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Join Us For Virtual AND In Person Wee Folk Classes In The New Year!Virtual Wee Folk Wednesdays at 10am on Zoom Starting Jan 5th!Available Live or Recorded!In Person Wee Folk & PB Jammers Tuesdays at 10 & 11am Starting Jan 18th! -
Wednesday, January 19thMusic Begins at 7pm -
Check Out Classes In The New Year At The Philadelphia Folk School!Virtual Classes Are A Great Way To Enjoy Music!Classes Available In Ukulele, Harmonica, Fiddle, Early Childhood Education, Guitar, AND MORE! -
PFS Presents Windborne IN PERSON!!!Sunday, January 30th, IN PERSON at our Roxborough Venue!Doors at 2:30pm | Music at 3pmFREE FOR PFS MEMBERS! -
Airing Dec 26th at 2pm ET Watch Live Or On Demand ALL MONTH!Join Us For The PFS Member Archive Stream Of The 1988 Club 47 Friday Concert!Click Here To Become A PFS Member!Click Here To Login At FolkFest.org If You Are Aleady A PFS Member! -
Check Out The Line Up For The 59th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival!Click Here to Support Our Mission #GivingTuesday & every day! -
Get Your Copy of Smiling Banjo: A Half Century of Love and Music at the Philadelphia Folk Festival -
Odyssey ofAmerican Music -
Philadelphia Music Co-op Browse Artists Book A Co-op Act -
Spring Thing - May 22-24, 2020SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR HERITAGE RETREATSFall Fling - October 2-4, 2020
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Make aDonation JoinPFS! Volunteerfor PFS -
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Check Out Our Digital Concert Venue to #KeeptheMusicPlaying and #SecuretheFutureofFolk!
Featured Events
24jan6:30 pm- 9:15 pmVirtual Beginner and Blues Harmonica with Seth Holzman Begin!
Event Details
Virtual Beginner’s Harmonica for
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Virtual Beginner’s Harmonica for Adults with Seth Holzman (ages 16 and up):
Mondays, 6:30 – 7:45pm, January 24th, 2022 through March 14th, 2022
Learn to play simple traditional folk songs and elementary blues on one of America’s most popular, portable instruments – the harmonica! Basic techniques such as bending, trilling, tongue-blocking, vibrato, and wah-wah will be covered. Individual attention will be given to each student. No musical background is required. Bring a 10-hole diatonic key of C major harmonica (such as the Hohner Special 20, Hohner Marine Band Model 1896, or equivalent) to the first class. For our Zoom classes, have a 10-hole diatonic key of C major harmonica (such as the Hohner Special 20, Hohner Pro Harp, or equivalent) for the first class. Required text may be purchased for $10.00.
REGISTER FOR VIRTUAL BEGINNER’S HARMONICA HERE
Virtual Blues Harmonica I for Adults with Seth Holzman (ages 16 and up):
Mondays, 8pm – 9:15pm, January 24th – March 14th, 2022
Let’s continue our work with the harmonica and focus on the Blues. The harmonica’s unique sound is integral to the distinctiveness of many great blues bands. Learn some techniques and styles of background and lead playing. We will work on songs by Slim Harpo (“Something Inside Me,” “Raining In My Heart”), Little Walter (“Last Night,” “Hoochie Coochie Man”), Sonny Terry (“Bring It On Home To Me”), etc. Bring a 10-hole diatonic key of C-major harmonica such as the Hohner Special 20, Hohner Marine Band Model 1896, or equivalent, to first class. For our Zoom classes, have a 10-hole diatonic key of C major harmonica (such as the Hohner Special 20, Hohner Pro Harp, or equivalent) for the first class. Required text may be purchased for $10.00.(Note: This class is for people who have taken Harmonica For Beginners or others who have acquired similar skills and knowledge and have Seth’s permission to take the class.)
Time
(Monday) 6:30 pm - 9:15 pm EDT
Location
Philadelphia Folk School Virtual Classroom
Zoom
Organizer
29jan7:00 pmJohn McCutcheon - Sweet Home Wisconsin - Livestream Ticket On Mandolin.com
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John McCutcheon – Sweet Home Wisconsin – Livestream Ticket On Mandolin.com
Saturday, January 29th at 7:00 PM ET
John goes back to his roots in north central Wisconsin, revisiting songs written and inspired by his Midwestern upbringing. From stories of his first teenage gigs to songs about his ancestors, local legends, and friends, this will be a unique look into John’s Wisconsin memories. He’ll also include some of his favorite traditional songs from his home state.
Time
(Saturday) 7:00 pm
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30jan3:00 pm- 5:00 pmPFS Presents Windborne
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PFS Presents Windborne
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PFS Presents Windborne
Sunday, January 30th
Doors 2:30pm | Music 3pm
FREE for Members | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Windborne:
The four Windborne singers grew up immersed in the traditional song and dance communities of New England and discovered a love of world folk music in their teens. Over the past decade, Windborne has sought out masters of traditional singing styles in the US and around the world to study a variety of vocal music. Through these collaborations, they have developed the vocal agility and authentic sound for which they are known. Their dynamic concert programs include songs from Corsica, the Republic of Georgia, Bulgaria, Quebec, and Basque country, as well as traditional and original American folk music. They believe deeply in the power of music to change hearts.
Windborne Teaching WorkshopIn addition to performing in New England and around the world, Windborne has taught workshops in schools, community centers, singing camps, and universities. Seasoned teachers and song-leaders, they delight groups young and old with enthusiastic, clear, and nuanced instruction for musicians of all levels of experience. Singers not only learn the notes of a song, but also work on the varied vocal styles, language pronunciation, and gain an understanding of the song in its original cultural context.
In 2014, Windborne was one of 10 groups selected by American Music Abroad and the US Department of State to tour as cultural ambassadors through music. They traveled to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Angola, touring with internationally known artists, performing at sold-out national theaters, and collaborating with traditional musicians in each country. They also taught music and dance workshops to schoolchildren, English-language learners, dance schools, choirs, and music conservatories.
We thank you so much for your support and understanding in a time of so much uncertainty. Sending much love to our entire extended folk family. Stay well.
Time
(Sunday) 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST
Organizer
10feb7:00 pm- 9:00 pmPFS Member Music Club Talks Hadestown
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February PFS Member Music
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February PFS Member Music Club 2/10/2022 @7pm
Hi Folks,
We love and miss our PFS Members, so we wanted to find a way to regularly see your faces and have a chance to socialize in this socially distant world!
I have personally very much been enjoying participating in a book club over Zoom, so I decided to create a PFS Member MUSIC club! We’ll pick a different album to listen to every month and discuss what we love, what we don’t, how the album affected us, and have a lovely conversation over Zoom!
NOTE: The PFS Member Music Club USUALLY takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7pm, BUT For this month, we will be having our Member Music Club on the second THURSDAY OF THE MONTH, February 10th at 7pm!
For this month’s PFS Member Music Club, we’ll be individually listening to the Broadway Cast Recording of Hadestown, written by Anais Mitchell, and then coming together on Zoom to discuss the music!
NOTE 2: PFS is hosting a Ticket Giveaway for tickets to Hadestown at the Kimmel Cultural Campus for opening night, February 9th! If you would like to WATCH the show rather than just listening to it, you can enter to win the tickets by sending an email to digitalfolk@pfs.org with the subject line “Hadestown Contest PFS” and your name and phone number in the body of the email!
Sign up to get the Zoom link for Member Music Club.
Feel free to reach out to me via email to mhebertwilson@pfs.org with any questions or concerns. Stay healthy, and be well.
Molly Hebert-Wilson
(pronouns she/her/hers)
Education and Membership Manager
Time
(Thursday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm EST
Location
Philadelphia Folk School Virtual Classroom
Zoom
Organizer
16feb7:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS/PASA DIGITAL Open Mic with Rob Lincoln
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PFS & PASA -
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PFS & PASA – Digital Open Mic Night 2/16/21 at 7pm EST
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. Following the wild success of its first livestream with Mari Black on March 13, 2020, the Society has worked to keep the music playing, lift spirits, and make sure the artists in our extended Folk Family can continue to live day to day. We all know music is a universal language and we will be utilizing it as we present artists local, regional, and international – old favorites and new discoveries – to a digital audience of music lovers from the comfort of their own homes!
PFS’ bi-weekly Open Mic nights have been a fixture in the Philadelphia music community since they piloted in our pop-up venue in 2017. In 2019, PFS partnered with PASA to run one open mic a month to showcase original music and fulfill both organizations’ missions. We hope to continue to fulfill our missions while giving artists an outlet to perform and workshop their music.
While normally our Open Mic Nights are $3 for PFS Members and $5 for Not-Yet-Members, we are offering Digital Open Mic Night for FREE. If you have the ability and comfort in making a donation in any size, we would truly appreciate it!
WE WILL BE USING ZOOM FOR THE OPEN MIC NIGHT AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD THE ZOOM APP TO YOUR PHONE, TABLET, OR COMPUTER FOR EASE OF USE! DOWNLOAD AT: HTTPS://ZOON.US
We thank you so much for your support and understanding in a time of so much uncertainty. Sending much love to our entire extended folk family. Stay well.
Time
(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Organizer
19feb8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Lonesome Ace String Band
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PFS Presents Lonesome Ace
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PFS Presents Lonesome Ace String Band
Saturday, February 19th
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
FREE for Members | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Lonesome Ace String Band:
The Lonesome Ace Stringband is an old-time band with bluegrass chops that play some righteous folk and country music. There’s a depth of groove and sense of space not often heard in bluegrass today, a level of instrumental interplay and vocal blend uncommon in old-time, and an on-stage rapport that transcends all of this.
Three Canadians lost in the weird and wonderful traditional country music of the American South, the band members Chris Coole (banjo), John Showman (fiddle) and Max Heineman (bass) are each journeyman musicians and veterans of some of Canada’s top roots music acts (New Country Rehab, The David Francey Band, The Foggy Hogtown Boys, Fiver).
Instrumentation alone instantly sets LAS’s sound apart: consisting of just fiddle, clawhammer banjo, and upright bass, the band moves freely between having a sound so powerful that it doesn’t seem like it should be coming from a trio, to a sparseness and fragility that draws the listener in and refreshes the ear. All three are compelling lead singers, each with his own character and range. This allows for the vocal texture to shift depending on how the song needs to feel – and what the song has to say. When those voices come together the power of the harmonies is unshakable. It’s clear to anyone who’s heard LAS that they just don’t sound like any other band.
One must, however, look at the roots of LAS to understand where the sound comes from. Starting in 2007, the band took up residency in Toronto’s legendary Dakota Tavern routinely playing 10 sets of music every weekend. LAS spent 7 years as a house band before ever taking the show on the road or recording a note. In these days when new records and buzz-bands come at us like a jacked-up news cycle, this workaday approach hearkens to another era. Those years were a gestation period that allowed for a type of looseness and intuition to develop, something that can only come from experienced musicians clocking hundreds of on-stage hours together.
As of 2021, the band has toured internationally, been engaged at some of the largest festivals in North America and Europe (including Merlefest, Rockygrass, Wintergrass, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Gooikorts, John Hartford Memorial), and recorded 4 albums. On the first two albums, Old Time (2014), and Gone For Evermore (2016) the band leaned heavily on the traditional old-time cannon to express what it needed to say musically. In 2018, with the release of When the Sun Comes Up, the band showcased its songwriting and studio savvy, offering up a more progressive interpretation of old-time music, and taking it’s sound to new places. All three albums have been embraced by both fans and critics alike.
The 4th album “Modern Old-Time Sounds for the Bluegrass and Folksong Jamboree” was released in November 2019. It showcases the band’s musical range – especially its interpretive skills in adapting repertoire from outside the genre. Bluegrass Unlimited describes the album as “unorthodox enough to be brilliant”.
The band is set to release a live album in late 2021 and will resume its busy touring schedule starting in January 2022.
We thank you so much for your support and understanding in a time of so much uncertainty. Sending much love to our entire extended folk family. Stay well.
Time
(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
22feb5:30 pm- 7:15 pmVIRTUAL Beginner and Intermediate Ukulele with Christopher Davis-Shannon Begin!
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VIRTUAL Beginner Ukulele with
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VIRTUAL Beginner Ukulele with Christopher Davis-Shannon
Tuesdays, 5:30-6:15pm, February 22nd through March 29th, 2022
Bring the Philadelphia Folk School to the comfort of your home with a crash course in the most adorable instrument around! On a week to week basis we will study and learn everything from the beginning, no prior music experience necessary. We’ll explore tuning the uke, proper posture, open position chords and learn a host of old folk music.
Register for Virtual Beginner Ukulele Here!
VIRTUAL Intermediate Ukulele with Christopher Davis-Shannon
Tuesdays, 6:30-7:15pm, February 22nd through March 29th, 2022
Getting beyond three chords. Take your ukulele a bit further as we dive into more complex songs and simple solo arrangements while expanding on the basics you learned in beginner class. Suitable for anyone that can strum confidently through easy songs without too much hesitation between chords.
Register for Virtual Intermediate Ukulele Here!
Time
(Tuesday) 5:30 pm - 7:15 pm EDT
Location
Philadelphia Folk School Virtual Classroom
Zoom
Organizer
3mar8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Mark Erelli
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Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents Mark
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Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents Mark Erelli
Thursday, March 3rd, 2022
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $14 Not-Yet-Members | $16 Doors
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
About Mark Erelli“All the things that brought me comfort, they just seem tired and worn, what always used to work ain’t working anymore,” sings award-winning, Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter Mark Erelli, a few songs in to his forthcoming release Blindsided. It’s a realization that has washed over many of us, like headlights sweeping across the bedroom ceiling on a sleepless night. But for a songwriter, such an appraisal is a call to action.
Erelli rose to the occasion with a writing streak, generating well over 30 new songs to choose from for his newest record. He ultimately gravitated toward those that wrestled with the questions we encounter in the “middle,” the certain point in life when you reflect on your hopes and dreams and what you thought were certainties. “One glance at the headlines and anyone can see that we are questioning the stories we’ve told ourselves and, in many cases, they aren’t proving as durable as they once seemed,” he explains. “Do the things I took for granted as truth when I was younger still hold up? What can I still lean on? Am I strong enough for the ones I love to lean on me? The answers, if there even are answers, can be both unsettling and reaffirming.”
The aptly titled Blindsided was forged in this process of reckoning, of taking stock of the soul, and being pleasantly surprised. Mining the same gritty yet soulful territory as John Hiatt’s Bring the Family or Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time, Erelli contemplates the delicate tension between love and commitment, faith and family, disillusionment and hope. But this isn’t a confession from the therapist’s couch, it’s rock ’n roll, and Erelli is clearly taking his cues from heroes like Petty and Prine. Over the course of Blindsided’s 11 tracks, the message of each song is distilled to its purest form, as fearlessly honest in perspective as it is straightforward in its delivery.
To create the soundtrack that reflected this reinvigorated approach to songwriting, Erelli consulted his mental listof fellow musicians with whom he had forged connections in recent years and realized they all lived in Nashville.So, he made the trek to Music City, with best friend and multi-instrumentalist/producer Zachariah Hickman in tow,curious to see what effect a change in geography, personnel, and context would produce. With the help ofdrummer Jamie Dick (Rhiannon Giddens, Our Native Daughters), guitarist Sadler Vaden (Jason Isbell, Josh Ritter), Kai Welch (Molly Tuttle, Kacey Musgraves) on keys, producer Hickman on bass, and Dan Knobler (Lake Street Dive, Caroline Spence) recording and mixing, the result couldn’t have been more unanticipated. Against the backdrop of Blindsided’s hungrier, hook-laden sound, with the inspired addition of a string quartet on half of the album, Erelli has never sounded more passionate or vital.
Erelli has forged a colorful career by making the art of “being everywhere all the time” seem effortless. It’s hard tothink of another artist who seems equally at home serving as a sideman for GRAMMY-winning artists like PaulaCole, Marc Cohn, and Josh Ritter, or producing albums for Lori McKenna, as he does writing and producing his own material, like last year’s “By Degrees,” on which he was joined by a host of voices including Rosanne Cash and Sheryl Crow. That song was nominated for “Song of The Year” at the 2019 Americana Music Awards and served to reintroduce Erelli to a wider audience. And just in time, because Blindsided combines the exuberance of Erelli’s signature sound with the wisdom that comes with over 20 years of songwriting, capturing an artist at a point in his career where he is clearly digging deep and swinging for the fences.
“In one of my favorite Tom Petty songs, he sings ‘it took a world of trouble, took a world of tears, it took a longtime to get back here,’” Erelli says. “I think I know exactly how he felt.”
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MARK ERELLI
Time
(Thursday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
9mar8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Miss Tess & the Talkbacks
Event Details
PFS Presents Miss Tess &
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PFS Presents Miss Tess & the Talkbacks
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
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
Time
(Wednesday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
11mar8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Samantha Rise & Brittany Ann Tranbaugh
Event Details
PFS Presents Samantha Rise
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Event Details
PFS Presents Samantha Rise & Brittany Ann Tranbaugh
Friday, March 11th
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
$12 Members | $14 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Brittany Ann Tranbaugh:
Brittany Ann Tranbaugh (pronounced TRAN-baw) is an award-winning singer/songwriter based in Philadelphia, PA. Originally from the Lehigh Valley area in PA, she kicked off her music career as a teenager playing at Godfrey Daniel’s, one of the country’s only remaining bona fide folk listening rooms. She has since performed all over the US and Canada in theaters, living rooms, basements, bars, coffee shops, backyards, and on festival stages including Firefly and Philly Folk Fest. You can expect to hear a new EP produced by Jackson Emmer and entitled “Quarter Life Crisis Haircut” in April 2022. In this new batch of memorable and thoughtfully crafted songs, she tackles a wide range of topics including her sixth grade queer awakening, an awkward run-in with an old acquaintance, and the impossibility of true folk music authenticity in this day and age. At times witty and sarcastic, at other times heartbreaking and raw, the EP undoubtedly showcases Tranbaugh’s finest work to date.
About Samantha Rise:
Samantha Rise (they/them) is a black, gender-expansive performer and art activist, based in Lenape land, Philadelphia. Samantha’s passion for music and community building are the heart of their work. A student of jazz, improvisation, social justice movements and the music that drives them, Samantha encourages a unique vulnerability with their audiences, reminding us all that music is our birthright, and a technology of healing, transformative justice and self-determination. An award-winning songcatcher, Rise’s music is sensual and staggering in its accounts of what it means to allow ourselves to be known; giving voice to heartbreak, hope and all the spaces between, wherever words fail. Through their music, Samantha Rise invites us to listen for our own music, and to sing in the world we know is possible.
Rise’s debut release, Brighter Days, arrived in four installments over the solstice and equinox in 2019, and are looking forward to recording a new EP this summer. Their music is available on Apple Music, Spotify, BandCamp and Soundcloud.
Time
(Friday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
12mar8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Talisk
Event Details
Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents
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Event Details
Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents Talisk
**Please Note: This is a dancing room only show. The only seating available will be in the mezzanine**
Saturday, March 12th, 2022
Doors 7pm | Music 8pm
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF TALISK
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO TALISK ON SPOTIFY
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
About Talisk
Ground-breaking, chart-topping, genre-bending, instantly enthralling… it’s little wonder that Talisk rank highly amongst the most in-demand folk-based groups to emerge from Scotland in the last decade.
Alongside extensive touring, and appearances at leading festivals across multiple continents, Talisk have stacked up major awards for their explosively energetic, artfully woven sound. Mohsen Amini, Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris fuse concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce an innovative, multi-layered signature that captivates audiences worldwide. At its core, three seemingly acoustic instruments – in the hands of three master craftsmen; one unmistakable, bold sound and captivating live show.
Time
(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
13mar3:00 pm- 5:00 pmPFS Presents An Intimate Afternoon with Talisk
Event Details
PFS Presents An Intimate Afternoon
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Event Details
PFS Presents An Intimate Afternoon with Talisk
Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents An Intimate Afternoon with Talisk
Sunday, March 14th, 2021Doors 2:30pm | Music 3:00pm
**Please note: This is a SEATED matinee show**
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF TALISK
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
About Talisk
Ground-breaking, chart-topping, genre-bending, instantly enthralling… it’s little wonder that Talisk rank highly amongst the most in-demand folk-based groups to emerge from Scotland in the last decade.
Alongside extensive touring, and appearances at leading festivals across multiple continents, Talisk have stacked up major awards for their explosively energetic, artfully woven sound. Mohsen Amini, Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris fuse concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce an innovative, multi-layered signature that captivates audiences worldwide. At its core, three seemingly acoustic instruments – in the hands of three master craftsmen; one unmistakable, bold sound and captivating live show.
Time
(Sunday) 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST
16mar7:30 pm- 9:30 pmPFS Presents Ordinary Elephant
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PFS Presents
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PFS Presents Ordinary Elephant
Wednesday, March 16th
Doors 7pm | Music 7:30pm
$12 Members | $14 Not-Yet-Members | $18 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Ordinary Elephant:
International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year Ordinary Elephant captivates audiences with their emotionally powerful and vulnerable songs, letting the listener know that they are not alone in this world. The collaboration of husband and wife Pete and Crystal Damore, their connection, and their influences (such as Gillian Welch, Guy Clark, Anais Mitchell) all meet on stage. “Two become one, in song… hand-in-glove harmonies surprise the listener with focused intensity and musical mastery,” says Mary Gauthier.
Best,
Justin Nordell
Executive Director
Philadelphia Folksong Society
Time
(Wednesday) 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm EST
Organizer
18mar8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Armchair Boogie
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PFS Presents Armchair Boogie
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PFS Presents Armchair Boogie
Friday, March 18th
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
FREE for Members | $10 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Armchair Boogie:
Starting in 2015 from a front porch in the college town of Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Armchair Boogie can be defined by their pickin’ skills and infectious grooves. Augie Dougherty (banjo, vocals) and Ben Majeska (guitar, vocals) began playing under the name before becoming complete with the addition of Eli Frieders (bass) and solidification of Denzel Connor (drums) as the driving rhythm section behind a bluegrass, up-tempo, jammin-funkgrass outfit.
In the spring of 2018 Armchair Boogie moved to Madison, WI and released their first album. During this time they began touring around Wisconsin, the Midwest, and across America. Their journeys on the road have led them to stages such as Blue Ox, Northwest String Summit, John Hartford Memorial Festival, Summer Camp, and Live on King Street. They’ve had the honor to share the stage with The Infamous Stringdusters, Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, The Dead South, Kitchen Dwellers, Pert Near Sandstone, Trout Steak Revival, and have jammed with many more.
With the help of a loving and dedicated following, the group was able to successfully crowdfund their album, “What Does Time Care?”, which was released on October 11, 2019.
We thank you so much for your support and understanding in a time of so much uncertainty. Sending much love to our entire extended folk family. Stay well.
Time
(Friday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
20mar8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Screaming Orphans
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Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents Screaming
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Event Details
Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents Screaming Orphans
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Doors 6:30pm | Music 7pm
$15 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $20 Not-Yet-Members | $25 Doors
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
About Screaming Orphans
Screaming Orphans, an all-sister band from Bundoran, Co. Donegal, Ireland, are one of the most sought after Celtic bands with a powerful, award-winning sound, combining their original melodic pop songs with a unique take on traditional Irish music and song. From an early age, the Diver sisters performed with their mother Kathleen Fitzgerald (a well-known céilí singer in Ireland) and when they hit their teenage years, they formed their own Celtic pop band, Screaming Orphans, which led to a signing by Warner Music UK.
As Screaming Orphans, the band first came to prominence when Sinéad O’Connor asked them to tour with her as her back up vocalists and opening act. The band are renowned for their trademark spine-tingling four part harmony which has led to many collaborations on recordings with artists such as Martin Furey, Baaba Maal, Afro Celt Sound System, Peter Gabriel and Joni Mitchell. The band continues to tour and play extensively across North America and Europe.
The band’s 2017 Folk/Irish album Taproom charted No. 1 in the iTunes World Music charts and No. 10 in the Billboard World Albums charts. Taproom was named 2017 Folk/Pop/Rock Album Of The Year by the Folk’n’Rock magazine.
Screaming Orphans’ 2019 pop album, Life in a Carnival, produced by internationally distinguished producer John Reynolds, charted No. 24 in the iTunes Pop Music charts (U.S.), No. 7 in the Billboard World Albums charts, No. 1 in the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts (IE), and No. 3 in the overall iTunes music charts (IE).
As of this year, the band has released 14 albums of both original pop and Folk/Irish music.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO TO MEET SCREAMING ORPHANS
Time
(Sunday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
1apr8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents Christine Lavin - April Fools Concert
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PFS Presents Christine Lavin
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PFS Presents Christine Lavin – April Fools Concert
Friday, April 1st
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
$15 for Members | $20 Not-Yet-Members | $25 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Christine Lavin:
Christine Lavin is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/recording artist/author/videographer who has been based in New York City since 1976. Her latest album, her 25th, ON MY WAY TO HOOTERVILLE, includes 10 new songs and one re-worked song, “Ramblin’ Waltz,” a re-telling of her time in 1975 when she was one of the entourage drivers for the first week of the tour of the The Rolling Thunder Revue.
She has produced ten compilations, JUST ONE ANGEL v2, being the latest, showcasing holiday songs of 19 songwriters whose work she loves. The food-themed
compilation, ONE MEAT BALL, includes a 96-page cookbooklet that Christine edited — songs and recipes by Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, and many more, including a surprise appearance by Dame Edna. For four years she hosted “Slipped Disks” on XM Satellite Radio, playing CDs slipped to her backstage by compatriots, and was occasion guest host for City Folk Sunday Supper on WFUV-FM at Fordham University. She also writes freelance for various publications (The Washington Post, Huffington Post, St. Petersburg Times, Performing
Songwriter, and Delta “Sky” Magazine). Her song AMOEBA HOP is a science/music book by illustrator Betsy Franco Feeney (Puddle Jump Press), receiving the stamp of approval from The International Society of Protistologists, and a “Best Book Award” from The American Association for The Advancement of
Science.
Christine performs concerts all over the US, Canada, and points beyond (Australia, Germany, Israel), often hosting knitting circles and Downton Abbey-style napkin folding backstage at each show. Songs of hers have been performed by artists as diverse as Broadway stars Betty Buckley, Sutton Foster, Karen Ziemba,
and Klea Blackhurst, cabaret divas Andrea Marcovicci. Barbara Brussell, and Colleen McHugh, the a cappella Dartmouth Decibelles, and The Accidentals, winners of the National Harmony Sweepstakes Championship.
Her book, COLD PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST: A MEM-WHA?? (Tell Me Press, New Haven) is available in paperback, kindle, and audio book formats, with the foreword written by actor/playwright/singer/songwriter Jeff Daniels. On A Winter’s Night, her first seasonal compilation project, (20 artists) became a four-artist national tour that first hit the road back in January 1991 and will be a five-artist tour hitting the road November 2019, including Christine, Cliff Eberhardt, Patty Larkin, Cheryl
Wheeler, and John Gorka — only to be abruptly sidelined by the pandemic.
We thank you so much for your support and understanding in a time of so much uncertainty. Sending much love to our entire extended folk family. Stay well.
Time
(Friday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
10apr7:00 pm- 9:00 pmPFS Presents Tom Paxton & the DonJuans
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PFS Presents
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Event Details
PFS Presents Tom Paxton & the DonJuans
Sunday, April 10th
Doors 6:30pm | Music 7pm
$22 Members | $25 Not-Yet-Members | $30 Doors
Due to the constantly changing reality surrounding the global health crisis of COVID-19, the FIRST priority of the Society is the health and well-being of our community. After raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for artists through our Digital Concert Venue, we are thrilled to welcome you back to our Roxborough Venue, 6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA!
PROOF OF VACCINATION MUST BE SHOWN IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR FOR ALL ATTENDEES, AND MASK WEARING WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AT ALL TIMES.
PFS is excited to re-open the PFS Music Venue! Please join us in welcoming these incredible acts to #KeeptheMusicPlaying
About Tom Paxton:
Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community.
In describing Tom Paxton’s influence on his fellow musicians, Pete Seeger has said: “Tom’s songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they’re becoming part of America.” Pete goes on: “In a small village near Calcutta, in 1998, a villager who could not speak English sang me What Did You Learn In School Today? in Bengali! Tom Paxton’s songs are reaching around the world more than he is, or any of us could have realized. Keep on, Tom!”
Guy Clark adds: “Thirty years ago Tom Paxton taught a generation of traditional folksingers that it was noble to write your own songs, and, like a good guitar, he just gets better with age.” Paxton has been an integral part of the songwriting and folk music community since the early 60’s Greenwich Village scene, and continues to be a primary influence on today’s “New Folk” performers. The Chicago native came to New York via Oklahoma, which he considers to be his home state. His family moved there in 1948, when Tom was 10 years old, and he graduated from Bristow High School and The University of Oklahoma, where he majored in drama while his interest in folk music grew and eventually predominated.
Brought to New York courtesy of the US Army, Tom remained there following his discharge. His early success in Greenwich Village coffeehouses, such as The Gaslight and The Bitter End, led to an ever-increasing circle of work. Then in 1965 he made his first tour of the United Kingdom — the beginning of a still-thriving professional relationship that has included at least one tour in each of the succeeding years.
He and his late wife, Midge, have two daughters, Jennifer and Kate. All three women have served as inspiration for many songs, and now three grandsons, Christopher, Sean, and Peter are adding to the sources of inspiration.
He has performed thousands of concerts around the world in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland, Ireland and Canada. That these fans still enjoy his work is a testament to the quality of his recent work, and to the enduring power of modern standards like The Last Thing On My Mind, Ramblin’ Boy, Bottle Of Wine, Whose Garden Was This?, Goin’ To The Zoo and The Marvelous Toy. Paxton’s songbooks, critically acclaimed children’s books (available from HarperCollins – see the page for children), award-winning children’s recordings, and a catalog of hundreds of songs (recorded by artists running the gamut from Willie Nelson to Placido Domingo), all serve to document Tom Paxton’s 40-year career.
Tom received a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy during the 51st Annual GRAMMY® Awards. He was nominated for a GRAMMY for Comedians and Angels in 2007, and Live in the U.K. in 2006. He was also nominated for GRAMMYS in 2003 for his Appleseed Records CD, Looking For The Moon, and in 2002 for his children’s CD, Your Shoes, My Shoes. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from ASCAP, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC in London.
Tom Paxton’s place in folk music is secured not just by hit records and awards, but by the admiration of three generations of fellow musicians. An internationally recognized and loved cultural figure, he has always chosen goodwill over commercial success. His generosity has taken the shape of a benefit concert performance for a little girl fighting leukemia, or a personal note of encouragement to an up-and-coming songwriter. This is the man who wrote and lives the words, “Peace will come, and let it begin with me.”
He is one of the great songwriters of the last century and will be reckoned as one of the greats in this new century, as well. He is a man we have come to regard as our friend.
“Tom Paxton’s songs are so powerful and lyrical, written from the heart and the conscience, and they reach their mark, our most inner being. He writes stirring songs of social protest and gentle songs of love, each woven together with his personal gift for language. His melodies haunt, his lyrics reverberate. I have sung Tom’s songs for three decades and will go on doing so in the new century, for they are beautiful and timeless, and meant for every age.” (Judy Collins)
“Tom Paxton embodies the spirit of folk music in the most beautiful sense. Not just in his song crafting, his work ethic, his politics and his dedication to people’s music, but also in his kind and generous heart. When I first started playing folk festivals, I was all of eighteen, shaved headed and politically outspoken. Many people in the folk community at that time seemed defensive and threatened by me, but I remember Tom was a notable exception. He was nothing but warm, welcoming and supportive to me from the git go. He’s the coolest.” (Ani DiFranco)
“Every folk singer I know has either sung a Tom Paxton song, is singing a Tom Paxton song or will soon sing a Tom Paxton song. Now either all the folk singers are wrong, or Tom Paxton is one hell of a songwriter.” (Holly Near)
Best,
Justin Nordell
Executive Director
Philadelphia Folksong Society
Time
(Sunday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm EST
Organizer
5nov8:00 pm- 10:00 pmPFS Presents The Black Feathers
Event Details
Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents
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Event Details
Rescheduled From 2020: PFS Presents The Black Feathers
November 5, 2022
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm
$10 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors
CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK
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
Time
(Saturday) 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm EST
Organizer
PFS Mission
The Philadelphia Folksong Society (PFS) is dedicated to preserving the past, promoting the present, and securing the future of folk music and related forms of expression through education, presentation, and participation
Philadelphia Folksong Society | 6156 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19128 (215) 247-1300 © 2017 All Rights Reserved