GErDE's FoLK CiTY at 60: July 2019

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

FOLK CITY CLOTHES LINE SAGA

I had a good old fashioned belly laugh today. Then another. And one more.

Everything old is new again.

If my grandfather were around to see this, he’d be clipping out ads from the Levi Strauss catalogs and magazines. He was proud of any mention. I am too. It’s just so......

GOD this is funny! Levi’s is taking the likeness of Folk City alum and creating a clothing line inspired by Greenwich Village fashion trends of yesteryear. Smart move. Add your own ketchup stains and elbow grease. No Village jacket would be worth a penny unless one can sleep on a roach infested floor with it.

It’s a pillow!
It’s a bed!
It’s an umbrella!
It’s a blanket!
It’s a shopping bag with pockets for shoplifting!
It’s so West 4th Street!

I’m still laughing at its brilliance. I don’t think Mike Porco would be offended that they have taken Gerde’s name in vain. Robbie, who owns the name, may already be aware of this fabulousness. Does Charlie Rothschild know about this?

Charlie is the one credited with coining the phrase that pays, Folk City.

In 1960, it was the punctuation of Gerde’s Folk City. Before then it was Mike and Izzy Young’s brainchild, The Fifth Peg at Gerde’s at 11 W4th. And before that it was just Gerde’s. And before THAT it was at 11 West 3rd, not West 4th.

Folk City is Charlie Rothschild’s phrase. God bless him.

The clothes line seems built for spring/Fall. It looks a little Dylanesque, no? Bobby should know. Can we start a CBGB line of bandanas now? Perhaps a 1990 line of just flannel shirts. All clothing should be absorptive for cleaning up vomit or beer spills. Or vomit.

The Village is on corporate minds. It’s in the “news” today thanks to Levi’s.

https://www.insidehook.com/article/menswear/levis-vintage-clothing-folk-city-collectionbob-dylan-greenwich-village

It’s proof positive. The name has value. It matters. This makes people curious.

Rod MacDonald, Bob Gibson, Tom Intondi

Ramblin Jack (Marcia Stehr)

Monday, July 22, 2019

MIKE PORCO SCROLLING ON CHROME

Invent thyself, again and again and forever again.

Rob Stoner, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan

Louie Kemp, Cisco Houston, Bob Dylan, Mike and Helen

Bobby Neuwirth was there

MIKE PORCO SCROLLING ON CHROME

Rosie Smith

~~~~~~~~~~~

Helen Smilowitz was a sweet woman to us kids. She must have lived with my grandfather for 30 years by the time of her demise.

She made it on to the big screen in The Rolling Thunder Re-vue film! One can almost hear her ask The Bard, ''Hey Bobby! How are the kids?"

The big man-kiss shared between Bob Dylan and Mike Porco is their business. It only demonstrates their father-son relationship.

Easily, that's my favorite scene in Scorsese's Re-vue. Mike Porco's handsome face can be seen a few moments later when Rosie invites 'Joan Baez and her friend' to the stage on October 23rd 1975. If you look you'll see Joan, Bob, David Blue, Helen and a peacock chested Mike Porco applauding.

Folk City was heading toward closing before that night. Crowd sizes were in full decline. There were lean years for everyone in that business. The size of the musician's crowd, however, never shrunk. There were still lots of competitive acts in the Village then and the best performers still came out of Folk City.

On a warm Autumn day in October, Dylan decided to bring the circus through town. Grandpa had a boom at the register. Beer sales were up!! Our family was raised on beer sales.

There was a decade long uptick in numbers of musicians from all around the country coming to Folk City because of the buzz Rolling Thunder created.

Some think that the patented Porco two hand head grab and kiss was mainly ''a thank you, Bobby'' for saving the business (and perhaps Greenwich Village) in one fell swoop. I would not argue.