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Live Music: Venues - Links |
(roughly by zip code)
New England | Mid-Atlantic
| Southeastern U.S. | Midwest | Southwest
| Western U.S.
International
Iron Horse Cafe
Northampton, MA. One of the best clubs for folk music in the Northeast. Top
acts 7 nights a week.
Circle
of Friends Coffeehouse
Franklin, MA. A classic New England folky kind of church coffeehouse. Geared
toward quiet, polished folk music.
Calvin
Theatre
Northampton, MA. Large concert hall for top name acoustic acts.
Black
Sheep Cafe / Pioneer Valley Folk Music Society
Amherst, MA - Slanted toward traditional and communal music. Monthly songswap
and other concerts.
The
Cornerstone Coffeehouse
Winchester, Mass. Info welcome.
First Encounter Coffeehouse
North Eastham, Mass.
Folk in Harmony Coffeehouse
September-June on the first Saturday of the month. We're tucked away at the
First Parish Church in Northboro, MA.
South
Shore Folk Music Club
Kingston, MA
The
uNi Coffeehouse
Springfield, MA. Classic church coffeehouse. Unitarian Universalist Society
Meetinghouse, 245 Porter Lake Drive.
Club
Passim
Cambridge MA. Boston area's oldest and most respected folk club got its not-for-profit
status and a makeover a few years ago. Now there's also a School of Music, drawing
instructors from among Boston's most popular local musicians.
Rosegarden, The
Mansfield, MA. Acoustic music shows usually on the third Saturday of the month.
New Driftwood Coffeehouse
West Barnstable, MA. Focus is on songwriters.
New Bedford Whaling
Museum Concerts
New Bedford, MA. Presenting traditional, ethnic and contemporary folk/acoustic
artists in a 250 seat theater-monthly September-June.
Mozaic Room Coffeehouse
Avon, MA. Solid church coffeehouse series featuring mostly New England songwriters.
Stone Soup Coffeehouse
Pawtucket, RI. Formerly a big room in downtown Providence, it's now an intimate
coffeehouse located in a historic 18th C. textile mill - the nation's first.
Excellent weekly series, Sept-May. Mostly singer-songwriters. Volunteer-run.
Music Hall, The
Portsmouth, NH. Big name shows.
Acoustic
Music
Nelson, NH. Concerts of contemporary folk music held in the Town Hall. Award-winning
site is also an excellent general resource with links to venues, reviews, and
more.
The
Muse at the Gray Goose
Londonderry, NH. An intimate listening room that hosts regional and nationally
touring singer-songwriters.
Live Art
Montpelier VT. This new organization presents a major series - mostly singer-songwriters
- at Vermont College and at the Barre Opera House.
My Favorite Things
Calais, ME. Store/cafe with 100-seat performance space has shows Friday nights
for local performers, with monthly show for touring acts.
Sounding
Board
West Hartford, CT. One of the state's oldest coffeehouses, this large church
listening room has a loyal audience and tends toward traditional and family
folk shows. Every Saturday.
Northwest
Park Nature Center
Windsor, CT. An excellent listening room with a weekly Friday series - mostly
up and coming singer-songwriters, Sept.-May plus a Summer festival.
Connecticut
Audubon Center
Glastonbury CT. A good listening room with a respectable weekly lineup of regional
and nationally touring singer-songwriters, Sept.- May.
Buttonwood Tree
Middletown CT. This tiny cultural center and bookstore hosts concerts in all
musical genres, mostly acoustic, often unusual & rare international acts.
Trinity
Coffeehouse
Branford CT. Branford Folk Music Society sponsors this series.
Hurdy
Gurdy Folk Music Coffeehouse
Paramus, NJ. Central Unitarian Church, 156 Forest Ave. Zeke's Place is same
church, different room. 8:00 P.M. 201-791-2225. Two excellent weekly concert
series, mostly contemporary folk.
Minstrel
Coffeehouse,
Morristown, NJ. Well-established weekly concert series, notable for its cultivation
of an enthusiastic, knowledgeable audience that's eager to sing whenever they
can get away with it.
Watchung
Arts Center
Watchung NJ. Holds weekly concerts into June. Books many local and lesser known
acts.
Appel
Farm Arts and Music Center
Elmer, NJ. A large, non-profit regional arts center in southern New Jersey.
Concerts feature national acts - there's also a camp, outreach programs, and
conference conference center.
Cabin
Concerts
Wayne, NJ. Successful house concert series where established artists are pleased
as punch to play in this small living room. As inexplicable as the X-Files....
except that the Blixts are excellent hosts.
Grace
Coffeehouse
Grace United Methodist Church, Wyckoff NJ. New, not-for-profit forum for local/lesser-known
singer/songwriters, acoustic musicians and folk artists.
Outta' Sights Sounds
Hightstown, NJ.
Bubba Mac Shack
Somers Point, NJ. Mostly blues.
The
Bottom Line
New York City, NY. 400 seat club with nationally known acoustic, folk-rock,
and rock acts nightly. Great place to see a big name show - excellent sound.
Baggot
Inn
New York City, NY. An over-21 Irish pub and folk club in the West Village. Local
acts.
Dempsey's
Pub
New York, NY. Bluegrass and Irish music - jams too - in the East Village. Over
21 bar.
Bitter End
New York City, NY. This club on Bleecker St. was formerly The Other End back
in the heyday of the Village folk scene of the 60s. Now offers an eclectic mix
of rock, folk-rock, and some folk. Mostly local, regional artists.
Cafe Sin-é
New York, NY. 225 capacity venue features live music (everything from noise/experimental
to acoustic solo sets) seven nights a week.
The
Living Room
New York City, NY. Dark, smoky, crowded SoHo/East Village club may be the best
place to see up and coming songwriters in NYC these days.
Makor
New York City, NY New room features top national Roots & Americana artists.
Recent shows: the Earles, David Broza, Edie Carey and more.
The
Knitting Factory
New York City, NY Downtown club with a "cool" marquee. Occasional folk/acoustic
acts - especially blues.
Friends of Music/Listen Inn
Sugar Loaf and Middletown, NY. This folk organization sponsors concerts of singer-songwriters
and other special events (including a New Year's bash) at several venues in
the area.
Folk at Goshen Inn
40 Park Pl., Goshen, NY. For tickets and information: 845-294-3655.
Kirkland
Art Center Coffeehouse
Clinton, NY. Great listening room and gallery seats 100 and offers an excellent
contemporary folk series.
Lively
Lucy's Coffeehouse
Saratoga Springs, NY. Skidmore College's long-running folk series in an intimate
lodge setting on their scenic wooded campus just north of town.
NY Pinewoods Folk Music
Club
New York City, NY. Long running series and non-profit group dedicated to presenting
very traditional music.
The
Turning Point
Piermont, NY. Folk-rock-pop room right on the Hudson. Excellent food, good bar.
Established acts and newcomers use this intimate room.
Twelve
Corners Coffeehouse
Rochester, New York. Excellent series featuring national acts in a 300-seat
church hall. Glenn Drinkwater is one of the few promoters who is also a professional
sound engineer and it shows.
Walkabout
Clearwater Coffeehouse
Katonah, NY. Folksy political concerts in the Pete Seeger style.
The
Wetlands Preserve
New York, NY. 161 Hudson Street. This late night folk/rock/alternative club
has folk and acoustic rock regularly. It's also an organization dedicated to
environmental activism.
The
Fort
New York, NY. East Village home of the anti-folk movement- part punk, part folk,
and a lot of attitude. Caveat Surfor: Site makes liberal use of expletives.
The
Fez
New York, NY. Small East Village bar turns listening room. Crowded and cool.
Sun
Music Company
New York, NY. Carrying on the tradition of the now defunct Fast Folk Cafe, the
Sun Music Company is a small room on NY's upper East Side, nestled behind the
kitchen of a Russian Orthodox Church. Frankincense and folk. Still growing.
Postcrypt
Coffeehouse
New York, NY Columbia University. One of the oldest and finest college coffeehouses
- running since the early 60s. National acts often still play here. Totally
acoustic, totally free, totally hip. Go there with my Notes
from the Road article.
Turning
Point Cafe
Piermont, NY. On the Hudson - features everything from folk to classic rock.
One of the few listening rooms with a bar - also an excellent restaurant.
Walkabout Clearwater Coffeehouse
Katonah, NY. Harvey School, Route 22, 8:00 P.M. 2nd Sat. of the month. 914-242-0374.
The Mansion
Morrison Mansion, Orange County Community College, Middletown NY. 845-341-0878
Caffe
Lena
Saratoga Springs, NY. Opened by the late Lena in 1960, it's the oldest continuously
running coffeehouse in the U.S. and one of the most respected. A legend.
Caffe Lena
Turns 40 - An Article from About's Albany Guide
Check out this article by About's Albany guide. Lena's, one of the most respected
listening rooms in the country. Celebrating 40 years of folk, it's also the
oldest continuously running coffeehouse.
Night
Eagle Cafe,
Oxford, NY. A listening room in the middle of nowhere with an excellent reputation,
drawing nationally touring songwriters from all over.
Happy
Endings
Syracuse, NY. Coolest spot in Syracuse, around the corner from the Armory district.
Great coffeehouse series offers excellent food, coffees, teas and a fully equipped
small theatre for shows. Thoughtful site too.
Bound For Glory
Ithaca, NY. Hosted by Phil Shapiro at Cornell University, this weekly Sunday
night show has aired live on WBVR for 31 years. Excellent roster of artists
And it's still free!.
12
Corners Coffeehouse
Rochester, NY. Series features national acts in a 300 seat church auditorium
with great acoustics. Sound engineering and booking by Glenn Drinkwater guarantees
a great experience.
Lansdowne
Folk Club
Landsdowne, PA. An excellent concert series mainly featuring singer-songwriters.
Cherry
Tree Music Co-Op
Philadelphia, PA. Running since 1975 on the campus of U. of P., it's the finest
coffeehouse in the area. Focus is on traditional music and classic songwriters.
Concerts
Under The Stars
King of Prussia, PA. Excellent outdoor summer series draws the best national
acts and huge crowds. A true folk event.
Tin Angel
Philadelphia, PA. Small but high powered club downtown. National acts, contemporary
songrwiters, folk rock. 20 S. Second St. 215-928-0770
The 5th Street Coffee House at
St. Paul's
Philadelphia, PA. Brand new September 2004.
Ploughshares
Coffee House
Phoenixville, PA. Monthly series in an old Quaker meeting house presenting mid-level
touring songwriters. Recent concerts include Bernice Lewis, Bill Parsons, David
Olney.
Uptown
Concerts
Greater Baltimore, MD. This organization ran the great series at Mays Chapel
and continues to book intimate shows at Baldwin's Station in historic Sykesville
MD and other locations for larger concerts.
Avalon
Theater
Easton, MD.
Baldwin's Station
and Pub
Sykesville, MD. 7618 Main St. 410-795-1041 Excellent series.
Uptown Concerts -
The Cellar Stage
Baltimore, MD. St. John's United Methodist Church of Hamilton 5315 Harford Road.
410-922-5210 or 410-521-9099 Email: Joycesica@aol.com
Folk Music Night. Perry Hall United Methodist Church, Baltimore MD. Monthly open mic with featured performer.
O'Brien's
Rockville, MD. A good songwriter showcase in an unlikely bar-B-Q restaurant.
Institute of Musical Traditions
Silver
Spring MD A weekly (Monday) series, September-May, held in the Paint Branch
Universalist Unitarian Church in Silver Spring, MD. Features a wide-variety
of folk and world music.
Folkal
Point
Columbia MD. Thursdays Sept - May. Seats about 60.
Vic's
Music Corner Concert Series
Rockville MD. Dedicated to providing touring singer/songwriters an excellent
place to be introduced to the Greater DC folk public. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.
The Barns
of Wolftrap
Vienna VA Wolf Trap runs the Barns in winter and the Filene Center in the summer.
The Barns seats about 350, and has concerts three or four nights. The Filene
Center seats 8,000.
The
Birchmere
Alexandria VA The new Birchmere seats about 500 and has music most nights. Great
sound and staff.
Williamsburg
Library Theatre
Williamsburg VA Excellent concert series includes jazz and other American musics
in addition to folk artists like David Mallett, Tanglefoot and Robin and Linda
Williams.
Shenandoah
Concert Series
These industrious folks book fine concert series in Shepherdstown, WV and Reston,
VA.
Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing
Arts
Vienna, VA, USA
Eddie's
Attic
Decatur GA Eddie has made this listening room one of the country's premiere
places to hear and make great songwriters - and one of the few to serve alcohol.
Take a virtual trip there - check out my Notes
from the Road article.
Fiddler's
Green/Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music
Atlanta, GA A monthly series,
recently relocated due to a fire earlier this year. Singer-songwriters and traditional
music.
KOOL
BEANZ Coffeehouse
Cocoa Village, Fl.32922 - (open 4pm-1am, 7 days) 321-638-4855
The
Bluebird Cafe
Nashville, TN Nationally-famous showcase for singer-songwriters, especially
those with Nashville leanings. But surprisingly eclectic with a focus on strong
lyrics and content.
Fill My Cup Coffeehouse
Pegram church of Chist Annex in Pegram TN. A monthly event at the Church of
Christ, Pegram TN featuring coffee, desserts and live music from a variety of
styles, but usually leaning toward folk.
Down
Home
Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
Station Inn
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Six
String Concerts
Columbus, OH Thanks to great radio support and volunteer network, this monthly
series books concerts in various venues - from Battelle Auditorium on the OSU
campus (600 seats) to the armory (150 seats). National acts with up-and-coming
openers.
Barking
Spider
Cleveland OH Nightly music and drink, mostly folk/acoustic, local and national.
Monthly open mic.
Ark,
The
Ann Arbor MI Over the years, The Ark has earned a reputation as one of the great
listening rooms in the country.
Ten Pound Fiddle Coffee House
East Lansing, MI
Old
Town School of Folk Music
Chicago IL For years, a model for a community folk music center, offering lessons
and an excellent concert series. The Old Town has recently moved to a new location
with a larger theatre and more instructional space.
Two
Way Street Coffeehouse
Downer's Grove IL Longstanding Friday concerts series. Open Stages are part
of the Friday schedule every few months and Sing Arounds are held on the 3rd
Saturday each month in
Ravinia
Chicago, IL
Cousin Andy's Coffee House
Carbondale, IL. Church coffeehouse, most Fridays.
Back Room
Great Bend, KS.
The Orphanage
Pryor Creek, OK
Live
Oak Coffeehouse Concerts
Austin, TX
Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse
Dallas, TX
Swallow
Hill
Denver, CO A new venue with a respectable series.
Acoustic
Concerts Under the Stars
St. George, UT
Intermountain
Acoustic Music Association (IAMA)
Salt Lake City, UT
Songsmith,
The
Scottsdale, AZ
John's Alley
Moscow, ID 83843
Portland
Folklore Society
Portland, OR
Third
Friday Coffeehouse
Portland, OR
Madison's
Cafe Music House
Seattle, WA
Genghis (Cohen) Cantina
Los Angeles, CA
The Beatnik Cafe
Joshua Tree, CA. You can hear their show, Peacenik, webcast live on fridays
9pm-midnight PST.
The
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, CA
Palms
Public Playhouse
Davis, CA
The
San Gregorio General Store
Half Moon Bay, CA
McCabe's
Santa Monica CA By day, one of the country's great retail stores for quality
and vintage acoustic instruments and lessons. By night, a legendary folk club,
recently renovated.
Ojai
Valley Women's Club
Ojai Valley, CA Excellent concert series at the women's club, but open to all!
Current season includes Bill Staines, Jez Lowe and Swedish group Frifot. Nice
site.
Freight
& Salvage
Berkeley CA. Musicians plan tours to the west coast just to play at
the Freight.
Belgium: Toogenblick
Haren section of Brussels.
Canada: Hugh's Room
Toronto. 200 seat folk music venue featuring local, national and international
musicians.
Canada: Vital Spark Folk Club
Whitby Ontario Excellent concert series. Also a good place to link to the many
major Canadian artists they've hosted, including Stephen Fearing, Eileen McGann,
James Keelaghan.
England:
Borderline, The
London London Club.
England:
Everyman Folk Club
Suffolk Revamped organization hosts a monthly concert series, Sept. thru May.
England:
12 Bar Club
London Online TV webcast had been installed! You can now watch whoever is playing
there live, seven days a week, or go to the archives. Some great stuff.
England:
Islington Folk Club
London club.
England:
Jazz Cafe
Camden Town Jazz, folk and other music.
England: Mean Fiddler, The
London A club for traditional British and Celtic music.
England:
Sadler's Wells
London more info
Germany:
Caf Balzac
Heidenheim "Kleines gemtliches Caf am Ende der Fu§gngerzone. Hier finden
regelm§ig Konzerte mit bekannten Knstlern statt." A beautiful art cafe with
a respectable concert series of internationally known artists.
Germany: Music Star
Norderstedt (outside Hamburg). This series features an incredible lineup of
American folk - from Bruce Springsteen and Eric Anderson to Rod MacDonald and,
well, yours truly. Also, check out the streaming videos here.
Guten abend.
Switzerland:
Mahogany Hall
Bern Prestigious club has presented jazz, rock, blues, gospel and folk music
for almost thirty years. Site includes calendar and a history of club.
Switzerland:
Safari Beat Club
Chur Europe's oldest university town has a cool venue for folk, folk-rock, and
a variety of other musical genres. Site includes calendar.
Switzerland:
S'Gwlb
Watt/Regensdorf This new concert series, featuring international singer-songwriters
working in English, is located in a 250 year old wine cellar.
Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com
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