The 60th 2020 Hindsight Rear View Mirror Revue
The set list!
Thanks, Michael Perlin's FB post:
1. Terre Roche : Face Down at Folk City (The Roches)
2. Terre Roche & Richard Barone: When I’m Gone (Phil Ochs)
3. Paul Metsa (from the Iron Range in Minnesota, his home town 20 miles from Hibbing, and the only name I had not known before): Walking in a Woman’s World
4. Terre Roche & Richard Barone & Paul Metsa: Shoals of herring (Clancy Brothers, I think)
5. Rob Stoner (in Dylan’s band for years; listen to the bass guitar solo at the beginning of One More Cup of Coffee; that’s him): If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley)
6. Rob Stoner: Forever Young (BD, in the mode of Elvis)
7. Rob Stoner: It’s a Man’s World (James Brown)
8. Rob Stoner: You’re a Big Girl Now (BD)
9. Rob Stoner: Cryin’ (Roy Orbison)
10. Rob Stoner: Blowin’ in the Wind (BD, but in the mode of Frank Sinatra)
11. Rob Stoner: Been A Long Time (Led Zeppelin)
12. Carolyn Hester: Lonesome Tears (Buddy Holly, whom she said, used to live around the corner from her in the Village (!))
13. Carolyn Hester (with her daughters) on bass and piano: Summertime (Gershwin)
14. Carolyn Hester (with her daughters?) on bass and piano: Get Together (Jesse Colin Young)
15. James Maddock: I Can’t Settle (his)
16. James Maddock: Another Life (his)
17. James Maddock: Beautiful Now (his)
18. Willie Nile (with Johnny Pisano on bass, of course): Seeds of Revolution(his)
19. Willie Nile (with Pisano): American Ride (his)
20. Everyone: One Guitar (Willie Nile)
21. Everyone: The Times They Are A-Changin’
Terre’s new cowbelled up “Face down at Folk City” came across with cheer and remembrance of the real-life events at Folk City that inspired the song. Real-life knock down fighting verses and giving it to the girl’s room bowl verse. Did I mention Mike Porco’s famous dollar beer nights?
Her rendition of “The Shoals of Herring“ was tender and just what we needed. Her voice cradled the new-to-her Irish lyrics and she made the harmony hers. She was able to convey the sea life of passion from the song to the audience.
Richard dazzled with his Phil Ochs tribute singing ‘While I’m here.’ Co-emceeing and rounding out the house band, Richard added some octane to Terre and Paul Metsa’s sets.
Paul spoke of his 1985 debut at Folk City. On the road ever since, Paul brought his seasoned presence to the Ochs song and meshed the stage with Roche and Barone on his own composition.
Stoner’s set was a peek behind the jam session ideas between he and Bob Dylan. Demos of Dylan songs sent to James Brown, Elvis and Sinatra? Worth the price of admission for those stories and songs. He punctuated his set by bringing on Konrad to drum along with a Jerry Lee-style version of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll.”
And the house fell down!
Carolyn drew the crowd to their feet as she walked on stage. Truly a Royal welcome by those knowing her connections through the years. From Pete Seeger to Buddy Holly to Bob Dylan to this evening. Her godly hair made the green room inhabitants fawn with courtship praise. A Buddy Holly song opened her set. Her daughters joined her on two more arrangements; Gershwin's 'Summertime' and 'Get together' made famous by the Youngbloods. Another standing O followed her off stage. It was obvious to all that this was a Queen’s visit.
Maddock arrived in time to inspire the green room actors again. After being introduced by Rob Stoner as ‘one of the best modern lyricists’ we smooshed into the hall to listen to the man at work. When Willie Nile is singing along with James Maddock’s songs, you know it’s got to be worth the listen. When does Willie have time to study his peers? Three songs and it was done. He held the audience enrapt for 3 songs and it was gone until next time. Impecable. Sublime.
Willie Nile and Johnny Pisano on bass made their audience holler with affirmation and delight. This is what Willie does. The two of them work so well but welcomed the entire band on stage for his sing along “One guitar.” (Along with ‘Face Down” as the two songs also played at the Folk City 50th.)
For the finale, the entire crew of angels from Folk City’s past brought a couple of modern fellas up there to close the night singing Uncle Bob’s “The times they are-a-changin.”
Including the audience! Left to right we have James Maddock, Paul Metsa, Richard Barone, Drummer Konrad Meissner (out of view), Amy Blume, Willie Nile, Karla Blume, Carolyn Hester, Rob Stoner, Terre Roche and some random dude. Terre was cool with him so who was I to say.
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT is just a discrete blog title instead of 'whoopsie'
TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT is just a discrete blog title instead of 'whoopsie'
I’m gonna include here a couple of declarations about the show posted to my own page. This is really how it was seen from the audience!
Mindy:
Willie Nile and me at The Iridian Jazz Club for Folk City’s 60th Anniversary concert! Such an amazing star studded concert. Terre Roche, Richard Barone, Willie Nile, Rob Stoner, James M A Maddock, Carolyn Hester, Paul Metsa and more. Bob Porco, the grandson of Mike Porco, who was the owner of Folk City, produced the concert with Richard BARONE.
What a jubilant and memorable night of music, last night at The Iridium (51st & B’way), celebrating the 60th anniversary of the legendary folk, folk/rock club, Gerde’s Folk City, in Greenwich Village, NYC. Friends know that I saw Bob Dylan there for the first time as a 17 year old college freshman (with Jeffrey Lukowsky to whom I am still grateful for convincing me to come)!, and I was back multiple times after that (no set lists from those days, alas), so this was one we (of course, with Linda Mason Perlin) could not miss. And are so happy we went! Performers from (literally) then and now, traditional folk music of all sorts, early protest music, recent hard driving rock, an implausible collection of covers (only four Dylans, but his aura and presence were there for every performance), ending in a hard driving, scream-your-head-off Time They Are A-Changin’ (more on that later)). We – no surprise at all – were fortunate enough to run into (and share a table with our friends Gail Prusslin and Michael Yellin and Glenn Last), and as special bonus, got to spend a few minutes with our son Alex Perlin, while in line waiting for the doors to open (he knew we were there and surprised us; it wasn’t a coincidence).
So many high points, but seeing a gorgeous and radiant Carolyn Hester (who will be 83 next week (!) who *opened* Folk City in 1960, singing solo, with (whom I think were) her granddaughters, and then in the concluding ensembles was a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. And James Maddock and Willie Nile were, of course, as spectacular as when we see them as solo acts.
I’ve missed a couple from the set list, but here is most of it (have left out the drummer – Conrad? – and also, Richard Barone was on guitar with many of the others as well)
Intro: Bob Porco, grandson of Mike Porco, who created Gerde’s: Personal Jesus (the only time that Johnny Cash ever covered Depeche Mode, most likely).
1. Terre Roche : Face Down at Folk City (The Roches)
2. Terre Roche & Richard Barone: When I’m Gone (Phil Ochs)
3. Paul Metsa (from the Iron Range in Minnesota, his home town 20 miles from Hibbing, and the only name I had not known before): Walking in a Woman’s World
4. Terry Roche & Richard Barone & Paul Metsa: Shoals of herring (Clancy Brothers, I think)
5. Rob Stoner (in Dylan’s band for years; listen to the bass guitar solo at the beginning of One More Cup of Coffee; that’s him): If I Can Dream (Elvis Presley)
6. Rob Stoner: Forever Young (BD, in the mode of Elvis)
7. Rob Stoner: It’s a Man’s World (James Brown)
8. Rob Stoner: You’re a Big Girl Now (BD)
9. Rob Stoner: Cryin’ (Roy Orbison)
10. Rob Stoner: Blowin’ in the Wind (BD, but in the mode of Frank Sinatra)
11. Rob Stoner: Been A Long Time (Led Zeppelin)
12. Carolyn Hester: Lonesome Tears (Buddy Holly, whom she said, used to live around the corner from her in the Village (!))
13. Carolyn Hester (with her daughters) on bass and piano: Summertime (Gershwins)
14. Carolyn Hester (with her daughters) on bass and piano: Get Together (Jesse Colin Young)
15. James Maddock: I Can’t Settle (his)
16. James Maddock: Another Life (his)
17. James Maddock: Beautiful Now (his)
18. Willie Nile (with Johnny Pisano on bass, of course): Seeds of Revolution(his)
19. Willie Nile (with Pisano): American Ride (his)
20. Everyone: One Guitar (Willie Nile)
21. Everyone: The Times They Are A-Changin’ (each verse led by one of the stars; the anthem chorus lines by all 160 in the audience; hearing the “Come senators, congressman, please heed the call” and “come mothers and fathers” lines was frighteningly chilling).
In all, a memorable night. Beyond memorable. And the last 57 years went by like a dream. Thank you to everyone who made this possible! (listening to Joan Baez sing Sad Eyed Ladies of the Lowlands as I finish typing this.. about as mise en scene as you can get)
Peter Hawkins is with Tim McDonald and Ryan Hawkins.
Ryan and I were lucky enough to attend the 60th Anniversary Celebration of Gerdes Folk City last night 🎶 A fabulous show and outstanding performances by all , including Rob Stoner , Carolyn Hester , Willie Nile , Richard Barone , Paul Metsa , Terre Roche, James Maddock , and very talented backup musicians...Big thanks to Bob Porco for keeping the great history of his grandfather Mike Porco going !!! 👍👍✨✨✨ Richard Barone’s version of Phil Ochs When I’m Gone made my eyes swell up ~ i didn’t want the show end .
A youtube glimpse:
Alas, the next day Mr. Jones called it ‘A missed opportunity.' Not fake news. Not gonna argue the point.
Yes. I shanked it. Gotta keep moving. At least I'm not Yoko or Meg Markle.
When I played baseball, there was that one guy on the team who strikes out twice on six BAD pitches. Not even good ones. Gotta get 'em off the field. That was me for 14 minutes one day. But just for a day…
When I played baseball, there was that one guy on the team who strikes out twice on six BAD pitches. Not even good ones. Gotta get 'em off the field. That was me for 14 minutes one day. But just for a day…
Does it make me feel better to publish a mea culpa? Nope. Well, maybe a little. Will a few hold a grudge and want their 14 minutes back? Time reveals all.
All I did was step on my d!ck. You’ve heard the expression. In basketball talk, I threw up a brick. Made the team look like the coaches shaped the offense around your brick making skills. Try it sometime. First take out you d!ck. Then step on it.
Like any good team, be it bowling or basketball, a weak member can only help the team get a win if their efforts are supplemented or flat out absorbed. The Guy tossing gutter balls at a bowling tournament needs his teammates to pick him up. A couple of hot hands can make the point moot in the end with extra pins.
In basketball, the whistle blows and the zero sum bitch brick shooting player is escorted from the game. The new set of five players go on to win the game. End of story. Everybody back to work.
It should be the end, but I need to stay to the form I've committed to on this blog and write my own review of shows I promote. I’ve had this blog for 10 years now. Many pictures from my mobile have made it here. Hundreds from the HD camera. I've published screenshot after screenshot of stuff up to and including the GERDE’S FOLK CITY AT 60 event at the Iridium. So my review alludes to my own left footed kick off. No offense to lowly left-footed kickers.
The pictures tell the story. WHAT A NIGHT! One coherent question I asked was 'does Folk City still matter? Look around.' The performers came with passion. Spilled it all over the stage.
I offered my biggest THANK YOU to those who sold that place out. I started there and should have ended there.
I offered my biggest THANK YOU to those who sold that place out. I started there and should have ended there.
My failure was in not sticking to the plan. My plan was to be in a dark corner while holding Carolyn Hester’s hand watching from a distance.
Then the plan slid to another plan with no name and unknown details.
Note to self: Stay off the stage. Revert to Plan A which was sit with Carolyn. Stay. Find time to record some video from the audience after the show is rolling, Bob.
I've considered 60 other options that I could have taken. Silence and elevation to the second floor, in retrospect, appears to be the best unused choice. I could have listened from the street until I knew there was a show rolling downstairs. Then watch. But noooo
I've considered 60 other options that I could have taken. Silence and elevation to the second floor, in retrospect, appears to be the best unused choice. I could have listened from the street until I knew there was a show rolling downstairs. Then watch. But noooo
Parts of Plan A went down. Not in order. Not when it was needed. But I did stay in the back with Carolyn and her daughters, in a full embrace at one point that was hard enough to flatten my pocketed glasses.
There were laughs and also jeers. Heartfelt but rambling, I think the reviewer said.
Yup. Even my apologies. They ramble.
I still had to wake up the next day and have my own bowel movement. No one else was there to wipe my soiled rear with the two reviews that people bothered to write. I had to do that. I read one review. Heard about the other. Care about zero. No one else rambled like I did. I wonder if Jack Elliott would want me to take the nickname ‘Rambling’ but with the G. Rambling Bob. I wonder. Blogs are good for Rambling. Driving down the road, tryin' to loosen my load, I got 7 women on my mind.
These musicians were willing to put up with me cuz I'm the only Porco in town. The graces I’ve been bestowed never cease. They work with me because they know my heart is in it. And after striking out, they still offered praise. Some. Not all. One performer missed it entirely. Two others didn't care. Another was busy, busy. All were business-like and yet caring, If you can believe it. Striking out didn't change the audience's reaction, standing O's and the fact that not one soul walked out until the lights went back on. Facts.
HAVE and have NOT
My imagined toast to the crowd: To the memories of people who are no longer here. My friends over ten years: Suze Rotolo. Richie Havens. Frank Christian. Jack Hardy. Vince Martin. Bruce Langhorne. John Cohen. Izzy. I HAVE that. Here's to them.
Instead there was too much NOT entertainment in the intro.
HAVE and have NOT
My imagined toast to the crowd: To the memories of people who are no longer here. My friends over ten years: Suze Rotolo. Richie Havens. Frank Christian. Jack Hardy. Vince Martin. Bruce Langhorne. John Cohen. Izzy. I HAVE that. Here's to them.
Instead there was too much NOT entertainment in the intro.
As Willie Nile said to me in the green room, Bob, you got us to the dance. “Mike doesn’t need you to do anything from the stage. Just doing this concert and filling the place…that’s all you need to do.”
“Yeah, I froze. I wasn't there. Got us off on a left foot but the music is warming the place up.”
“I’ve been there, man. You don’t have to do anything once the doors open. Mike would be proud just to see this crowd. YOU did that.”
To which I welled up and faced the wall with Willie still in my ear. I’m not saying any tears fell but it fucking felt like it was getting misty. I'm not crying. YOURE crying.
“If you’ve got more of the footage you showed the crowd earlier…that will be Mike Porco’s legacy.”
“Would you believe…that film deal is still alive and conversation about funding…”
“I believe it. Thats for your daughter. Emceeing shows. That’s not Mike’s legacy. That film, his story, that’s what we want to see.” Pausing he said, "That said, James is en route from New Jersey."
I immediately thought of how pleasant and patient the audience was to me.
I immediately thought of how pleasant and patient the audience was to me.
We smirk a bit. He knows that we held a secret known only to Willie Nile and me Secret Plan A1. That plan was to stall a wee bit early on to enable James Maddock to do his 8pm set in the South of New Jersey and drive to Times Square to do the penultimate appearance for our show. As fate would have it, his girlfriend’s 50 minute drive took him to our door in the exact time he was needed on stage. Whew! was the expression out of Rob Stoner’s mouth. And on he went. And the Musicians themselves oozed with delight at his wordsmithing and delivery.
Someone exclaimed, “Maddock just pulled a Chuck Berry maneuver. From the curb side with guitar in hand to the stage in tune!”
That actually happened.
The undistinguished delivery of the show's intro was entirely my doing and my first apology the morning after went directly to Stoner. True statement from me: I know I will get a pass from Mike's friends until the check clears. But discord was not my intention. I have no excuses.
The undistinguished delivery of the show's intro was entirely my doing and my first apology the morning after went directly to Stoner. True statement from me: I know I will get a pass from Mike's friends until the check clears. But discord was not my intention. I have no excuses.
AND STILL It was a special night. The game (was there ever a game to be won at all?) was a victory. Player mentioned above was sent to the Developmental League. There are rumors he’s moved within the organization to accounting. Still dresses up in uniform on game day. No one seems to notice.
And the band marched on. The Tuba player fell flat of his face but the 2 hour long parade of genius players picked him up and marched past. They marched and marched. The Legacy of Mike Porco lives on. Those who remain sour holding grapes have something not worth keeping. Mike’s name was over used, along with Dr. King, during an opening statement. Not criminal. Some bewildered customers went home at the end without the information about “how exactly did Porco’s commitment to run a cabaret in 1960 meld the best music talent America had to offer into one recognizable species of Rock and Roll within a matter of 3 or 4 years?”
That’s a mouth full. Imagine trying to explain this in Spanish:
Comenzando en 1960 y virtualmente de la noche a la mañana, Folk City se convirtió en el escaparate de estreno para los más aclamados cantautores de Estados Unidos, Blues y artistas folclóricos tradicionales.
Jubilant and wonderful, exclaimed one guest of the show.
Amazing and star-studded, said Princess WOW.
Those are the reviews we like.
"We must learn to stand together as brothers or we shall perish as fools."
Amazing and star-studded, said Princess WOW.
Those are the reviews we like.
"We must learn to stand together as brothers or we shall perish as fools."
The day after the show, Kobe Bryant died. I felt like I got off the hook a little. Paying customers had a second to ‘let go’ of the angst about the 60th Opening oxygen debt. Kobe’s death made men cry. I cried immediately and everyday since. Tears of joy. He went home.
"No one cares what you HAVE or have NOT. Just let the show happen." I admit, I broke a cardinal rule: Leave your luggage off stage.
I am lucky to have Grandpa’s friends as my own family. I do not have stage skills. Malice towards taking people’s stagetime was absent. As was preparation. “You jus’a don’t know any better,” my grandfather might say.
Days after the fact, the Plan AAA that could have been comes into clear view. Terri Thal (Dave Van Ronk's first wife; The Roches and Bob Dylan's first manager) was there. As was Dee Dixon (New World Singers lead who helped Dylan write 'Blowin' in the Wind'). They should have taken the stage to discuss 1960 while I was’a walking’ away.
I could have walked to that dark corner with Carolyn and Terre and try to elevate and listen. Faith. Trust. Silence. Listen. Wouldn’t that have been groovy?!
I paid myself a dollar just for recognizing the real Plan AAA that would have worked.
I have an opportunity to improve. The Kobe ‘mentality’ in the headlines makes sense today. The NBA players upped their game in the aftermath. The show went on. Teams played that night. The wake of his death is still noticeable on the faces of the NBA players. They say ‘that’s what Kobe would want. Ya fail. Head goes up. Smile. Move on. Work hard. Work a lot. And appreciate those who benefit from your hard work.’
Makes sense.
They/we are still, at this writing, STILL crying. Bryant's death was a shock to the system. Even people who don’t follow basketball teared up. Don’t lie. The helicopter crash was a 9 person 9.11. Sad and random and so young with such great plans to reach more people in the future. And his poor daughter. It was felt worldwide. The first person I thought of was John Lennon. He was 40. Imagine the music and art he ‘would’ have displayed. Imagine the effect Kobe may have had on Hollywood. Unfathomable.
Just a buck
I have another dollar more today. A dollar Patron on Patreon. My first. I have plans to move on from the flub. I have already moved on- Moving on to sharing my Folk Stash of the Decade with Patrons on Patreon direct. Only costs a dollar to divert me from the stage.
In my studio, I will provide some edited scenes for the Patreon believers. The MOVIE Positively Porco was positively NOT still born. Not by a long shot. Still resonates as loud as ever in the studio. It’s the only REAL project, anyway.
A dollar gets a glimpse of the interviews and other live concert stuff I have.
The rest of the time, I just keep moving. I learned that from Izzy Young. I’m on a first name basis with Izzy. Mike, too. Phil. Vince. Frank. Jack. Cisco. Bruce. John. Fred. Oscar. They send smoke signals every once in a while.
‘Gotta get back in the arena,’ they say. ‘If you want to make amends. Get back in the arena. There’s no room for spectators in this circle.’
And stop being an A-hole. (I said that!)
The day after the 60th, I made a bonfire outside. As hot as heads can get, like the embers in my little campfire, they eventually lose heat. It all becomes ash. One must rise up, leave their charred pit and gather fuel for others within the circle. Faith. Trust. Silence. Day in. Day out.
ALL PHOTOS on this page
