FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO AT THE GASLIGHT

Voices of The People return to MacDougal St!


A true folk singer at heart, ROD MacDONALD's place in the Folk hall of fame is assured by his hymn-styled 'A Sailor's Prayer,' a tune mistaken for a traditional song. His one of a kind sound has hints of rock, pop, country, light jazz, and blues.

Honorably discharged from the service as a conscientious objector in August 1972, his calling to be a professional musician rang louder than a path practicing law…to our benefit!!

Rod is also a co-founder of the Greenwich Village Music Festival and an original member of the Fast Folk Co-op.

He's made 35 tours in Europe since 1985, nearly all of them with NYC bassist Mark Dann, an accompanist and engineer with hundreds of recording credits to his name.

MacDonald tours South Florida with the Bob Dylan cover band, Big Brass Bed, but his original classics can fill the night with song.

Veteran singer/songwriters BEV GRANT and INA MAY WOOL recently joined forces as WOOL&GRANT, a rousing new duo that celebrates both intimate and political themes with rocking, funny, poignant songs, featuring beautifully constructed, heartfelt lyrics. They love singing together and it shows.

Bev lead her band The Human Condition to national prominence in the early 1970s.She was one of the radical upstarts in Greenwich Village coffeehouses when the Village still felt bohemian and revolution was in the air.

Strains of rock, Latin music, R&B, pop and more easily fused with the essence of smoky folk clubs.Grant was on the bill of Ochs' 1973 festival, "An Evening With Salvador Allende" at NYC's Madison Square Garden.

New England native INA MAY WOOL has also spent years on the road with bands as well as in studios doing session work. She serves up an eclectic mix of the jazz, blues and country influences with a wry, unmistakably urban sensibility.

Since joining forces, WOOL&GRANT have earned an ever growing group of fans for their unique mix of two very distinct voices.

COME JOIN US for some mid-summer fun!!

Advance tickets on sale here



.

THE WATER AROUND U.S HAS GROWN

FLOODWATERS ON SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH?

Uncle Bobby lets out
New words
and smoke signals
On his second 9/11
Release

Let's hope that nothing obstructs
September eleventh from coming
right on time this year

Maybe he raises his voice
Maybe not
Maybe he reclaims the date
back from the Masters of War



.

LADIES NIGHT AT THE GASLIGHT CAFE

TONIGHT three veteran Greenwich Village Folk artists bring their collective decades of songwriting and life experience to the stage at 116 MacDougal Street, the original Gaslight Cafe.

Their careers reach back into the glory days of the Greenwich Village Folk scene of the '70s. All three have graced the stage at Mike Porco's Center for Folk Music, Gerde's Folk City.

PEGGY ATWOOD's music caught the attention of an Aspen local named Jack Hardy. They both would eventually take their talents to New York and make historical recordings with the Fast Folk Co-op: A collective group bent on recording new songs every month. She keeps the Songwriter Movement alive by spearheading the well known "Northern Country Music" shows near Woodstock.

Recording artist, singer/songwriter, LYDIA ADAMS DAVIS weaves a beautiful voice with her captivating melodies for audiences of all ages. Called a "Splendid performer" by The New York Times, Peter Yarrow has also said “Lydia combines warmth and magic to bring the long history of folk music home to your heart.”

JUDY GORMAN's personality shines through in her bold-as-brass delivery. Yet she can sing in a quieter, more compassionate tone to express her original songs.
Pete Seeger praised Judy's music and spirited message by saying that she "Shoots the arrow straight to the heart; a wonderful singer & musician."

All three of these FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO cut their musical teeth on the streets of the Village and they're back on MacDougal for this heartfelt evening at 116!


ADVANCE TICKETS ON SALE!!!!

VAGABONDO! NYC premiere at the original Gaslight

VAGABONDO! is the documentary from Todd Kwait and Mark Sebastian about the Singer/Songwriter VINCE MARTIN.

An unlikely film arose depicting two folk music veterans revisiting the places where they lived and made music; Coney Island, Brooklyn and Greenwich Village.
Through their conversations, we see the importance of music and its positive impact on the human spirit.

To wander the streets of New York City with folk musician Vince Martin is to walk back in time to the buzz and holler of Greenwich Village in its beatnik heyday. From an unlikely beginning, Brooklyn-native Martin quickly rose up the charts with the 1957 hit "Cindy, Oh Cindy", backed by the Tarriers. This earned him both popularity and scorn in the strangely competitive world of the Village music scene. But then his songwriting collaborations with Fred Neil, culminating in the influential 1964 album Tear Down The Walls, laid down the sound that became ‘60s folk.The film is a show-biz romp with one of the last genuine New York characters. It gives the viewer a seat at the table as Sebastian explores music, women, morality and mortality with the tough-talking folkie senior. (READ: F-bombs)

With a song on his lips, the singer transmits his intense love affair with life as a vagabondo, his Italian grandfather’s unflattering word for a wandering minstrel.
"Singing, that’s the only way I know to go." To spend an hour with Martin in the film Vagabondo! is to have your own lust for life refreshed.

Join us for this very special evening with the man himself, Vince Martin, as we watch the film and open discussion with the filmmakers, Todd Kwait and Mark Sebastian. LIVE MUSIC to round out the night, as it should!!!!!

Special screening, Q&A and the power of song all for the price of admission. What's not to like??



Advance tickets on sale HERE




.

ODE TO THE DREAMERS

ODE TO THE DREAMERS

I came into this family
With no expectations
No Facebook ID
No fears
Just my last name
And that was good enough for all of them

I was welcomed with open arms
And wide eyes
And gaping mouths
Amazed that I existed
And I am still amazed

Telling stories to me
Unheard of
And untold for a dog's age
Held in for just the right pair of ears

And I made eye contact with those
From the street
From the time
From the golden years
And I saw the light
Of the past in their eyes
Searing through me
Searching for a sign from Mike
My stare receiving
One love
For my Grandpa
A man of few possessions
Other than a club
Called home
By all those who made the street shine
Up and down MacDougal and 3rd
And positively 4th and Mercer
And points far flung
Yet rooted in the Village
International troubadours
Neighborhood heroes

Folk City was the home of the dreamers
It was "our living room"
It was "the Mecca"
It was "the crown jewel"
Once

But not now
Just a memory to most
A fortuitous gig for thousands
A forgotten footnote to others
And still unknown to less fortunate generations
But don't worry
I'll take care of that
Because the love pours through
Like a river carved in bedrock
Like a canyon in my veins
It carves through space and time
Into the hours of today

Because it lives in them
And it lives in me
Injected and infused
With the love and power
Of song
Poured out from within
Always in tune
With those who surround the sound
The song is heard in their head
But felt in their hearts

Regardless of sales
Or accolades
Or acceptance or fame
They held on to their vision
No matter the cost
No matter the loss
They stayed honest to themselves
To their art. Their craft. Their heart

And they were grateful
For the opportunity to
Show their wares
And share the stage
Shared by so many other
Dreamers
And crazies
And lovers
And ranters
And ravers
And friends and kindred spirits

Timeless
Endless
Immortal
For the closure of
Gerde's Folk City
Cemented their names
Into a time capsule
Fo' Eva'

It's finite and divine
Definite and no more
No more

They can carry it to their graves
Brag
Swagger and stagger
Into the sunset
As the ones who made history
When history was still being made
And it mattered

And it still matters

TAKE A TRIP WITH ME TO CLEARWATER AND WALK AROUND

clearwater 6-16-12 from bob porco on Vimeo.

FOLKS FROM LEFT OF CENTER AT THE GASLIGHT

Get your freak on!
Kazoos, banjoes, washboards, a Galvanized tub and other appliances.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since rolling into New York for good in 1959, PETER STAMPFEL has been widely credited as a pioneer in the Psycho-delic Folk genre. In fact, he and Steve Weber of the HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS, first coined the term "Psychedelic" and applied the vibe to their music. They were able to take Roots Folk songs and distort it into something very, very different! Psychedelic Folk soiled its oats in the Lower East Side and gave rise to the New York City Punk scene.

The Holy Modal Rounders were almost the very definition of a cult act. Their legend grew larger after having their songs appeared on the soundtrack for the cult classic movie, "Easy Rider."

Stampfel then moved on to become a founding member of the FUGS in 1965 and later, he formed the short-lived (1975–77) Unholy Modal Rounders; known around the Village as the Motherf*n Unholy Modal Rounders. The Bottlecaps were also a creation of Mr. Stampfel.

Stampfel has played with several different groups of musicians over the decades and records music to this day. He's recorded with Yo La Tengo, They Might Be Giants and is the only living man to ever perform with Bob Dylan, Buckminster Fuller and Mississippi John Hurt. Have Moicy!!

Tonight, Peter Stampfel is here with the Ether Frolic Mob...a collection of like minded musicians….what can go wrong!


THE DIRDY BIRDIES JUG BAND bills itself as the
World's Most Dangerous Jug Band

What more can one say about the 'World's Most Dangerous Jug Band'?

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

Formed in the spring of 1965, on the campus of Montclair State College in New Jersey, THE DIRDY BIRDIES JUG BAND was originally intended to perform for only two appearances at the annual Spring Carnival Weekend. However, the response to the performances was so encouraging, and the members of the group found performing so enjoyable and invigorating, that they decided to continue performing throughout their college years and beyond.


THE DIRDY BIRDIES JUG BAND increased their repertoire, sharpened their stage performance, and expanded their circle of performing venues to include many of the more prestigious folk clubs in Greenwich Village: Gerde's Folk City; The Bitter End; The Village Barn; The Red Garter; and The Cafe Wha?

They're still together, and still working on their masterpiece. It won't be possible to keep from smiling!


It's A SUNNY SATURDAY at the original Gaslight Cafe

FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO present the wildest show at 116 MacDougal Street yet!

Join the fun with Peter Stampfel and the MOB and Jersey Jug Band....what could be mo' better?

Buy advance tickets to guarantee pure pleasure!

THE WEEK I FELL UPON RAMBLIN' JACK AND JOSÉ FELICIANO

.....More like Ramblin' Jack stumbled upon me!
I was downtown on my bike last Wednesday to hang a couple of posters at 116 MacDougal Street to promote the Stefan and Roy show and I was delayed by a phone call and then by an issue with the glass case outside the venue...and just as I was about to leave, in walks, like a vision, Jack Elliott. This was 4:30 in the afternoon. No one was there but the bartender, Omar, and myself. But Jack, his friend Jack and his road manager, Rick were in the neighborhood having coffee. They decided to walk down the stairs to what they remembered was the Gaslight address. They were right, and I was astonished to see him! I was very happy that I was able to welcome him back. We hung at the bar, naturally, while Reggae Dub played on the PA system. And Jack and Rick, an old friend of Arlo's, told stories of Johnny Cash and Dylan and all the usual suspects. Jack was in town doing a show the night before at the Highline Ballroom to which he said was one of the best shows he'd ever done..ever! Mainly because the crowd was silent, he said. I hope to book Jack back on his home turf sometime soon.

Then, two days later, after walking around lower Manhattan with an out of town friend, I decided to end the afternoon with a drink at 130 W. 3rd. The Fat Black Pussycat is there now but that is where Gerde's Folk City stood for the last 16 years of operation. On the way, walking north on MacDougal, we spotted a small film crew interviewing a man having a cappuccino at the famous Caffe Reggio. As fate would have it, it was another friend of Mike Porco. And I'm proud to say, a friend of mine, as well. It was José Feliciano! Of course, he didn't see me approaching but I politely interrupted his chat to say hi.

"Hey José. It's me. Bob Porco."

"Oh wow! Hey how are you?! Do you know not a day goes by...and my wife Susan can back this up...where I don't say Mike Porco's name or mention Gerde's? I mention Gerde's on stage every time I'm up there. And your grandfather made the best lasagna!!"

WOW

I didn't want to bother him much more but he didn't want me to go. So I gladly stayed and talked with him about the things I've learned about he and Folk City and his contemporaries. We talked about John Hammond Jr., Buffy Sainte Marie, Pat Sky and John Porco. But also we talked about John Wynn and Orriel Smith and The Café Wha?.

What great fortune for me to know and see these folks! If I'm lucky, I'll be able to offer them a stage to perform on just as my grandfather did 50 years ago. Fingers crossed!!


.