Events Calendar

April Mae & Catfish DUO Show at
The Whole Hog Cafe
1811 NJ-70, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
No Cover / BYOB / Casual atmosphere. 
We’re swingin’ into Spring! 
We’ll be cooking up an abundant helping of our fav swing tunes, with a side of sweet n’ savory Roots, Baby Roots!
The Whole Hog Cafe will be cooking n’ BBQ’n up the southern style eats!
Located next door to Wine Legend for your BYOB convenience. 
Whole Hog is happy to provide ice buckets n’ glasses for your libations.

Event Details:  James Gordon has had a remarkably diverse 40-year career in the Canadian entertainment business.  As a solo singer-songwriter and with the ground-breaking trio Tamarack, he has released over forty albums, and has toured relentlessly around the world.  Gordon has written for symphony orchestras, musical theatre and dance works, film scores, and for more than ten years was heard on CBC radio as songwriter-in-residence for the Basic Black and Ontario Morning programs.  Learn more about him at http://www.jamesgordon.ca.

Show Time: Thursday, April 25; 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

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 Presents Rev TJ & Friends Tribute to Weird Al Yankovic

Sunday, May 5, 2019
Doors 6:30pm | Music 7pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

We’re getting weird with Weird Al Yankovic. Reverend TJ McGlinchey has invited a few of his favorite local musical friends to get a bit silly for sake of silliness. We’ll be playing some of Weird Al’s greatest original and cover hits. Each artist will play a short set of Weird Al songs and other choice tunes and originals.

Featuring music by: Reverend TJ McGlinchey, Kate Black-Regan, Jude Alvarez, Brian Flanagan, Michael F. Schleigh

About Rev. TJ: 
Reverend TJ McGlinchey’s newest album “Still In Love” (GrindEthos Records) hearkens back to the golden age of recording and is reminiscent of Harry Nilsson, Tom Petty, and Dr. John. The Reverend is an fest favorite recurring performer of the Philadelphia Folk Festival and a local favorite of WXPN 88.5 FM. TJ has served as producer on records from his other band Lovers League and for Alec Stewart among others and recently completed his MFA in Music Composition at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

About Weird Al:

Few would have guessed that “Weird Al” Yankovic – who as a shy, accordion-playing teenager got his start sending in homemade tapes to the Dr. Demento Radio Show– would go on to become a pop culture icon and the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time, with classic song and music video parodies such as“Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Amish Paradise,” “White & Nerdy” and “Word Crimes.” Now in his fourth decade as America’s foremost song parodist, he has been the recipient of numerous awards, including five Grammys® (out of fifteen total nominations) and a string of Gold and Platinum albums.

In 2015 and 2016, Weird Al’s Mandatory World Tour encompassed 200 shows throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia, including two nights at the Hollywood Bowl and a sold-out gig at New York’s Radio City Music Hall. In the spring of 2018, Al performed 77 shows as part of his Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, where he and his bandmates of over 35 years played set lists comprised almost entirely of his original (non-parody) material, and without any of their signature over-the-top theatrics (no costumes, props or video screens). And in 2019 Weird Al will follow up his most bare-bones tour with his most extravagant tour ever – Strings Attached – where he and his band will be backed every night by a full orchestra.

Event Details:  Spook Handy performed alongside Pete Seeger at festivals and concerts more than 50 times from 2003 – 2013 learning firsthand many of Pete’s songs and the stories behind them.  Spook is now traveling throughout the U.S., Canada and soon Europe with his “Remembering Pete Seeger” World Tour, keeping alive Pete’s tradition by sharing a few songs by Woody Guthrie (Pete’s most notable mentor), plenty of songs by Pete Seeger and a healthy handful of new songs Spook wrote under Pete’s tutelage.  Learn more about him at http://spookhandy.com/wp.

Show Time: May 9, 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 Co-op Presents Letitia VanSant and Goodnight Moonshine ft. Molly Venter

Saturday, May 11, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

$8 for Members *While Supplies Last* | $10 Not-Yet-Members | $13 Doors

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Letitia VanSant

Letitia VanSant’s lyrics are at once personally and politically relevant. Her distinct vocal style is fortified by sparse indie folk and Americana arrangements. BBC Radio calls her “very, very good – a fascinating new artist” and Bmore Art names her as one of the city’s strongest songwriters.

In her music as in her life, VanSant’s has always sought to wrestle with worthy questions. Before her return to Baltimore, VanSant earned a Human Rights and Humanitarian Issues concentration from Macalester College (St. Paul, MN). Afterwards she worked for the Obama campaign in Detroit, and then did environmental organizing in Baltimore. Five years of work with a progressive advocacy group landed her in Washington DC. On weekends, she reflected on the state of society through her songs, earning a regional following in coffee shops and clubs.

“We are in this political crisis in part because we have a lot of spiritual work to do,” says VanSant. “This moment requires us to think deeply about our priorities, to confront our fears, to really know ourselves. We have to build the relationships and the emotional fortitude to sustain a movement.”

The pull of music eventually got the best of her, and she ultimately left her nine-to- five job to become a musician. She hasn’t looked back since, and for good reason. In 2017 she won the Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition, an honor shared along with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, Anais Mitchell, and Caroline Spence. Songs from her new album have also won critical acclaim from the Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest (Gold; Folk Category), Falcon Ridge (Emerging Artist), and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Contest (1st Alternate). She’s graced the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and placed among the Top 10 listener-voted “Songs of the Year” by her local radio station 89.7 WTMD.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF LETITIA VANSANT

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO LETITIA VANSANT ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LETITIA VANSANT

OPENING ACT: GOODNIGHT MOONSHINE FT. MOLLY VENTER

About Goodnight Moonshine ft. Molly Venter

When you first hear Goodnight Moonshine it brings a wave of nostalgia, conjuring teenage heartache- then perhaps a similar sensation to falling deeply in love. As the music fades you’re left grappling with what it is to stay in love with something both beautiful and flawed. Courageous unveiling and depth of experience make the collaboration between married couple Molly Venter and Eben Pariser addictively captivating.

Molly Venter’s voice bends from a sweet moan to a gritty shout and back into a playful run in the space of a few bars and “it all goes down like silk,” writes American Songwriter Magazine – “few singers turn first time listeners into eternal fanatics as effortlessly as Molly Venter.” The emotional potency of her voice is surrounded and supported by a lush landscape of harmonies and minimalist orchestrations conceived by Eben, on vocals and electric guitar. Co-writing often, the couple uses the creative process to explore a healthy authentic relationship. Both wholesome and irreverent, they sing of grief and joy in equal measure; Molly gives smooth delivery to Eben’s assertions while Eben gives form and focus to Molly’s raw passion. Their music encourages listeners to embrace opposing desires, to challenge as well as support each other through inspiration and dissolution, and hopefully to share this journey with their larger communities.

Venter’s voice has caught the ear of industry giants, and been prominently featured on FOX television, Apple Computers and in Warner Brothers films. Molly and Eben’s Co-write “Willow Tree” was a #1 hit on the folk charts in 2014 and was featured in USA Today. Consummate performers, Molly and Eben have also appeared nationally and internationally, 100+ shows a year, with their respective bands Red Molly and Roosevelt Dime. Goodnight Moonshine tours with upright bassist Adam Chilenski and their two-year old son Otis.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GOODNIGHT MOONSHINE

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GOODNIGHT MOONSHINE ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A LIVE VIDEO OF GOODNIGHT MOONSHINE

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

PMC Presents: Bethlehem and Sad Patrick CD Release with Aaron Parnell Brown

Saturday, May 18, 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

About Bethlehem and Sad Patrick:

Bethlehem and Sad Patrick deliver powerful songs of love and other struggles. Combining smart, heartfelt lyrics, soaring vocals, sparse guitar and driving percussion, they dig deep into being in and out of love, keeping your head up in the city, struggling in all sorts of ways, and searching for peace on the margins. Sad Patrick’s hybrid of folk and jazz guitar provides a subtle counterpoint to Bethlehem’s “vocussion” – her term for her powerful, immersive singing, remarkable improvisations and nuanced melodies riding atop tarima and body percussion. 2019’s “Love and Other Struggles” sonically and thematically extends their range, and landed them on NPR Slingshot’s list of Ten Artists to Know from Philadelphia. “The pair use minimalism to their advantage, crafting delicate and thoughtful songs about everything from love to life in the city to the fight against racism and intolerance with a gentle poetic edge.” – Sarah Hojsak, WXPN / The Key.

About Aaron Parnell Brown:

With his trailblazing, instantly memorable songs and gritty, unvarnished vocals, Aaron Parnell Brown is among the most extraordinary up-and-comers in the Blues, Roots, and Soul world. His deep familiarity with the roots rhythm and blues tradition allows him to bust the genre wide open, adding new sounds, colors and textures, all delivered with a revival tent preacher’s fervor and a natural storyteller’s charisma.

Since the 2012 release of his self-released debut, Sing, Brown’s meteoric rise from playing small clubs in Northeastern Pennsylvania to playing live on the iconic NPR roots music show Mountain Stage (in West Virginia) is nothing short of phenomenal. With accolades like winning an Independent Music Award and Soul/R&B Artist Of The Year (Tri State Indie Music Awards) he continues to set the roots rhythm and blues world on fire.

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

PMC Presents: Mara Levine and Gathering Time 

Saturday, June 2, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8:00pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Mara Levine
Called one of the best singers of her generation by Christine Lavin, and “Golden Voiced” by David Amram, international touring artist Mara Levine is known as an exceptional song-finder, selecting and then creating beautiful interpretations of fine traditional and contemporary songs. Her new CD FACETS OF FOLK, was the #1 album, with the #1 song and #1 artist positions on the International Folk DJ Chart for January 2019. On FACETS OF FOLK, Levine presents a number of songs of social conscience with themes of taking a stand, making a difference and considering the treatment of others. Those tunes, written by popular contemporary songwriters as well as emerging talents, are all carefully set among folk favorites and lesser known songs.

Levine’s second CD, Jewels and Harmony, received stellar reviews and was the #1 album, with the #1 song and #1 artist positions on the International Folk DJ Chart for January 2013, placed #3 overall for 2013, and was named #4 Cover Album of 2013 by Cover Lay Down. She was selected for a Juried showcase at the 2014 NERFA conference, and a Folk DJ Showcase prior to that, and she tours nationally, often sharing shows with the trio Gathering Time, who appear on 5 of the songs on FACETS OF FOLK. They toured Germany and Ireland together in 2018. Mara also performs in duos with Caroline Cutroneo and Terry Kitchen. She has appeared on numerous radio programs and performed at various venues and festivals throughout the country.

“With Facets of Folk, Mara Levine solidifies her position as a folk force to be reckoned with. As on her previous CDJewels and Harmony, her signature sound shines through: Thoughtful song choice, creative harmonies, rich instrumentation, her own exuberant singing. With an emphasis on songs that make a difference, Mara has created music that is very much for today, but also for years to come.” – Si Kahn

About Gathering Time
Start with the 1960s folk tradition of Peter, Paul & Mary; add the vocal complexity and electric energy of Crosby, Stills & Nash, a dash of the Byrds and a jot of Joni Mitchell, and you have Gathering Time, a folk-rock/Americana harmony trio that has been turning heads for nearly a decade on the northeastern folk circuit and beyond. Gathering Time swept the international folk radio chart Folk DJ-List in March, 2016, as their new original CD Keepsake took the #1 album and #1 song slots which, with five other songs in the top 25, landed them as the #1 artist as well. This followed on the heels of When One Door Closes (#3 album, January 2014) and Red Apples and Gold (#5 album, September 2012).

With a vocal blend oft-described as seamless, inspired guitar playing and precise percussion, Stuart, Hillary and Gerry evince deep roots in ‘60s folk-rock, with a healthy dash of traditional folk in the mix. Their stage chemistry makes clear that they take the music (if not themselves) very seriously, yet their infectious energy wins over even fans who never considered themselves folkies. To date, Gathering Time has had a record five juried showcases at NERFA (Tricentrics in 2009 and ’10, a Formal in 2011, a mini-NERFA showcase in 2013 and a Quad in 2015); they were one of the three Emerging Artists at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in 2012 voted “Most Wanted” to return in 2013.

Whether a tribute show of ‘60s classics or a concert of (mostly) originals, a night with Gathering Time will make evident why they were voted one of “Long Island’s Best” by the Long Island Press.

“Gathering Time has harmonies that can charm the birds out of the trees, strong original songs, and a savvy repertoire of cover songs, ranging from traditional folk to classic rock. They appeal to audiences of all ages.” – John Platt, WFUV (NYC)

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

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

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

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.

PMC Presents: Stevie and the Bluescasters  and Norman Taylor

Friday, June 14, 2019
Doors 7:00pm | Music 7:30pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Stevie and the Bluescasters
Stevie and the Bluescasters is an acoustic three-piece blues band from Philadelphia specializing in unique arrangements of Chicago, Delta, Piedmont, Texas, pre-war and country blues as well as old Gospel, old Country and a half-pint of R&B.

PFS Presents Oshima Brothers and Rainbow Girls

Sunday, June 23, 2019
Doors 7pm | Music 7:30pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Oshima Brothers

Oshima Brothers’ magnetic sibling sound and contagious joy result from a lifetime of making music together. Raised in a musical family in rural Maine, the brothers have honed a harmony-rich blend of contemporary folk and acoustic pop. On stage, Sean and Jamie create a surprisingly full sound with dynamic vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, octave bass, loops, and percussion. Their debut album, “Oshima Brothers,” released in 2016, is a collection of 11 original songs written by Sean, and arranged and recorded by Jamie. The brothers live in Maine but are often on the road performing, producing music videos, and dancing.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF OSHIMA BROTHERS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OSHIMA BROTHERS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OSHIMA BROTHERS

About Rainbow Girls

Rainbow Girls are an eclectic folk trio hailing from the golden countryside just north of California’s Bay Area. Comprised of three unique musical talents – Vanessa May, Erin Chapin, and Caitlin Gowdey – they seamlessly combine soul-touching harmonies, vari-textured instrumentals, and poignant lyrical content into an unusually beautiful sonic tapestry. Pairing their voices with an ever-changing amalgamation of acoustic and slide guitar, keys, upright bass, voice, harmonica, and an array of more unexpected vocal techniques like beat-boxing and mouth trumpet, they create engaging and emotionally moving live performances.

Their music delves deeply into themes of the human experience: hopeful love, honest self-reflection, and pursuits of social justice. Their latest album, “American Dream,” crystallizes these ideas in acoustic amber, encapsulating a beautiful new direction for their evolving sound.

Originally formed in Santa Barbara, CA in 2010, the Rainbow Girls have spread their musical wings both internationally and domestically, from busking on the streets of Europe to playing pubs and theaters in the UK, to house concerts, festivals, and shows in the US. Rainbow Girls have also gained recognition on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series and KQED’s “The California Report.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF RAINBOW GIRLS

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO RAINBOW GIRLS ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RAINBOW GIRLS

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

PMC Presents: The Cornerstones CD Release and Kicking Down Doors

Saturday, June 29, 2019
Doors 7:00pm | Music 7:30pm

Get your tickets here!

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

The Cornerstones are a trio of musicians local to the Philadelphia, PA region, each different musical artists in their own way, but together create a new sound of acoustic roots music. Will Paynter and Jay Popky are the founding members of Sonoma Sound, but also play with many other bands and musicians. Stacy Weathers plays in multiple bands and is a well-known banjo player in the Philly area. Both Jay and Stacy are familiar to the Philadelphia Folksong Society and Philadelphia Folk Festival. The band released their debut CD, “Three By Three” in August 2018!

Kicking Down Doors (KDD) hails from Philadelphia and is a multicultural roots/rocker, soul and folk group and its sound is influenced by the diversity of its members and their musical backgrounds. Together with the group’s instrumentation and arrangements led by Ernie Tokay and the vocal stylings of lyricist Autumn Walden, KDD has been leaving patrons in venues wanting more at every listen. The band’s songbook of original tunes range from rock to easy listening, to energetic dance/groove to blues, country and folk and is ripe with simple introspective, memorable and relatable poetic lyrics penned by Walden, that are poignant, captivating, and in the moment reflective. Kicking Down Doors has recently released a collection of 10 original songs on its new CD – NOW, a mélange of music that takes you with them on their evolutionary ride that defines the Kicking Down Doors sound.

PMC Presents: Marion Halliday & Trickster Sister CD Release with Meghan Cary & Analog Gypsies

Saturday, July 13, 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

MARION HALLIDAY, a native Kentuckian, moved to Philadelphia full-time in 2013. Along with her band, Trickster Sister, Marion is proud purveyor of her own special blend of bluegrass and bourbon-infused Americana. She has found great inspiration in her new home-town, writing a range of songs that touch on Philly’s rich history. She has also written on more universal topics such as domestic abuse, gun violence, suicide, and the scourge of addiction ravaging our country. Much to the dismay of her young adult children, too, Marion’s music includes amusing reflections on relationships, as well as an abiding love of bourbon. A seasoned veteran singer-performer with a background in Celtic music (Marion was lead singer in Kentucky-based Celtic band My Darling Asleep as well as a member of Philly -based Molly Blooms), in late 2017 Marion released her debut EP of original music with her band Trickster Sister, ‘Walking in Tall Grass’, Several tracks from this debut album received airplay on a number of folk radio channels across the Northeast. Building on this EP release in 2017, in January 2018 Marion was named “One of the Ones to Watch” by NSAI for her songwriting; then in November, she appeared in the highly regarded NERFA Folk DJ Radio Showcase (nominated by WFDU host Ron Olesko). Most recently, in December, she was named runner-up for 2018 Best of Philly Live Performer (Folk/Country Category). Marion’s newest full-length CD exemplifies the range of her songwriting and will draw in the listener through her insightful story-telling, lush lyrics, and instrumentation.

Meghan Cary and Analog Gypsies
Winning over audiences from the fields of Philly Folk Fest to NYC’s infamous Bleecker Street, Meghan Cary with Analog Gypsies is equal parts folk, rock, gypsy jazz and jam band playing award-winning original tunes ranging from lean-in-and-listen ballads to get-up-and-shake-your-booty jams. At the core of the band are Meghan Cary and Peter Farrell. The Keyboard and guitar duo lays down a big musical footprint with cool grooves and tight vocal harmonies. Add to that the unique bass musings of Jocko MacNelly, the rhythmic melodies of drummer Quint Lange, the not-your-typical-bluegrass banjo playing and vocal harmony of Stacy Weathers, and the soulful and rhythmic harp and flute lines of Bob Beach, and you have the Meghan Cary with Analog Gypsies experience: an evening of great tunes, fun stories, singing in your seat, and dancing in the aisles. As one critic exclaims: “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll beg for more!” (Critic’s Pick – The News and Observer)

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.

PFS Presents Gina Chavez

Saturday, September 21, 2019
Doors 7:30pm | Music 8pm

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

CLICK HERE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About Gina Chavez

Austin musician Gina Chavez never thought she’d see the day when two women could marry in Texas. Then again, she never thought she would marry a woman.

“Heaven Knows,” the first single off her upcoming five-song EP, Lightbeam, is the musical journey of twelve years in love; a love Chavez never thought she would experience.

“I was 24, staunchly Catholic and I’d had great, healthy relationships. But I’d never been in love,” Chavez said. “Then I met this girl with a smile that made me question everything I thought I knew.”

Lightbeam, set to release on Friday, September 14, 2018, is a sonic departure for Chavez who is known for her signature style of bilingual Latin folk-pop that topped the iTunes and Amazon Latin charts with her award-winning album, Up.Rooted. The 2015 Austin Musician of the Year traded her acoustic guitar for the smooth tones of a Gibson hollow body, and called upon producer Dwight A. Baker (MISSIO, Alpha Rev, The Wind and The Wave, Josh Abbott Band) to lay down five soulful and diverse songs, that expand upon her previous work with same lively and sophisticated spirit that her fans have grown to love.

Lightbeam boasts intensely personal lyrics — heaven knows our souls, our story / the shape of your heart when you hold me / wouldn’t tear us apart or disown me” — strong melodic hooks and a pop aesthetic that showcase Chavez’s versatility as an artist.

“These are songs my heart has been wanting to sing for so long,” Chavez said. “To shout from the rooftops that I am in love! To tell the world about this incredible woman who lights me up and calls me to my best self, and show that our love is more than tolerable. It’s the kind of love we’re made for.”

Recorded in eight days at Matchbox Studios in Austin, Texas, the EP features some of Austin’s finest — Dave Boyle (keys), Conrad Choucroun (drums), and Steve Terebecki (bass) — on five unapologetically personal tracks that explore longing, faith, beauty, and sacrifice.

“I took some time to allow myself to write,” Chavez said. “No boundaries, no genres, just me and my guitar, and I was pretty surprised when these soul-tinged songs bubbled up. But this is the story my heart wanted to tell; the story what it means to be a Catholic Latina and fall in love with a woman; the story of what it means to live your heart no matter what the world says.”

Chavez and her wife, Jodi Granado, met at the University Catholic Center at UT Austin. The next decade would see the couple through the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship, coming out to friends and family, hiding their love while volunteering in El Salvador, and building a life together in Austin. Last year, Chavez and Granado, still practicing Catholics, tied the knot at Tiny T Ranch just east of Austin — two years after marriage equality became legal in Texas.

With 10 Austin Music Awards, an NPR Tiny Desk with more than half a million views, frequent tours as a cultural ambassador with the U.S. State Department, being named an official 2018 SXSW artist for the fifth year in a row with her six-piece band and a trip to Kyrgyzstan in April 2018, Chavez and her wife, Jodi, have embarked on a European mini-tour that kicks off the couple’s honeymoon and the release of “Lightbeam.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF GINA CHAVEZ

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GINA CHAVEZ ON SPOTIFY

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GINA CHAVEZ