The officially unofficial site for details and discussion about the history and legacy of Mike Porco's Center of Folk Music, Gerde's Folk City (&other pertinent stuff)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Dylan
So I went to a couple of Dylan shows last month. The first being in my neck of the woods at the Mid Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on November 16th. Being that is was local, I bought 4 tix assuming it would be easy to find 3 others to attend with me. It was a no brainer to ask Edwin, an old family friend. Affectionately and more often called Bud, he knows more about Dylan than anyone I've ever met. Bud was eager to help me archive the footage from June 7 Porcofest and in the process, share several of the hundreds of bootlegs and rare discs capturing Dylan not only in his prime, but also as a budding artist. Amongst the gifts, he gave me a copy of the "Banjo Tape" allegedly recorded in Gerdes basement in the early sixties and another tape known as The Glover Tape recorded on a whim in 1962 on one of his first visits back to Minnesota after he had established himself in The Village.
It shouldn't be a surprise that Bud's youngest son is named Dylan.
Anyway, Bud brought John to the show and could have easily found another taker. But I wanted to offer my own ticket to someone. Well those someones didn't want to venture out late on a tuesday so, in a flash, I contacted the Anniversary Party's opening act Roland Mousaa. Roland knew Uncle Bobby way back when and has been credited with saving Dylan from being stabbed by Phil Ochs in a drunken haze.....but that's another tale....
"Yes! And I'll make a couple of calls to get us back stage," Roland wrote me in an email. "Bob will be pleased."
Well I hadn't thought he could pull it off but what the hell. I wasn't going to stop him. I had been making attempts myself by contacting Jeff Rosen's office personally asking for a moment of Dylan's time just to get the lowdown from the man himself about his relationship with Mike Porco. He's the only man alive that can tell me. But I didn't want to pester his office too often and upset the balance. I didn't want to cross the line and be seen as a stalker. I figured that since my name had become subject matter on inter-office emails I was nearly there. At least it didn't say Re: bob Porco, delusional fan....
Later found out what kind of following he had as evidenced by the legion of fans who join in on the never ending tour for a leg or two.
But now, Roland was on the case and doing his damndest to try and get us all connected. "I think Bob would want to meet you," he said. "He loved your Uncle John and your Grandfather." Roland had spoken to Bobby's California office more than Jeff Rosen's NYC office. I started the week thinking I had a .01% chance of meeting Dylan but with Roland hustling, I thought wishfully that it just might be 50/50 by Tuesday night.
Alas, no success was had in getting word to and from Dylan by the managerial route. So, while still in the audience and within a few rows of the band, I decided I would get closer to the stage for the encore and try to get within earshot of him while we were still in the same room.
Well after closing with Like a Rolling Stone, Bob assembles his band for a final bow and I take the opportunity to toss a folded copy of the Anniversary Reunion poster on stage with a cheeky note on back. (BBQ at my house!) That's my brush with fame....a folded piece of paper thrown on stage after the show. Whoop!
Roland and his wife Princess Wow aka Brenda were not wowed by Dylan's new loud sound. I, however, was in awe at how he still can hold the crowd in his hand without saying much. He played a lot of lead guitar that night and did a rendition of Ballad of a Thin Man that I can only describe as milk curdling. And to note, 20 year old girls are still inching closer to the stage to get a good glimpse of the man. Fact.
Well, after the harsh realization that no one gets in to see the wizard not no way not no how, I went with Bud and John to the lobby of the ajacent hotel for a nightcap. That's where I met Ross.
Ross was already there and must have heard us rehashing the versions of the night. He tells us that this show was his 27th of the year and he was driving to Binghamton for the next night's show, as well.
"Well, I'm going next Tuesday also," I tell him.
"I'll be in the City for all three shows. Let's connect," said Ross.
"Sure."
So of course, my plans on the 23rd were expanded to meet up with this wine exec from San Fran via Chicago and his band of gypsies who "would want to meet you, too."
This time I went with Vincent T Vok who purchased the round of beers that led to the idea of the reunion party in the first place. His eldest son also answers to the name Dylan. Go figure. "Good things always happen when we meet out," he says.
The Readers Digest version is: we met near Times Square. Walked to 56 and 11 and got my bag checked before going in. Had a personal favorite poland spring water tossed in the trash. Got frisked and had the rest of my kind stash also thrown in the dustbin to join my water. Caught up with Vok. Bob gave many a religious experience during Thunder on the Water. Met up with Ross, Darlene, Patrick, Charles, Sean and an Irish dandy of a man dressed impeccibly in a suit and tie working in his 75th show of the year with 2 more to go named Noel. We ate and drank and had a blast. I felt woozy in the morning and had forgiven the theft of goods at Terminal 5.
But I spoke to Lee Ronaldo of Sonic Youth in the hall leading to the bathroom as Working man Blues #2 played live. "Hey man. I'm sorry to stop you but I have to tell ya, you, Dylan and I have something in common."
"Oh yeah," with a puzzeld look
Yeah man. folk City! My grandfather owned it before Robbie."
Oh that's COOl!
Then I got the chance to tell him whatfucking Sonic Youth means to me. Then we talked about Izzy Young. Strange but true.
The awareness
The understanding
Realized I've not made a lot of new contacts at the pace of a year ago, but I've still been active within this new Community. I've gained access to this close knit group, have been welcomed in with no questions asked and have been able to gain my own perspective from the inside. Among some things I've learned is that that's how they ALL got here. Dylan, Porco, Bromberg, Traum, Havens, Hardy, Ungar...everyone. That's how it works. The music binds to a group of mankind and it's up to the group to expand and bring in others so future generations can perpetuate and self serve the living group.
Like rock and roll..... only the small town feel.
Like Mike Merenda said to me, "Its a small family but it's strong!"
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
On the anniversary of Mike Porco's birth, I thought I'd re-post a tale of the early days of his adulthood and his first experience in America.
Michele Porco
23 October 1914 - 11 March 1992
((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))
Michele had worked in the rural province of Calabria since the age of eight when his father apprenticed him to a carpenter. It was hardly uncommon for pre-teens of the Old World to have their vocation decided for them by their parents and Michele proved to be a fast learner and a patient woodworker. Young Michele (pronounced Mick-EL-eh) continued with school but it was clear to Angelo Porco that his son's abilities were best displayed by his handy work. His early calling was in the fine skill of cabinet making and he was proficient enough in that trade that by age 16, he had opened his own shop making cabinets and doing woodworking jobs for the townsfolk.
Just two months beyond his 18th birthday, Michele received a long awaited post from New York where his father had gone months before. In it, Angelo summoned his eldest Son to leave his mother and three siblings behind to be with his father and fashion a new life in America. Michele, like millions of European immigrants before him, had dreams of inventing himself in the Land of Opportunity. The only promise he had was from his father saying in the letter that he would meet him at the pier when his ship came in to new York.
Finally, the day planned by his father was upon Michele. In January of 1933 he packed a trunk bound for glory and rode a train 450 miles up the Mediterranean shoreline to Genoa.
The work-strong Michele dreamt of making his way in America the way many of his cousins did before him. He and his father had known of several families that had already settled in New York City from their homeland in Calabria. Michele's father had shuttled back and forth during the last decade to work with extended family members and Angelo had plans to enhance the Porco family's prospects by adding a hardworking wage earner. Armed with little more than half a lifetime's experience in a trade and a wealth of ambition, he readied himself for the adventure of his life. He would later Americanize his name, simply, to Mike.
The Conte di Sevoia arrived in New York harbor in the early hours of the 2nd day of February. The forecast called for a sunny day according to the New York Times. Now with his official papers in hand, Michele was eager to reunite with his father; an event he envisioned happening over the course of transversing the 4600 mile trip to the America.
The melee of welcomers and new arrivals was just another everyday occurrence for the Immigration workers on the pier. For Michele, it was a maddening chore trying to find his father's face in the crowd. Finally, a familiar voice cried out his name from a distance. Again the voice called for 'Michele'. Michele stopped in his tracks unsure of why it wasn't his father's voice. It was a passing thought. He soon recognized the voice of his uncle getting louder as he neared his space. A joyous hug and a tear of a bittersweet welcome accompanied with an awkward silence unexpected by Young Porco.
Tio Luigi had dreaded this heart-wrenching moment. He had to find a way to welcome his kin to the New World and, in the very next breath, tell the boy that his father had died shortly after sending his last letter home to Italy.
The definition of Mike's new beginnings in America had now been instantly altered into a challenge to not only start from scratch but to make his way virtually on his own.
He would have little time to mourn as his fate awaited him in the morning of tomorrow. His fighting spirit surely took a devastating blow from behind on the pier that day but perhaps it was from this absolute emotional bottom that Mike Porco cultivated a level of quiet determination that he would harness and use for the rest of his life in New York. Here at the lowest point of his young life, little could he expect that he would one day play a crucial role in facilitating the revival of a musical movement that would define American society for decades to come.
Mike would eventually offer a stage and a week's pay to every singer-songwriter who was able to muster up "a following." They came from all over the country in hopes of becoming a star in Greenwich Village. But first Mike had to pick himself up and follow his own star.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Made of Stars
He unlocks the door and walks in. A horn honks. A gaggle of students walk by. The whiff of diluted bleach from the night before meets his nose and becomes more faint once he's fully inside the bar. He's the first one there today.
Dusk grows. The straglers filing in become a crowd. The noise grows. Glasses clang. The cash register cha-chings. Musicians tune up. Conversation becomes laughter. The juke box gets unplugged.
The Emcee takes the stage. The mob settles in to listen and hear. The bartender works and listens with one ear.
He never wishes he was down the street in someone else's club. What's happening here can't be happening there. It's unimportant. He knows the happenings of this one place. Right now. He's entranced by the soothing harmony and honest words like everyone else. He's encapsulated and feeling it with one heart like everyone else. He's listening with one ear and working his bar for everyone else.
He's listening. He hears. He knows who is telling of something true about themselves. And he knows a performer. And he knows a phoney. And he knows his business. Right here. And he doesn't want to be anywhere else. He knows that whatever is happening right here is what matters. On his stage. In his place. And he's listening in silence like everyone else. He's working but he's there like everyone else. He's entangled in the musical web being woven on stage like everyone else. He feels a heart pouring out of their song like everyone else. He's working his place and he's there and there's no where he'd rather be than experiencing this moment with friends, guests, poets, patrons, strangers and stars, all.
Monday, September 6, 2010
I lost myself on a cool summer day
Sometime in September of 1995, a few of the fellas took the train down to the City to meet up with a few others for Jim Moroney's bachelor party. By the wee hours, the remaining handful who could still stand took a jaunt to Alphabet City to drink the rest of our money away.
We all wound up heading into an after hours club on Avenue A that had no name and no visible signage out front showing that it was a bar and lounge. But we found it and in we went instantly doubling the crowd. There were a couple people by the tiny bar and, on a couch with his back to the door, was a guitar player performing quietly for a couple of cute girls. He was forced to up the volume after we decided to stand around close behind him. Not to listen, mind you....Just to stand around.
Within a few minutes, I notice a pal in my group whisper and point to the guitarist. I look down over his shoulder and see a familiar face. It's Jeff Buckley. He had been getting a ton of air time on MTV and radio with a couple of hits from his lone album, Grace. Back when MTV actually played a slew of appealing music videos, one could hardly turn it on and not see the new face du jour. And the local radio station out of Woodstock felt that a day wasn't complete without hearing "Last Goodbye" at least twice.
I was semi-aware of the hint of connection between him and me. His father Tim was one of the Greenwich Village personalities who became a recording artist no doubt aided by exposure in the clubs around Washington Square and elsewhere. It's unclear whether he ever played the open mic at Folk City, but it's more than likely he was served in my grandfather's bar and, if so, he surely took in some musical entertainment. It could have been an interesting topic of conversation when I later found myself standing next to Buckley at the bar.
But I didn't say anything and turned and walked after getting my 17th beer.
He wasn't in a particularly chatty mood anyway after what the very drunk Tom Coffey said in his ear a few moments before. Once word had traveled around my crew that the guy on the couch was "on MTV", Tom exclaims, "who THIS guy?! Lemmie tell ya something. He's a small puppy in a BIG WORLD!" leaning over towards Jeff to make sure he heard him. The girls were most seriously displeased with us as was my friend Chicago Dave when I conveyed this memory to him last year.
I was aware of Jeff Buckley's music for years but hadn't explored it in depth. Dave insisted that I get the only album released while he was alive. It's somewhat autobiographical, prophetic and unquestionably passion-filled. His father left home to pursue his career but he left behind his musical talent. A poet and musician like Jeff would have fit right in at Folk City. The album is well worth a listen.
"Tears scattered 'round the world"
Sadly life was destined to end for Jeff in May of 1997. An accidental drowning in the Mississippi shortened his blossoming career. His father Tim had also died at an early age.
(where are you going with this, Bob?)
Well, about a month ago, I spoke with a friend who was actually there that night and finally the name of the nameless club came to light....
Save the Robots.
Which still has nothing to do with why I'm telling you all this. It's just that I have learned some vital lessons since I started chasing the ghost of Mike Porco. One lesson being that there are many more than six degrees of separation to that man. In theory, there were more in 1995 but even today, there are scores of people walking the streets of The Village who sorely miss Gerdes Folk City and would share a moment with me if they knew the level of my interest.
Since I began my journey into my grandfather's past, I have been making connections with people left and right who remember him. The internet, of course, has been helpful but I've made some connections by simply speaking up in person. Two that come to mind were made at Pete Seeger's Sloop Club Song Circle in Beacon. I overheard Lydia Adams Davis walk merely mention Folk City as she walked past me so I introduced myself. Lydia played the reunion 4 months later. Another night, I was at "The Sloop" announcing the potential of an anniversary concert and new friend and Pete's booking coordinator Roland Moussa approached me. Roland spent many a year in the Village with Havens, Dylan and Ochs. Roland opened the Folk City at Fifty show.
Maybe the most interesting chance meeting through all this was coming across Dominic Chianese who would later become a co-emcee for Porcofest. I was telling a client of the progress being made in contacting people for the reunion. I was also telling her, during the workout, of some of the unlikely folks who have a history performing at Gerdes. I was pointing out those who had made their names in another craft such as former bluegrass banjoist Alan Arkin, Woody Allen collaborator Marshall Brickman and a Village gypsy turned actor who was best known for playing "Uncle Junior Soprano."
"Oh I see him on the block all the time. I always see him at Conte's on 89th and York," she says to me. Now, I had trouble getting contact info for Dominic over the 'Net. I knew that he had Emceed for my grandfather but I had no luck finding him. And now she's telling me that not only is he in her neighborhood, but he hangs out on the opposite corner of the very block we were on. I don't know how many blocks there are in NYC, but I didn't have to cross a street to leave Dominic a personal note.
Freaky, right?!
(More on Dominic on another post...)
And already there have been many others who have now gotten wind that Mike's grandson is lurking somewhere out there. Those I've had the honor of contacting so far have offered the kindest words and encouragement.
If they didn't get to know the man behind the bar, they certainly knew of his bar and have fond memories of the music and vibe they experienced there. In many cases, all I had to do was make myself known...announce myself to the people of this extended family letting them know that I'm interested in hearing about how it was and what memories they can pass on to me.
Of course, there are others (the Big Fish, as I call them) whom I will have to chase and chase until I catch them...but catch them I will. And stories they will tell because Gerdes Folk City was that kind of place. And luckily for me, Mike was that kind of guy.
But I'll never catch anybody or get to the bottom of this untold story if I don't speak up and drop a worm in the waters.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
From Jean To David
A mountain dulcimer player from Tennessee came to New York in the summer of 1976 with five songs and a dream. He dreamt of catching on to and being part of whatever movement was taking place in the Village. He had become aware of some sort of Folk Music revival after seeing coverage in Rolling Stone magazine about Bobby Dylan's Greenwich Village kick off to the Rolling Thunder Revue. The party, held at Folk City on the 23rd of October 1975, doubled as a surprise 61st birthday party for Mike Porco. Whatever scene he had heard being dead and gone seemed to be alive and well and still residing on West 3rd Street.
So with his heart on the mend from a breakup, his gumption and dulcimer polished, he drove his 64 Ford to NYC bound by aspirations to see what it would be like to be a real live Folk singer.
It wasn't long before David Massengill got up enough nerve to get on stage to show the world what he could do with a dulcimer and five songs. After seeing a couple of open mic performances in town, he decided to try his luck on stage at a place called the Dugout. Sometime during one of his two song set, it was quietly suggested to him that he leave the stage at the bequest of management who seemed to like only guitarists. It would be a month or so before he stepped onto a stage again. This time it would be at Folk City.
In the meantime, David had watched the famed Monday Hoots from afar judging for himself whether or not he was good enough to perform in front of a live crowd. The first act one night was John Macandoe.
"Macandoe was just unbelievable and I said to myself, 'I can't be on stage if this is what I'm up against,'" David recalled. "But then the next guy was just awful and I then thought that I would at least be better than him. So it gave me hope."
Eventually he worked up enough moxie to bring himself to a Monday night hoot and actually pick a number from the hat to ensure his place in the lore of Gerdes Folk City. Three songs later, it was over. Eight months later, after the nerve-racked trembling hands, arms and legs stopped shaking, he finally had his first full week's booking as the 20 minute "opening act for the opening act." The show was headlined by future Folk Brother, Jack Hardy. David Bromberg played the 40 minute interval in between the two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Original Acoustic music scene had virtually lost its epicenter by the mid-1970s. The Coffeehouse circuit of clubs in Greenwich Village that had its heyday in the 60s had died out with almost all the clubs taking Gerdes' lead in becoming Union wage-paying rooms. The musicians who were lucky enough to get record deals were coming around to perform less and less. The music industry itself had changed dramatically. The number of traditional folk musicians getting signed by record companies was dwindling down to a select few. The agents scouting for talent had much less room for error since a newly enforced tax code made it more difficult for record companies to write off losses incurred by unprofitable recording artists. The blossoming of the FM radio crowd beget more bands that had instant marketing appeal. And with that, club owners leaned towards booking label-backed acts that had marketing and promotion already built-in. The market for the traditional stand up Folk singer was dying out. But Massengill and his contemporaries sensed something was still brewing in the Village and they were determined to band together and stay true to their art form and breathe life back into West 3rd St.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Slow train comin'
The test begins...
Still, I have to fetch the data. Some musicians have asked...now what?
To that I say: You tell me
....well. Not quite. I have an idea but it's a-ways off. Be patient right along with me. Thank you.
There are only several earthlings ever to read this but I'll let you know that I'm going down to the East Village Thursday to pick up more digital photos. Later that day, I'll get back to midtown to discuss the conversion of the DV tapes to watchable DVDs. Paul Lovelace's staff of Cathryne and Hilary took 7+7+1 hours of video none of which I've seen. Paul directed The Holy Modal Rounders' film Bound to Lose and is working on Radiounamable about Big Bob Fass. I'm sure the footage will be something incredible....even the first hour with motormouth Bob Sr being quite incapable of shutting the fuck up as we took a walk to 4th and Mercer and back. Mother F¥%@er
then I'll get the digital audio to put on ice for a spell.
I've had the pleasure of watching the single shot DVD version taken from the Village Underground soundboard perch. Multitrack sound. New things picked up on with each new viewing. Some people stayed to watch over 6 hours of music. To my recollection, I don't remember any musicians beyond Mark Dann, Frank Christian and Peggy Atwood see over 35 sets...maybe all of them. A few left for dinner and came back. A few left early. A few came late....all as expected....but I noticed Peggy during my welcome and intro at 7:00 and wound up onstage again with her, Frank, Mark, Nick Holmes, Rod MacDonald and an unknown tom-Tom player at 1:30. I missed an awful lot. Sounds like it was a good show.
I know it was because I saw the replay. Some unbelievable moments caught in a live stream. Lots of set up time and getting mic happy to get cut out but from there....one-by-one...songs delivered with such care and honetsy.
I will share copies with musicians only first. I ask others to please n't ask "when" copies are being made. I don't know. I'm not sure if. And that's not to mention that at this writing, I don't even have the data all collected in one place. Like I said, slow train comin'
Friday, June 18, 2010
Shot in the arm
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
~wilco
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
Something in my veins, bloodier than blood
~wilco
Monday, June 14, 2010
Review from the locally rolled paper
Positively 3rd Street
Reminiscing is a human trait. No other animal has the ability to pay such homage to the past as we do. There are memorable dates in history and then there are not so memorable dates. Many dates in history are owned solely by one event that took place or by one person's accomplishment.
Take March 2, 1962 for instance. Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, playing for the lowly Philadelphia Warriors, scored an insane 100 individual points in a meaningless game against the New York Knicks. It was played in Hershey, PA where the paid attendance was exactly 4,124 people.
The still unsurpassed feat was historic and has been since the final buzzer. Over the years, thousands more would claim to have been there, too.
On that day, Paul Paulson headlined a less memorable booking at Gerdes Folk City.
Historical claim to the 15th, 16th and 17th days of August 1969 belongs to a music festival visible from space called Woodstock. Big, little Yasgur's farm in Bethel, NY hosted the unforgettable event where an astounding 186,000 tickets were sold and an even more amazing 400,000(!) people were estimated to have seen Gerdes Folk City alumni Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie and Jimi Hendrix perform. (yes Jimi played the Village) Probably a million more folks have claimed to be at this watershed moment in American history.
That week, the (in)comparable Will Street played a(n) (un)forgettable 12 set stint at Gerdes Folk City.
Incidentally, Gerdes' owner, Mike Porco, was less than 3 months away from meeting his 7th grandchild, Robert Jr. As it turned out, forty years later this same Bob Porco would coordinate appearances by 40 former Folk City performers in a music filled tribute to his late grandfather and his night club.
June 7 of this year brought us a game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Flyers and Blackhawks; a record breaking 8 three point shots by Celtic Ray Allen in the NBA Finals against the Lakers and a record-tying 11 one-run games in Major League Baseball. But Gerdes Folk City, which has lain silent for 23 years, once again came alive with perhaps one the most memorable concerts ever to take place in New York's Greenwich Village.
Its been Fifty years since Mike Porco first invited aspiring singer songwriters to come in from the cold to perform for a paying gig and a warm meal at his Italian restaurant on 4th and Mercer. On a gorgeous night this past Monday, some forty Folk and Rock dignitaries came back to the Village's former headquarters to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Porco's eatery morphing into what Bob Dylan called in his autobiography, Chronicles, "the preeminent Folk Club in America."
Bobby Dylan would know. He began his career at Gerdes. As did countless others like Arlo Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Simon and Garfunkel, Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris, José Feliciano, Tom Paxton, Steve Forbert, Suzanne Vega, John Hammond Jr., Rod MacDonald, Willie Nile and a host of others.
None of the performers there on June 7 would dispute Dylan's claim. Nor would the roughly 200 patrons who came to what is now The Village Underground to witness a gathering of Greenwich Village royalty not soon to be forgotten.
That's right. Just around 200 (musicians included!) got chance of a lifetime to see and hear some of the living breathing legends of the New York Music Scene from the 1960s and 70s perform in the flesh on stage. Hardly a ripple was felt in the mainstream news wires but organizer Bob Porco said it will be looked back upon as one of the greatest evenings 3rd Street has ever seen.
"It would simply be impossible to duplicate. I'll never be able to pick a date in the future that would just happen to fit into the schedule of such busy musicians." When asked how it took place, Porco quickly answered, "An inner muse opened my eyes and inspired me to seize the moment. The planets aligned for this reunion, no question,"
The daunting task of recruiting so many performers (not only musicians as spoken word artist Poez and comedian-poet Steve Ben Isreal also took the stage) for one night was made easier by the living memory of Bob's grandfather. He felt that there was an immediate level of trust formed between everyone he contacted because Mike was fair and honest with all of them when they were starting out.
"I was shocked at how accessible they all were," Bob said adding that social networking website Facebook was essential in finding several luminaries. "So many of them simply replied back with their home phone numbers and addresses. Suze Rotolo said I had a magic name. I was inspired to keep going. "
The Porco name had been useful when he began to work on his original project back in November of '09. "I had already been at work conducting interviews for a bio on Mike Porco. I just had to backtrack and contact everyone again to tell them of the possibility of a reunion." Many of the performers responded with firm confirmations right from the get-go. Porco was confident that he could make something of the artist's offering of their time.
Like his grandfather 50 years before, opportunity fell into Bob's lap. Perhaps channeling Mike Porco's fortuative nature, Bob gladly took the ball and ran with it.
He recalls the moment the plan took shape. On February 19th of this year, he sat upstairs at the corner of the bar in the very space that was once Folk City, The Fat Black Pussycat. "I met Vincent Vok for a drink before going to watch Richie Havens at Carnegie Hall. We thought it would be cool to just get everyone together again. Then we thought it would be better if they brought their guitars".
Vok, along with Emmylou Harris and sisters Maggie and Terre Roche, had the distinction of not only performing for Mike Porco, but of also once being on the payroll as employees. A friendship between Vok and the younger Porco budded quickly. Stealing a line from the movie, Field of Dreams, Vok told Porco, "if you build it, they will come." Laughter ensued but, in their minds, the Anniversary party had been born.
The very next morning, the venue for the reunion was tentatively secured via an email exchange between Bob and Fat Black Pussycat/ Village Underground proprietor Noam Dworman. Noam was well aware of the musical provenance of his W3rd Street bar and offered his space to be a part of history. Dworman's late father, Manny, was an acquaintance of Mike Porco when they were both booking acts in their respective clubs.
Originally touted as a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of the stars that made Gerdes what it was, the 50th Anniversary Reunion certainly lived up to its billing. Porcofest, as it was dubbed by the show's last scheduled performer Erik Frandsen, filled the Village Underground with a slew of traditional and original songs all performed one-by-one by the super star line up.
The audience was first wowed by the parade of arrivals into the downstairs venue. Porco recalls his time spent at the ticket booth when the doors opened:
"I didn't anticipate the rush of volunteers, artists and concert goers all coming down at the same time wanting to say hello. I had communicated with many of them by email or phone only." With a robust chuckle he adds, "hardly any of them knew what I looked like."
Some performers were known to Bob from his days conducting face-to-face interviews. Eric Weissberg, Happy Traum, Terre Roche, Frank Christian, Jack Hardy and Rod MacDonald were a few of the early arrivals to receive a hug from the party's host. Many others who had been in contact with Porco frequently had still only learned what he looked like upon arrival. Some were greeted by happenstance.
"I just happened to be walking upstairs when Sylvia Tyson strode in. I stood up and said, 'you're Sylvia!' and she said 'yes. And YOU are?'" A mandatory hug followed between past phone interviewee and host. Bob then carried her guitar case and escorted her to a comfortable place to sit.
"I knew this show was a big deal when people stopped to see her come through and I overheard folks whispering her name. By then the place was packed. I couldn't believe it!"
Vince Martin, Richard Chanel, Jonathan Kalb, Willie Nininger, Biff Rose, Sally Spring, Nick Holmes and several others finally put a face to the name at the bottom of those stairs. When Judy Gorman approached, she politely asked "are you Bob?" before handing him flowers. "I never got flowers before. I was humbled."
Bob also had a little fun with his anonymity. "I teased Bev Grant that she had to pay to get in and she looks at me like 'who is this idiot?!'
Five minutes before showtime, everyone figured out who the host was as he took to the platform stage to say a few opening remarks. The show started with a brief warm welcome complete with audio played on the house speakers from a radio interview Mike Porco conducted in that very same space some 31 years earlier when it was his small office.
In it, Mike accepted the label of being the "father" to many of the Village musicians while cheekily admitting, "I may be their father but I never met their mothers". Many in attendance listened with looks of satisfaction to hear his voice once more.
In closing, Mike's grandson predicted that Folk City's finest moment has yet to take place. "I think we're all about to witness it tonight and experience it together as it happens."
*******
A few dozen die hard music lovers were still there to hear Rod MacDonald pay tribute to Phil Ochs with a tranquil and heartfelt "Pleasures of the Harbor" and David Massengill perform his timeless masterpiece "Road to Fairfax County." The evening finally wrapped up some 6 hours from showtime- forty five minutes after Mr. Frandsen left the stage- with a seven person rendition of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," a song written by Gerdes' favorite son.
It's likely that none of the guests that night will argue with Bob Porco's earlier claim about Gerdes Folk City carving a new place for itself in today's world. Vince Martin, one of the night's many highlights, said that it satisfied a long time itch. The scores of patrons who got wind of the event are likely to never forget it. It was as joyous and cheerful as many a year at the old Folk City was said to be.
Only time will tell how many others will claim to have "been there" to witness the magic as it unfolded. And the few who know the truth won't mind their inclusion. It was something special and should be shared with everyone- both those who couldn't make it and those who could no longer be with us in person.
Reminiscing is a human trait. No other animal has the ability to pay such homage to the past as we do. There are memorable dates in history and then there are not so memorable dates. Many dates in history are owned solely by one event that took place or by one person's accomplishment.
Take March 2, 1962 for instance. Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, playing for the lowly Philadelphia Warriors, scored an insane 100 individual points in a meaningless game against the New York Knicks. It was played in Hershey, PA where the paid attendance was exactly 4,124 people.
The still unsurpassed feat was historic and has been since the final buzzer. Over the years, thousands more would claim to have been there, too.
On that day, Paul Paulson headlined a less memorable booking at Gerdes Folk City.
Historical claim to the 15th, 16th and 17th days of August 1969 belongs to a music festival visible from space called Woodstock. Big, little Yasgur's farm in Bethel, NY hosted the unforgettable event where an astounding 186,000 tickets were sold and an even more amazing 400,000(!) people were estimated to have seen Gerdes Folk City alumni Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie and Jimi Hendrix perform. (yes Jimi played the Village) Probably a million more folks have claimed to be at this watershed moment in American history.
That week, the (in)comparable Will Street played a(n) (un)forgettable 12 set stint at Gerdes Folk City.
Incidentally, Gerdes' owner, Mike Porco, was less than 3 months away from meeting his 7th grandchild, Robert Jr. As it turned out, forty years later this same Bob Porco would coordinate appearances by 40 former Folk City performers in a music filled tribute to his late grandfather and his night club.
June 7 of this year brought us a game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Flyers and Blackhawks; a record breaking 8 three point shots by Celtic Ray Allen in the NBA Finals against the Lakers and a record-tying 11 one-run games in Major League Baseball. But Gerdes Folk City, which has lain silent for 23 years, once again came alive with perhaps one the most memorable concerts ever to take place in New York's Greenwich Village.
Its been Fifty years since Mike Porco first invited aspiring singer songwriters to come in from the cold to perform for a paying gig and a warm meal at his Italian restaurant on 4th and Mercer. On a gorgeous night this past Monday, some forty Folk and Rock dignitaries came back to the Village's former headquarters to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Porco's eatery morphing into what Bob Dylan called in his autobiography, Chronicles, "the preeminent Folk Club in America."
Bobby Dylan would know. He began his career at Gerdes. As did countless others like Arlo Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Simon and Garfunkel, Judy Collins, Emmylou Harris, José Feliciano, Tom Paxton, Steve Forbert, Suzanne Vega, John Hammond Jr., Rod MacDonald, Willie Nile and a host of others.
None of the performers there on June 7 would dispute Dylan's claim. Nor would the roughly 200 patrons who came to what is now The Village Underground to witness a gathering of Greenwich Village royalty not soon to be forgotten.
That's right. Just around 200 (musicians included!) got chance of a lifetime to see and hear some of the living breathing legends of the New York Music Scene from the 1960s and 70s perform in the flesh on stage. Hardly a ripple was felt in the mainstream news wires but organizer Bob Porco said it will be looked back upon as one of the greatest evenings 3rd Street has ever seen.
"It would simply be impossible to duplicate. I'll never be able to pick a date in the future that would just happen to fit into the schedule of such busy musicians." When asked how it took place, Porco quickly answered, "An inner muse opened my eyes and inspired me to seize the moment. The planets aligned for this reunion, no question,"
The daunting task of recruiting so many performers (not only musicians as spoken word artist Poez and comedian-poet Steve Ben Isreal also took the stage) for one night was made easier by the living memory of Bob's grandfather. He felt that there was an immediate level of trust formed between everyone he contacted because Mike was fair and honest with all of them when they were starting out.
"I was shocked at how accessible they all were," Bob said adding that social networking website Facebook was essential in finding several luminaries. "So many of them simply replied back with their home phone numbers and addresses. Suze Rotolo said I had a magic name. I was inspired to keep going. "
The Porco name had been useful when he began to work on his original project back in November of '09. "I had already been at work conducting interviews for a bio on Mike Porco. I just had to backtrack and contact everyone again to tell them of the possibility of a reunion." Many of the performers responded with firm confirmations right from the get-go. Porco was confident that he could make something of the artist's offering of their time.
Like his grandfather 50 years before, opportunity fell into Bob's lap. Perhaps channeling Mike Porco's fortuative nature, Bob gladly took the ball and ran with it.
He recalls the moment the plan took shape. On February 19th of this year, he sat upstairs at the corner of the bar in the very space that was once Folk City, The Fat Black Pussycat. "I met Vincent Vok for a drink before going to watch Richie Havens at Carnegie Hall. We thought it would be cool to just get everyone together again. Then we thought it would be better if they brought their guitars".
Vok, along with Emmylou Harris and sisters Maggie and Terre Roche, had the distinction of not only performing for Mike Porco, but of also once being on the payroll as employees. A friendship between Vok and the younger Porco budded quickly. Stealing a line from the movie, Field of Dreams, Vok told Porco, "if you build it, they will come." Laughter ensued but, in their minds, the Anniversary party had been born.
The very next morning, the venue for the reunion was tentatively secured via an email exchange between Bob and Fat Black Pussycat/ Village Underground proprietor Noam Dworman. Noam was well aware of the musical provenance of his W3rd Street bar and offered his space to be a part of history. Dworman's late father, Manny, was an acquaintance of Mike Porco when they were both booking acts in their respective clubs.
Originally touted as a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of the stars that made Gerdes what it was, the 50th Anniversary Reunion certainly lived up to its billing. Porcofest, as it was dubbed by the show's last scheduled performer Erik Frandsen, filled the Village Underground with a slew of traditional and original songs all performed one-by-one by the super star line up.
The audience was first wowed by the parade of arrivals into the downstairs venue. Porco recalls his time spent at the ticket booth when the doors opened:
"I didn't anticipate the rush of volunteers, artists and concert goers all coming down at the same time wanting to say hello. I had communicated with many of them by email or phone only." With a robust chuckle he adds, "hardly any of them knew what I looked like."
Some performers were known to Bob from his days conducting face-to-face interviews. Eric Weissberg, Happy Traum, Terre Roche, Frank Christian, Jack Hardy and Rod MacDonald were a few of the early arrivals to receive a hug from the party's host. Many others who had been in contact with Porco frequently had still only learned what he looked like upon arrival. Some were greeted by happenstance.
"I just happened to be walking upstairs when Sylvia Tyson strode in. I stood up and said, 'you're Sylvia!' and she said 'yes. And YOU are?'" A mandatory hug followed between past phone interviewee and host. Bob then carried her guitar case and escorted her to a comfortable place to sit.
"I knew this show was a big deal when people stopped to see her come through and I overheard folks whispering her name. By then the place was packed. I couldn't believe it!"
Vince Martin, Richard Chanel, Jonathan Kalb, Willie Nininger, Biff Rose, Sally Spring, Nick Holmes and several others finally put a face to the name at the bottom of those stairs. When Judy Gorman approached, she politely asked "are you Bob?" before handing him flowers. "I never got flowers before. I was humbled."
Bob also had a little fun with his anonymity. "I teased Bev Grant that she had to pay to get in and she looks at me like 'who is this idiot?!'
Five minutes before showtime, everyone figured out who the host was as he took to the platform stage to say a few opening remarks. The show started with a brief warm welcome complete with audio played on the house speakers from a radio interview Mike Porco conducted in that very same space some 31 years earlier when it was his small office.
In it, Mike accepted the label of being the "father" to many of the Village musicians while cheekily admitting, "I may be their father but I never met their mothers". Many in attendance listened with looks of satisfaction to hear his voice once more.
In closing, Mike's grandson predicted that Folk City's finest moment has yet to take place. "I think we're all about to witness it tonight and experience it together as it happens."
*******
A few dozen die hard music lovers were still there to hear Rod MacDonald pay tribute to Phil Ochs with a tranquil and heartfelt "Pleasures of the Harbor" and David Massengill perform his timeless masterpiece "Road to Fairfax County." The evening finally wrapped up some 6 hours from showtime- forty five minutes after Mr. Frandsen left the stage- with a seven person rendition of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," a song written by Gerdes' favorite son.
It's likely that none of the guests that night will argue with Bob Porco's earlier claim about Gerdes Folk City carving a new place for itself in today's world. Vince Martin, one of the night's many highlights, said that it satisfied a long time itch. The scores of patrons who got wind of the event are likely to never forget it. It was as joyous and cheerful as many a year at the old Folk City was said to be.
Only time will tell how many others will claim to have "been there" to witness the magic as it unfolded. And the few who know the truth won't mind their inclusion. It was something special and should be shared with everyone- both those who couldn't make it and those who could no longer be with us in person.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Still in recovery mode...
The mandate was to have a blast...enjoy the opportunity to the fullest...stay til the bitter end of the night...encourage the A-game performances...share it with all...capture the history as it was being made...
Mission: ACCOMPLISHED
The last troupe of musicians and I were politely asked to wrap up the show with a suggestion from the manager of the venue saying, "you've got to stop this...we've got to clean up"...to which I relayed to Rod MacDonald, "let's play two more"...which he heard me to say, "Let's do one more and a medley." Nick Holmes tried to start a 12 bar blues but to no avail.
I was then happily taken (or is it token) along to the next stop by Rod, Nick, Mark Dann and David Massengill to Mr. Frandsen's abode where a few more tunes were most seriously enjoyed.
Overheard at the Faux Chateaux..."Well, I've had a wonderful time and it looks as though the clock is going on 3:30. I was wondering when you all were going to start considering getting the fuck out of my apartment." Ever the gentleman.
Still time for a pizza slice and/or falafel in the Village.
I must say, I DID finally learn one of life's great lessons that morning: You can't have a hangover if you don't go to sleep
Mission: ACCOMPLISHED
The last troupe of musicians and I were politely asked to wrap up the show with a suggestion from the manager of the venue saying, "you've got to stop this...we've got to clean up"...to which I relayed to Rod MacDonald, "let's play two more"...which he heard me to say, "Let's do one more and a medley." Nick Holmes tried to start a 12 bar blues but to no avail.
I was then happily taken (or is it token) along to the next stop by Rod, Nick, Mark Dann and David Massengill to Mr. Frandsen's abode where a few more tunes were most seriously enjoyed.
Overheard at the Faux Chateaux..."Well, I've had a wonderful time and it looks as though the clock is going on 3:30. I was wondering when you all were going to start considering getting the fuck out of my apartment." Ever the gentleman.
Still time for a pizza slice and/or falafel in the Village.
I must say, I DID finally learn one of life's great lessons that morning: You can't have a hangover if you don't go to sleep
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Porcofest. A weekly hoot?
Well, somehow I ended up on a bench outside grand central at 4:45 in the morn. Not the first time but certainly the first with so much shit to carry. At least it's a nice night.....day....
Pale Sun is illuminating building tops.
Gonna be waiting for who knows how long. I'll check the schedule in a half hour. No trains running. That's a given. Last time I was down here with a guitar was during the blackout in '03. Caroline was pregnant with Angelina and I didn't even have a cell phone. I had eight dollars. But for some weird reason, I decided to bring my guitar down that day. I don't play well but well enough to entertain myself. I parlayed a few songs for a corona at tequillaville on Vanderbilt. I then walked back to the upper east and slept at work. But now I'm here with a suitcase and guitars. I should play. It's getting noisy.
How can I sum up tonight? Impossible. The room sounded like one instrument. Seamless performances. Jaw dropping-type shit. Stop-and-make-you-stare type shit. WOW. And a special appearance by Mr. Bromberg. The room was coming apart at the seems at times.....very quietly at times. Unexpectedly at times. But definitely most of the time.
Some images are burned in my mind. No camera caught the after hours living room session after porcofest. No one saw me meet almost all the performers for the first time. I introduced Sylvia Tyson to my wife and sister....I hugged many a man tonight. I kissed dominic chianese's cheeks. I guess I'm on the books here at folk city.
A good goddamed great time was had by all whether they wanted to or not. Those in that room had certainly expressed themselves to the performers. It was magical. Not a cut less.
Thank you all for coming and enjoying yourselves. To think this kind of thing took place every once in a while at folk city is astounding. Just priceless people and good times. Well done, porcofesters
Pale Sun is illuminating building tops.
Gonna be waiting for who knows how long. I'll check the schedule in a half hour. No trains running. That's a given. Last time I was down here with a guitar was during the blackout in '03. Caroline was pregnant with Angelina and I didn't even have a cell phone. I had eight dollars. But for some weird reason, I decided to bring my guitar down that day. I don't play well but well enough to entertain myself. I parlayed a few songs for a corona at tequillaville on Vanderbilt. I then walked back to the upper east and slept at work. But now I'm here with a suitcase and guitars. I should play. It's getting noisy.
How can I sum up tonight? Impossible. The room sounded like one instrument. Seamless performances. Jaw dropping-type shit. Stop-and-make-you-stare type shit. WOW. And a special appearance by Mr. Bromberg. The room was coming apart at the seems at times.....very quietly at times. Unexpectedly at times. But definitely most of the time.
Some images are burned in my mind. No camera caught the after hours living room session after porcofest. No one saw me meet almost all the performers for the first time. I introduced Sylvia Tyson to my wife and sister....I hugged many a man tonight. I kissed dominic chianese's cheeks. I guess I'm on the books here at folk city.
A good goddamed great time was had by all whether they wanted to or not. Those in that room had certainly expressed themselves to the performers. It was magical. Not a cut less.
Thank you all for coming and enjoying yourselves. To think this kind of thing took place every once in a while at folk city is astounding. Just priceless people and good times. Well done, porcofesters
Thursday, June 3, 2010
F* the new York times
Not something they'd cover, they say.....
I'll make it more clear for them.
I'll say it in a way any fifth grader can grasp:
The names scheduled to appear are not coming to just "hang out"....these are the FCKN living, breathing GIANTS of the Greenwich Village Folk Scene. They are going to perform on stage one by fkg one all night...or at least until you figure out that you've missed something...and then they will play some more.
If anyone has an" in" with that dishtowel, tell them this is their last chance. The world can't fit in that shoebox but the world should know about Porcofest. They may have to close the thruway again
I'll make it more clear for them.
I'll say it in a way any fifth grader can grasp:
The names scheduled to appear are not coming to just "hang out"....these are the FCKN living, breathing GIANTS of the Greenwich Village Folk Scene. They are going to perform on stage one by fkg one all night...or at least until you figure out that you've missed something...and then they will play some more.
If anyone has an" in" with that dishtowel, tell them this is their last chance. The world can't fit in that shoebox but the world should know about Porcofest. They may have to close the thruway again
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Publicity making its way around (some)town
Thank you Ann Rebecca for talking up the bash....see you there!
Woman Around Town
Thank you Susan Green for getting me in touch with Bob Yellin and sewing up a nice story for your Green Mountain neighbors....see you there too!
**********************************
Folk City at 50: Vermont musicians recall N.Y. club as concert celebrates its legacy
BY SUSAN GREEN, FREE PRESS CORRESPONDENT • SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2010
Weather permitting, five decades ago acoustic musicians regularly congregated for Sunday afternoon jam sessions in New York's Washington Square Park.
In 1960, the Greenbriar Boys were belting out bluegrass tunes there on May 29. Someone invited the trio to perform the very next night at the debut of Gerde's Folk City, a new Greenwich Village venue on West 4th Street. That's how banjo wizard Bob Yellin, an Underhill resident since 1985, recalls the start of his former band's professional career.
None of them realized they were making history. And the ensemble had no inkling that another Gerde's gig, in September of 1961, would propel their opening act into the stratosphere: Bob Dylan was "discovered" at the show because a New York Times critic wrote a rave review and a record deal quickly followed.
The smoke-filled cultural mecca owned by Mike Porco relocated to West 3rd Street in 1971 and closed in 1987, seven years after he'd sold the place. But his grandson, Bob Porco, will host a June 7 commemorative gathering at that site, now home to the Fat Black Pussycat and the Village Underground.
Folk City at 50 is the name he's given to the nostalgic anniversary shindig, where the sound system is expected to be state-of the art. Was it at least adequate for the Greenbriar Boys' initial appearance at the club's original locale?
"Are you kidding? We're talking about an event that occurred a half-century ago," notes Yellin, whose subsequent Joint Chiefs of Bluegrass would gain a significant Vermont following during the late 1980s. "As far as I remember, there was a good-sized crowd, and we all played for free."
Gerde's is where the president of Vanguard, a prestigious folk label, came to see the Greenbriar Boys -- ultimately paid by Porco for their performances -- before signing them. The group's first album was released in 1962.
The well-regarded watering hole also helped launch Richie Havens, Jose Feliciano, Emmylou Harris, Arlo Guthrie, Simon and GarfunkelpastedGraphic_2.pdf, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Robert De Cormier, who now lives in Belmont and directs the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, served as the three-member folk combo's music director for almost 30 years.
He frequented Gerde's back in the day. "It was a very exciting time," says De Cormier, a veteran of the folk scene even before what's considered the "revival" period of the late 1950s and early '60s. "When I got out of the Army in 1946, I met Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Paul Robeson."
These legendary artists created the foundation for what successors, such as Dylan, would eventually contribute to the zeitgeist. For Yellin, the touchstone proved to be Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Southern bluegrass virtuosos who inspired him to begin learning the genre while he was still in high school.
But Mike Porco at first probably had little familiarity with any of those names. He was an Italian immigrant who, with three of his cousins, established Gerde's as a restaurant that employed instrumentalists only to provide a soothing atmosphere for patrons who came to eat and drink.
In November 1959, Porco and some additional business partners temporarily reinvented Gerde's as the Fifth Peg, which featured vocalists. Inaugurated as Folk City six months later, the club arguably was Lower Manhattan's first real showcase for rural roots music and its urban counterpart.
Monday evening hootenannies were especially popular with ragtag troubadours who attracted a bohemian clientele. A generation of Americans had begun to resist the stifling conformity of the 1950s, a movement that included a passion for songs about righting society's wrongs.
"Gerde's was an immediate success," says Bob Porco. "New York and Greenwich Village needed a legitimate stage. After Folk City, everyone else began holding open-mike nights and paying union wages."
When the building was condemned in 1971, the operation moved to what was once "a seedy strip joint" at 130 W. 3rd St. The folk scene had changed, rock 'n' roll assumed ascendancy and Vietnam protests diminished.
"Everybody plugged in after a while," Bob Porco says, "but the political spirit was gone from the music. Nobody had anything to be really pissed about anymore once the war was over."
Something happened to restore Gerde's to its former glory for a few years before fading again in the wake of disco and punk. Dylan, the conquering hero, returned Oct. 25, 1975. He chose the nightspot to announce his upcoming Rolling Thunder Revue (a cross-country tour that made a November stop in Burlington). Roger McGuinn, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Joan Baez and Bette Midler were on hand at Folk City to offer a few tunes, along with Bruce Springsteen -- who had flown in expressly for Mike Porco's simultaneous surprise 61st birthday party.
Yellin had his own unanticipated visit from an old pal when he moved his family to Israel two years after the Greenbriar Boys broke up in 1967.
"One day on the kibbutz, who comes by but Bob Dylan!" Yellin says. "He was giving a concert somewhere in Israel. The kibbutz was never the same after that."
And some might contend the world was never the same after Dylan put Gerde's on the map so long ago.
Bob Porco, a personal trainer, has temporarily set aside writing a biography of his grandfather to concentrate on arrangements for June's landmark event. He grew up in the 1980s crazy for heavy metal, but lately has been steeping himself more than ever in Grandpa Mike's milieu.
"It's as if I'm taking a crash course in Dave Van Ronk and Reverend Gary Davis," he says, referring to two stars from the great Gerde's pantheon. "I'm enjoying that ride."
Woman Around Town
Thank you Susan Green for getting me in touch with Bob Yellin and sewing up a nice story for your Green Mountain neighbors....see you there too!
**********************************
Folk City at 50: Vermont musicians recall N.Y. club as concert celebrates its legacy
BY SUSAN GREEN, FREE PRESS CORRESPONDENT • SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2010
Weather permitting, five decades ago acoustic musicians regularly congregated for Sunday afternoon jam sessions in New York's Washington Square Park.
In 1960, the Greenbriar Boys were belting out bluegrass tunes there on May 29. Someone invited the trio to perform the very next night at the debut of Gerde's Folk City, a new Greenwich Village venue on West 4th Street. That's how banjo wizard Bob Yellin, an Underhill resident since 1985, recalls the start of his former band's professional career.
None of them realized they were making history. And the ensemble had no inkling that another Gerde's gig, in September of 1961, would propel their opening act into the stratosphere: Bob Dylan was "discovered" at the show because a New York Times critic wrote a rave review and a record deal quickly followed.
The smoke-filled cultural mecca owned by Mike Porco relocated to West 3rd Street in 1971 and closed in 1987, seven years after he'd sold the place. But his grandson, Bob Porco, will host a June 7 commemorative gathering at that site, now home to the Fat Black Pussycat and the Village Underground.
Folk City at 50 is the name he's given to the nostalgic anniversary shindig, where the sound system is expected to be state-of the art. Was it at least adequate for the Greenbriar Boys' initial appearance at the club's original locale?
"Are you kidding? We're talking about an event that occurred a half-century ago," notes Yellin, whose subsequent Joint Chiefs of Bluegrass would gain a significant Vermont following during the late 1980s. "As far as I remember, there was a good-sized crowd, and we all played for free."
Gerde's is where the president of Vanguard, a prestigious folk label, came to see the Greenbriar Boys -- ultimately paid by Porco for their performances -- before signing them. The group's first album was released in 1962.
The well-regarded watering hole also helped launch Richie Havens, Jose Feliciano, Emmylou Harris, Arlo Guthrie, Simon and GarfunkelpastedGraphic_2.pdf, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Robert De Cormier, who now lives in Belmont and directs the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, served as the three-member folk combo's music director for almost 30 years.
He frequented Gerde's back in the day. "It was a very exciting time," says De Cormier, a veteran of the folk scene even before what's considered the "revival" period of the late 1950s and early '60s. "When I got out of the Army in 1946, I met Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Paul Robeson."
These legendary artists created the foundation for what successors, such as Dylan, would eventually contribute to the zeitgeist. For Yellin, the touchstone proved to be Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Southern bluegrass virtuosos who inspired him to begin learning the genre while he was still in high school.
But Mike Porco at first probably had little familiarity with any of those names. He was an Italian immigrant who, with three of his cousins, established Gerde's as a restaurant that employed instrumentalists only to provide a soothing atmosphere for patrons who came to eat and drink.
In November 1959, Porco and some additional business partners temporarily reinvented Gerde's as the Fifth Peg, which featured vocalists. Inaugurated as Folk City six months later, the club arguably was Lower Manhattan's first real showcase for rural roots music and its urban counterpart.
Monday evening hootenannies were especially popular with ragtag troubadours who attracted a bohemian clientele. A generation of Americans had begun to resist the stifling conformity of the 1950s, a movement that included a passion for songs about righting society's wrongs.
"Gerde's was an immediate success," says Bob Porco. "New York and Greenwich Village needed a legitimate stage. After Folk City, everyone else began holding open-mike nights and paying union wages."
When the building was condemned in 1971, the operation moved to what was once "a seedy strip joint" at 130 W. 3rd St. The folk scene had changed, rock 'n' roll assumed ascendancy and Vietnam protests diminished.
"Everybody plugged in after a while," Bob Porco says, "but the political spirit was gone from the music. Nobody had anything to be really pissed about anymore once the war was over."
Something happened to restore Gerde's to its former glory for a few years before fading again in the wake of disco and punk. Dylan, the conquering hero, returned Oct. 25, 1975. He chose the nightspot to announce his upcoming Rolling Thunder Revue (a cross-country tour that made a November stop in Burlington). Roger McGuinn, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Joan Baez and Bette Midler were on hand at Folk City to offer a few tunes, along with Bruce Springsteen -- who had flown in expressly for Mike Porco's simultaneous surprise 61st birthday party.
Yellin had his own unanticipated visit from an old pal when he moved his family to Israel two years after the Greenbriar Boys broke up in 1967.
"One day on the kibbutz, who comes by but Bob Dylan!" Yellin says. "He was giving a concert somewhere in Israel. The kibbutz was never the same after that."
And some might contend the world was never the same after Dylan put Gerde's on the map so long ago.
Bob Porco, a personal trainer, has temporarily set aside writing a biography of his grandfather to concentrate on arrangements for June's landmark event. He grew up in the 1980s crazy for heavy metal, but lately has been steeping himself more than ever in Grandpa Mike's milieu.
"It's as if I'm taking a crash course in Dave Van Ronk and Reverend Gary Davis," he says, referring to two stars from the great Gerde's pantheon. "I'm enjoying that ride."
I snuck Happy's name in there....
Yes....I'm sure many of you noticed Happy Traum added to the line up post last week. Unfortunately, Pat Sky has engagements elsewhere and won't be able to join us....but we've added Happy, Guy Davis, Sally Spring, Su Polo, Joe Virga and John McEuen.....one step back. Six steps forward. More info to be blogged upon soon.
(a VIP list has been started in case it becomes crowded early...to limit your wait on the street, contact folkcity50@gmail.com so you can get priority....those who've been in direct contact with me are already on the list)
(a VIP list has been started in case it becomes crowded early...to limit your wait on the street, contact folkcity50@gmail.com so you can get priority....those who've been in direct contact with me are already on the list)
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
mONDAY Monday mONDAY
Allow me to disclose some missing info....along with the updated line up (in no order)
Jack Hardy
Dominic Chianese
Eric Weissberg
Bev Grant
David Massengill
Rod MacDonald
Willie Nile
Roger Sprung
Dick Reicheg
Vincent Vok
Erik Frandsen
Jonathan Kalb
Willie Nininger
Peter Stampfel
Lili Añel
Biff Rose
Lydia Adams Davis
Bob Horan
Steve Ben Isreal
Vince Martin
Richard Chanel
Frank Christian
Randy Burns
Mark Dann
David Amram
Roland Mousaa
Dirdy Birdies Jug Band
Sylvia Tyson
Joe Virga
Heather Wood, Ken Schatz and George Stevens``
Peggy Atwood
Judy Gorman
Poez
Terre and Suzzy Roche
David Goldman
Nick Holmes
Sally Spring
Happy Traum
Guy Davis
John McEuen
Su Polo
CRAZY right??!
.......so far......there are a couple of other known unknown unconfirms coming....won't disclose those names until i know fer sure.......
Also, it probably would be helpful to know what time we're having this shindig. Let's plan on a 7:00 PM EST showtime, shall we....? Feel free to start arriving after 5 or 6 to schmooze and give me a hug. Those who wish to jam acoustically...let's do it in The Fat Black Pussycat until showtime. I'll be there around that time to meet and greet but will have to go down to the Underground venue to make a welcome announcement and get the show on the road. We will be providing a closed circuit feed of what takes place downstairs to screens upstairs(street level).
We have decided that we must charge a nominal entry fee at the door. Tickets will be sold at the door only for $10.
Two weeks from today...
and if you'd like help cover labor costs and get a first-edit BOOTLEG CD, please donate to Kickstarter here
(PS- Still need a volunteer or two to help with tracking artist CD sales and making change. Perhaps only 60-75 minutes of "work"...go on the tab for your offering of your time...email folkcity50@gmail if you'd like to help)
Jack Hardy
Dominic Chianese
Eric Weissberg
Bev Grant
David Massengill
Rod MacDonald
Willie Nile
Roger Sprung
Dick Reicheg
Vincent Vok
Erik Frandsen
Jonathan Kalb
Willie Nininger
Peter Stampfel
Lili Añel
Biff Rose
Lydia Adams Davis
Bob Horan
Steve Ben Isreal
Vince Martin
Richard Chanel
Frank Christian
Randy Burns
Mark Dann
David Amram
Roland Mousaa
Dirdy Birdies Jug Band
Sylvia Tyson
Joe Virga
Heather Wood, Ken Schatz and George Stevens``
Peggy Atwood
Judy Gorman
Poez
Terre and Suzzy Roche
David Goldman
Nick Holmes
Sally Spring
Happy Traum
Guy Davis
John McEuen
Su Polo
CRAZY right??!
.......so far......there are a couple of other known unknown unconfirms coming....won't disclose those names until i know fer sure.......
Also, it probably would be helpful to know what time we're having this shindig. Let's plan on a 7:00 PM EST showtime, shall we....? Feel free to start arriving after 5 or 6 to schmooze and give me a hug. Those who wish to jam acoustically...let's do it in The Fat Black Pussycat until showtime. I'll be there around that time to meet and greet but will have to go down to the Underground venue to make a welcome announcement and get the show on the road. We will be providing a closed circuit feed of what takes place downstairs to screens upstairs(street level).
We have decided that we must charge a nominal entry fee at the door. Tickets will be sold at the door only for $10.
Two weeks from today...
and if you'd like help cover labor costs and get a first-edit BOOTLEG CD, please donate to Kickstarter here
(PS- Still need a volunteer or two to help with tracking artist CD sales and making change. Perhaps only 60-75 minutes of "work"...go on the tab for your offering of your time...email folkcity50@gmail if you'd like to help)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
And now for something completely different....
So I started this blog, I may as well blog. Which to me means "spew".
So I'll spew a bit, but all in context of my journey down the road to Grandpa's Gerdes Great Off-The-Grid Get toGether Gathering.
As some of you know, (you know who you are) I was inspired by a celestial force of nature to finally do what I've always talked about doing- write a book about Greenwich Village's unsung hero- Mike Porco.
Admitedly, I didn't get to know my grandfather as well as some of his patrons but he was always a big figure in my life. No "On Golden Pond"-type moments fishing and farting but I do have many memories of his mannerisms and persona. He's like the old elm tree you used to climb in the backyard of your youth. You miss it the most once it's gone.
The history that took place in his club was never lost on me, I just didn't know the complete cast of characters and the order of events. I've been determined to discover all that and more.... and document it.
So far, I've heard unbelievably great stories from those I've spoken with. I will hear hundreds more before I'm through, no doubt. I'm having quite a good time connecting with everyone and learning about you all. Everyone has been super kind. Quite a blessing and quite a surreal trip at the same time.
I've name dropped my way into everyone's lives in progress asking them to bring up their fond memories of the past. No one I've spoken to so far has held back or disappointed.
But there are others along my path that deserve thanks because they've done things and lent a hand to my project, in some cases, separate from ever meeting me personally.
>>>My old friend from Ithaca College (where I never took a class and, thusly, never graduated from) Dan "Captain" Kirkhus recreated the putrid West 3rd wall paper you see on this blog. His outstanding web design skills can be found at isotopemedia.com
>>>Dr. Rose Reissman has encouraged me to no end both in my writing and on this 50th anniversary party. She even had me speak about Mike and play guitar for her Brooklyn middle school students in April where I closed the "show" with a sing-a-long of "Knockin on Heavens door" then signed autographs (hahahahahaha) in PENCIL, no less. (ooohahahahaha!)
>>>Frank Beacham, Brian Rose and Mark Dann- all of whom you'll see at the event offering their professional skill. Wanted to keep it in the Family, you know.
>>>Mitch Blank. My new best friend...like it or not. Cuz he has the ability to transform me into a fly on the wall at Gerdes circa the 60s
>>>The Kickstarter "backers"-Funding the labor costs of a party with a Bootleg CD copy as their reward. I know we can do it! GET YOUR BOOTLEG HERE
>>>My clients- who keep me employed even though I bore them to tears with the details of this party as they manifest
>>>And The Flaming Lips....yes The Flaming Lips. My one constant diversion from Folk music these past months. Sometimes doubt creeps in while putting on a Musical Party when you're not in the music or party business. Wayne Coyne's stargazed, matheQuazed lyrics have accompanied me all this past long winter and early Spring reminding me of the fragile yet unyeilding force that is life. The infinite number of possibilities are always there regardless of one's past actions or perception of the future.
All we have is now
All we've ever had is now
As the dawn began to break
I had to surrender
The universe will have its way
Too powerful to master
I don't know where the sunbeams end
And the starlights begin
It's all a mystery
It only happens if you try
Pain and pleasure both get you high
No one is ever really powerless
Look outside
I know that you'll recognize it's summertime
Why, why do we fear
To try to fly near
Just beneath the machine
The sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion
Caused by the world
Spinning 'round
Oh oh oh finding the answer
Oh oh oh oh oh
Finding that there ain't no answer to find
Oh oh oh watching the planets
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh watching the planets align
See the sun
It's trying again
It's trying again
It's trying again
So I'll spew a bit, but all in context of my journey down the road to Grandpa's Gerdes Great Off-The-Grid Get toGether Gathering.
As some of you know, (you know who you are) I was inspired by a celestial force of nature to finally do what I've always talked about doing- write a book about Greenwich Village's unsung hero- Mike Porco.
Admitedly, I didn't get to know my grandfather as well as some of his patrons but he was always a big figure in my life. No "On Golden Pond"-type moments fishing and farting but I do have many memories of his mannerisms and persona. He's like the old elm tree you used to climb in the backyard of your youth. You miss it the most once it's gone.
The history that took place in his club was never lost on me, I just didn't know the complete cast of characters and the order of events. I've been determined to discover all that and more.... and document it.
So far, I've heard unbelievably great stories from those I've spoken with. I will hear hundreds more before I'm through, no doubt. I'm having quite a good time connecting with everyone and learning about you all. Everyone has been super kind. Quite a blessing and quite a surreal trip at the same time.
I've name dropped my way into everyone's lives in progress asking them to bring up their fond memories of the past. No one I've spoken to so far has held back or disappointed.
But there are others along my path that deserve thanks because they've done things and lent a hand to my project, in some cases, separate from ever meeting me personally.
>>>My old friend from Ithaca College (where I never took a class and, thusly, never graduated from) Dan "Captain" Kirkhus recreated the putrid West 3rd wall paper you see on this blog. His outstanding web design skills can be found at isotopemedia.com
>>>Dr. Rose Reissman has encouraged me to no end both in my writing and on this 50th anniversary party. She even had me speak about Mike and play guitar for her Brooklyn middle school students in April where I closed the "show" with a sing-a-long of "Knockin on Heavens door" then signed autographs (hahahahahaha) in PENCIL, no less. (ooohahahahaha!)
>>>Frank Beacham, Brian Rose and Mark Dann- all of whom you'll see at the event offering their professional skill. Wanted to keep it in the Family, you know.
>>>Mitch Blank. My new best friend...like it or not. Cuz he has the ability to transform me into a fly on the wall at Gerdes circa the 60s
>>>The Kickstarter "backers"-Funding the labor costs of a party with a Bootleg CD copy as their reward. I know we can do it! GET YOUR BOOTLEG HERE
>>>My clients- who keep me employed even though I bore them to tears with the details of this party as they manifest
>>>And The Flaming Lips....yes The Flaming Lips. My one constant diversion from Folk music these past months. Sometimes doubt creeps in while putting on a Musical Party when you're not in the music or party business. Wayne Coyne's stargazed, matheQuazed lyrics have accompanied me all this past long winter and early Spring reminding me of the fragile yet unyeilding force that is life. The infinite number of possibilities are always there regardless of one's past actions or perception of the future.
All we have is now
All we've ever had is now
As the dawn began to break
I had to surrender
The universe will have its way
Too powerful to master
I don't know where the sunbeams end
And the starlights begin
It's all a mystery
It only happens if you try
Pain and pleasure both get you high
No one is ever really powerless
Look outside
I know that you'll recognize it's summertime
Why, why do we fear
To try to fly near
Just beneath the machine
The sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion
Caused by the world
Spinning 'round
Oh oh oh finding the answer
Oh oh oh oh oh
Finding that there ain't no answer to find
Oh oh oh watching the planets
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh watching the planets align
See the sun
It's trying again
It's trying again
It's trying again
Monday, May 10, 2010
Definition of Folk City by Willie Nile
"It was a down home local watering hole gathering place filled with a revolving cast of Village characters, musicians, comedians, visionaries, crazies and everything in between. It was a place where you could get up on stage and experiment and play your music and hang out till all hours of the night with fellow wanderers, all under the watchful and encouraging eye of the street-wise and kind-hearted Mike Porco. It was old word and new world at the same time and a great place to hang one's hat."
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Name and address
A looooooooooong looooooooong time ago, I mentioned more details about the venue for the Great Gerdes Off-the-Grid Get Together this June 7.....for those unsure of what's currently at the address, 130 West 3rd was where Folk City ended up its last 16+ years.....The Fat Black Pussycat and Village Underground are in that location now....Proprietor Noam Dworman has generously offered Us the landmark spot over by 6th Ave for the night.....state of the art sound and lighting......bass and guitar amps with a drum kit and keyboards.....full bar and small plates from the kitchen.....same front door, bar, front window, new ice machine.....it's ready for a party....bring your liver
backpacks and other large containers are subject to random search by...um...I don't know....Paul Stookey....I have no idea. Whoever wants to check 'em. We're taking volunteers.
Welcome to new York
several thousand thank yous
backpacks and other large containers are subject to random search by...um...I don't know....Paul Stookey....I have no idea. Whoever wants to check 'em. We're taking volunteers.
Welcome to new York
several thousand thank yous
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Dear Uncle Bobby, It's me, Bobby
Not that we were actually expecting the second coming of Gerdes' own Bobby Dylan on June 7....his tour brings him to Croatia that day. If we still had the Concorde, we might have had a chance... I'm still on his trail hoping to one day go face-to-face with Zimmy. (Call me when you get back to New York City Uncle Bobby...)
In other news, we've surpassed the 30 performer mark!! Looking at 5 hours of music...if you think you can handle it. Too many, you say? That's a hot show, I say. Rock, Folk, Jazz, Blues, Old World, Traditional, Rock, Blues, Folk, Bluegrass, Jug Band....
Full line up to be posted soon...another partial list post right here:
Jack Hardy and Dominic Chianese as Co-Emcees
David Massengill
Roger Sprung
Vincent Vok
Bev Grant
Jonathan Kalb
Erik Frandsen
Willie Nininger
Peter Stampfel
Lili Añel
Bob Horan
Biff Rose
Randy Burns
David Amram
Vince Martin
Steve Ben Isreal
Frank Christian
Sylvia Tyson
Patrick Sky
Willie Nile
Rod MacDonald...
Once again, my warmest THANKS!!
I plan on sending a first-edit bootleg version of the show to those who make a quality recording possible. Donate to our Kickstarter page for your copy:
http://kck.st/aXeesQ
I like Erik Frandsen's reference to the 50th....PORCOFEST!!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Talkin Folk City
If you're in the greater New York listening area, tune in to 89.1 WNYU Sunday May 2 as I join Anna D. on a show she calls-yes- "Talkin Folk City"
Show starts at noon. I'll join in around 12:50 and we'll schmooze and play a little music.
I'll give a more complete (but not completely complete) rundown of the 30 performers joining in on the fun for the Great Gerdes Off-the-Grid Get Together and Gathering
Show starts at noon. I'll join in around 12:50 and we'll schmooze and play a little music.
I'll give a more complete (but not completely complete) rundown of the 30 performers joining in on the fun for the Great Gerdes Off-the-Grid Get Together and Gathering
Monday, April 26, 2010
A little background on Mike Porco
Michele had worked in the rural province of Calabria since the age of eight when his father apprenticed him to a carpenter. It was hardly uncommon for pre-teens of the old world to have their vocation decided for them by their parents and Michele proved to be a fast learner and a patient woodworker. Young Michele (pronounced Mick-EL-eh) continued with school but it was clear to Angelo Porco that his son's abilities were best displayed by his handy work. His early calling was in the fine skill of cabinet making and he was proficient enough in that trade that by age 16, he had opened his own shop making cabinets and doing woodworking jobs for the townsfolk.
Just two months beyond his 18th birthday, Michele received a long awaited post from New York where his father had gone months before. In it, Angelo summoned his eldest Son to leave his mother and three siblings behind to be with his father and fashion a new life in America. Michele, like millions of European immigrants before him, had dreams of inventing himself in the Land of Opportunity. The only promise he had was from his father saying in the letter that he would meet him at the pier when his ship came in to new York.
Finally, the day planned by his father was upon Michele. In January of 1933 he packed a trunk bound for glory and rode a train 450 miles up the Mediterranean shoreline to Genoa.
The work-strong Michele dreamt of making his way in America the way many of his cousins did before him. He and his father had known of several families that had already settled in New York City from their homeland in Calabria. Michele's father had shuttled back and forth during the last decade to work with extended family members and Angelo had plans to enhance the Porco family's prospects by adding a hardworking wage earner. Armed with little more than half a lifetime's experience in a trade and a wealth of ambition, he readied himself for the adventure of his life. He would later Americanize his name, simply, to Mike.
The Conte di Sevioa arrived in New York harbor in the early hours of the 2nd day of February. The forecast called for a sunny day according to the New York Times. Now with his official papers in hand, Michele was eager to reunite with his father; an event he envisioned happening over the course of transversing the 4600 mile trip to the America.
The melee of welcomers and new arrivals was just another everyday occurrence for the Immigration workers on the pier. For Michele, it was a maddening chore trying to find his father's face in the crowd. Finally, a familiar voice cried out his name from a distance. Again the voice called for 'Michele'. Michele stopped in his tracks unsure of why it wasn't his father's voice. It was a passing thought. He soon recognized the voice of his uncle getting louder as he neared his space. A joyous hug and a tear of a bittersweet welcome accompanied with an awkward silence unexpected by Young Porco.
Tio Luigi had dreaded this heart-wrenching moment. He had to find a way to welcome his kin to the New World and, in the very next breath, tell the boy that his father had died shortly after sending his last letter home to Italy.
The definition of Mike's new beginnings in America had now been instantly altered into a challenge to not only start from scratch but to make his way virtually on his own.
He would have little time to mourn as his fate awaited him in the morning of tomorrow. His fighting spirit surely took a devastating blow from behind on the pier that day but perhaps it was from this absolute emotional bottom that Mike Porco cultivated a level of quiet determination that he would harness and use for the rest of his life in New York. Here at the lowest point of his young life, little could he expect that he would one day play a crucial role in facilitating the revival of a musical movement that would define American society for decades to come.
Mike would eventually offer a stage and a week's pay to every singer-songwriter who was able to muster up "a following." They came from all over the country in hopes of becoming a star in Greenwich Village. But first Mike had to pick himself up and follow his own star.
Copyright 2010 Bob Porco
Just two months beyond his 18th birthday, Michele received a long awaited post from New York where his father had gone months before. In it, Angelo summoned his eldest Son to leave his mother and three siblings behind to be with his father and fashion a new life in America. Michele, like millions of European immigrants before him, had dreams of inventing himself in the Land of Opportunity. The only promise he had was from his father saying in the letter that he would meet him at the pier when his ship came in to new York.
Finally, the day planned by his father was upon Michele. In January of 1933 he packed a trunk bound for glory and rode a train 450 miles up the Mediterranean shoreline to Genoa.
The work-strong Michele dreamt of making his way in America the way many of his cousins did before him. He and his father had known of several families that had already settled in New York City from their homeland in Calabria. Michele's father had shuttled back and forth during the last decade to work with extended family members and Angelo had plans to enhance the Porco family's prospects by adding a hardworking wage earner. Armed with little more than half a lifetime's experience in a trade and a wealth of ambition, he readied himself for the adventure of his life. He would later Americanize his name, simply, to Mike.
The Conte di Sevioa arrived in New York harbor in the early hours of the 2nd day of February. The forecast called for a sunny day according to the New York Times. Now with his official papers in hand, Michele was eager to reunite with his father; an event he envisioned happening over the course of transversing the 4600 mile trip to the America.
The melee of welcomers and new arrivals was just another everyday occurrence for the Immigration workers on the pier. For Michele, it was a maddening chore trying to find his father's face in the crowd. Finally, a familiar voice cried out his name from a distance. Again the voice called for 'Michele'. Michele stopped in his tracks unsure of why it wasn't his father's voice. It was a passing thought. He soon recognized the voice of his uncle getting louder as he neared his space. A joyous hug and a tear of a bittersweet welcome accompanied with an awkward silence unexpected by Young Porco.
Tio Luigi had dreaded this heart-wrenching moment. He had to find a way to welcome his kin to the New World and, in the very next breath, tell the boy that his father had died shortly after sending his last letter home to Italy.
The definition of Mike's new beginnings in America had now been instantly altered into a challenge to not only start from scratch but to make his way virtually on his own.
He would have little time to mourn as his fate awaited him in the morning of tomorrow. His fighting spirit surely took a devastating blow from behind on the pier that day but perhaps it was from this absolute emotional bottom that Mike Porco cultivated a level of quiet determination that he would harness and use for the rest of his life in New York. Here at the lowest point of his young life, little could he expect that he would one day play a crucial role in facilitating the revival of a musical movement that would define American society for decades to come.
Mike would eventually offer a stage and a week's pay to every singer-songwriter who was able to muster up "a following." They came from all over the country in hopes of becoming a star in Greenwich Village. But first Mike had to pick himself up and follow his own star.
Copyright 2010 Bob Porco
General Info
Fifty years ago, Mike Porco added live Folk Music to the menu of his Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village . The rest became American Music History.
Virtually overnight, Gerdes Folk City became the most coveted gig by every hopefull singer/songwriter to make their way to New York . It was the home of New York 's original Hootenanny now commonly known as open mic. Gerdes offered a stage for aspiring stars to make their names known....and many of them did.
The list of those who cut their teeth at Gerdes reads like a who's-who of American Folk and Folk Rock royalty: Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Judy Collins, Simon and Garfunkel, Jose Feliciano, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nile, Steve Forbert, The Roches, Peter, Paul and Mary, Phoebe Snow, David Massengill, Rod MacDonald, Lili Añel, Carly Simon and, of course, Bobby Dylan.
Now, for one night only, many of them are "Bringing it All Back Home" to Gerdes' last stop in The Village for a music filled reunion. This will be the "kickoff" gathering beginning a year of celebrating Folk Music's 50th year of finding a home in New York City.
You're invited to come experience the Folk City at Fifty Anniversary reunion featuring over two dozen live performances by those who made Gerdes what it was...and still is.
WHERE: 130 West 3rd NYC.(now the Fat Black Pussycat)
WHEN: June 7th 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Bootleggin' it
THIS SHOW IS FREEEEEEEEE.....maybe
As any Folk City Hootenanny would be. Kindness to your server is always appreciated.
But there are costs involved, namely, to have professional sound, stage and photographers there to capture a day in the life of all of us.
The link below is a site where we can pool funds to ensure a quality BOOTLEG is made of the June 7 Ãœber-Hoot.
http://kck.st/aXeesQ
We have 50+ days to raise our goal through this "venue" website. Please help make it possible for those who can't be there to enjoy the amazing performances. Those who donate recieve a free copy before mastering. Those who donate make the polished BOOTLEG album possible.
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As any Folk City Hootenanny would be. Kindness to your server is always appreciated.
But there are costs involved, namely, to have professional sound, stage and photographers there to capture a day in the life of all of us.
The link below is a site where we can pool funds to ensure a quality BOOTLEG is made of the June 7 Ãœber-Hoot.
http://kck.st/aXeesQ
We have 50+ days to raise our goal through this "venue" website. Please help make it possible for those who can't be there to enjoy the amazing performances. Those who donate recieve a free copy before mastering. Those who donate make the polished BOOTLEG album possible.
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Split down the middle
The radio spot with Bob Fass went as well as could be. Many thanks to David Massengill for putting on such a nice late night/early morning performance. Go to the archive page if you wish to hear. www.archive.wbai.org
Radio unnamable friday april 16th
we show up about the 1hour 35 minute mark
Some confirmed performer's names were exposed on air for the first time publically.
Allow me to tease you a bit with some names....
Willie Nile
Mark Johnson
Vince Martin
Bev Grant
Peter Stampfel
Randy Burns
Rod MacDonald
David Massengill
Jonathan Kalb
Jack Hardy
Bob Horan
Biff Rose
Lili Añel
Dominic Chianese
Roger Sprung................
So there you go.....
Just a sampling of the unique and diverse lineup we're planning for June 7th
Blues
Bluegrass
Mountain Folk
Rock
Folk Rock
Eclectic undefinable stuff
Even a taste of Latin and Old World
As I said, we're over 2 dozen acts for the one-time event. As of this moment, the number of acts coming over for to be part of the show is closer to 30 than 25. It's sort of split right down the middle as far as Old and New Guard. Pretty cool, Huh?
Am I splitting hairs saying it like that....? Not if the next act splits the headline!!! Too much free music for you to handle for one night??
Let's figure out how to take it all in together, shall we...?
GERDES MUSICIANS:
Don't see your name??? RSVP TODAY!!!!!
FOLKCITY50@GMAIL.COM
And those who have already, DOUBLE SECRET CONFIRM WITH ME AGAIN
Those of you who came to this blog thru facebook.....please spread the word in your own way. Let's make sure the place is filled for the Ãœber-HOOT!!!!
Thanks. Bob
Radio unnamable friday april 16th
we show up about the 1hour 35 minute mark
Some confirmed performer's names were exposed on air for the first time publically.
Allow me to tease you a bit with some names....
Willie Nile
Mark Johnson
Vince Martin
Bev Grant
Peter Stampfel
Randy Burns
Rod MacDonald
David Massengill
Jonathan Kalb
Jack Hardy
Bob Horan
Biff Rose
Lili Añel
Dominic Chianese
Roger Sprung................
So there you go.....
Just a sampling of the unique and diverse lineup we're planning for June 7th
Blues
Bluegrass
Mountain Folk
Rock
Folk Rock
Eclectic undefinable stuff
Even a taste of Latin and Old World
As I said, we're over 2 dozen acts for the one-time event. As of this moment, the number of acts coming over for to be part of the show is closer to 30 than 25. It's sort of split right down the middle as far as Old and New Guard. Pretty cool, Huh?
Am I splitting hairs saying it like that....? Not if the next act splits the headline!!! Too much free music for you to handle for one night??
Let's figure out how to take it all in together, shall we...?
GERDES MUSICIANS:
Don't see your name??? RSVP TODAY!!!!!
FOLKCITY50@GMAIL.COM
And those who have already, DOUBLE SECRET CONFIRM WITH ME AGAIN
Those of you who came to this blog thru facebook.....please spread the word in your own way. Let's make sure the place is filled for the Ãœber-HOOT!!!!
Thanks. Bob
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Talkin' Gerdes on WBAI TONIGHT
Tune in to 99.5 FM in the NYC listening area to here David Massengill and I sit in with radio legend Bob Fass to discuss Gerdes and Mike and whatever springs up from there. Show starts at midnight Thursday. David and I will join in around 1AM.
Archive can be found the next day on archive.WBAI.org
Archive can be found the next day on archive.WBAI.org
Thursday, April 8, 2010
IT'S ALIIIIIVE!!!
Yeah.
It's a monster.
Word is traveling far and wide...thanks to technology. Emails on the run...bloggin' and facebookin'...excited performers passing word on around the country...sure looks like I'm doing a lot but really it's the musicians and patrons who loved their time at Folk City who have injected LIFE into this gathering...or perhaps it's the musicians and patrons who loved Mike and John. Jury's out.
Anyway, let me humbly say THANKS
And just a bit more info for now:
The Village Underground (Downstairs of the old Gerdes at 130 W3rd) has a complete stage set up. House keyboards, bass and guitar amps, mic's, bongos...the whole enchilada.
Upstairs (ground level) will likely be for schmoozing, jamming and acoustics.
Show time likely 7ish..8ish til whenever-ish.
Confirming acts all this month...Eclectic, historic, diverse, one-of-a-kind line up to be splashed on this blog soon (I promise!)
Check Back...keep passing it on!!
It's a monster.
Word is traveling far and wide...thanks to technology. Emails on the run...bloggin' and facebookin'...excited performers passing word on around the country...sure looks like I'm doing a lot but really it's the musicians and patrons who loved their time at Folk City who have injected LIFE into this gathering...or perhaps it's the musicians and patrons who loved Mike and John. Jury's out.
Anyway, let me humbly say THANKS
And just a bit more info for now:
The Village Underground (Downstairs of the old Gerdes at 130 W3rd) has a complete stage set up. House keyboards, bass and guitar amps, mic's, bongos...the whole enchilada.
Upstairs (ground level) will likely be for schmoozing, jamming and acoustics.
Show time likely 7ish..8ish til whenever-ish.
Confirming acts all this month...Eclectic, historic, diverse, one-of-a-kind line up to be splashed on this blog soon (I promise!)
Check Back...keep passing it on!!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Fourteen, sixteen.....TWENTY!!!!!
That's right....Twenty (20) musical acts eager to play and celebrate Mike Porco's 50th Anniversary of opening New York's Center of Folk Music.
I'm starting to confirm performers two-by-two....Replies are shifting from definite "maybe's" to "HELL YES!!" Imagine if I knew what I was doing....
Get yourself out of the "maybe" list...RSVP to FolkCity50@Gmail.com before you think twice. Each additional act will only lead to the next.
There's one less "maybe" every couple of days. Confirm your spot on this FIRST TIME, ONE TIME and perhaps ONLY TIME line up including.....
...I promise to let the cat out of the bag sometime in April to let you all know who's planning on making the trip/coming out of retirement/walking over/driving in/heading down to The Fat Black Pussycat to cavort and HAVA THE TASTE once again.
If you're already in NYC, you have no excuse NOT to board the subway with a dusted off favorite ready to play a memorial Hoot for Grandpa Mike Porco.
I suggest an afternoon nap...this could go on for a while...
I'm starting to confirm performers two-by-two....Replies are shifting from definite "maybe's" to "HELL YES!!" Imagine if I knew what I was doing....
Get yourself out of the "maybe" list...RSVP to FolkCity50@Gmail.com before you think twice. Each additional act will only lead to the next.
There's one less "maybe" every couple of days. Confirm your spot on this FIRST TIME, ONE TIME and perhaps ONLY TIME line up including.....
...I promise to let the cat out of the bag sometime in April to let you all know who's planning on making the trip/coming out of retirement/walking over/driving in/heading down to The Fat Black Pussycat to cavort and HAVA THE TASTE once again.
If you're already in NYC, you have no excuse NOT to board the subway with a dusted off favorite ready to play a memorial Hoot for Grandpa Mike Porco.
I suggest an afternoon nap...this could go on for a while...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
So far. So good. So what?
Initial interest from one MASS email has been encouraging!
Over a dozen acts and counting...
In a matter of days, I will be contacting all in my little black book to confirm commitments and secure some more.
To avoid gentle arm twisting, RSVP today to
FolkCity50@gmail.com
(Or just call Bob)
Don't wait for me to expose the list before you decide...many of you know who's likely to be there. See for yourself. Come play on the same stage with fellow greats one more time....and "bringa you following"
The "Old Guard" is represented. (79 year old banjo players are cool!)
The "New Guard" is represented. (including but not exclusive to The One Man Clash)
Robert Johnson is represented.
Rev. Gary Davis is represented.
Dave Van Ronk is represented.
Mike Porco is represented.
Represent your damn self!
People who have never met or played together will be there together for the first time.
Yes. It really will be that special...
Gerdes musicians: Add your name to the list!!!
Over a dozen acts and counting...
In a matter of days, I will be contacting all in my little black book to confirm commitments and secure some more.
To avoid gentle arm twisting, RSVP today to
FolkCity50@gmail.com
(Or just call Bob)
Don't wait for me to expose the list before you decide...many of you know who's likely to be there. See for yourself. Come play on the same stage with fellow greats one more time....and "bringa you following"
The "Old Guard" is represented. (79 year old banjo players are cool!)
The "New Guard" is represented. (including but not exclusive to The One Man Clash)
Robert Johnson is represented.
Rev. Gary Davis is represented.
Dave Van Ronk is represented.
Mike Porco is represented.
Represent your damn self!
People who have never met or played together will be there together for the first time.
Yes. It really will be that special...
Gerdes musicians: Add your name to the list!!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Cleveland or Bust!!!
Facebook users and abusers: Join this public page and stay tuned for ways you can help get Gerdes Folk City inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
cut and paste til i figure this blogging nonsense out:
Induct Gerdes Folk City into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=417578784568&ref=mf
And of course the other public page "Face down at Folk City"
cut it. Paste it.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=45635986613&ref=mf
cut and paste til i figure this blogging nonsense out:
Induct Gerdes Folk City into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=417578784568&ref=mf
And of course the other public page "Face down at Folk City"
cut it. Paste it.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=45635986613&ref=mf
Thursday, March 4, 2010
General Info
What: Folk City at Fifty! The 50th anniversary of the first honest-to-god folk club in the Village. (Dave Van Ronk said that!)
Where: 130 w3rd NYC- Gerdes Folk City's final stop in the Village.
Noam Dworman, proprietor of the Village Underground and Fat Black Pussycat has graciously offered the Pussycat for this once in a lifetime historic extravaganza. Thanks Noam!
When: Monday June 7th 2010 (subject to change) There are worse things to do on a Monday
Who:
Rumored guests...Havens, Weissberg, Vega, Traum, Baez, Hardy, The Roches, Kaplansky, Vok, Kalb, Atwood, Feliciano, Rotolo, Sky, Hester, Yarrow, Nile, Massengill, MacDonald, Kornfeld, Simon, Frandsen, Forbert, Collins, Christian, Harris, McGuinn, Bromberg, Elliott, Guthrie, Seeger, Mas and on and on and on
Longest running rumored appearance: Bobby Dylan (né Zimmerman)
Actual guests: You know who you are...
List under construction. To be announced in April. Check back for updates!
Gimmie a break! I just started this blog yesterday...
Former patrons and performers RSVP today!
Folk, Folk/rock, bluegrass, blues and acoustic music lovers RSVP now!
To RSVP, send your intent to:
FolkCity50@gmail.com
Come one. Come all!
Bring yourself on down to Folk City at Fifty.
TOUCH the very bar that Mike and John Porco tended with great care!
WALK THROUGH the front door so many great performers and would be stars strode through on their way to into history!
COME AND HEAR some of the greatest singer songwriters perform at Gerdes once again!
HAVA THE TASTE!!
FAQs
What is/was Folk City?
"The Mecca"~ Richie Havens
"Our Headquarters"~ Carolyn Hester
"Like no place else in the Village"~ Suze Rotolo
"The perfect school"~ Steve Forbert
"A mythical place"~ Jack Hardy
"A cauldron of creativity"~ Terre Roche
"A home for dreamers"~ David Massengill
"The preeminent Folk club in America"~ Bobby Dylan
"Gerdes was the starting point of it all"~ Maria Muldaur
"(Folk City) has a certain kind of goodness that transcends everything"~ Ramblin' Jack Elliott
"Folk City was where original singers came to sing"~ Suzanne Vega
"Gerdes meant more to me than any club I ever played in all my lifetime"~ John Lee Hooker
"Folk City was the only place that was really open and encouraging"~ Emmylou Harris
"Folk City was THE folk club"~ John Hammond Jr
"(The place) to get exposure in front of audiences and learn how to work out your songs"~ Roger McGuinn
"The place I would really call home. It WAS my home"~ Judy Collins
"Gerdes was the heart of it all. The ultimate in hip. It was the real thing"~ Joan Baez
"Because of Folk City I developed the act I have now. Gerdes meant independence for me"~ Jose Feliciano
"Folk City was IT"~ John Hammond Sr
"It was THE place to go"~ Lenny Levine
"Folk City meant there was life beyond Macdougal St"~ John Cohen
"It freshened up American life for the better"~ Danny Kalb
"The best parent a person could have"~ Carolyne Mas
"The 60s happened here"~ Maggie Roche
"I got to see John Lee Hooker and Dylan for a dollar"~ Annonymous
Who can I expect to see there?
See above
Can I bring my dulcimer and auto harp?
By all means
And my guitar??!!
Yes you may
Will there be a piano there?
I certainly hope so
What should I wear?
Comfortable shoes
What is there to eat and/or drink?
Food and refreshments will be served
Where: 130 w3rd NYC- Gerdes Folk City's final stop in the Village.
Noam Dworman, proprietor of the Village Underground and Fat Black Pussycat has graciously offered the Pussycat for this once in a lifetime historic extravaganza. Thanks Noam!
When: Monday June 7th 2010 (subject to change) There are worse things to do on a Monday
Who:
Rumored guests...Havens, Weissberg, Vega, Traum, Baez, Hardy, The Roches, Kaplansky, Vok, Kalb, Atwood, Feliciano, Rotolo, Sky, Hester, Yarrow, Nile, Massengill, MacDonald, Kornfeld, Simon, Frandsen, Forbert, Collins, Christian, Harris, McGuinn, Bromberg, Elliott, Guthrie, Seeger, Mas and on and on and on
Longest running rumored appearance: Bobby Dylan (né Zimmerman)
Actual guests: You know who you are...
List under construction. To be announced in April. Check back for updates!
Gimmie a break! I just started this blog yesterday...
Former patrons and performers RSVP today!
Folk, Folk/rock, bluegrass, blues and acoustic music lovers RSVP now!
To RSVP, send your intent to:
FolkCity50@gmail.com
Come one. Come all!
Bring yourself on down to Folk City at Fifty.
TOUCH the very bar that Mike and John Porco tended with great care!
WALK THROUGH the front door so many great performers and would be stars strode through on their way to into history!
COME AND HEAR some of the greatest singer songwriters perform at Gerdes once again!
HAVA THE TASTE!!
FAQs
What is/was Folk City?
"The Mecca"~ Richie Havens
"Our Headquarters"~ Carolyn Hester
"Like no place else in the Village"~ Suze Rotolo
"The perfect school"~ Steve Forbert
"A mythical place"~ Jack Hardy
"A cauldron of creativity"~ Terre Roche
"A home for dreamers"~ David Massengill
"The preeminent Folk club in America"~ Bobby Dylan
"Gerdes was the starting point of it all"~ Maria Muldaur
"(Folk City) has a certain kind of goodness that transcends everything"~ Ramblin' Jack Elliott
"Folk City was where original singers came to sing"~ Suzanne Vega
"Gerdes meant more to me than any club I ever played in all my lifetime"~ John Lee Hooker
"Folk City was the only place that was really open and encouraging"~ Emmylou Harris
"Folk City was THE folk club"~ John Hammond Jr
"(The place) to get exposure in front of audiences and learn how to work out your songs"~ Roger McGuinn
"The place I would really call home. It WAS my home"~ Judy Collins
"Gerdes was the heart of it all. The ultimate in hip. It was the real thing"~ Joan Baez
"Because of Folk City I developed the act I have now. Gerdes meant independence for me"~ Jose Feliciano
"Folk City was IT"~ John Hammond Sr
"It was THE place to go"~ Lenny Levine
"Folk City meant there was life beyond Macdougal St"~ John Cohen
"It freshened up American life for the better"~ Danny Kalb
"The best parent a person could have"~ Carolyne Mas
"The 60s happened here"~ Maggie Roche
"I got to see John Lee Hooker and Dylan for a dollar"~ Annonymous
Who can I expect to see there?
See above
Can I bring my dulcimer and auto harp?
By all means
And my guitar??!!
Yes you may
Will there be a piano there?
I certainly hope so
What should I wear?
Comfortable shoes
What is there to eat and/or drink?
Food and refreshments will be served
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