PFS Presents Hank, Pattie & The Current

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

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$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

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About Hank, Pattie & The Current

Bluegrass ambassadors Hank Smith and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw join forces once again with their original and energetic new soulgrass band, Hank and Pattie. Hank and Pattie take traditional bluegrass and infuse it with their own flair, drawing from a melting pot of styles including Latin and Jazz, which adds up to an authentic and unique reflection of American music. While some of the music sounds old school and some sounds fresh and new, their overall musicianship, vocal harmonies, impassioned delivery and innovative arrangements captivate all generations of music lovers.

Hank and Pattie are backed by an all-star band comprised of North Carolina musicians Jonah Freedman on Bass and vocals, Billie Feather on guitar, and Robert Thornhill on mandolin and vocals.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF HANK, PATTIE & THE CURRENT

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO HANK, PATTIE & THE CURRENT

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PFS Presents Barnes, Gordy, Walsh Trio

Sunday, December 8, 2019
Doors 7:00pm | Music 7:30pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

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About Barnes, Gordy, Walsh Trio

In the world of bluegrass and folk, where the collaborative possibilities are endless, what draws some musicians together in formal collaborations is hard to pinpoint. For Joe K. Walsh, Grant Gordy, and Danny Barnes, a newly formed bi-coastal trio, curiosity is the rule, and tunes are just a starting point. “We approach every tune with an open attitude everyday. There’s a sort of tacit undiscussed flexibility that we all honor when we play together”, explains Walsh. For three musicians who have vibrant solo careers, as well as multifaceted musical collaborations under their belts, the trio has sparked a new level of creative inspiration, a venue to push and pull, learning and speaking with one another through improvisation. “We are in some ways three very different musical pieces, but the thing that unites us is a deep respect and affinity for anybody who is improvising,” says Walsh. The trio is anchored by banjo player and singer/songwriter Danny Barnes. Barnes is best known as the frontman of the Bad Livers, for his collaborations with Dave Matthews and Bill Frisell, and as the 2015 winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. He is an innovative banjo player and songwriter originally from Texas whose solo album “Pizza Boz”, garnered him a sort of cult following, and led Sam Bush to describe him as “The Great American Un-Sung Hero”. The elder of the group, Barnes brings an element of fierce individuality to the trio, with wisdom-infused vocals and straightforward, no nonsense banjo picking.

Gordy and Walsh come from a more jazz and swing influenced background, having first bonded over their mutual obsession with learning David Grisman solos. For Walsh, hearing some of the early Dawg records was his first impetus to learn the mandolin. However, he is now equally renowned for his bluegrass and old-time sensibilities. Growing up in Illinois and later Minnesota, Walsh first established himself on the East Coast as the co-founder of progressive bluegrass band Joy Kills Sorrow, and as a long time member of The Gibson Brothers. He went on to become a faculty member at The Berklee College of Music, and launch a solo career with his albums Sweet Loam and Borderland.

Gordy, who is originally from Colorado and now lives in Brooklyn, went from being a fan of David Grisman, to playing in his band. Having spent six years in the David Grisman Quintet, Gordy released a self titled solo album in 2010 to critical acclaim, and has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, Tiny Desk Concerts, and All Things Considered, as well as The Fretboard Journal, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. Darol Anger, with whom Gordy has collaborated frequently, describes his playing as containing “Kaleidoscopic excellence, startling emotion, and personal revelation”.

The three friends first crossed paths at a music camp in Grand Targhee, Wyoming, where they were each employed separately to teach and perform. But rather than sitting down to play together, they first bonded during a game of disc golf, which became a venue for philosophical musing and discussion. A desire for intellectual growth and challenge became a theme for the three, and their tours often involve car discussions on everything from French Literature to meditation. Perhaps because of this, their music feels like an infinitely extending plane. “When we play, everybody is leading with their ears, and everything is possible, it’s hugely omnivorous”, says Walsh.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BARNES, GORDY, WALSH TRIO

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Join us for open mic at our venue at 6156 Ridge Ave, Philly, hosted by Painless Parker!

Doors open at 7:00pm
Performances at 7:30pm
Guests will perform 2 songs
Sound will be provided.
We ask for a donation of $3 for members and $5 for non-members in order to continue our programming.
PFS Venue events are BYOB. BYO wristbands are $2 and require proof of ID.

Open mics will be held on first and third Wednesdays and will feature different hosts and different artists. If you would like to host an open mic or have your act considered as a featured act, please email jnordell@pfs.org (featured acts perform 4 songs around mid-evening).

Born under a barstool and raised by wild koalas, Painless Parker is everything your mamma warned you about musicians. Behind the monicker, the moustache, and the always dapper vests lies Noam Berg. American born and raised in Haifa, Israel, Noam started playing guitar in high school and picked up Mandolin in college. His first band was Israeli punk trio Fishyboom, formed with an army buddy from the IDF. Leaving Israel (and Fishyboom) for college in California, Noam eventually landed in Brooklyn and began using Painless Parker as a sandbox for various musical ideas. Friends liked what they heard and proper gigs soon followed. Outside of his work (ha! work) as Painless Parker, Noam plays in local PFS Co-op band Rare Spirits.

PFS December House Concert with House of Hamill

Friday, December 13, 2019
Potluck/Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

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About House of Hamill

Rose Baldino and Brian Buchanan met 10 years ago, late one night backstage at a theatre in rural Pennsylvania.

Brian’s band Enter the Haggis and Rose’s group Burning Bridget Cleary were sharing a stage that evening, and the two bonded over a love of Irish fiddle tunes, Radiohead, and 4 AM whiskey. Their paths crossed a dozen times over the next decade on the road, but it wasn’t until the Folk Alliance 2014 conference in Kansas City that they finally became musical collaborators.

Burning Bridget Cleary’s guitarist and drummer had their flights canceled at the last minute, and in desperation, Rose asked Brian to grab a guitar and join her onstage. The two performed with virtually no rehearsal for over an hour, and their connection was powerful and immediate. A few months later Brian moved from Canada to Philadelphia, and as a tribute to the first tune Rose ever taught Brian, House of Hamill was born.

Both Baldino and Buchanan are accomplished traditional fiddle players and classical violinists, with over 25 years of writing and performance experience between them. Together, they write unusual new fiddle tunes and exciting, unpredictable original songs while breathing new life into traditional and contemporary songs. Both are confident and unique lead vocalists, and the blend of their two voices in harmony is hypnotic and irresistible.

Whether House of Hamill is playing songs from their debut album “Wide Awake” (2016) or stomping through a set of original jigs and reels from their follow-up “March Through Storms” (2018), their chemistry onstage is always engaging and often hilarious. In the summer of 2018, their quirky all-violin cover of “Sweet Child Of Mine” went viral, amassing over 15 million views and more than 400,000 shares on Facebook in just a few weeks, and was picked up by publications all over the world.

House of Hamill is on the bleeding edge of a new generation of traditional musicians.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOUSE OF HAMILL

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF HOUSE OF HAMILL

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO HOUSE OF HAMILL ON SPOTIFY

PFS and the hosts ask that guests act in a respectful manner and be considerate of the performers and other attendees–if you do not, you may be asked to leave by PFS staff or the hosts.

Advance registrations for this performance are REQUIRED.

Admission is free for PFS members and $10 for Advanced Tickets for non-members.

The event will be held at the Spears’ residence located in the West Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. You will receive the exact address upon registering.

Please bring something to share! Potluck at 7:30pm, music at 8pm.

PFS Presents Driftwood Soldier and Greg Klyma

Friday, December 14, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

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About Driftwood Soldier

Bassist Bobby Szafranski first lent his velvet touch to the back-handed poetry and full-throated ruckus of mandolinero Owen Lyman-Schmidt’s solo work in 2013. Since then the duo has been leapfrogging their way up and down the East coast bringing their unlikely sound to bars, living rooms, roof tops, and back alleys.

Scavenger’s Joy, Driftwood Soldier’s 2015 debut, established their musical range for audiences everywhere, with two-thirds of the songs receiving radio play on dozens of radio stations around the country including WFUV, WNCW, and WXPN, where Bruce Warren called the duo “a bluesy version of Nick Cave with a nod to Tom Waits.”

In early 2017, they followed the breadth of Scavenger’s Joy with the focused intensity of Blessings & Blasphemy, a concept EP exploring the tension between spirituality and dogma by reinterpreting gospel traditionals alongside anti-religious originals.

Their new full-length record, Stay Ahead of the Wolf, was produced with Erin McKeown and mixed by Grammy winner Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero, Devil Makes Three).

With this bellowing, crooning testimony to the power of storytelling in hand, Driftwood Soldier is back out on the road bringing their liver-shaking live show to audiences both devoted and unfamiliar. This isn’t some nostalgic reproduction of an imagined past, or a feel-good celebration of a rosy future. It’s a bittersweet love song to an imperfect world, a lullaby that leaves you bleeding. Find Driftwood Soldier, wherever they’re playing, and hear this new beast howl!

About Greg Klyma

Greg Klyma is a road-tested troubadour and relentless songwriter out to make the world a better place one song at a time. In 2019, he has released 3 new albums on his Bandcamp page while maintaining an active touring schedule. For over 20 years, he’s been weaving lanes between Tom Petty and Merle Haggard on music’s highway, keeping the American folk tradition alive with his enduring themes, articulate and amusing stories, and populist ideals. He rolls in off the road, pulls out a guitar, and proceeds to take us back to the basics: family, love, gratitude, and laughter.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF DRIFTWOOD SOLDIER

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CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DRIFTWOOD SOLDIER

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF GREG KLYMA

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GREG KLYMA ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GREG KLYMA

Come on out to the PFS Holidaze Bizarre!

We’ll have vendors, crafters, and artisans of all sorts! Come find the perfect gifts for everyone in your life this holiday season. (Is the perfect gift a Smiling Banjo toaster that burns the Philadelphia Folk Fest symbol into your bread? I think it is, and we have them.)

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Are you a vendor? A crafter? An artisan? We still have slots available for you to sell your wares!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY AS A VENDOR

Join us for open mic at our venue at 6156 Ridge Ave, Philly with Philadelphia Music Co-op member, Rob Lincoln, as our host and featured performer!

Doors open at 7:00pm
Performances at 7:30pm
Guests will perform 2 songs
Featured Artists/Host will perform 4 songs
Sound will be provided.
We ask for a donation of $3 for members and $5 for non-members in order to continue our programming.
PFS Venue events are BYOB. BYO wristbands are $2 and require proof of ID.

Open mics will be held on first and third Wednesdays and will feature different hosts and different artists. If you would like to host an open mic or have your act considered as a featured act, please email jnordell@pfs.org (featured acts perform 4 songs around mid-evening).

PFS December Monthly Concert with Mike McKenna Jr.

Friday, December 20, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

FREE for Members *While Supplies Last* | $10 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Mike McKenna Jr.

With grit and power in his voice and a unique authenticity in his stories, Mike McKenna Jr is a soulful singer-songwriter from Nova Scotia, Canada who has captivated listeners in his native Maritimes and around the North American folk community.

In his current home of Montreal, Quebec he has become a staple in the city’s folk and roots scene, performing with numerous grassroots organizations including the Yellow Door Coffeehouse, Montreal Folk Festival on the Canal, Hello Darlin’ Productions, as well as pop-up show groups like KickDrum MTL and Sofar Sounds.

Mike draws inspiration for his music from his early life growing up in Cape Breton, a region known as much for its rugged and picturesque landscape as for its rich cultural legacy that includes 500-years of colonial history and the accumulated oral traditions of Celtic, Mi’kmaq, and Acadian storytelling. His raspy, warm voice is reminiscent of a folky, Sweet Baby James era James Taylor, or the effortless power of Ray Lamontagne, but his tales of tragic sea voyages and lost lovers are a contemporary throwback to the nautical-themed traditional songs of Nova Scotia, and a revival of this unique style made popular by Canadians like Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot.

Funded by FACTOR Canada, the Canada Council of the Arts and the Government of Canada, Mike’s newest release Pacific Northwest Bound (2017) will offer listeners a chance to hear dark and dusted-off Maritime stories and sea shanties from a unique, millennial perspective. Working with 2x Felix award-winning producer and CFMA nominated Simon Marion, he recorded this concept album in a small cabin studio north of Montreal, in the charming village of St-Come; a hub of traditional Quebecois music. The album is now available on all platforms including Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MIKE MCKENNA JR

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MIKE MCKENNA JR

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MIKE MCKENNA JR

PFS Presents Zoe Mulford

Saturday, January 4, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

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About Zoe Mulford

Zoe Mulford is becoming best known as the writer of “The President Sang Amazing Grace,” which Joan Baez covered on her album “Whistle Down the Wind” in 2018. An American songwriter now living in the north of England, Zoe backs her clear voice with guitar or claw-hammer banjo to deliver powerful, evocative songs that draw on the traditional music of the US and the British Isles to make sense of the modern world.

“supremely evocative and sometimes cheekily humorous” – fRoots Magazine

Zoe grew up just outside Philadelphia, in Swarthmore. She took up the guitar and fell in love with the banjo during a twelve-year stint in Durham, North Carolina. Four years in Washington, DC introduced her to the community of contemporary songwriters, including the Azalea City Recordings cooperative. In 2006, she moved to the north of England. She now divides her time between Pennsylvania and Manchester, UK and tours on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The President Sang Amazing Grace” first appeared on Zoe’s 2017 album “Small Brown Birds” (Folk-DJ #1 Album, February 2017 and #4 Album of the Year.) Joan Baez heard the song on KPFA while driving near her home in California.

“It’s an amazing little tune,” said Baez in an interview on NPR News. “When I first heard it, I had to pull the car over, because I started crying. And then for the first two weeks of trying to figure it out on the guitar, I kept crying. I was afraid that when I got in the studio, it wouldn’t be over. But I went into the studio, and then I just looked at the musicians and I said, “Let’s go to church.”

Thoroughly engaging as a solo performer, Zoe has also collaborated onstage with performers as diverse as slide guitarist Pat Wictor, saxophonist Brad Yoder, and English fiddler Tom Kitching.

Other artists who have performed Zoe’s work include Rhiannon Giddens (in a very early recording with the Irish band Gaelwynd), the Kronos Quartet, and John Roberts & Tony Barrand in their “Nowell Sing We Clear” Christmas review. She is a past Kerville Newfolk Finalist and Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist and has had work published in Sing Out! Magazine.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF ZOE MULFORD

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ZOE MULFORD

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ZOE MULFORD

January House Concert with Mike Agranoff

PFS Presents Taarka

Sunday, January 19th, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 Members ** While Supplies Last** | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Door

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH A PERFORMANCE AND DOCUMENTARY ON TAARKA

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About Taarka

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TAARKA ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAARKA

PFS Presents Missy Raines

Friday, January 31, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

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About Missy Raines

Missy Raines was named 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year, for the 8th time, more than any other bass player in the history of the organization. Missy Raines has proven herself without doubt as an iconic bluegrass instrumentalist. But with her newest release, Royal Traveller, Raines has stepped into the spotlight as a songwriter for the first time. The album digs deep into Raines’ family life and her upbringing in West Virginia. Featuring previous and current members of her live band, as well as cameos from other bluegrass greats such as Stuart Duncan and Tim O’Brien, the album is a gorgeous look into the perspective, history, and musical influences of one of Nashville’s most beloved musicians, Missy Raines.

Royal Traveller is Raines’ third album for Compass Records, and the first produced by Compass’ owner and founder, and renowned banjo player Alison Brown. “I went into this project with Alison with the mindset that I wanted to stretch myself and see what I could do. I think we achieved what I was looking for, which is something further reaching and bigger than what I would have accomplished on my own,” says Raines.

In 1998, Raines became the first woman to win IBMA’s Bass Player of the Year award and she went on to win the title repeatedly for the next several years. Royal Traveller highlights this particular piece of Raines’ history with the stand out track “Swept Away”, which features the 5 first women to win IBMA instrumentalist awards, Raines, Brown, Sierra Hull, Becky Buller, and Molly Tuttle. “Swept Away” was named 2018 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year.

Missy’s version of the iconic Flatt & Scruggs “Darlin Pal(s) of Mine” (from Royal Traveller), was named 2019 Instrumental Recording of the Year by the IBMA. The tune features Alison Brown on banjo, Todd Phillips on bass and Mike Bub on bass.

With her new album, Raines tells her story with a vulnerability and bold honesty that rings clear, spoken through beautiful arrangements and well-chosen musical collaborations. With nods to many of the varied and challenging chapters of her life, the songs speak volumes of Raines tenacity and musicianship, and her ability to rise to bluegrass fame despite the various confinements of the times. The listener is presented with a striking window into the up and down ride of a very royal traveler, the one and only Missy Raines.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MISSY RAINES

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A MISSY RAINES VIDEO

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PFS Presents Daniel Champagne

Friday, February 7, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

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About Daniel Champagne

One reviewer recently wrote – ‘Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne is just magical’ (themusic.com.au)

The story goes that the young Australian singer, songwriter and one-of-a-kind guitar virtuoso first picked up his instrument of choice as a five-year-old following in the footsteps of a musical father. He began writing songs at 12, training classically throughout his teens and performing solo wherever he could, honing his craft and developing what would become the dynamite live show that he is renowned for today. At 18 he left school, turned professional and hit the road.

The next several years saw him traversing North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand and of course, his homeland Australia playing such festivals as California WorldFest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Vancouver and Mariposa Folk (Canada), Belgium’s Labadoux Festival and Australia’s Woodford, Falls Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and the legendary Byron Bay Bluesfest. He has toured and shared stages with Jake Shimabukuro, Jesse Cook, Roderigo Y Gabriela, Richard Shindell, The Ragbirds, The Waifs, Lucinda Williams, Judy Collins, INXS, John Butler, KT Tunstall and Ani DiFranco.

As one reviewer recently wrote, “still in his early twenties, the distances he has been would be more frequently associated with veterans of the Folk scene” (The Dwarf).

Daniel has accomplished all of this while writing, producing and independently releasing two Eps, Gypsy Moon Volumes 1 and 2, his first long player ‘Pint of Mystery’ (2011) ‘My Own Design’ (2009), ‘Wide Eyed and Open’ (2010), ‘Real Live’ (2012), and ‘The Heartland Hurricanes’ (2014), and ‘Fault Lines’ (2017). His latest release the ‘Satellite City EP’ (2018) is comprised of three singles, Satellite City (out Sept 14), Indigo (out Oct 12), and The Great Divide (out Nov 1).

A review of his two Gypsy Moon releases said the following: ‘Champagne has gone a step further this time, it’s like he’s realized his own potential, his confidence is sky-high and he’s truly ready to explore’ – Australia’s roots music bible Rhythms Magazine

Now regarded as a leading light in acoustic music, with a firm reputation for making festivals buzz, holding crowds in his palm, dropping jaws and breaking guitars wherever he goes. Daniel Champagne has relocated to North America where he continues his exciting career as an international touring and recording artist.

PRESS QUOTES

“Daniel Champagne is a crossroads. Fusing the strong traditions of Blues, Folk and other roots art with pop showmanship and admirable lyrical ability. I firmly believe that he will become an ambassador for roots music in a time where it desperately needs representation.”
The Indie Blender, Canada

“One of the more amazing young percussive guitarists touring the world right now”
Blank, Gold Coast, Australia

“Today I saw the future of Folk – Festival goers flocking in their thousands towards the main stage to witness the young musical phenomenon from Australia dish out an absolute show-stopper at the evening’ send.”

Firefly Column, USA

“Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art.”

BW Review, New Zealand

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DANIEL CHAMPAGNE

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A DANIEL CHAMPAGNE VIDEO

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PFS Presents Mari Black

Friday, March 13, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Mari Black

Called “one of the brightest fiddlers around today” (Brian O’Donovan, WGBH radio), multistyle violinist and champion fiddler MARI BLACK delights audiences around the world with her energetic playing, sparkling stage presence, and dazzlingly virtuosic fiddling. Raised on a rich blend of traditional musical styles, Mari burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a three-year period. Ever since then, she has been spreading her love for dance-based music, performing as a featured artist at performing arts centers, Celtic festivals, Scottish Highland Games, celebrated folk venues, world music concert series, and acclaimed classical venues including Carnegie Hall. She can even be heard (and seen!) in the award-winning video game BioShock: Burial at Sea. Mari has appeared with such diverse artists as Irish fiddle master Liz Carroll, Americana master Mark O’Connor, and jazzman Willie Ruff, and been featured on the BBC Radio Scotland, Fox and CBS morning news, and NPR’s “Here and Now.” She has played concerts in Brazil, Scotland, Canada, China, Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France…and she can’t wait for the next stop! Currently touring nationally with her trio, Mari’s favorite thing to do is sweep audiences away on a spirited musical adventure featuring dance music from around the globe: Celtic, American, and Canadian fiddling, jazz, tango, klezmer, folk, original works, and more!

Mari’s passion for dance-driven music extends far beyond the concert stage, as reflected in her work as a teacher, composer, dancer, competition judge, and musical ambassador committed to connecting people through music. Having earned her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, Mari is a master teacher who is dedicated to helping students of all ages and levels explore the joy of making music. She teaches regularly at prestigious camps and workshops around the country, including appearances at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Acadia Trad School, the Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Fiddling, the Mark O’Connor fiddle camp, the Tanglewood Festival, the Yale School of Music, and more. Several of her students are now becoming champion fiddlers in their own right, winning top awards at the U.S. Scottish Nationals and other competitions. Mari’s ear-catching compositions draw on a broad range of stylistic influences, and have won several awards, including a Gold Medal from the MASC International Songwriting Competition. Find out more about Mari and her musical adventures at her website: www.MariBlack.com

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARI BLACK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MARI BLACK LIVE AT NERFA

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MARI BLACK ON SPOTIFY

PFS Presents Miss Tess & the Talkbacks

Sunday, March 15, 2019
Doors 7pm | Music 7:30pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

About Miss Tess

“Contemporary and timeless. More than merely emulating her obvious influences, Miss Tess effectively situates herself on a pedestal right beside them, resulting in a set of songs that swings, sways, rocks and evokes her own personal perspective. Baby, We All Know is an excellent compendium of modern Americana distilled in all its forms. Miss Tess is a sweet seductress, one whose charms are increasingly harder and harder to resist. Catch her while you can.” – No Depression

Miss Tess has always been known for creating an eclectic array of vintage blues, country, and jazz sounds. Currently residing in Nashville, she finds no shortage of inspiration in the roots scene there. However varied Tess’ music can be, front and center sits her voice that has been described as “alternately seductive and sexy, and a pure joy to listen to” (Pop Matters). Her music is further heightened by her partner, Thomas Bryan Eaton, who helps to shape the songs and arrangements with a deft touch on guitar & pedal steel. No slouch herself, Tess brings along her Weymann archtop guitar, often trading leads with Thomas.

This past winter the two teamed up with veteran producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff) at his studio in East Nashville to create a new record that both reaches back to Tess’ roots, yet also signals a new chapter in her career. The record, to be titled “The Moon is an Ashtray”, is getting its finishing touches and will be released Feb 7.

In over a decade of touring Miss Tess has won fans from New York City to New Orleans and Alabama to Alaska. Over the years she has shared the stage with the likes of Lake Street Dive, NRBQ, The Holmes Brothers, Eilen Jewell, and Todd Snider. Her band has graced stages at Blissfest, Cayamo, Clearwater Jazz Holiday, Floydfest, Ossippee Valley Music Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Burlington Jazz Festival, Green River Festival, Red Wing Roots, Shakori Hills, and more. Miss Tess’s music has been heard from coast to coast on taste maker programs such as XM/Sirius’s The Loft, NPR’s Folk Alley, Santa Cruz’s KPIG and Boston’s WUMB. Her 2016 album, “Baby, We All Know” lived in the top 20 on the Americana Charts for six weeks.

Miss Tess grew up in Maryland, where she took piano lessons at an early age. She went to college in Baltimore, intending to be a graphic artist. While there, she dabbled in guitar, but it wasn’t until the end of her studies that she began taking it seriously. Once she became more interested in becoming a musician, she started studying jazz and writing songs, and put together her first band. Having grown up listening to her parents’ bands playing big band swing, folk, country and dixieland music, rootsy styles came naturally to her.

After a move to Boston, Miss Tess took a few classes at Berklee College of Music and formed a new band with a few fellow jazz students. Miss Tess quickly established herself as a songwriter and performer in the storied Boston music scene, playing regularly at local clubs. Over four years she won a Boston Music Award, and was nominated several other times in the Folk and Jazz categories of the BMAs, as well as the New England Music Awards. Miss Tess later moved to Brooklyn for a 5 year stint in the big city, followed by a move to Nashville, where she is currently based. She has since developed her sound to include more classic country, rockabilly and vintage rock ‘n’ roll, all combining into her ever-developing sense of self and eclectic taste in American roots music.

Miss Tess has been releasing albums and leading a band for over a decade, spanning her career over many different cities including Baltimore, Boston, NYC, and her new home base of Nashville, TN. Straddling her move from New York to Nashville, the new album was recorded in both cities. The recording cast includes her steady band mate and co-producer, Thomas Bryan Eaton, producer Dan Knobler (Rodney Crowell, Tift Merritt), Robin Macmillan, Jake Silver (Lee Fields), Roy Williams, Stefan Zenuik, Eric Frey (The Revelers), Dominic Billet (Andrew Combs), Kai Welch, John Pahmer, Aaron Shaffer-Haiss, Oliver Craven (The Stray Birds), Maya De Vitry (The Stray Birds) and Caitlin Canty.

A follow up to 2012’s Sweet Talk and 2013’s The Love I Have for You, both released on Signature Sounds Recordings, 2016’s Baby, We All Know was released independently and received accolades in the press as well as reaching the Top 20 in AMA Radio Charts and being included in the top 100 albums of the year for 2016.

As she expands and grows more into her own sound, Tess is still hard to categorize. She says “Many times after the show somebody will come up to compliment the band and ask me what kind of music we just played. After mumbling through a few different genres I usually just tell them it’s my music and hope they enjoyed the show”. Enjoyable is just what her music is, propelled by the classic quality of Tess’s vocals, compelling and totally believable. The production throughout is the right balance of punch and rhythm, without getting in the way of the vocals or songwriting, giving this collection of songs a plentiful dose of old-school swagger. Time after time, Miss Tess is able to utilize sounds and styles from a past era combined with modern sensibilities to present an authentic and engaging presence.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MISS TESS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MISS TESS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MISS TESS

PFS Presents Talisk

**Please Note: This is a dancing room only show. The only seating available will be in the mezzanine**

Saturday, March 21, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF TALISK

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TALISK ON SPOTIFY

About Talisk

In their five years, Scottish firebrands Talisk have stacked up several major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including 2018’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation & 2017’s Folk Band of the Year both at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award.

Mohsen Amini – the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year 2018, Hayley Keenan and Graeme Armstrong seamlessly meld concertina, fiddle and guitar to produce a multi-layered, enthralling signature that has effortlessly captivated audiences from the USA to Australia, and throughout the UK.

Appearances at world-leading festivals – including the Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark’s Tønder, WOMAD UK and Las Palmas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Celtic Colours, Milwaukee Irish Festival and five successive outings at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections – have amassed a die-hard following, whilst the world’s folk and world music media have also lauded high credits upon the trio. The release of their hotly anticipated second album, Beyond, in October 2018 was met with a five-star ‘Top of the World’ review in Songlines, praising the band as “incredibly infectious and endearing… fresh, invigorating, accomplished and playfully frisky.”

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TALISK

PFS Presents An Intimate Afternoon with Talisk

Sunday, March 22, 2020
Doors 2:30pm | Music 3:00pm

**Please note: This is a SEATED matinee show**

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF TALISK

About Talisk

In their five years, Scottish firebrands Talisk have stacked up several major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including 2018’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation & 2017’s Folk Band of the Year both at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award.

Mohsen Amini – the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year 2018, Hayley Keenan and Graeme Armstrong seamlessly meld concertina, fiddle and guitar to produce a multi-layered, enthralling signature that has effortlessly captivated audiences from the USA to Australia, and throughout the UK.

Appearances at world-leading festivals – including the Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark’s Tønder, WOMAD UK and Las Palmas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Celtic Colours, Milwaukee Irish Festival and five successive outings at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections – have amassed a die-hard following, whilst the world’s folk and world music media have also lauded high credits upon the trio. The release of their hotly anticipated second album, Beyond, in October 2018 was met with a five-star ‘Top of the World’ review in Songlines, praising the band as “incredibly infectious and endearing… fresh, invigorating, accomplished and playfully frisky.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TALISK ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TALISK

PFS Presents Martyn Joseph

Friday, March 27, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Martyn Joseph

Martyn Joseph is a performer like no other: Shades of Springsteen, John Mayer, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews there may be – but he stands in his own right, built on a reputation for giving what thousands have described as the best live music experience of their lives delivering his “songs of lyrical intelligence” according to BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris.

Martyn Joseph is a completely unique and mind blowing artist. Take everything you think you know about singer songwriters….and rip it up. For one man and a guitar he creates a performance with a huge far-reaching sound that is energetic, compelling and passionate. Be it to two hundred people or twenty thousand, he blows the crowd away night after night.

He is gifted with the rare ability to speak to the soul with his expressive and poignant lyrics and has a career spanning 30 years, 32 albums, over a half a million record sales and thousands of live performances.

Compared to Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews, he has created his own style and reputation as a mesmerising live performer and stands in his own right, built on a reputation for giving what thousands have described as the best live music experience of their lives. A unique talent driven by passion, social awareness and love for his trade, he’s a jaw dropping guitar player who has developed a unique percussive style, teamed up with a powerful show stopping voice, and has been called “The Welsh Springsteen”

In addition to his 5 top 50 UK hits, the importance of his work has been recognised by programmes such as BBC Radio 2’s prime time series on Singer/Songwriters. Social justice has an essential presence throughout his music, which has been recognised with various humanitarian awards and plaudits.

Concerned with making music that is relevant and vital to his audience, he engages with challenging narratives tackling the complexity of the human condition, underpinned with a promise of hope. In his own words “Really what I do is to try and write songs that might step up and make some sense of a moment in time. A good song makes you feel like you’re not alone in the world.”

There is a versatility to Martyn’s music that is hard to categorise. Many have tried, resulting in labels such as Folk, Rock, Soul, Folk Funk and Americana; all of which somehow miss the mark. But sometimes music doesn’t need a defining genre and with the ability to articulate a sense of the bigger picture, Martyn’s music and social commentary manage to empower and speak for many. His songs are pictures, and stories, and feelings all put to music and delivered by a master craftsman.

In 2013 Martyn released a CD of Bruce Springsteen songs, to great public and critical acclaim, with the glowing endorsement of Dave Marsh, acclaimed American music critic, official Springsteen biographer and close friend of the Boss himself.

2014 saw him take the spirit of his music onto a more practical footing with the launch of his “Let Yourself Trust”, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to make a small difference out of great love and commitment by challenging injustice wherever it’s found, educating via advocacy, campaigning for human rights, and raising issues that have been forgotten or ignored via fundraising initiatives, thus bringing about greater awareness for beautiful people in powerless situations. He’s also Patron of Advantage Africa and Festival Spirit in the UK and Project Somos in Canada/Guatemala.

He has won the love of audiences from USA and Canada to Europe through an impressive number of live dates, and has previously toured with the likes of Art Garfunkel, Jools Holland, Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, Mike and The Mechanics, Joan Armatrading, Celine Dion and Shirley Bassey. He is hailed as a raconteur weaving tales on topical concerns, as well as stories on the fragility of love, with a magical ability to reach out to his listeners through his passion and humour. Stunning reviews single him out as an unmissable solo performer whose music stays with you long after the show has ended.

2016 was one of Martyn’s busiest, playing over 170 shows worldwide, he was also asked by the EFDSS and British Parliament to write and perform as part of“Sweet Liberties” with Nancy Kerr, Sam Carter and Maz O’Connor to mark 800 years of British democracy, One of his songs from this, “Nye” celebrating Nye Bevan, the author of the NHS, has been enthusiastically received by audiences everywhere, as well as having BBC national airplay on Mark Radcliffe’s Folk Show and Tom Robinson’s 6 Music show.

He was honoured with a Spirit of Folk Award by Folk Alliance International in Kansas in 2018, and he’s been invited to speak on several occasions at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA.

January 2019 saw the release of his 33rd studio album, “Here Come The Young, produced by Gerry Diver (Tom Robinson, Lisa Knapp and Sam Lee). The album has received praise from all corners including Uncut magazine, which described the songs as “anthems of hope that bigotry and hatred will not prevails” The title track also won the award for “Best Original English Language Song” at the 2019 Wales Folk Awards.

Martyn Joseph. A unique talent driven by passion and love for his trade, continues to write, sing and play from the heart. It’s a road he’s been travelling for most of his life and, as he often tells his audience, ‘you keep turning up and so will I.’

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MARTYN JOSEPH

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MARTYN JOSEPH ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARTYN JOSEPH

PFS Presents The Black Feathers

Saturday, March 28, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

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CLICK HERE TO SEE A LIVE VIDEO OF THE BLACK FEATHERS

About The Black Feathers

A favorite of the 2018 Philadelphia Folk Festival, and a smash show at PFS in 2019, we are delighted to bring back The Black Feathers to the PFS venue!

The ability to write songs that are both modern and ancient is a rare thing. The product of an arcane art of weaving in traditional influences so thoroughly that they become the warp and weft of fresh creations. The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler, are two such talents. They first became aware of the magic between them while collaborating on several musical projects, becoming The Black Feathers and life partners in 2012.

“Once in a blue moon, the whole soars far above the sum of its parts. That’s what happens when The Black Feathers perform live”

– Black Mountain News, North Carolina

Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in their musical world, with Hughes’ guitar work buoying the kind of harmonies often only heard in family bands. Their music quickly draw the interest of listeners, but it is the stage chemistry that will keep them riveted.

Having already built up a loyal following in the UK, The Black Feathers have been spreading their wings across the US. They have performed at Philadelphia Folk Festival and AmericanaFest, and have also been awarded official showcases at the North East Regional and Far-West Folk Alliance conferences.

With a new single and a live album in the pipeline, these are exciting times for what FATEA refer to as “a duo of undeniable talent”.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A MUSIC VIDEO OF THE BLACK FEATHERS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE BLACK FEATHERS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLACK FEATHERS

PFS Presents J.P. Cormier

Thursday, April 2, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About JP Cormier

Nobody really knows who J.P. Cormier is for sure. That’s to be expected, believe me.

In 1974 he was a five year old boy, discovering an innate talent for playing the guitar, I had a little hand in that, guiding him through the beginning stages. He learned faster than I could teach.

By the mid eighties, not out of his teens, he was a sideman for bands and artists of many different genres in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and all across the deep south. As he traveled and worked he added more and more instruments to his arsenal of capabilities. He became indispensable to the bands he worked for.

In the early Nineties, he became a sideman for one of Canada’s favourite sons, Stompin’ Tom Connors and also became a staple of the recordings at Studio H in Halifax. His work with the CBC there spanned musical, production, and arranging duties.

All this before he was 20.

In the mid nineties he reentered the musical scene of his beloved East Coast and the Island called Cape Breton. He exploded onto the trad music scene there as a fiddler, performing some of the most difficult music ever produced by legends like Winston Fitzgerald and Angus Chisholm with a facility that stunned onlookers. Especially those who knew he wasn’t born there, but born in Ontario to Cape Breton parents. Somehow, some way, his music was the real thing, sounding like he had been steeped continually in a handed-down brew of family tradition from the old country.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

His previous gig was in Nashville playing mandolin and banjo in a grammy nominated bluegrass gospel band and performing on the Opry, and playing television shows with the likes of Waylon Jennings. All those people also thought he was one of them, American, reared in the ways of bluegrass, old time and Americana music. They knew he was from Canada, but it just didn’t seem possible.

Then in 1997, something amazing happened.

An album released in Canada, out of nowhere, called Another Morning. This time it was him as a songwriter and a lead singer.

And what a songwriter he turned out to be. Some of the performances on that album are literally part of the musical vocabulary today in the East Coast. Songs like the title cut, and Kelly’s Mountain, The Molly May (co written with his cousin Gervais) and others. It inspired, 25 years ago, some of the biggest names in the business today. People like Dave Gunning, Matt Andersen, David Myles, Joel Plaskett, all of which will tell you: that record changed things.

The Canadian industry thought so too, and it received a juno nomination and won an ECMA.

And that was just the beginning.

36 years later after stepping on stage as professional union musician for the first time at the tender age of 13, JP is still going, and frighteningly, still getting better.

16 albums followed the success of Another Morning, winning 12 more ECMA’s, another Juno nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award and 5 Music Nova Scotia Awards. Each album was a snapshot of each thing that he can do. There are fiddle albums, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, tribute records, songwriting collections, a purely astounding spectrum of talent and musical vision.

His catalogue of recordings and the 150 or so records he’s produced on other artists, resemble the tapestry he weaves in live performance. Where he used to carry 3 and 4 piece bands, he tours alone now.

Just him and the instruments.

People still leave his shows confused, amazed and wondering what they just saw. Did they see a storyteller? A Songwriter? Arguably one of the best guitar players in the business today? Someone who crosses the lines between different instruments like there are no lines? Who was that masked man, anyway?

Accolades aside, and there are many from people like Chet Atkins, Marty Stuart, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot; JP sees himself as just a performer. He’s shy, but has a razor sharp wit and lightning sense of humour. He can be reserved or edgy to the point no return. He speaks for soldiers, first responders, other artists, the forgotten and lost. He speaks sometimes only for himself and refuses rebuttal.

Of all the things he is, foremost he is an entertainer. I think one of the best. After you’ve seen what he does, I’m certain you will too.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF JP CORMIER

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO JP CORMIER ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JP CORMIER

PFS Presents AJ Ghent

Saturday, April 25th, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

About AJ Ghent

AJ Ghent [j-ent] and His Singing Guitar construct a musical sound that can be heard howling from the church to the streets to the clubs. His style can be defined as fresh, nostalgic, electrifying and roots rock, — fusing blues, funk, rock, and pop, mashing it into a genre he likes to call, NEO BLUES. The energy and passion which resonates from AJ’s music, from the strum of the guitar and the conviction of the vocals, the pounding rhythm of the drums, to the thought provoking lyrics, is sure to be felt by any crowd. AJ aims to create an unforgettable experience for music lovers, with the hopes of taking them to a musical paradise. A little hip-shaking, finger snapping, head nodding is all you need for this tuneful travel excursion. He calls James Brown, Prince, and his family heritage as influences. He can be heard picking, sliding and strumming all over those strings, whether it’s one of his custom built 6 or 8-string lap steel hybrids or his acoustic resonator. What is different from most lap steel players is AJ performs standing upright like a guitar player, using his over handed technique to play slide, so that he can dance, and have more mobility during his live shows. AJ was born to fly!

AJ Ghent [J-ent] is a musician hailing from Fort Pierce, Florida and growing up was all about the music. Music has truly been running through his family for generations; such as his great uncle Willie Eason, the creator of the “Sacred Steel Tradition,” and his grandfather Henry Nelson, the founder of the “Sacred Steel” rhythmic guitar style. This style is played by many names today, such as Robert Randolph, The Campbell Brothers, and more. “Forged in the congregational hotbox of the Southern Pentecostal House of God church, sacred steel music is an electrified rhythm, punctuated by sharp blasts of soaring solos, played on amplified lap steel guitar. It’s an open tuning, on an eight-stringed instrument, and sometimes it can sound like the roaring, whooping and hollering voice of God himself has joined the gospel fervor.” (reference Connect Savannah, 2013) So around 12 years old, the young AJ got a hold of something special; “it was one of the first sacred steel CDs, with my father, my grandfather and my great uncle on there. At that point, I became interested in the instrument, and I would listen to that thing until I broke it.” (reference: Connect Savannah August 2013) After High School, AJ traveled down to the West Palm Beach, FL area with his sister, Tiffany Ghent to explore the city’s range of genres, from hip-hop to R&B, while playing in Top 40 music bands. However, AJ was in search of something more, a style that was uniquely his own.

Something was bubbling…Fresh with his marriage to his bride MarLa, a singer herself, he set his eyes on Atlanta, GA. When he arrived in Atlanta, AJ took on sideman jobs, studio session work. Not long after, AJ met the legendary Colonel Bruce Hampton who began to mentor him; teaching him what mattered the most; “time – tone and space” for all his music and life journeys. AJ was invited to play in Hampton’s band, Pharaoh’s Kitchen, which he did for about a year — and like true Colonel Bruce style, the elder statesman always reminded AJ to be ‘true to himself.’

He has had a colorful career thus far playing and opening for such legendary acts like Zac Brown, The Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks, Robert Cray, and Gov’t Mule. He can be heard on various recordings with Zac Brown, Luther Dickinson, and featured on Zac Brown’s 2013 Grohl Sessions Vol. 1 alongside Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters). AJ’s band has had various formations, from a trio to a full-size live band with horns, playing small clubs to mid-large sized festivals and arenas; dazzling audiences everywhere. In 2015, he released a DVD/CD called LIVE AT TERMINAL WEST – recorded and filmed at the Terminal West venue in the old King Plow factory in Atlanta, GA. This was well-received by fans and critics praising the fearless leader! “The 11-song album is a relentless, high-energy romp through gospel, soul and funk-infused landscapes, with a couple of cool-down moments just so the audience can catch their collective breath.” (Relix, 2015)

At the age of 31, AJ Ghent [J-ent] knows where his talent comes from and isn’t afraid to explore other sounds. His new album titled The Neo Blues Project is something different: A musical fusion form that takes art and skill to master, something that AJ Ghent [J-ent] has spent his whole life perfecting. The album debuted #7 on the Billboard Blues Charts on its release week in March 2018.

PFS Presents Hank, Pattie & The Current

Saturday, December 7, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Hank, Pattie & The Current

Bluegrass ambassadors Hank Smith and Pattie Hopkins Kinlaw join forces once again with their original and energetic new soulgrass band, Hank and Pattie. Hank and Pattie take traditional bluegrass and infuse it with their own flair, drawing from a melting pot of styles including Latin and Jazz, which adds up to an authentic and unique reflection of American music. While some of the music sounds old school and some sounds fresh and new, their overall musicianship, vocal harmonies, impassioned delivery and innovative arrangements captivate all generations of music lovers.

Hank and Pattie are backed by an all-star band comprised of North Carolina musicians Jonah Freedman on Bass and vocals, Billie Feather on guitar, and Robert Thornhill on mandolin and vocals.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF HANK, PATTIE & THE CURRENT

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO HANK, PATTIE & THE CURRENT

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HANK, PATTIE & THE CURRENT

PFS Presents Barnes, Gordy, Walsh Trio

Sunday, December 8, 2019
Doors 7:00pm | Music 7:30pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Barnes, Gordy, Walsh Trio

In the world of bluegrass and folk, where the collaborative possibilities are endless, what draws some musicians together in formal collaborations is hard to pinpoint. For Joe K. Walsh, Grant Gordy, and Danny Barnes, a newly formed bi-coastal trio, curiosity is the rule, and tunes are just a starting point. “We approach every tune with an open attitude everyday. There’s a sort of tacit undiscussed flexibility that we all honor when we play together”, explains Walsh. For three musicians who have vibrant solo careers, as well as multifaceted musical collaborations under their belts, the trio has sparked a new level of creative inspiration, a venue to push and pull, learning and speaking with one another through improvisation. “We are in some ways three very different musical pieces, but the thing that unites us is a deep respect and affinity for anybody who is improvising,” says Walsh. The trio is anchored by banjo player and singer/songwriter Danny Barnes. Barnes is best known as the frontman of the Bad Livers, for his collaborations with Dave Matthews and Bill Frisell, and as the 2015 winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. He is an innovative banjo player and songwriter originally from Texas whose solo album “Pizza Boz”, garnered him a sort of cult following, and led Sam Bush to describe him as “The Great American Un-Sung Hero”. The elder of the group, Barnes brings an element of fierce individuality to the trio, with wisdom-infused vocals and straightforward, no nonsense banjo picking.

Gordy and Walsh come from a more jazz and swing influenced background, having first bonded over their mutual obsession with learning David Grisman solos. For Walsh, hearing some of the early Dawg records was his first impetus to learn the mandolin. However, he is now equally renowned for his bluegrass and old-time sensibilities. Growing up in Illinois and later Minnesota, Walsh first established himself on the East Coast as the co-founder of progressive bluegrass band Joy Kills Sorrow, and as a long time member of The Gibson Brothers. He went on to become a faculty member at The Berklee College of Music, and launch a solo career with his albums Sweet Loam and Borderland.

Gordy, who is originally from Colorado and now lives in Brooklyn, went from being a fan of David Grisman, to playing in his band. Having spent six years in the David Grisman Quintet, Gordy released a self titled solo album in 2010 to critical acclaim, and has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, Tiny Desk Concerts, and All Things Considered, as well as The Fretboard Journal, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. Darol Anger, with whom Gordy has collaborated frequently, describes his playing as containing “Kaleidoscopic excellence, startling emotion, and personal revelation”.

The three friends first crossed paths at a music camp in Grand Targhee, Wyoming, where they were each employed separately to teach and perform. But rather than sitting down to play together, they first bonded during a game of disc golf, which became a venue for philosophical musing and discussion. A desire for intellectual growth and challenge became a theme for the three, and their tours often involve car discussions on everything from French Literature to meditation. Perhaps because of this, their music feels like an infinitely extending plane. “When we play, everybody is leading with their ears, and everything is possible, it’s hugely omnivorous”, says Walsh.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BARNES, GORDY, WALSH TRIO

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A BARNES, GORDY, WALSH TRIO VIDEO

PFS December House Concert with House of Hamill

Friday, December 13, 2019
Potluck/Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About House of Hamill

Rose Baldino and Brian Buchanan met 10 years ago, late one night backstage at a theatre in rural Pennsylvania.

Brian’s band Enter the Haggis and Rose’s group Burning Bridget Cleary were sharing a stage that evening, and the two bonded over a love of Irish fiddle tunes, Radiohead, and 4 AM whiskey. Their paths crossed a dozen times over the next decade on the road, but it wasn’t until the Folk Alliance 2014 conference in Kansas City that they finally became musical collaborators.

Burning Bridget Cleary’s guitarist and drummer had their flights canceled at the last minute, and in desperation, Rose asked Brian to grab a guitar and join her onstage. The two performed with virtually no rehearsal for over an hour, and their connection was powerful and immediate. A few months later Brian moved from Canada to Philadelphia, and as a tribute to the first tune Rose ever taught Brian, House of Hamill was born.

Both Baldino and Buchanan are accomplished traditional fiddle players and classical violinists, with over 25 years of writing and performance experience between them. Together, they write unusual new fiddle tunes and exciting, unpredictable original songs while breathing new life into traditional and contemporary songs. Both are confident and unique lead vocalists, and the blend of their two voices in harmony is hypnotic and irresistible.

Whether House of Hamill is playing songs from their debut album “Wide Awake” (2016) or stomping through a set of original jigs and reels from their follow-up “March Through Storms” (2018), their chemistry onstage is always engaging and often hilarious. In the summer of 2018, their quirky all-violin cover of “Sweet Child Of Mine” went viral, amassing over 15 million views and more than 400,000 shares on Facebook in just a few weeks, and was picked up by publications all over the world.

House of Hamill is on the bleeding edge of a new generation of traditional musicians.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOUSE OF HAMILL

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF HOUSE OF HAMILL

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO HOUSE OF HAMILL ON SPOTIFY

PFS and the hosts ask that guests act in a respectful manner and be considerate of the performers and other attendees–if you do not, you may be asked to leave by PFS staff or the hosts.

Advance registrations for this performance are REQUIRED.

Admission is free for PFS members and $10 for Advanced Tickets for non-members.

The event will be held at the Spears’ residence located in the West Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. You will receive the exact address upon registering.

Please bring something to share! Potluck at 7:30pm, music at 8pm.

PFS Presents Driftwood Soldier and Greg Klyma

Friday, December 14, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Driftwood Soldier

Bassist Bobby Szafranski first lent his velvet touch to the back-handed poetry and full-throated ruckus of mandolinero Owen Lyman-Schmidt’s solo work in 2013. Since then the duo has been leapfrogging their way up and down the East coast bringing their unlikely sound to bars, living rooms, roof tops, and back alleys.

Scavenger’s Joy, Driftwood Soldier’s 2015 debut, established their musical range for audiences everywhere, with two-thirds of the songs receiving radio play on dozens of radio stations around the country including WFUV, WNCW, and WXPN, where Bruce Warren called the duo “a bluesy version of Nick Cave with a nod to Tom Waits.”

In early 2017, they followed the breadth of Scavenger’s Joy with the focused intensity of Blessings & Blasphemy, a concept EP exploring the tension between spirituality and dogma by reinterpreting gospel traditionals alongside anti-religious originals.

Their new full-length record, Stay Ahead of the Wolf, was produced with Erin McKeown and mixed by Grammy winner Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero, Devil Makes Three).

With this bellowing, crooning testimony to the power of storytelling in hand, Driftwood Soldier is back out on the road bringing their liver-shaking live show to audiences both devoted and unfamiliar. This isn’t some nostalgic reproduction of an imagined past, or a feel-good celebration of a rosy future. It’s a bittersweet love song to an imperfect world, a lullaby that leaves you bleeding. Find Driftwood Soldier, wherever they’re playing, and hear this new beast howl!

About Greg Klyma

Greg Klyma is a road-tested troubadour and relentless songwriter out to make the world a better place one song at a time. In 2019, he has released 3 new albums on his Bandcamp page while maintaining an active touring schedule. For over 20 years, he’s been weaving lanes between Tom Petty and Merle Haggard on music’s highway, keeping the American folk tradition alive with his enduring themes, articulate and amusing stories, and populist ideals. He rolls in off the road, pulls out a guitar, and proceeds to take us back to the basics: family, love, gratitude, and laughter.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF DRIFTWOOD SOLDIER

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DRIFTWOOD SOLDIER ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DRIFTWOOD SOLDIER

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF GREG KLYMA

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GREG KLYMA ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GREG KLYMA

Come on out to the PFS Holidaze Bizarre!

We’ll have vendors, crafters, and artisans of all sorts! Come find the perfect gifts for everyone in your life this holiday season. (Is the perfect gift a Smiling Banjo toaster that burns the Philadelphia Folk Fest symbol into your bread? I think it is, and we have them.)

CLICK HERE TO RSVP

Are you a vendor? A crafter? An artisan? We still have slots available for you to sell your wares!

CLICK HERE TO APPLY AS A VENDOR

PFS December Monthly Concert with Mike McKenna Jr.

Friday, December 20, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

FREE for Members *While Supplies Last* | $10 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Mike McKenna Jr.

With grit and power in his voice and a unique authenticity in his stories, Mike McKenna Jr is a soulful singer-songwriter from Nova Scotia, Canada who has captivated listeners in his native Maritimes and around the North American folk community.

In his current home of Montreal, Quebec he has become a staple in the city’s folk and roots scene, performing with numerous grassroots organizations including the Yellow Door Coffeehouse, Montreal Folk Festival on the Canal, Hello Darlin’ Productions, as well as pop-up show groups like KickDrum MTL and Sofar Sounds.

Mike draws inspiration for his music from his early life growing up in Cape Breton, a region known as much for its rugged and picturesque landscape as for its rich cultural legacy that includes 500-years of colonial history and the accumulated oral traditions of Celtic, Mi’kmaq, and Acadian storytelling. His raspy, warm voice is reminiscent of a folky, Sweet Baby James era James Taylor, or the effortless power of Ray Lamontagne, but his tales of tragic sea voyages and lost lovers are a contemporary throwback to the nautical-themed traditional songs of Nova Scotia, and a revival of this unique style made popular by Canadians like Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot.

Funded by FACTOR Canada, the Canada Council of the Arts and the Government of Canada, Mike’s newest release Pacific Northwest Bound (2017) will offer listeners a chance to hear dark and dusted-off Maritime stories and sea shanties from a unique, millennial perspective. Working with 2x Felix award-winning producer and CFMA nominated Simon Marion, he recorded this concept album in a small cabin studio north of Montreal, in the charming village of St-Come; a hub of traditional Quebecois music. The album is now available on all platforms including Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MIKE MCKENNA JR

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MIKE MCKENNA JR

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MIKE MCKENNA JR

PFS Presents Zoe Mulford

Saturday, January 4, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

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About Zoe Mulford

Zoe Mulford is becoming best known as the writer of “The President Sang Amazing Grace,” which Joan Baez covered on her album “Whistle Down the Wind” in 2018. An American songwriter now living in the north of England, Zoe backs her clear voice with guitar or claw-hammer banjo to deliver powerful, evocative songs that draw on the traditional music of the US and the British Isles to make sense of the modern world.

“supremely evocative and sometimes cheekily humorous” – fRoots Magazine

Zoe grew up just outside Philadelphia, in Swarthmore. She took up the guitar and fell in love with the banjo during a twelve-year stint in Durham, North Carolina. Four years in Washington, DC introduced her to the community of contemporary songwriters, including the Azalea City Recordings cooperative. In 2006, she moved to the north of England. She now divides her time between Pennsylvania and Manchester, UK and tours on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The President Sang Amazing Grace” first appeared on Zoe’s 2017 album “Small Brown Birds” (Folk-DJ #1 Album, February 2017 and #4 Album of the Year.) Joan Baez heard the song on KPFA while driving near her home in California.

“It’s an amazing little tune,” said Baez in an interview on NPR News. “When I first heard it, I had to pull the car over, because I started crying. And then for the first two weeks of trying to figure it out on the guitar, I kept crying. I was afraid that when I got in the studio, it wouldn’t be over. But I went into the studio, and then I just looked at the musicians and I said, “Let’s go to church.”

Thoroughly engaging as a solo performer, Zoe has also collaborated onstage with performers as diverse as slide guitarist Pat Wictor, saxophonist Brad Yoder, and English fiddler Tom Kitching.

Other artists who have performed Zoe’s work include Rhiannon Giddens (in a very early recording with the Irish band Gaelwynd), the Kronos Quartet, and John Roberts & Tony Barrand in their “Nowell Sing We Clear” Christmas review. She is a past Kerville Newfolk Finalist and Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist and has had work published in Sing Out! Magazine.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF ZOE MULFORD

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ZOE MULFORD

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ZOE MULFORD

January House Concert with Mike Agranoff

PFS Presents Taarka

Sunday, January 19th, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 Members ** While Supplies Last** | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Door

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A PERFORMANCE AND DOCUMENTARY ON TAARKA

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About Taarka

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TAARKA ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAARKA

PFS Presents Missy Raines

Friday, January 31, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Missy Raines

Missy Raines was named 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year, for the 8th time, more than any other bass player in the history of the organization. Missy Raines has proven herself without doubt as an iconic bluegrass instrumentalist. But with her newest release, Royal Traveller, Raines has stepped into the spotlight as a songwriter for the first time. The album digs deep into Raines’ family life and her upbringing in West Virginia. Featuring previous and current members of her live band, as well as cameos from other bluegrass greats such as Stuart Duncan and Tim O’Brien, the album is a gorgeous look into the perspective, history, and musical influences of one of Nashville’s most beloved musicians, Missy Raines.

Royal Traveller is Raines’ third album for Compass Records, and the first produced by Compass’ owner and founder, and renowned banjo player Alison Brown. “I went into this project with Alison with the mindset that I wanted to stretch myself and see what I could do. I think we achieved what I was looking for, which is something further reaching and bigger than what I would have accomplished on my own,” says Raines.

In 1998, Raines became the first woman to win IBMA’s Bass Player of the Year award and she went on to win the title repeatedly for the next several years. Royal Traveller highlights this particular piece of Raines’ history with the stand out track “Swept Away”, which features the 5 first women to win IBMA instrumentalist awards, Raines, Brown, Sierra Hull, Becky Buller, and Molly Tuttle. “Swept Away” was named 2018 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year.

Missy’s version of the iconic Flatt & Scruggs “Darlin Pal(s) of Mine” (from Royal Traveller), was named 2019 Instrumental Recording of the Year by the IBMA. The tune features Alison Brown on banjo, Todd Phillips on bass and Mike Bub on bass.

With her new album, Raines tells her story with a vulnerability and bold honesty that rings clear, spoken through beautiful arrangements and well-chosen musical collaborations. With nods to many of the varied and challenging chapters of her life, the songs speak volumes of Raines tenacity and musicianship, and her ability to rise to bluegrass fame despite the various confinements of the times. The listener is presented with a striking window into the up and down ride of a very royal traveler, the one and only Missy Raines.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MISSY RAINES

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A MISSY RAINES VIDEO

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PFS Presents Daniel Champagne

Friday, February 7, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

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About Daniel Champagne

One reviewer recently wrote – ‘Daniel Champagne exudes a natural ease on stage, as he sings poignant lyrics and beautifully crafted melodies that invariably whisk the heart up with grand romanticism. Coupled with an exhilarating guitar talent that transcends mere acoustic playing to replicate a whole band, Champagne is just magical’ (themusic.com.au)

The story goes that the young Australian singer, songwriter and one-of-a-kind guitar virtuoso first picked up his instrument of choice as a five-year-old following in the footsteps of a musical father. He began writing songs at 12, training classically throughout his teens and performing solo wherever he could, honing his craft and developing what would become the dynamite live show that he is renowned for today. At 18 he left school, turned professional and hit the road.

The next several years saw him traversing North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, New Zealand and of course, his homeland Australia playing such festivals as California WorldFest, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Vancouver and Mariposa Folk (Canada), Belgium’s Labadoux Festival and Australia’s Woodford, Falls Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and the legendary Byron Bay Bluesfest. He has toured and shared stages with Jake Shimabukuro, Jesse Cook, Roderigo Y Gabriela, Richard Shindell, The Ragbirds, The Waifs, Lucinda Williams, Judy Collins, INXS, John Butler, KT Tunstall and Ani DiFranco.

As one reviewer recently wrote, “still in his early twenties, the distances he has been would be more frequently associated with veterans of the Folk scene” (The Dwarf).

Daniel has accomplished all of this while writing, producing and independently releasing two Eps, Gypsy Moon Volumes 1 and 2, his first long player ‘Pint of Mystery’ (2011) ‘My Own Design’ (2009), ‘Wide Eyed and Open’ (2010), ‘Real Live’ (2012), and ‘The Heartland Hurricanes’ (2014), and ‘Fault Lines’ (2017). His latest release the ‘Satellite City EP’ (2018) is comprised of three singles, Satellite City (out Sept 14), Indigo (out Oct 12), and The Great Divide (out Nov 1).

A review of his two Gypsy Moon releases said the following: ‘Champagne has gone a step further this time, it’s like he’s realized his own potential, his confidence is sky-high and he’s truly ready to explore’ – Australia’s roots music bible Rhythms Magazine

Now regarded as a leading light in acoustic music, with a firm reputation for making festivals buzz, holding crowds in his palm, dropping jaws and breaking guitars wherever he goes. Daniel Champagne has relocated to North America where he continues his exciting career as an international touring and recording artist.

PRESS QUOTES

“Daniel Champagne is a crossroads. Fusing the strong traditions of Blues, Folk and other roots art with pop showmanship and admirable lyrical ability. I firmly believe that he will become an ambassador for roots music in a time where it desperately needs representation.”
The Indie Blender, Canada

“One of the more amazing young percussive guitarists touring the world right now”
Blank, Gold Coast, Australia

“Today I saw the future of Folk – Festival goers flocking in their thousands towards the main stage to witness the young musical phenomenon from Australia dish out an absolute show-stopper at the evening’ send.”

Firefly Column, USA

“Watching Daniel Champagne perform is a once in a lifetime experience. He is a true prodigy that plays like no one else could possibly play unless they spent at least two lifetimes studying the art.”

BW Review, New Zealand

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DANIEL CHAMPAGNE

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A DANIEL CHAMPAGNE VIDEO

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO DANIEL CHAMPAGNE ON SPOTIFY

PFS Presents Mari Black

Friday, March 13, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Mari Black

Called “one of the brightest fiddlers around today” (Brian O’Donovan, WGBH radio), multistyle violinist and champion fiddler MARI BLACK delights audiences around the world with her energetic playing, sparkling stage presence, and dazzlingly virtuosic fiddling. Raised on a rich blend of traditional musical styles, Mari burst onto the international stage when she became Scotland’s Glenfiddich Fiddle Champion, 2-time U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, and 2-time Canadian Maritime Fiddle Champion, all within a three-year period. Ever since then, she has been spreading her love for dance-based music, performing as a featured artist at performing arts centers, Celtic festivals, Scottish Highland Games, celebrated folk venues, world music concert series, and acclaimed classical venues including Carnegie Hall. She can even be heard (and seen!) in the award-winning video game BioShock: Burial at Sea. Mari has appeared with such diverse artists as Irish fiddle master Liz Carroll, Americana master Mark O’Connor, and jazzman Willie Ruff, and been featured on the BBC Radio Scotland, Fox and CBS morning news, and NPR’s “Here and Now.” She has played concerts in Brazil, Scotland, Canada, China, Korea, Zimbabwe, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France…and she can’t wait for the next stop! Currently touring nationally with her trio, Mari’s favorite thing to do is sweep audiences away on a spirited musical adventure featuring dance music from around the globe: Celtic, American, and Canadian fiddling, jazz, tango, klezmer, folk, original works, and more!

Mari’s passion for dance-driven music extends far beyond the concert stage, as reflected in her work as a teacher, composer, dancer, competition judge, and musical ambassador committed to connecting people through music. Having earned her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University, Mari is a master teacher who is dedicated to helping students of all ages and levels explore the joy of making music. She teaches regularly at prestigious camps and workshops around the country, including appearances at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Acadia Trad School, the Jink & Diddle School of Scottish Fiddling, the Mark O’Connor fiddle camp, the Tanglewood Festival, the Yale School of Music, and more. Several of her students are now becoming champion fiddlers in their own right, winning top awards at the U.S. Scottish Nationals and other competitions. Mari’s ear-catching compositions draw on a broad range of stylistic influences, and have won several awards, including a Gold Medal from the MASC International Songwriting Competition. Find out more about Mari and her musical adventures at her website: www.MariBlack.com

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARI BLACK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MARI BLACK LIVE AT NERFA

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MARI BLACK ON SPOTIFY

PFS Presents Miss Tess & the Talkbacks

Sunday, March 15, 2019
Doors 7pm | Music 7:30pm

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CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

About Miss Tess

“Contemporary and timeless. More than merely emulating her obvious influences, Miss Tess effectively situates herself on a pedestal right beside them, resulting in a set of songs that swings, sways, rocks and evokes her own personal perspective. Baby, We All Know is an excellent compendium of modern Americana distilled in all its forms. Miss Tess is a sweet seductress, one whose charms are increasingly harder and harder to resist. Catch her while you can.” – No Depression

Miss Tess has always been known for creating an eclectic array of vintage blues, country, and jazz sounds. Currently residing in Nashville, she finds no shortage of inspiration in the roots scene there. However varied Tess’ music can be, front and center sits her voice that has been described as “alternately seductive and sexy, and a pure joy to listen to” (Pop Matters). Her music is further heightened by her partner, Thomas Bryan Eaton, who helps to shape the songs and arrangements with a deft touch on guitar & pedal steel. No slouch herself, Tess brings along her Weymann archtop guitar, often trading leads with Thomas.

This past winter the two teamed up with veteran producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff) at his studio in East Nashville to create a new record that both reaches back to Tess’ roots, yet also signals a new chapter in her career. The record, to be titled “The Moon is an Ashtray”, is getting its finishing touches and will be released Feb 7.

In over a decade of touring Miss Tess has won fans from New York City to New Orleans and Alabama to Alaska. Over the years she has shared the stage with the likes of Lake Street Dive, NRBQ, The Holmes Brothers, Eilen Jewell, and Todd Snider. Her band has graced stages at Blissfest, Cayamo, Clearwater Jazz Holiday, Floydfest, Ossippee Valley Music Festival, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Burlington Jazz Festival, Green River Festival, Red Wing Roots, Shakori Hills, and more. Miss Tess’s music has been heard from coast to coast on taste maker programs such as XM/Sirius’s The Loft, NPR’s Folk Alley, Santa Cruz’s KPIG and Boston’s WUMB. Her 2016 album, “Baby, We All Know” lived in the top 20 on the Americana Charts for six weeks.

Miss Tess grew up in Maryland, where she took piano lessons at an early age. She went to college in Baltimore, intending to be a graphic artist. While there, she dabbled in guitar, but it wasn’t until the end of her studies that she began taking it seriously. Once she became more interested in becoming a musician, she started studying jazz and writing songs, and put together her first band. Having grown up listening to her parents’ bands playing big band swing, folk, country and dixieland music, rootsy styles came naturally to her.

After a move to Boston, Miss Tess took a few classes at Berklee College of Music and formed a new band with a few fellow jazz students. Miss Tess quickly established herself as a songwriter and performer in the storied Boston music scene, playing regularly at local clubs. Over four years she won a Boston Music Award, and was nominated several other times in the Folk and Jazz categories of the BMAs, as well as the New England Music Awards. Miss Tess later moved to Brooklyn for a 5 year stint in the big city, followed by a move to Nashville, where she is currently based. She has since developed her sound to include more classic country, rockabilly and vintage rock ‘n’ roll, all combining into her ever-developing sense of self and eclectic taste in American roots music.

Miss Tess has been releasing albums and leading a band for over a decade, spanning her career over many different cities including Baltimore, Boston, NYC, and her new home base of Nashville, TN. Straddling her move from New York to Nashville, the new album was recorded in both cities. The recording cast includes her steady band mate and co-producer, Thomas Bryan Eaton, producer Dan Knobler (Rodney Crowell, Tift Merritt), Robin Macmillan, Jake Silver (Lee Fields), Roy Williams, Stefan Zenuik, Eric Frey (The Revelers), Dominic Billet (Andrew Combs), Kai Welch, John Pahmer, Aaron Shaffer-Haiss, Oliver Craven (The Stray Birds), Maya De Vitry (The Stray Birds) and Caitlin Canty.

A follow up to 2012’s Sweet Talk and 2013’s The Love I Have for You, both released on Signature Sounds Recordings, 2016’s Baby, We All Know was released independently and received accolades in the press as well as reaching the Top 20 in AMA Radio Charts and being included in the top 100 albums of the year for 2016.

As she expands and grows more into her own sound, Tess is still hard to categorize. She says “Many times after the show somebody will come up to compliment the band and ask me what kind of music we just played. After mumbling through a few different genres I usually just tell them it’s my music and hope they enjoyed the show”. Enjoyable is just what her music is, propelled by the classic quality of Tess’s vocals, compelling and totally believable. The production throughout is the right balance of punch and rhythm, without getting in the way of the vocals or songwriting, giving this collection of songs a plentiful dose of old-school swagger. Time after time, Miss Tess is able to utilize sounds and styles from a past era combined with modern sensibilities to present an authentic and engaging presence.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MISS TESS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MISS TESS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MISS TESS

PFS Presents Talisk

**Please Note: This is a dancing room only show. The only seating available will be in the mezzanine**

Saturday, March 21, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF TALISK

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TALISK ON SPOTIFY

About Talisk

In their five years, Scottish firebrands Talisk have stacked up several major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including 2018’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation & 2017’s Folk Band of the Year both at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award.

Mohsen Amini – the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year 2018, Hayley Keenan and Graeme Armstrong seamlessly meld concertina, fiddle and guitar to produce a multi-layered, enthralling signature that has effortlessly captivated audiences from the USA to Australia, and throughout the UK.

Appearances at world-leading festivals – including the Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark’s Tønder, WOMAD UK and Las Palmas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Celtic Colours, Milwaukee Irish Festival and five successive outings at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections – have amassed a die-hard following, whilst the world’s folk and world music media have also lauded high credits upon the trio. The release of their hotly anticipated second album, Beyond, in October 2018 was met with a five-star ‘Top of the World’ review in Songlines, praising the band as “incredibly infectious and endearing… fresh, invigorating, accomplished and playfully frisky.”

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TALISK

PFS Presents An Intimate Afternoon with Talisk

Sunday, March 22, 2020
Doors 2:30pm | Music 3:00pm

**Please note: This is a SEATED matinee show**

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF TALISK

About Talisk

In their five years, Scottish firebrands Talisk have stacked up several major awards for their explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including 2018’s Belhaven Bursary for Innovation & 2017’s Folk Band of the Year both at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award.

Mohsen Amini – the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year 2018, Hayley Keenan and Graeme Armstrong seamlessly meld concertina, fiddle and guitar to produce a multi-layered, enthralling signature that has effortlessly captivated audiences from the USA to Australia, and throughout the UK.

Appearances at world-leading festivals – including the Cambridge Folk Festival, Denmark’s Tønder, WOMAD UK and Las Palmas, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Celtic Colours, Milwaukee Irish Festival and five successive outings at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections – have amassed a die-hard following, whilst the world’s folk and world music media have also lauded high credits upon the trio. The release of their hotly anticipated second album, Beyond, in October 2018 was met with a five-star ‘Top of the World’ review in Songlines, praising the band as “incredibly infectious and endearing… fresh, invigorating, accomplished and playfully frisky.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TALISK ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TALISK

PFS Presents Martyn Joseph

Friday, March 27, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Martyn Joseph

Martyn Joseph is a performer like no other: Shades of Springsteen, John Mayer, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews there may be – but he stands in his own right, built on a reputation for giving what thousands have described as the best live music experience of their lives delivering his “songs of lyrical intelligence” according to BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris.

Martyn Joseph is a completely unique and mind blowing artist. Take everything you think you know about singer songwriters….and rip it up. For one man and a guitar he creates a performance with a huge far-reaching sound that is energetic, compelling and passionate. Be it to two hundred people or twenty thousand, he blows the crowd away night after night.

He is gifted with the rare ability to speak to the soul with his expressive and poignant lyrics and has a career spanning 30 years, 32 albums, over a half a million record sales and thousands of live performances.

Compared to Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews, he has created his own style and reputation as a mesmerising live performer and stands in his own right, built on a reputation for giving what thousands have described as the best live music experience of their lives. A unique talent driven by passion, social awareness and love for his trade, he’s a jaw dropping guitar player who has developed a unique percussive style, teamed up with a powerful show stopping voice, and has been called “The Welsh Springsteen”

In addition to his 5 top 50 UK hits, the importance of his work has been recognised by programmes such as BBC Radio 2’s prime time series on Singer/Songwriters. Social justice has an essential presence throughout his music, which has been recognised with various humanitarian awards and plaudits.

Concerned with making music that is relevant and vital to his audience, he engages with challenging narratives tackling the complexity of the human condition, underpinned with a promise of hope. In his own words “Really what I do is to try and write songs that might step up and make some sense of a moment in time. A good song makes you feel like you’re not alone in the world.”

There is a versatility to Martyn’s music that is hard to categorise. Many have tried, resulting in labels such as Folk, Rock, Soul, Folk Funk and Americana; all of which somehow miss the mark. But sometimes music doesn’t need a defining genre and with the ability to articulate a sense of the bigger picture, Martyn’s music and social commentary manage to empower and speak for many. His songs are pictures, and stories, and feelings all put to music and delivered by a master craftsman.

In 2013 Martyn released a CD of Bruce Springsteen songs, to great public and critical acclaim, with the glowing endorsement of Dave Marsh, acclaimed American music critic, official Springsteen biographer and close friend of the Boss himself.

2014 saw him take the spirit of his music onto a more practical footing with the launch of his “Let Yourself Trust”, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to make a small difference out of great love and commitment by challenging injustice wherever it’s found, educating via advocacy, campaigning for human rights, and raising issues that have been forgotten or ignored via fundraising initiatives, thus bringing about greater awareness for beautiful people in powerless situations. He’s also Patron of Advantage Africa and Festival Spirit in the UK and Project Somos in Canada/Guatemala.

He has won the love of audiences from USA and Canada to Europe through an impressive number of live dates, and has previously toured with the likes of Art Garfunkel, Jools Holland, Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, Mike and The Mechanics, Joan Armatrading, Celine Dion and Shirley Bassey. He is hailed as a raconteur weaving tales on topical concerns, as well as stories on the fragility of love, with a magical ability to reach out to his listeners through his passion and humour. Stunning reviews single him out as an unmissable solo performer whose music stays with you long after the show has ended.

2016 was one of Martyn’s busiest, playing over 170 shows worldwide, he was also asked by the EFDSS and British Parliament to write and perform as part of“Sweet Liberties” with Nancy Kerr, Sam Carter and Maz O’Connor to mark 800 years of British democracy, One of his songs from this, “Nye” celebrating Nye Bevan, the author of the NHS, has been enthusiastically received by audiences everywhere, as well as having BBC national airplay on Mark Radcliffe’s Folk Show and Tom Robinson’s 6 Music show.

He was honoured with a Spirit of Folk Award by Folk Alliance International in Kansas in 2018, and he’s been invited to speak on several occasions at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA.

January 2019 saw the release of his 33rd studio album, “Here Come The Young, produced by Gerry Diver (Tom Robinson, Lisa Knapp and Sam Lee). The album has received praise from all corners including Uncut magazine, which described the songs as “anthems of hope that bigotry and hatred will not prevails” The title track also won the award for “Best Original English Language Song” at the 2019 Wales Folk Awards.

Martyn Joseph. A unique talent driven by passion and love for his trade, continues to write, sing and play from the heart. It’s a road he’s been travelling for most of his life and, as he often tells his audience, ‘you keep turning up and so will I.’

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MARTYN JOSEPH

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MARTYN JOSEPH ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARTYN JOSEPH

PFS Presents The Black Feathers

Saturday, March 28, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

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CLICK HERE TO SEE A LIVE VIDEO OF THE BLACK FEATHERS

About The Black Feathers

A favorite of the 2018 Philadelphia Folk Festival, and a smash show at PFS in 2019, we are delighted to bring back The Black Feathers to the PFS venue!

The ability to write songs that are both modern and ancient is a rare thing. The product of an arcane art of weaving in traditional influences so thoroughly that they become the warp and weft of fresh creations. The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler, are two such talents. They first became aware of the magic between them while collaborating on several musical projects, becoming The Black Feathers and life partners in 2012.

“Once in a blue moon, the whole soars far above the sum of its parts. That’s what happens when The Black Feathers perform live”

– Black Mountain News, North Carolina

Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in their musical world, with Hughes’ guitar work buoying the kind of harmonies often only heard in family bands. Their music quickly draw the interest of listeners, but it is the stage chemistry that will keep them riveted.

Having already built up a loyal following in the UK, The Black Feathers have been spreading their wings across the US. They have performed at Philadelphia Folk Festival and AmericanaFest, and have also been awarded official showcases at the North East Regional and Far-West Folk Alliance conferences.

With a new single and a live album in the pipeline, these are exciting times for what FATEA refer to as “a duo of undeniable talent”.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A MUSIC VIDEO OF THE BLACK FEATHERS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE BLACK FEATHERS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLACK FEATHERS

PFS Presents J.P. Cormier

Thursday, April 2, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

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CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About JP Cormier

Nobody really knows who J.P. Cormier is for sure. That’s to be expected, believe me.

In 1974 he was a five year old boy, discovering an innate talent for playing the guitar, I had a little hand in that, guiding him through the beginning stages. He learned faster than I could teach.

By the mid eighties, not out of his teens, he was a sideman for bands and artists of many different genres in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and all across the deep south. As he traveled and worked he added more and more instruments to his arsenal of capabilities. He became indispensable to the bands he worked for.

In the early Nineties, he became a sideman for one of Canada’s favourite sons, Stompin’ Tom Connors and also became a staple of the recordings at Studio H in Halifax. His work with the CBC there spanned musical, production, and arranging duties.

All this before he was 20.

In the mid nineties he reentered the musical scene of his beloved East Coast and the Island called Cape Breton. He exploded onto the trad music scene there as a fiddler, performing some of the most difficult music ever produced by legends like Winston Fitzgerald and Angus Chisholm with a facility that stunned onlookers. Especially those who knew he wasn’t born there, but born in Ontario to Cape Breton parents. Somehow, some way, his music was the real thing, sounding like he had been steeped continually in a handed-down brew of family tradition from the old country.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

His previous gig was in Nashville playing mandolin and banjo in a grammy nominated bluegrass gospel band and performing on the Opry, and playing television shows with the likes of Waylon Jennings. All those people also thought he was one of them, American, reared in the ways of bluegrass, old time and Americana music. They knew he was from Canada, but it just didn’t seem possible.

Then in 1997, something amazing happened.

An album released in Canada, out of nowhere, called Another Morning. This time it was him as a songwriter and a lead singer.

And what a songwriter he turned out to be. Some of the performances on that album are literally part of the musical vocabulary today in the East Coast. Songs like the title cut, and Kelly’s Mountain, The Molly May (co written with his cousin Gervais) and others. It inspired, 25 years ago, some of the biggest names in the business today. People like Dave Gunning, Matt Andersen, David Myles, Joel Plaskett, all of which will tell you: that record changed things.

The Canadian industry thought so too, and it received a juno nomination and won an ECMA.

And that was just the beginning.

36 years later after stepping on stage as professional union musician for the first time at the tender age of 13, JP is still going, and frighteningly, still getting better.

16 albums followed the success of Another Morning, winning 12 more ECMA’s, another Juno nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award and 5 Music Nova Scotia Awards. Each album was a snapshot of each thing that he can do. There are fiddle albums, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, tribute records, songwriting collections, a purely astounding spectrum of talent and musical vision.

His catalogue of recordings and the 150 or so records he’s produced on other artists, resemble the tapestry he weaves in live performance. Where he used to carry 3 and 4 piece bands, he tours alone now.

Just him and the instruments.

People still leave his shows confused, amazed and wondering what they just saw. Did they see a storyteller? A Songwriter? Arguably one of the best guitar players in the business today? Someone who crosses the lines between different instruments like there are no lines? Who was that masked man, anyway?

Accolades aside, and there are many from people like Chet Atkins, Marty Stuart, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot; JP sees himself as just a performer. He’s shy, but has a razor sharp wit and lightning sense of humour. He can be reserved or edgy to the point no return. He speaks for soldiers, first responders, other artists, the forgotten and lost. He speaks sometimes only for himself and refuses rebuttal.

Of all the things he is, foremost he is an entertainer. I think one of the best. After you’ve seen what he does, I’m certain you will too.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF JP CORMIER

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO JP CORMIER ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JP CORMIER

PFS Presents AJ Ghent

Saturday, April 25th, 2020
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors

About AJ Ghent

AJ Ghent [j-ent] and His Singing Guitar construct a musical sound that can be heard howling from the church to the streets to the clubs. His style can be defined as fresh, nostalgic, electrifying and roots rock, — fusing blues, funk, rock, and pop, mashing it into a genre he likes to call, NEO BLUES. The energy and passion which resonates from AJ’s music, from the strum of the guitar and the conviction of the vocals, the pounding rhythm of the drums, to the thought provoking lyrics, is sure to be felt by any crowd. AJ aims to create an unforgettable experience for music lovers, with the hopes of taking them to a musical paradise. A little hip-shaking, finger snapping, head nodding is all you need for this tuneful travel excursion. He calls James Brown, Prince, and his family heritage as influences. He can be heard picking, sliding and strumming all over those strings, whether it’s one of his custom built 6 or 8-string lap steel hybrids or his acoustic resonator. What is different from most lap steel players is AJ performs standing upright like a guitar player, using his over handed technique to play slide, so that he can dance, and have more mobility during his live shows. AJ was born to fly!

AJ Ghent [J-ent] is a musician hailing from Fort Pierce, Florida and growing up was all about the music. Music has truly been running through his family for generations; such as his great uncle Willie Eason, the creator of the “Sacred Steel Tradition,” and his grandfather Henry Nelson, the founder of the “Sacred Steel” rhythmic guitar style. This style is played by many names today, such as Robert Randolph, The Campbell Brothers, and more. “Forged in the congregational hotbox of the Southern Pentecostal House of God church, sacred steel music is an electrified rhythm, punctuated by sharp blasts of soaring solos, played on amplified lap steel guitar. It’s an open tuning, on an eight-stringed instrument, and sometimes it can sound like the roaring, whooping and hollering voice of God himself has joined the gospel fervor.” (reference Connect Savannah, 2013) So around 12 years old, the young AJ got a hold of something special; “it was one of the first sacred steel CDs, with my father, my grandfather and my great uncle on there. At that point, I became interested in the instrument, and I would listen to that thing until I broke it.” (reference: Connect Savannah August 2013) After High School, AJ traveled down to the West Palm Beach, FL area with his sister, Tiffany Ghent to explore the city’s range of genres, from hip-hop to R&B, while playing in Top 40 music bands. However, AJ was in search of something more, a style that was uniquely his own.

Something was bubbling…Fresh with his marriage to his bride MarLa, a singer herself, he set his eyes on Atlanta, GA. When he arrived in Atlanta, AJ took on sideman jobs, studio session work. Not long after, AJ met the legendary Colonel Bruce Hampton who began to mentor him; teaching him what mattered the most; “time – tone and space” for all his music and life journeys. AJ was invited to play in Hampton’s band, Pharaoh’s Kitchen, which he did for about a year — and like true Colonel Bruce style, the elder statesman always reminded AJ to be ‘true to himself.’

He has had a colorful career thus far playing and opening for such legendary acts like Zac Brown, The Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks, Robert Cray, and Gov’t Mule. He can be heard on various recordings with Zac Brown, Luther Dickinson, and featured on Zac Brown’s 2013 Grohl Sessions Vol. 1 alongside Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters). AJ’s band has had various formations, from a trio to a full-size live band with horns, playing small clubs to mid-large sized festivals and arenas; dazzling audiences everywhere. In 2015, he released a DVD/CD called LIVE AT TERMINAL WEST – recorded and filmed at the Terminal West venue in the old King Plow factory in Atlanta, GA. This was well-received by fans and critics praising the fearless leader! “The 11-song album is a relentless, high-energy romp through gospel, soul and funk-infused landscapes, with a couple of cool-down moments just so the audience can catch their collective breath.” (Relix, 2015)

At the age of 31, AJ Ghent [J-ent] knows where his talent comes from and isn’t afraid to explore other sounds. His new album titled The Neo Blues Project is something different: A musical fusion form that takes art and skill to master, something that AJ Ghent [J-ent] has spent his whole life perfecting. The album debuted #7 on the Billboard Blues Charts on its release week in March 2018.