PFS Presents Catherine Britt with Katrina Burgoyne and Jackson Pines

Friday, March 22, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $20 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Catherine Britt

When you look at modern country music you can identify a diverse range of styles that have evolved from the traditional roots form. From pop country to bush ballads, acoustic folk-leaning songs to rousing country rock and the polymorphic blend of Americana. One Australian artist that can lay claim to all of these strains is Catherine Britt, a songwriter who has already packed a respected and highly acclaimed career into her first two decades as a recording artist. Now, in 2018, a new chapter begins with the release of her seventh studio album, Catherine Britt & The Cold Cold Hearts.

From Newcastle to Nashville, Catherine made the move to the home of country music at just 17 years old. It proved to be a brave decision that gave her immeasurable experience as a musician, insight into the machinations of the industry and a contract with the legendary RCA Records. Upon returning to Australia in 2009, Catherine set about recording her debut full length album Dusty Smiles and Heartbreak Cures, the first of five consecutive albums nominated for Album Of The Year at the CMAA (Country Music Awards of Australia). The accolades didn’t stop there. Along the way she has received five Golden Guitar Awards, the CMA Global Artist Of The Year award in 2010 and six ARIA Award nominations for Best Country Album.

Life has a way of throwing curveballs, both good and bad, and the last three years have seen Catherine fight and win a battle with breast cancer, marry her husband James and most recently, give birth to their first child. Out of those highs and lows comes Catherine Britt & The Cold Cold Hearts, an album that rattles and rolls with life, energy and honest, autobiographical songwriting.

The album was recorded in Catherine’s own studio, built in her backyard and dubbed the Beverley Hillbilly Studios. With engineer Jeff McCormack behind the desk, Catherine and The Cold Cold Hearts (Michael Muchow & Andy Toombs) self-produced the album with Bill Chambers guesting on all the tracks. “I came up with this idea three years ago on our honeymoon while we were traveling in our camper in WA. I didn’t know what to do next after Boneshaker but I knew I didn’t want to do the overseas thing again and that I wanted to do something more organic and at home. I thought of building the studio and doing it ourselves. I’ve always wanted to do one of those ‘artist and a band’ projects like Ryan Adams & The Cardinals and Emmylou Harris & The Hot Band. It’s still the artist but they have this band of mates behind them. When I was writing the album I was going back to when I was a kid and rediscovering that music that I grew up on. I thought about who would get that and pull it off and these guys were perfect. When you’re making a record and going out on the road it’s really important that there’s a good vibe and you’re all on the same page.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF CATHERINE BRITT

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO CATHERINE BRITT ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CATHERINE BRITT

OPENING ACTS: KATRINA BURGOYNE AND JACKSON PINES

OPENING ACTS: KATRINA BURGOYNE AND JACKSON PINES

About Katrina Burgoyne

Raised in regional Australia (Gunnedah, NSW). Katrina is one of Nashville’s newest and most exciting up and coming singer/songwriters.

As seen on Channel 10’s The Bachelor Australia the two-time Golden Guitar nominated singer/songwriter Katrina Burgoyne’s impressive career in the Australian music industry includes a top 10 Australian Country Music ARIA Charting album, Australian Country Music People’s Choice Award, Australian Songwriters Assoc Country Song Of The Year, APRA Professional Development Awards, Unsigned Only Country Song Of The Year and two top 10 music videos on Austar / Foxtel Country Music Channel.

With her own unique blend of Contenmporary Americana, Katrina is likened to artists such as Sheryl Crow and Jewel.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT KATRINA BURGOYNE

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO KATRINA BURGOYNE ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF KATRINA BURGOYNE

About Jackson Pines

“[A] duo from Jersey — Jackson, to be specific, nestled in the pine barrens — core members Joe Makoviecki (vocals, guitar) and James Black (bass) teamed up with some heavy-hitting friends for their debut LP Purgatory Road, which came out on February 8th. Simone Felice produced the record in his Sugar Mountain Studio in Palenville, NY and played drums; James Felice contributed piano and organ throughout the set as well. As such, the record is an expert set of indie folk, drawing on the melodies and arrangements of bluegrass and mountain music but incorporating it tastefully into Makoviecki’s songs, which are very much of the now.” – John Vettese, WXPN, The Key

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT JACKSON PINES

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO JACKSON PINES ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF JACKSON PINES

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

PFS Presents Ana Egge and Antje Duvekot

Friday, March 29, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

$12 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $15 Not-Yet-Members | $20 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Ana Egge

When Ana Egge got bit by the music bug as a teenager, she took matters into her own hands, building her own guitar, and moving to Austin, TX to observe, absorb and take musical risks. The striking depth and unusual maturity of her singing, playing, and songwriting got her noticed, and she recorded her first album, River Under the Road (1997) with the legendary western swing band, Asleep At The Wheel. The Austin Music Awards named her “Best Singer/Songwriter” and “Best Folk Artist.” Over the ensuing years and 8 subsequent CDs, Ana has made good on that promising debut. She has worked with producers Martin Terefe, Jason Mercer, Joel Plaskett, Steve Earle, and Stewart Lerman, and recorded full albums with The Stray Birds and The Sentimentals. Now, in 2018, she has released White Tiger, her tenth album, a new batch of Egge originals of such singularly articulate and affecting honesty and sensitivity, as to once again deserve USA Today’s accolade, “[Ana] can write and sing rings around” her contemporaries.

Ana wrote the song “White Tiger” as encouragement for a dear friend going through hell, and in need of her spirit guide (Keep your eyes on the tiger / Feed him, let him be your guide / Teach him freedom, that he might lead you / Through to the other side). Ana, herself, fiercely honest and compassionate, is not unlike that animal, near-miraculous, rare but real, and she, too, can take us through, enlighten our lives. She still plays that guitar she made herself all those years ago, and is still possessed by a self-determined sense of who she is and what she wants to do. As Lucinda Williams once told some friends, “Listen to her lyrics. Ana is the folk Nina Simone.” According to Shawn Colvin, “Ana has the rare gift of being so eloquent and simple that she takes your breath away. I just love her.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF ANA EGGE

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ANA EGGE ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANA EGGE

About Antje Duvekot

former Rolling Stone music editor Dave Marsh says: “This is a brilliant, brilliant album. I have had this reaction once in the last 10 years and that was the first time I heard Patty Griffin.”

Antje Duvekot has solidified her reputation as one of Boston’s top singer songwriters with “Big Dream Boulevard” her debut studio release and “the Near Demise of the Highwire Dancer” and “New Siberia” her follow-up albums. The debut CD was produced by Seamus Egan, founder of the Irish super group, SOLAS and the project was released on songwriter Ellis Paul’s label and quickly attracted international attention for Antje. It was voted “#1 Folk Release of 2006” by the Boston Globe and was named to the “Top10 Releases of the Year” by National Public Radio’s, Folk Alley. Her follow up albums “the Near Demise of the Highwire Dancer” and “New Siberia” were produced by Richard Shindell and along side with Richard feature other “folk royalty” such as John Gorka, Lucy Kaplancky and Mark Erelli. 

Antje has won some of the top songwriting awards including the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, the prestigious, Kerrville (TX) “Best New Folk Award” and in one of the nation’s top music markets, she won the Boston Music Award for “Outstanding Folk Act”, three of the top prizes in the singer songwriter world.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF ANTJE DUVEKOT

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ANTJE DUVEKOT ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANTJE DUVEKOT

PFS March House Concert with The River Drivers

Saturday, March 30, 2019
Potluck/Doors 7pm | Music 7:30pm

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About The River Drivers

The River Drivers are a band with roots that run deep in a number of musical genres. Anchored by Kevin McCloskey (vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass) and Mindy Murray (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer) with accompaniment by Marian Moran (tin whistle, low whistle, concertina, bodhrán) and Meagan Ratini (fiddle, Irish flute, tin whistle). The River Drivers have cultivated a passion-infused style drawing from Celtic, Americana and Mountain influences.

At a very early age, Kevin was playing guitar and banjo and singing harmonies to Irish standards with his father, Irish tenor, Tommy McCloskey. In his early twenties, he cut his teeth playing weekly at a Trenton pub alongside his father and “Irish Billy” Briggs. Kevin developed a passion for songs portraying the plight of working men and women and all the places they toiled. Kevin’s musical tastes are broad, and he toured North America and Europe extensively with his hardcore punk band Wrong Answer. He brings the intensity of that genre to River Drivers.

Mindy was in her early teens when she started singing and playing guitar and dulcimer in coffee houses, pubs, and campus radio stations. Life took her to medical school in West Virginia where she witnessed firsthand the struggles of day-to-day life in Appalachia. The music of the mountains and the miners infused into her repertoire. Years later, she and her daughter Meagan would play music together long into the night and eventually formed the musical duo Port Murray.

Marian’s family roots lie in the town of Ardara in County Donegal–known throughout the world as an epicenter of Irish traditional music. Whenever she can break away from the office world, she steals back to the rugged coastline village to recharge at its nightly sessions and the many music festivals held there–including the famed Cup of Tae and Johnny Doherty festivals. Having played the organ as a child, Marian jumped at learning a reed instrument that’s more portable and took up concertina.

Meagan grew up in a house that seemed like it had more musical instruments than practically anything else. She learned how to play the flute and dulcimer when she was quite young and then moved on to other instruments, eventually picking up the fiddle and the tin whistle and falling into Irish music. While helping direct the New Jersey Folk Festival in college, Meagan was introduced to the world of the traditional Irish session by some of the best trad musicians in the region.

In what has been unironically called “An Act of God,” Mindy was asked to resurrect some ’70s folk music for an anniversary at a local church along with Kevin, a grade school friend of her daughter Meagan. Marian, Mindy’s best friend from high school and college roommate, was also brought into the fold. All four quickly sensed a deep musical connection. House sessions evolved into the formation of River Drivers–a band that continues to experiment and find ways of making the traditional visceral again. Their music is now heard at many festivals and other venues throughout the region. The River Drivers can also be found anchoring a weekly Irish session at a local pub in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE RIVER DRIVERS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE RIVER DRIVERS 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 7pm, music at 7:30pm.

PFS Presents Sasha Lurje

Saturday, April 6, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$10 for Members & Students with valid ID *While Supplies Last* | $12 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors (ALL types)

Get your tickets here!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Sasha Lurje

Sasha Lurje was born in Riga, Latvia, and has been singing since she was three years old. She has gained experience with many groups and in various styles including classical and folk singing, jazz, rock, and pop. Parallel to her singing career she has also been involved in several theater groups where she focused on musical and improvised theater.

Since 2003 she has been researching traditional Yiddish singing style and repertoire, investigating secular and religious vocal materials. With her band Forshpil, she is developing a new style of Yiddish music by integrating the traditional sound into modern context.

Sasha is involved in a number of international projects varying in repertoire and styles. She has collaborated with Daniel Kahn to develop an “interlingual” love song duo program STRANGELOVESONGS. She is also a member of an all-star band Semer Ensemble led by Alan Bern. The group reinterprets Jewish music recorded in Berlin in the 30s and is esteemed for the variety of styles and genres tied together in an artistic and musical way. Sasha also performs and leads Yiddish dance with the Berlin klezmer band You Shouldn’t Know From It. One of her most recent projects is Goyfriend: a collaboration with Brooklyn-based Band Litvakus discovering the musical interactions between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors.

Sasha conducts her research in traditional voice techniques and voice production. And has presented her work at various conferences. Sasha is a co-founder of Berlin Yiddish music festival Shtetl Neukölln, and has performed and taught Yiddish singing in Russia, Europe and North and South America and has been a longstanding artist and faculty member at Yiddish Summer Weimar, where she coordinates the Song workshop.

PFS Presents Gangstagrass

Sunday, April 7, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

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

Get your tickets here!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO SEE GANGSTAGRASS PERFORM LIVE

About Gangstagrass

Best known as the Emmy-nominated makers to the hit FX drama Justified, Gangstagrass is now back with its fourth official album, the aptly-titled, American Music. Released in April 2015, American Music has done what no other Gangstagrass album has done before, charting on Billboard for the first time. Reaching Number 5 on the Bluegrass Charts, American Music debuted on the charts in only its first week of release.
Featuring the radio staples, “Barnburning” and “Ran Dry,” American Music also celebrates the end of Justified with it’s remake of the Emmy-nominated “Long Hard Times To Come.”

“There are a lot more people out there with Jay-Z and Johnny Cash on their iPod playlists than you think.” says Rench, who had previously made a name for himself as an in-demand Brooklyn country and hip-hop producer and singer/songwriter.

When he shared his first bluegrass/hip-hop experiment, Rench Presents: Gangstagrass for free on the internet, the buzz occurred instantly and unexpectedly. Suddenly, there was a buzz, championing Rench’s unique vision that combined hip-hop MCs with real bluegrass instrumentalists. As a consequence, Rench Presents: Gangstagrass received hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of downloads and Rench would wind up receiving an overflow of appreciation from fans who were enchanted by his Artistry.

When FX Network came to Rench looking for the Gangastagrass sound for the theme song to their new series Justified, he had bluegrass players lay down an original track with T.O.N.E-z, the an MC, and younger brother of early hip-hop legends Special K and T-LaRoc. The resulting track, “Long Hard Times To Come” blew FX away and when the show Justified became a hit with viewers, Rench and T.O.N.E-z received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.”

Gangstagrass has since become a commercial and critical success. It’s music has been celebrated by The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, TV Guide, NPR and more than 50,000 fans who have frolicked to the band’s hundreds of shows and bought the band’s official LPs.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GANGSTAGRASS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GANGSTAGRASS

PFS April Monthly Concert with Mike Farris

Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

FREE for Members *While Supplies Last* | $18 Not-Yet-Members | $24 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MIKE FARRIS

About Mike Farris

Coming off of an incredible GRAMMY win for 2015’s SHINE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE (Best Roots Gospel album), Nashville rocker Mike Farris keeps it earthy and personal on SILVER & STONE. The title refers to his wife Julie’s wedding ring, and the album is a celebration of their 23 years of marriage and her steadfastness in sticking by him through his years struggling with addiction and alcoholism. Now sober for 7 years, Farris has the energy and conviction of a man saved, a stack of anecdotes and life experiences that would make most people’s heads spin, and a soulful vocal delivery reminiscent of Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. SILVER & STONE isn’t a “gospel” album by any means, but Farris still takes us to church on these 12 engaging tracks, including a cover of Bill Withers’ “Hope She’ll be Happier.”

Sonically, SILVER & STONE’s warm organic sound and stellar playing recalls the cream of the Stax Records’ catalog. The album opener and Farris original, “Tennessee Girl,” seguing into “Are You Lonely For Me Baby?” and “Can I Get a Witness,” are loose and groove-driven, hitting all the right notes of soul, and blues with an effortlessness that shows what a natural Farris is for this sound.

Melding the spiritual and the earthly, Farris says the album is about “reaching something better without actually trying.” This sentiment drives the Farris-penned composition, “Golden Wings”, written for his son, Christian, at “a pivotal point in his life, with so many options in front of him. That feeling of ‘Where am I supposed to be?’”

Farris told Rolling Stone Country. “It’s one of those songs that just flowed out after I did an exercise where you write a letter to your younger self. It has a dual message— something to say to a young person who is looking for answers, but also a reminder to myself to be free and open to the possibilities of life.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MIKE FARRIS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MIKE FARRIS

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

PFS Presents Scott Mulvahill

Friday, April 12, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

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

Get your tickets here!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH SCOTT MULVAHILL’S TINY DESK CONCERT

About Scott Mulvahill

As a teenager growing up near Houston, Texas, Scott picked up the bass guitar on a whim. Natural talent and the lure of a challenge drove him to be the best musician he could and discover his love for singing, songwriting and the upright bass. After attending college at North Texas State University, Scott moved to Nashville, where his life changed after meeting American music icon Ricky Skaggs and joining his Grammy winning band, Kentucky Thunder. He toured with Ricky for over five years, and in that time, first started writing songs on his upright bass.

Scott describes his experience, “I started music as a bass player, but when it came to singing and writing songs, all my favorite writers played guitar or piano, and I just figured I had to as well. But while in Ricky Skaggs’ band, I started performing ’20/20 Vision’ in the show, which opened with just the bass and my voice, and it was a revelation. I realized that this sound, this concept could work, and I honestly wondered why I hadn’t had the courage to do it before. So I started writing songs on the bass. I tried to make the bass parts complete arrangements with harmony and rhythm, and weave my melodies between all that – the first song I wrote that way was “Fighting for the Wrong Side”. And that’s when the music became unique. Not for unique sake, but just because I was finally bringing all of my varied skills to the table and doing something that few others could, and it was where I felt I could give my best to the music.”

Himalayas is the culmination of that combination of musicality. Scott’s songs have received honors or been featured in NPR’S Tiny Desk Contest, the International Songwriting Competition, John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and American Songwriter Magazine’s 30thAnniversary Contest, and he has had numerous cuts on other artists’ albums. Scott was a showcase performer at 2018 Americana Music Festival, and has been featured on Lightning 100 radio’s Nashville Sunday Night series. He is touring this fall as a featured artist on the Lauren Daigle “Look Up Child” tour, as well as the “Win/Win” tour with Matt Wertz and Jon McLaughlin.

He has shared the stage with some of the greatest artists of modern music, such as: Alison Krauss, Barry Gibb of the BeeGees, Bruce Hornsby, Brad Paisley, Peter Frampton, Steven Curtis Chapman, Emmylou Harris, Dave Barnes, Ben Rector, and many more. He’s currently touring in support of his September release, Himalayas, which was produced by himself, Charlie Peacock (The Civil Wars, The Lone Bellow) Gary Paczosa (Alison Krauss, Sarah Jarosz), and Shani Ghandi (Sarah Jarosz).

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SCOTT MULVAHILL ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SCOTT MULVAHILL

PFS April House Concert with Fish Harmonics and Slowey and the Boats

Sunday, April 14, 2019
Potluck/Doors 2pm | Music 2:30pm

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Fish Harmonics

Fish Harmonics are a Philadelphia-based ensemble, led by accordionist Rob Curto, that plays adventurous American roots music.

Influenced by celtic, old time, and modern bluegrass sounds, the band brings a unique free-wheeling and improvisational energy to both classic tunes and original compositions.

Featuring Curto’s mastery of the piano and diatonic accordions, coupled with rhythmic arco bass playing, old-timey strings, and groove-oriented drumming, the band is creating an exciting blend of sounds both familiar and new.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF FISH HARMONICS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO FISH HARMONICS ON SPOTIFY

About Slowey and the Boats

Slowey and the Boats are a mainstay in Philadelphia’s eclectic music scene. In 2012 band leader Isaac Stanford got some of his closest friends together to play the steel guitar instrumentals that he had been learning, and the rest is Philadelphia nightclub history.

The band is busy around Philadelphia and has been featured monthly at the legendary local music bar Dawson Street Pub in a residency that has now lasted more than five years. In addition to Stanford on the console steel guitar, the band is comprised of David Streim on keys, Nate Skiles on guitar, Michael Hlatky on Bass, and Fred Berman on drums.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF SLOWEY AND THE BOATS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SLOWEY AND THE BOATS 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 Rigby Mansion located in the East Germantown neighrborhood of Philadelphia, PA. You will receive the exact address upon registering.

Please bring something to share! Potluck at 2pm, music at 2:30pm.

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

PFS May Monthly Concert with The Small Glories

Sunday, May 12, 2019
Doors 1:30pm | Music 2pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE SMALL GLORIES

About The Small Glories

Roots powerhouse duo The Small Glories are Cara Luft & JD Edwards, a musical tour-de-force partnership planted on the Canadian Prairies. Thrown together purely by accident for an anniversary show at Winnipeg’s venerable West End Cultural Centre, The Small Glories is a partnership that could almost make you believe in fate.

With a stage banter striking a unique balance between slapstick and sermon, these veteran singer-songwriters have a way of making time disappear, rooms shrink, and audiences feel as they are right there on the stage with the band — writing the songs, living the songs, performing the songs. It’s not uncommon for listeners to find themselves laughing, dancing, crying, or caught up in a good ol’ fashioned sing-along. “We’re folk singers, we try to write stuff that people can relate to,” says the multi-instrumentalist Edwards, whose looming stage presence and penetrating eyes find him the yin to Luft’s petite, snort-laughing yang. The material of a Small Glories concert is rootsily welcoming in terms of subject, folk-pop melody and instrumentation — songs of love, loss, and environment, delivered with soaring, interwoven vocals on various combinations of stomping clawhammer banjo, guitar and harmonica. However, a Small Glories performance is really about what happens in-between the songs. “The feedback we get from a lot of audiences is that it’s not just about the music for them,” Luft says. “It’s the whole package.”

On record, The Small Glories take the musical synergy honed from hundreds of shows together, and expand it into a new soundscape amplified by pounding drums and other textural embellishments which only reinforce the magic of Luft and Edwards’ innate chemistry — a chemistry labeled the “Lennon-McCartney syndrome,” by Americana UK, writing, “Some things just work together… to witness a performance by The Small Glories is a rare opportunity to experience that indefinable quality that creates perfection.” But don’t just take a European reviewer’s word for it — the band’s latest album, 2016’s Wondrous Traveler was also praised in Pitchfork by legendary American rock critic Greil Marcus, who wrote, “…in moments (The Small Glories) find the darkening chord change the best bluegrass — from the Stanley Brothers to Be Good Tanyas — has always hidden in the sweet slide of the rhythm, the tiny shift where the person telling the story suddenly understands it.”

It’s this yearning for understanding which finds the band often taking more time to introduce a song than it actually takes to play it. Luft, an original member of harmony sweethearts The Wailin’ Jennys and whose parents were folksingers influenced by the great activist Pete Seeger, knows that sometimes a song is all you need to bring people together. But often, it is more. “(Seeger) was the king of uniting people through singing,” Luft says. “There’s so much animosity and divisiveness in our world these days… as artists, part of our job is to somehow create unity.”

The Small Glories have a musical chemistry that is both connected and tight, but one that allows their distinct personalities to shine through, resulting in a live show that is as heartwarming as it is hilarious, as finger-picking proficient as it is relatable, and as Canadian as, well… it’s very Canadian. But that hasn’t stopped them from winning over audiences from Nashville to the Australian outback.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SMALL GLORIES ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SMALL GLORIES

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

PFS Presents Willy Porter

Wednesday, May 15 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$17 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $20 Not-Yet-Members | $24 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF WILLY PORTER

About Willy Porter

Willy Porter has been turning first time listeners into die hard fans for more than two decades. Willy blurs the line between indie-folk and rock with his searing signature finger-picking guitar sound, absorbing lyrics, and playful, high-energy live performance style. He has shared world stages with music icons Jeff Beck, Tori Amos, and Paul Simon, carving out a successful solo career as an artist who makes music that resonates long after the last guitar chord fades.

From the release of his breakthrough album, 1994’s Dog Eared Dream, to the launch of his own record label, Weasel Records, in 2005, Willy is an artist dedicated to delivering high-test, original musical experiences. His 2015 album, Human Kindness, featured the songs “Train” and “Chippewa Boots,” performed live on NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion by Willy and his singing/songwriting partner, Carmen Nickerson. The pair teamed up again in 2016 to make Bonfire to Ash, a record of co-writes produced by Grammy award-winner Ben Wisch (Marc Cohn, Jonatha Brooke).

Equally accomplished as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, his songs weave a universal perspective about the questions, struggles, and triumphs of human existence. His live shows are guitar-driven events–equal parts grit, soul, and muscle–that are electrifying, dynamic, and wholly original in the way that Willy’s voice blends and fuses with his dizzying fret work.

Whether in the studio or on stage, Willy Porter gifts listeners with an unforgettable ride, embodying the very best of what live music has to offer.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO WILLY PORTER ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WILLY PORTER

PFS Presents Irish Mythen

Thursday, May 16, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

$14 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $17 Not-Yet-Members | $20 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Irish Mythen

Irish Mythen was born in Ireland and now resides in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island Canada.

“This Island creates music and musicians, art and artists. I found a shift to take things more seriously when I moved here.” And she did just that. Her latest release, the self titled Irish Mythen, gained her recognition around the globe with nominations and wins coming from Music PEI, East Coast Music Association, Folk Alliance International and Socan. Write-ups in Australian Guitar Magazine, the Rolling Stone, and a plethora of online publications world wide have helped plant Irish firmly on the map of ‘Must See Artists’.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF IRISH MYTHEN

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO IRISH MYTHEN ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IRISH MYTHEN

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

PFS Presents Honeysuckle

Friday, May 31, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$8 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $11 Not-Yet-Members | $15 Doors

Get your tickets here!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF HONEYSUCKLE

About Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is a progressive folk act that blends older influences and traditional instrumentation with modern effects and inspiration.

Comprised of Holly McGarry, Benjamin Burns, and Chris Bloniarz, this Boston based band can frequently be found performing across the country, playing alongside bands like Del and Dawg, The David Grisman Sextet, The Ballroom Thieves, Boy & Bear, Kitchen Dwellers, Sam Moss, The Western Den, John Craigie, Damn Tall Buildings and others.

Honeysuckle has performed an Audiotree session and at Newport Folk Festival, Lollapalooza, Mountain Jam and CMJ, was chosen as a Converse Rubber Tracks artist, and has been nominated for Best Folk Artist of the Year, and Best Americana Artist of the Year four years in a row at the annual Boston Music Awards. In 2018 they won Best Folk Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards. They were also put in the Top 10 bands of 2016 So Far list compiled by NPR.

Honeysuckle released their sophomore album, “Catacombs” in late 2017. They also have two previous titles: “Honeysuckle” (full length 2016) and “Arrows” (EP 2015). They’re beginning work on their 3rd full-length album early 2019.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO HONEYSUCKLE ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HONEYSUCKLE

PFS June Monthly Concert with Sarah MacDougall and Ben Kunder

Sunday, June 9, 2019
Doors 2:30pm | Music 3pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Sarah MacDougall

Sarah MacDougall grew up in southern Sweden, surrounded by ocean, forest and farmland. She started playing the organ at 7, before picking up her mum’s old guitar from the attic at 11. Now Sarah splits her time between the Yukon and Ontario. With her strong songs, powerful guitar chops and a captivating voice she’s become a rising star on the Canadian folk music scene, collected multiple awards and played major Canadian and International festivals and shared the stage with artists like Cat Empire, Tallest Man on Earth and Passenger. She is known for her honest and poetic songs, passionate performances, and unique voice. 24 hrs Vancouver called her “one of the most promising exports out of Sweden since ABBA.” Her most recent release, ‘All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything’, is a record about strength, identity, death, the breakdown of relationships, birth, and the ghosts we honor and carry throughout. It is Sarah’s fourth record. It was written in the midst of the death of her grandparents, the birth of her niece, and a break-up. The nine songs are influenced by the vastness of the Yukon landscape and the dark beauty of Scandinavia.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF SARAH MACDOUGALL

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SARAH MACDOUGALL ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH MACDOUGALL

About Ben Kunder

Expertly navigating that rarefied space between elegiac folk and accessible pop, Toronto-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ben Kunder has emerged as one of the most electrifying musicians on the indie scene and a sought-after live performer. Kunder’s dazzling sophomore album “Better Human”, released in 2018, is poised to dominate this next year. His third full length album is already in motion with studio days logged and plans to release new recordings in 2019.

Real life anchors most of “Better Human”, the record exploring compelling themes like the birth of a child, the struggle for life balance, the workday reality propping up our outward façade, largely illuminating the human struggle to navigate through the world while sharing darkness in order to see the light.

Produced alongside Aaron Goldstein at Baldwin Street Sound, guests include Oh Susanna, Jim Guthrie, Paper Bird/Bahamas singer Carleigh Aikins, Sarah MacDougall, Ladies of the Canyon’s Maia Davies and Anna Ruddick, Arkells drummer Tim Oxford, keyboardist Anthony Carone, violinist Drew Jurecka, and Wintersleep drummer Loel Campbell, among others. Propelled variously by strings, pedal steel, keyboards, percussion, guitar, bass, and those spectacular before-mentioned voices renders small moments in precise detail, making his songs both accessible and, occasionally, downright palpable.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF BEN KUNDER

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BEN KUNDER ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEN KUNDER

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

PFS Presents The Kennedys

Friday, June 28, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About The Kennedys

At well over a million miles of roadwork, including two stints as members of Nanci Griffith’s Blue Moon Orchestra, Pete and Maura Kennedy show no signs of slowing down either on tour or in the creative realm.

Originally based in Austin, Texas, they spent a few years in the Washington DC area before moving to the East Village in New York City, where they have been based for most of the last two decades. The Kennedys are known nationwide as the hosts of the late lamented Dharma Café program on Sirius Satellite Radio, and on Broadway, they are regular cast members of Theatre Within’s annual tribute to John Lennon — working in that capacity with Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Jackson Browne, Cyndi Lauper and a host of others.

Life on the road and time spent in the creative ecosystem of the Village have informed their songwriting over the course of 14 duo albums and half a dozen side projects, and Safe Until Tomorrow is true to that tradition. What sets the album apart is the inclusion of several anthemic, rocking songs of social consciousness that convey a strong message best summed up in one of the song titles: “Be Silent No More.” The Kennedys’ music has been described as uplifting, empowering and encouraging. In these turbulent times, they rise to the occasion with Safe Until Tomorrow.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE KENNEDYS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE KENNEDYS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE KENNEDYS

PFS July Monthly Concert with Amanda Rheaume

Saturday, July 27, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF AMANDA RHEAUME

About Amanda Rheaume

The fifth album from Ottawa-raised, Toronto-based singer/songwriter Amanda Rheaume, The Skin I’m In presents a compellingly portrait of an artist fully comfortable in her own skin, personally and musically.

Produced by Colin Cripps (Blue Rodeo, Junkhouse) at The Tragically Hip’s famed Bathouse Studio, it sports a full-blooded band sound, thanks to the contributions of an A-list musical supporting cast.

Rheaume’s supple and expressive vocals fit neatly in the centre of the sonic landscape, while her eloquent and well-crafted songs were written with such noted collaborators as Jason Blaine, Melanie Brulée, Jim Bryson, Justin Glasco, and Tim Bovaconti.

One of Rheaume’s great gifts as a songwriter is her ability to take the personal and make it universal, drawing upon her own experience to deliver messages with a wide resonance. She digs deep on The Skin I’m In, reflecting upon her Metis heritage, as on the profoundly moving title track and “Return To The Water,” and addressing issues of identity and mental health.

Her earlier albums met with widespread critical acclaim. 2013’s Keep A Fireearned her a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Aboriginal Songwriter of The Year as well as a Juno Award nomination for Aboriginal Album of the Year, while 2016’s Holding Patterns received a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination.

An engaging performer, Rheaume has developed a following across Canada and in Europe, where she tours regularly.

She has long employed her music as a force for good, as shown by three trips to Afghanistan to perform for Canadian military personnel, plus visits to the Alert base in Canada’s far north and the troubled Indigenous community of Attawapiskat.

Rheaume co-founded Babes4Breasts, an initiative that, through concerts and recording projects, raised money for breast cancer charities across Canada over a 10-year period.

This is an artist with a heart as big as her talent.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AMANDA RHEAUME ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMANDA RHEAUME

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

Iron Plow Vineyards 

Friday, March 29th @ 7:00 p.m.

26750 Mount Pleasant Road, Columbus, NJ 

Iron Plow is a boutique farm winery in Burlington County, NJ.  The estate is nestled on 62 acres of picturesque farmland.  We will be providing music for an afternoon wine tasting.  Guests are invited to take in breathtaking sunsets and views of the land while enjoying handcrafted wine.  They sell artisan cheeses, sopressata, local honey, jams, and crackers.  However, feel free to pack your own picnic to pair with any of their wines.

PFS March House Concert with The River Drivers

Saturday, March 30, 2019
Potluck/Doors 7pm | Music 7:30pm

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About The River Drivers

The River Drivers are a band with roots that run deep in a number of musical genres. Anchored by Kevin McCloskey (vocals, guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass) and Mindy Murray (vocals, guitar, banjo, dulcimer) with accompaniment by Marian Moran (tin whistle, low whistle, concertina, bodhrán) and Meagan Ratini (fiddle, Irish flute, tin whistle). The River Drivers have cultivated a passion-infused style drawing from Celtic, Americana and Mountain influences.

At a very early age, Kevin was playing guitar and banjo and singing harmonies to Irish standards with his father, Irish tenor, Tommy McCloskey. In his early twenties, he cut his teeth playing weekly at a Trenton pub alongside his father and “Irish Billy” Briggs. Kevin developed a passion for songs portraying the plight of working men and women and all the places they toiled. Kevin’s musical tastes are broad, and he toured North America and Europe extensively with his hardcore punk band Wrong Answer. He brings the intensity of that genre to River Drivers.

Mindy was in her early teens when she started singing and playing guitar and dulcimer in coffee houses, pubs, and campus radio stations. Life took her to medical school in West Virginia where she witnessed firsthand the struggles of day-to-day life in Appalachia. The music of the mountains and the miners infused into her repertoire. Years later, she and her daughter Meagan would play music together long into the night and eventually formed the musical duo Port Murray.

Marian’s family roots lie in the town of Ardara in County Donegal–known throughout the world as an epicenter of Irish traditional music. Whenever she can break away from the office world, she steals back to the rugged coastline village to recharge at its nightly sessions and the many music festivals held there–including the famed Cup of Tae and Johnny Doherty festivals. Having played the organ as a child, Marian jumped at learning a reed instrument that’s more portable and took up concertina.

Meagan grew up in a house that seemed like it had more musical instruments than practically anything else. She learned how to play the flute and dulcimer when she was quite young and then moved on to other instruments, eventually picking up the fiddle and the tin whistle and falling into Irish music. While helping direct the New Jersey Folk Festival in college, Meagan was introduced to the world of the traditional Irish session by some of the best trad musicians in the region.

In what has been unironically called “An Act of God,” Mindy was asked to resurrect some ’70s folk music for an anniversary at a local church along with Kevin, a grade school friend of her daughter Meagan. Marian, Mindy’s best friend from high school and college roommate, was also brought into the fold. All four quickly sensed a deep musical connection. House sessions evolved into the formation of River Drivers–a band that continues to experiment and find ways of making the traditional visceral again. Their music is now heard at many festivals and other venues throughout the region. The River Drivers can also be found anchoring a weekly Irish session at a local pub in Bristol, Pennsylvania.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE RIVER DRIVERS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE RIVER DRIVERS 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 7pm, music at 7:30pm.

PFS April Monthly Concert with Mike Farris

Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

FREE for Members *While Supplies Last* | $18 Not-Yet-Members | $24 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF MIKE FARRIS

About Mike Farris

Coming off of an incredible GRAMMY win for 2015’s SHINE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE (Best Roots Gospel album), Nashville rocker Mike Farris keeps it earthy and personal on SILVER & STONE. The title refers to his wife Julie’s wedding ring, and the album is a celebration of their 23 years of marriage and her steadfastness in sticking by him through his years struggling with addiction and alcoholism. Now sober for 7 years, Farris has the energy and conviction of a man saved, a stack of anecdotes and life experiences that would make most people’s heads spin, and a soulful vocal delivery reminiscent of Sam Cooke or Otis Redding. SILVER & STONE isn’t a “gospel” album by any means, but Farris still takes us to church on these 12 engaging tracks, including a cover of Bill Withers’ “Hope She’ll be Happier.”

Sonically, SILVER & STONE’s warm organic sound and stellar playing recalls the cream of the Stax Records’ catalog. The album opener and Farris original, “Tennessee Girl,” seguing into “Are You Lonely For Me Baby?” and “Can I Get a Witness,” are loose and groove-driven, hitting all the right notes of soul, and blues with an effortlessness that shows what a natural Farris is for this sound.

Melding the spiritual and the earthly, Farris says the album is about “reaching something better without actually trying.” This sentiment drives the Farris-penned composition, “Golden Wings”, written for his son, Christian, at “a pivotal point in his life, with so many options in front of him. That feeling of ‘Where am I supposed to be?’”

Farris told Rolling Stone Country. “It’s one of those songs that just flowed out after I did an exercise where you write a letter to your younger self. It has a dual message— something to say to a young person who is looking for answers, but also a reminder to myself to be free and open to the possibilities of life.”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MIKE FARRIS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MIKE FARRIS

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

Roger Street Friedman & Marion Halliday Co-Bill

Roger Street Friedman is a New York singer – songwriter who released his roots rock albums later in life, singing with experience, honesty and grit in a way that resonates with listeners of all ages. Both artists use their work to support social causes. Marion donates song proceeds to a program that helps women with substance use disorders and Roger works to raise awareness of and money for programs that help U.S. immigrants. A show featuring Marion (with Brad Hinton – guitar, dobro, backing vocals) and Roger, with his full band (Matt Schneider – bass, Frank Ferrara – guitar, Jim Toscano – drums, Steve Uh – fiddle) at the Locks at Sona on Thursday, April 11, is one that audiences will come back again for!Marion Halliday, a native Kentuckian now living in Philadelphia, is a proud purveyor of bluegrass and bourbon – infused, original, women – powered Americana.

PFS April House Concert with Fish Harmonics and Slowey and the Boats

Sunday, April 14, 2019
Potluck/Doors 2pm | Music 2:30pm

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Fish Harmonics

Fish Harmonics are a Philadelphia-based ensemble, led by accordionist Rob Curto, that plays adventurous American roots music.

Influenced by celtic, old time, and modern bluegrass sounds, the band brings a unique free-wheeling and improvisational energy to both classic tunes and original compositions.

Featuring Curto’s mastery of the piano and diatonic accordions, coupled with rhythmic arco bass playing, old-timey strings, and groove-oriented drumming, the band is creating an exciting blend of sounds both familiar and new.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF FISH HARMONICS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO FISH HARMONICS ON SPOTIFY

About Slowey and the Boats

Slowey and the Boats are a mainstay in Philadelphia’s eclectic music scene. In 2012 band leader Isaac Stanford got some of his closest friends together to play the steel guitar instrumentals that he had been learning, and the rest is Philadelphia nightclub history.

The band is busy around Philadelphia and has been featured monthly at the legendary local music bar Dawson Street Pub in a residency that has now lasted more than five years. In addition to Stanford on the console steel guitar, the band is comprised of David Streim on keys, Nate Skiles on guitar, Michael Hlatky on Bass, and Fred Berman on drums.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF SLOWEY AND THE BOATS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SLOWEY AND THE BOATS 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 Rigby Mansion located in the East Germantown neighrborhood of Philadelphia, PA. You will receive the exact address upon registering.

Please bring something to share! Potluck at 2pm, music at 2:30pm.

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

Femme Freedom celebrates FIVE years collecting menstrual products, diapers and wipes for people being supported by the Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services. Join us in collecting products throughout the Spring of 2019 and celebrating artists who identify as women, whose identity includes women those woman-aligned.
*ALL ARE WELCOME*

Tickets available in advance for $10:
http://bit.ly/FemmeFreedomMB
$10 @ door//$3 discount with product donation

To become a Femmebox Host, please fill out this form:
https://goo.gl/forms/u9sAgsVnxeRAcOxi2

SIGN OUR PETITION AND EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE:
https://www.change.org/p/rosaleen-mcgill-supply-women-in-need-with-menstrual-products

or email us at FemmeFreedomPhilly@gmail.com

DONATE DIRECT: paypal.me/femmefreedom

About Femme Freedom:
Across the U.S., women struggle with the extra cost to ensure their basic personal needs are covered. The Huffington Post reports, “On average, a woman has her period from three to seven days and the average woman menstruates from age 13 until age 51. That means the average woman endures some 456 total periods over 38 years, or roughly 2,280 days with her period — 6.25 years of her life… 70 percent of women use tampons. You’re instructed to change your tampon every 4 to 8 hours, so we’ll use 6 hours as an average. A box containing 36 tampons costs $7 at Walgreens. 1 tampon every 6 hours = 4 tampons per day x 5 days of a period = 20 tampons per cycle x 456 periods = 9,120 tampons. At 36 tampons per box, that’s 253.3 boxes x $7 = $1,773.33.” Statista, the statistics portal defines feminine hygiene products as, Feminine hygiene products include all sanitary paper made from pulp, used by women during menstruation e.g. tampons, sanitary pads, liners and similar products.” They state, “Revenue in the Feminine Hygiene segment amounts to US$2,729m in 2018. The market is expected to grow annually by 3.1% (CAGR 2018-2021). In global comparison, most revenue is generated in China (US$4,070m in 2018). In relation to total population figures, per person revenues of US$8.31 are generated in 2018.”

In 2014, a local group of female friends joined together after learning about the struggle of women in developing countries and their experience when they menstruate. We quickly realized that homeless women in our neighborhoods were facing the same struggle, so we gathered our talents and tapped into our networks to lend our sisters a hand. That’s when Femme Freedom was born. In 2016, we decided to add diapers to our collection to ensure extra supplies for single mothers living in temporary places. Throughout the city, women collect pads, tampons, pantyliners and diapers to donate to the Office of Homeless Services every Spring. We have collected thousands in the past five years, and will continue to offset this supply need until there is legislation to change this situation. We are looking for any and all assistance in supporting women in need of these products and ending the discrimination that women alone suffer. We deserve the dignity of proper hygiene during our menstrual cycles regardless of our backgrounds. I hope you will join forces with us to fight back against this stigma.

Interested in becoming a sponsor, raffle donor, femmebox host or other help? Email us at FemmeFreedomPhilly@gmail.com

PMC Presents: Ami Yares with Eli Lev and Strong Water

Saturday, April 27, 2019
Doors 7:00pm | Music 7:30pm

$10 for Members Advance | $12 Not-Yet-Members Advance | $15 Doors | Kids 12 and under $5

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

Ami Yares is the offspring of the Jersey Turnpike, the echo of the Liberty Bell & sounds of late-night song sessions. “Yares wields his 12-string guitar as if it were an entire orchestra, backing his vocals with a dense, rich cascade of sound (David Foster, AXS).”
His music traverses the sprawling suburbs of disappeared farmlands to ancient Mediterranean cities and deserts. Having appeared with Peter Yarrow on stage and receiving international recognition as an emerging singer/songwriter/activist by Seeds of Peace, Ami’ music is a humble ode to the past and headway to the changing times up the road.

Eli Lev Bio:
Global citizen and neo-folk singer Eli Lev is making the world a smaller place, one song at a time. Eli pens hymns for everyday enlightenment—songs that resonate because they’re heartfelt, earthy, and offer wisdom culled from self-discovery.
His latest album, Way Out West, has been featured on CBS Radio, Buzz Feed, and Paste Magazine for its blend of country, folk, Americana, soul, and pop, while being free from any specific tradition. In performance, his infectious musicality, commitment to deep grooves, and playful charisma foster an immersive experience for the audience that moves bodies and opens hearts.
“The most meaningful thing for me is being able to express what I always felt about humanity through my music. I want to bring people in, make them feel special, and break down the walls that keep us apart.”

Strong Water Bio:
In 2013, Strong Water lead singer and guitarist Greg Brennan finished his American Literature course with something better than an A: the perfect name, borrowed from the Puritans, for his whiskey drinking, Americana/Folk band.
And like a good shot of its namesake, Strong Water is smooth with a raw, inexplicable bite, garnering inspiration from artists such as Noah Gundersen, Mumford and Sons, and The Lone Bellow, yet remaining unafraid to break the conventions of its genre with a pulsing drum beat or a reggae breakdown.
Metaphor-laden lyrics are inspired by the intersection of seeming opposites: love and loss, anticipation and nostalgia, courage and fear, and by the surrounding beauty of the Shenandoah Valley. Their textured sound is, “Complete with howling banjos, two-part vocal harmonies and driving drums” as described by The Burg, a Lynchburg outlet that named Strong Water as one of five acts to watch at music festival Lynchstock 2017.

PFS May Monthly Concert with The Small Glories

Sunday, May 12, 2019
Doors 1:30pm | Music 2pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE SMALL GLORIES

About The Small Glories

Roots powerhouse duo The Small Glories are Cara Luft & JD Edwards, a musical tour-de-force partnership planted on the Canadian Prairies. Thrown together purely by accident for an anniversary show at Winnipeg’s venerable West End Cultural Centre, The Small Glories is a partnership that could almost make you believe in fate.

With a stage banter striking a unique balance between slapstick and sermon, these veteran singer-songwriters have a way of making time disappear, rooms shrink, and audiences feel as they are right there on the stage with the band — writing the songs, living the songs, performing the songs. It’s not uncommon for listeners to find themselves laughing, dancing, crying, or caught up in a good ol’ fashioned sing-along. “We’re folk singers, we try to write stuff that people can relate to,” says the multi-instrumentalist Edwards, whose looming stage presence and penetrating eyes find him the yin to Luft’s petite, snort-laughing yang. The material of a Small Glories concert is rootsily welcoming in terms of subject, folk-pop melody and instrumentation — songs of love, loss, and environment, delivered with soaring, interwoven vocals on various combinations of stomping clawhammer banjo, guitar and harmonica. However, a Small Glories performance is really about what happens in-between the songs. “The feedback we get from a lot of audiences is that it’s not just about the music for them,” Luft says. “It’s the whole package.”

On record, The Small Glories take the musical synergy honed from hundreds of shows together, and expand it into a new soundscape amplified by pounding drums and other textural embellishments which only reinforce the magic of Luft and Edwards’ innate chemistry — a chemistry labeled the “Lennon-McCartney syndrome,” by Americana UK, writing, “Some things just work together… to witness a performance by The Small Glories is a rare opportunity to experience that indefinable quality that creates perfection.” But don’t just take a European reviewer’s word for it — the band’s latest album, 2016’s Wondrous Traveler was also praised in Pitchfork by legendary American rock critic Greil Marcus, who wrote, “…in moments (The Small Glories) find the darkening chord change the best bluegrass — from the Stanley Brothers to Be Good Tanyas — has always hidden in the sweet slide of the rhythm, the tiny shift where the person telling the story suddenly understands it.”

It’s this yearning for understanding which finds the band often taking more time to introduce a song than it actually takes to play it. Luft, an original member of harmony sweethearts The Wailin’ Jennys and whose parents were folksingers influenced by the great activist Pete Seeger, knows that sometimes a song is all you need to bring people together. But often, it is more. “(Seeger) was the king of uniting people through singing,” Luft says. “There’s so much animosity and divisiveness in our world these days… as artists, part of our job is to somehow create unity.”

The Small Glories have a musical chemistry that is both connected and tight, but one that allows their distinct personalities to shine through, resulting in a live show that is as heartwarming as it is hilarious, as finger-picking proficient as it is relatable, and as Canadian as, well… it’s very Canadian. But that hasn’t stopped them from winning over audiences from Nashville to the Australian outback.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SMALL GLORIES ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SMALL GLORIES

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

Event Details:  Gathering Sparks is the graceful collision of Eve Goldberg and Jane Lewis—musical friends who blend tight harmonies, finely crafted songs, and a love of participatory singing to create an intimate and uplifting experience.  Their inclusive approach embraces folk, pop, blues and gospel influences tastefully played on acoustic guitar, piano, accordion, and ukulele.  Find out more at http://gatheringsparks.com.

Show Time:  June 6, Doors 7:00 pm, Music 7:30 pm EST

Tickets: $17 with advance ticket purchase or reservation and $20 without an advance reservation

Location: Lansdowne Folk Club, 84 S. Lansdowne Avenue, Lansdowne, PA

Website: www.folkclub.org

PFS June Monthly Concert with Sarah MacDougall and Ben Kunder

Sunday, June 9, 2019
Doors 2:30pm | Music 3pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Sarah MacDougall

Sarah MacDougall grew up in southern Sweden, surrounded by ocean, forest and farmland. She started playing the organ at 7, before picking up her mum’s old guitar from the attic at 11. Now Sarah splits her time between the Yukon and Ontario. With her strong songs, powerful guitar chops and a captivating voice she’s become a rising star on the Canadian folk music scene, collected multiple awards and played major Canadian and International festivals and shared the stage with artists like Cat Empire, Tallest Man on Earth and Passenger. She is known for her honest and poetic songs, passionate performances, and unique voice. 24 hrs Vancouver called her “one of the most promising exports out of Sweden since ABBA.” Her most recent release, ‘All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything’, is a record about strength, identity, death, the breakdown of relationships, birth, and the ghosts we honor and carry throughout. It is Sarah’s fourth record. It was written in the midst of the death of her grandparents, the birth of her niece, and a break-up. The nine songs are influenced by the vastness of the Yukon landscape and the dark beauty of Scandinavia.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF SARAH MACDOUGALL

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SARAH MACDOUGALL ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH MACDOUGALL

About Ben Kunder

Expertly navigating that rarefied space between elegiac folk and accessible pop, Toronto-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ben Kunder has emerged as one of the most electrifying musicians on the indie scene and a sought-after live performer. Kunder’s dazzling sophomore album “Better Human”, released in 2018, is poised to dominate this next year. His third full length album is already in motion with studio days logged and plans to release new recordings in 2019.

Real life anchors most of “Better Human”, the record exploring compelling themes like the birth of a child, the struggle for life balance, the workday reality propping up our outward façade, largely illuminating the human struggle to navigate through the world while sharing darkness in order to see the light.

Produced alongside Aaron Goldstein at Baldwin Street Sound, guests include Oh Susanna, Jim Guthrie, Paper Bird/Bahamas singer Carleigh Aikins, Sarah MacDougall, Ladies of the Canyon’s Maia Davies and Anna Ruddick, Arkells drummer Tim Oxford, keyboardist Anthony Carone, violinist Drew Jurecka, and Wintersleep drummer Loel Campbell, among others. Propelled variously by strings, pedal steel, keyboards, percussion, guitar, bass, and those spectacular before-mentioned voices renders small moments in precise detail, making his songs both accessible and, occasionally, downright palpable.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF BEN KUNDER

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO BEN KUNDER ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEN KUNDER

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.

You’re invited to…

MONTHLY YIDDISH DANCE GROOVE with Steve Weintraub- Yiddish Dance Master!

Are you ready to party?

Be part of the ongoing cultivation of a lively Yiddish Dance scene!

Gain confidence and competence in a wide variety of dances to klezmer music as we learn and enjoy dances in groups, couples, squares, and solo in a cozy environment. Two or three dances will be taught each night, and the rest of the evening will be given over to enjoying dances led by top experts in the form. Dances will be set to live music by some the region’s best klezmer musicians with occasional surprise visiting artists.

All are welcome! Recommended for ages 12+.

***

Tuesday, February 26
Tuesday, March 26
Tuesday, April 23
Tuesday, May 28
Tuesday, June 25

7pm Doors | 7:30pm Dancing

PFS Members / Veterans / Students with valid ID: $10

Not-Yet-Members: $15

Find ride shares, Facebook events, and lively discussion in the Monthly Yiddish Dance Groove @PFS Facebook group!

***

ABOUT STEVE WEINTRAUB

Steve is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Jewish dance, particularly Yiddish dance, the dance to klezmer music.

Born on Governor’s Island, Bar Mitzvahed in the Bronx, and living now in Philadelphia, Steven Lee Weintraub received his dance training in Manhattan with Alvin Ailey and Erick Hawkins, among others. He is in international demand as a teacher of traditional Yiddish dance at festivals and workshops including Klezkamp, Klezkanada, and festivals in Krakow, Furth, Paris and London to name a few. Steven delights in introducing people to the figures, steps and stylings of the dances that belong to Klezmer music. He has often been called the “Pied Piper of Yiddish Dance”; his years of experience leading and researching Yiddish dance allow him to quickly weave dancers and music together in astonishing ways. Young and old, from all backgrounds, find it easy to share in the joy of Yiddish dancing.

PFS July Monthly Concert with Amanda Rheaume

Saturday, July 27, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF AMANDA RHEAUME

About Amanda Rheaume

The fifth album from Ottawa-raised, Toronto-based singer/songwriter Amanda Rheaume, The Skin I’m In presents a compellingly portrait of an artist fully comfortable in her own skin, personally and musically.

Produced by Colin Cripps (Blue Rodeo, Junkhouse) at The Tragically Hip’s famed Bathouse Studio, it sports a full-blooded band sound, thanks to the contributions of an A-list musical supporting cast.

Rheaume’s supple and expressive vocals fit neatly in the centre of the sonic landscape, while her eloquent and well-crafted songs were written with such noted collaborators as Jason Blaine, Melanie Brulée, Jim Bryson, Justin Glasco, and Tim Bovaconti.

One of Rheaume’s great gifts as a songwriter is her ability to take the personal and make it universal, drawing upon her own experience to deliver messages with a wide resonance. She digs deep on The Skin I’m In, reflecting upon her Metis heritage, as on the profoundly moving title track and “Return To The Water,” and addressing issues of identity and mental health.

Her earlier albums met with widespread critical acclaim. 2013’s Keep A Fireearned her a 2014 Canadian Folk Music Award for Aboriginal Songwriter of The Year as well as a Juno Award nomination for Aboriginal Album of the Year, while 2016’s Holding Patterns received a Canadian Folk Music Awards nomination.

An engaging performer, Rheaume has developed a following across Canada and in Europe, where she tours regularly.

She has long employed her music as a force for good, as shown by three trips to Afghanistan to perform for Canadian military personnel, plus visits to the Alert base in Canada’s far north and the troubled Indigenous community of Attawapiskat.

Rheaume co-founded Babes4Breasts, an initiative that, through concerts and recording projects, raised money for breast cancer charities across Canada over a 10-year period.

This is an artist with a heart as big as her talent.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AMANDA RHEAUME ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMANDA RHEAUME

**Ticketing Policy**

The Philadelphia Folksong Society is proud to offer its’ members one or two free tickets (depending on membership level) to our selected Monthly Member Concert and Monthly House Concert every month. Due to the large number of members and limited seating, we ask that members reserve tickets when they know they can attend. If a member has reserved a ticket and cannot make it to the member concert of their choosing, they must contact the PFS office by phone or email prior to the event to cancel. Failure to do so will result in an inability to reserve your free member ticket to the following member concert.

If you arrive at a PFS member concert and have not reserved a ticket, you will only be seated ten minutes before show time if seats are still available.

If a member concert is listed as “sold out,” please contact Katie Kresz at kkresz@pfs.org to secure your spot atop the waitlist. You will be notified prior to the concert if seats become available.

PFS asks that all members show respect to their fellow members and the Society through following this policy.