Mr. Tambourine man on STRINGS

Bruce Langhorne never 'worked' a day in his life. Brilliant

Shameless plug below>

Gerde's Folk City on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/349371208465608/

DAVID AMRAM 85th Birthday Celebration- VIDEO

BOB DYLAN 75TH Birthday concert announced

May 24, 2016

Bob Dylan

75th Birthday Salute

130 West 3rd Street

NYC

The Village Underground

(formerly Folk City)

Join host Bob Porco as

Bandleader Rob Stoner

leads a cast of Folk and Rock

All-Stars

performing songs from 

Blonde On Blonde

on the 50th anniversary of its release
within the walls of Positively Mike Porco's old office

MORE details soon…..

NOTE:

(AS OF 1.1.16, BLONDE ON BLONDE NOT only)

See http://folkcityatfifty.blogspot.com/2015/12/bob-dylan-75th-birthday-concert_23.html

~bobp

Merry Christmas

40 YEARS AGO- ROLLING THUNDER at FOLK CITY on Mike Porco's Birthday

Bobby Dylan

In October of 1975, Mr. Dylan was hanging around the Village quite often.

He was wrapping up his recording sessions for the DESIRE album and was spending time

with lyricist and Broadway producer, Jaques Levy, in New York. They were plotting a tour. What kind of tour…?

only they knew.

Dylan had returned to the road with The Band in 1974. His most critically acclaimed album,

(perhaps ever)

BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, was on the store shelves for less than a year. The Basement tapes

had finally been released only 4 months prior.

His fans were eager for more. He had returned to the front of the pack with a vengeance. 

Any ol' tour could have satisfied. But Dylan had something majestic in mind.

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

Jack Hardy, Odetta, Mike Porco

Well, it turned out that Mike Porco was having a birthday.
Folksinger Jack Hardy had it in mind to gather some of Mike's friends
(read: musicians) and throw him a surprise party at his own club.

Thursday October 23rd 1975 was his 61st birthday. Mathematicians and can
deduce that today would be Mike's 101st birthday.

We had a 100th party for Grandpa last year. BUT TODAY
we celebrate THE ROLLING THUNDER REVUE
being born this day 40 years ago at FOLK CITY.

David Amram, David Massengill, Rob Stoner amongst Mike Porco's friends
celebrating Mike's 100th last year


So….back to 1975!
Jack Hardy quietly spread word around that Mike will have a surprise serenade for
his birthday.
Word travels fast in this small town. Mike's old friend and prodigal son, Bob Dylan,
got wind of the bash and
decided that ''tonight is the night.'' The tour he was plotting with Levy
will be brought to the light at Folk City.

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

Dylan had confided in his DESIRE bass player, Rob Stoner, that, with some help,
''auditions'' were going to be held at Folk City for the stage show
he had planed with Levy.
There was nothing specific discussed, but like lightning, a buzz was generated around NYC
that Dylan was going to crash Hardy's party for Mike.

Dylan also had it in mind to record the entire tour on film. This night would
become part of the film Renaldo and Clara.
Cameras and lights were set up at Folk City with a little lie told to Mike
that it was for a documentary on Folk Music.

Rob (Rothstein) Stoner

Larry 'Ratso' Sloman

The main word-spreaders of this historic event were Larry "Ratso'' Sloman and

Songwriter, David Blue. 

Within hours, ''every Folk singer you could imagine'' descended on Folk City

to become a part of this happening.

Some other luminaries also came to sing and hang out. Bette Midler, Patti Smith,

Eric Andersen, Tom Waits and Allen Ginsberg were there.

Young Ratso

Bob Neuwirth

T-Bone Burnette, Rosie, Phil Ochs

Allen Ginsberg

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

As it turned out, every Folk singer (except for Dave Van Ronk)

really did show up for the party. It went into the wee hours with Phil Ochs

taking the stage as the Friday sun was dawning.

But in the hours (and hours!) prior to that, Folk City was,

as Rob Stoner told me for my documentary

POSITIVELY PORCO,

''The very nexus of the cultural universe.''

Buzzy Linhart and Bette Midler sang 'Friends.' Patti Smith sang.

Eric Andersen performed. Ramblin' Jack, Ginsberg and a slew of others,

including the regularly scheduled acts of 

Nancy Lee Baxter and Jack Hardy performed.

Of course, everyone was waiting for Dylan and he didn't disappoint.

He took the stage with the Queen of Folk, Joan Baez, for the first time

in years. They sang 'One too many mornings' and an old traditional tune.

The crowd who was there still talks about this occasion to this day

with utter amazement.

How could Bob Dylan, at the height of his career, choose a 3rd Street bar to kickoff 

an historic tour like Rolling Thunder? 

Why?

Well, Mike Porco was his friend. Gerde's Folk City was where it ALL began for him.

It was the best place to showcase it. 

And Mike's birthday…well, it wasn't forgotten. Happy Birthday was sung for him

about a dozen times that night.

Footage of the cake and a warm hug between

Bob and Grandpa was taken by the crew and seen by me 39 years later.

And the tour itself…?

Well, let's just say, it's history now. 

Porco, Dylan, Andersen, Baez

David Blue, Bette Midler, Ginsberg

Momma Dylan, Baez, Dylan, Stoner

The NIGHT OF THE HURRICANE

was a concert ending the first big leg of the Revue.

As with all the shows in this Medicine Show, each performer asked to come on tour

played a set of their own followed by a set of Dylan culminating

in a final sing along and bow.

At The Night of the Hurricane, Dylan's mother, Mike Porco and virtually

everyone else ''behind the scenes'' were invited on stage for the finale.

Madison Square Garden. Packed house. Italian immigrant and steadfast supporter

of Folk and Blues, Mike Porco, finally realized what it was like

to be applauded by 19,000. A hug from Bob Dylan was enough for him

and that's what he got.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE PORCO!

1914-1992

Mike Porco, Bob Dylan

Folk City

10.23.75

watch!

BRIGHT NEW FACE at Gerde's Club- September 29, 1961

Someone was gonna discover Bob Dylan, somewhere.

But as fate would have it, one could argue that Robert Shelton discovered him at Mike Porco's Center of Folk Music. It could have been San Francisco or Los Angeles, but it wasn't. It was at Folk City in NYC's Washington Square. Young Bobby had the chops, he brought his talents to the Village, he received plenty of support from his peers, Mike Porco hired him to play and a star was almost born.

You see, my grandfather first hired him in April of 1961. He was a hit! And he was welcomed to open the shows at Gerde's later that year, a stint beginning on September 26, 1961. He opened for The Greenbriar Boys, but they were not the main topic of New York Times music critic Robert Shelton's review below. The review, which Dylan himself stayed up all night to fetch from the early morning paper delivery, was THE ONE that made him the talk of the town. Fifty-four years later….

Bob Dylan at Gerde's Folk City

(from hisbobness.info)

 Mike Porco experienced a major boost in business once he welcomed
Folk and Blues in his restaurant on West 4th Street in 1960. It became a good luck venue for aspiring singers and songwriters.

After Shelton's review, Bob Dylan became the toast of the Village scene. He was one of a few musicians to be ''discovered'' at Gerde's. As Bob Dylan's notoriety and career went into the stratosphere, songwriters from all over delivered themselves to Mike Porco's club, hoping to be seen by the critics and music producers looking for new talent.

Mike Porco had to work tirelessly to keep the machine well oiled. Because of it Mike Porco and Gerde's Folk City are being honored as I speak. They are featured in an exhibit on New York and the Folk boom at the Museum of the City of New York because it truly was, NEW YORK'S CENTER OF FOLK MUSIC.

Because the one and only Bob Dylan claimed Gerde's as his turf, the legend of Mike and Gerde's loomed larger than just 'the guy' who owned 'the place' where Dylan started. They were friends and it seems that Dylan went out of his way to help Mike out throughout the years.

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

Yesterday, I took my daughter to see a Porco honored on the walls of the 

Museum of the City of New York.

My daughter Angelina sees Grandpa at the museum

We took the bus downtown to Washington Square

Mike, Cisco Houston

Bob Shelton (center),
First high profile review of Dylan, later biographer

Mike Porco's personal copy, saved in a Gerde's menu holder

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

Meanwhile, in other parts of the world…..

Friday brought me to the Brooklyn Americana Folkfest

to see Mike+Ruthy

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

The weekend culminated in the great

Washington Square Old Time Music and Bluegrass

Reunion.

This is taken very seriously by these historic pickers. It is the only time they get to see each other as in the past.

Musician, Producer Barry Kornfeld

Village stalwart Roger Sprung.
60 years and counting in the Square

Legendary Eric Weissberg came to town from Woodstock

So as you can see: There's something still going on here. Mike Porco would be happy to know that many of his friends are still working and still pickin'. He also would be proud to know that a film is being made on his legacy and his club. POSITIVELY PORCO will make people smile.

FOLK CITY SHUTS ONE DOOR, OPENS ANOTHER

The year:

1969

The YouTube clip below discusses more….

And without much redundancy, Folk City had to move from W4th Street.

Mike Porco was lucky enough to land an anchor piece of real estate

on 3rd Street by 6th Avenue.

This venue location would go on to witness

the depths and rebirth of the FOLK SCARE

and their recurring offspring.

The highlight at 130 W3rd, of course, without question or doubt, was 

Thursday October 23, 1975.

Almost 40 years exactly.

Mike Porco's 61st birthday surprise party.

Bob Dylan returned home 14 years after his 

career began at Gerde's.

He used the occasion to kickoff the Rolling Thunder Revue.

None of the videos below discuss the Rolling Thunder…

you're just supposed to know all about it.

What I find surprising is that many of Mike Porco's friends

and even some of the musicians who lived or worked in the Village at the time

do not remember exactly when Folk City moved.

FOLK CITY WAS AN INSTITUTION by then.

I found the Village Voice ads…It re-opened in early November 1969.

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

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

~~~~~~~~~~

POSITIVELY the 1960s

Explanation of Gerde's Folk City's move from West 4th Street

to West 3rd Street

in 1969

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

And I'm posting a few clips that have passed through my laptop

over the Summer of 2015.

(More on the meetings I've had this year in a later post….

I've met Bill Keith, Fred Hellerman, Noel Stookey, 

Maria Muldaur and a few others so far this year.

There must be a bus of these people following me….) 

Biff Rose at the Folk City 50th Anniversary

6.7.10

Erik Frandsen at BB King's

May 31, 2015

©Folkumentary

on Gerde's Folk City

and Mike Porco

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

(File under: NON FICTION)

Don't 'like' it of Facebook. L-O-V-E IT!!!!

POSITIVELY PORCO is on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/positivelypo...

POSITIVELY PORCO is on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/PositivelyPorco

POSITIVELY PORCO can be found on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/FolkCity50

Details and history on GERDE'S FOLK CITY can be found at:

http://www.FolkCityatFifty.blogspot.com

More info on Gerde's Folk City:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerde%27...

and:

http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/story/9829...

~~~~~~~~~

© 2015, bobporco, FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO, LLC

BEFORE THE FLOOD

A concert to benefit….

Future
Earthquake Situations 
in countries 
Ravaged by 
Economic Hardship and Famine 
due to 
Austerity Measures imposed on the poor 
After the Crash 
Before The Flood


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

It's a long title for a Benefit Concert. I'll probably just refer to it as "BEFORE THE FLOOD.''

When my next concert is held, the performers shall be paid by ticket sales AND
each ticket will support victims of The Flood of 2015.

If a flood or earthquake is not manufactured and provided prior to the concert date, (lettuce spray) then each ticket shall support music lessons for adolescents in the town of the concert.

Great idea…I know.

~Bob

THE most patient man in New York- David Massengill

An

interview

wuz

done

with 

David

Massengill

yesterday

in

the 

lowereastside

.

David

wuz

kind

and 

noble

in

his

deed

...

providing

me

with

great

conversation

despite

the

sounds

of

a

helicopter

invasion

of

Manhattan

.

Veryfuckingnoisy

.

but

Dave'swords

given

are

those

of

a

dreamer

.

still

dreaming

.

still

here

.

still

giving