally- on Folk Music at the time of Gerde's Restaurant's conversion from Wine and sauce shop into ''New York's Center of Folk Music.'' Oscar helped Mike Porco weed out talent and create a crowd around the best acoustic entertainment Washington Square had to offer

Here's an excerpt from a radio broadcast from at Gerde's when Israel G. Young was booking the FIFTH PEG:

Ed Herlihy:….''We take you back to New York's first Folk Music cabaret Gerde's- G-E-R-D-E and our reporter at the club…''

Sean Fitzpatrick: This is Sean Fitzpatrick and I'm talking to Oscar Brand, an expert on Folk music….and Oscar we're wondering if this is the beginning, well, it looks like the beginning for Folk music's spreading to the general populace.

Oscar Brand: Well, I'm hoping so. I think that the best way to make people learn about Folk music is to let them hear Folk music….and if this club is successful in the way that other clubs around the country have been successful, I will be a very happy, grateful and fulfilled young man.

Reporter: Thank you, Oscar Brand.

Oscar: It's a pleasure to talk to you even if I don't know what I'm talking about! (laughter)

~ Recorded January 1960,
The Fifth Peg at Gerde's
11 W. 4th St.
NYC

Oscar Brand
1920-2016

MORE on Oscar Brand's incredible career here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/oscar-brand-folk-troubadour-and-radio-host-for-seven-decades-dies-at-96/2016/10/01/cd5a6100-87cf-11e6-a3ef-f35afb41797f_story.html