Plank Road's Regular Events
Sing-Around
1st & 3rd Sat. | 2-4 pm
Vocal instrumental jam and sing-along with songbooks and leader
Bluegrass Jam
Like a sing-around but it's bluegrass, "mostly!"
2nd Tuesday Song Circle -- BYOS!
Two Way Street Coffee House
2nd Tues. | 7-9 pm
A monthly opportunity for musicians to perform songs for each other, within a song circle.
Bring Your O
wn Song!
Plank Road String Band Practice
630-620-0688
Resumes September 10
2nd Sat. | 2:00-4:00 pm
An old-time string band practice for intermediate/advanced players.
Last Thursday Open Mike
Last Thurs. of every month | 7-9:30 pm
A monthly unplugged open mike for high school and college age students only.
5th Saturday Country and Western
Sing-Around
5th Sat. | 2-4 pm
Sing along with your favorite C&W songs.
- Come join us on July 30, 2016
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String Band to provide musical backdrop for Civil War reenactment
The sounds of fiddles, guitars, mandolins and banjos -- compliments of the Plank Road String Band -- will again accompany Lombard's annual Civil War Reenactment on July 23-24.
This is a great family event, with scores of authentically-outfitted Civil War reenactors providing
an opportunity to see
what camp life was like for Union and Confederate soldiers. And, of
course there'll be skirmishes and battles, complete with thundering
cannons and mounted cavalry. The Plank Road String Band will provide traditional old-time music that is evocative of the Civil War era.
This annual encampment, sponsored by the Lombard Historical Society, will be held in Four Seasons Park, from 10 AM to 4 PM each day.
Matt Watroba -- Community Sings!
Saturday, August 13th
3:00pm - 4:30pm
- First Congregational United Church of Christ (Upstairs Parlor}
- 1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove - across from the Public Library
Sharing songs can "heal your body and feed your soul." - Matt Watroba
What's a community sing? It's just that! A gathering of people who enjoy singing and
sharing
songs. Join Matt Watroba on Saturday, August 13, at 3 PM as he hosts
"Community Sings!" a unique singing experience at the First
Congregational United Church of Christ in Downers Grove. Come together
to sing old favorite songs -- and learn new ones -- in this celebration
of community. Everyone is welcome -- and it's free!
This
event is for people of all ages who enjoy singing. Matt is a master at
facilitating who makes everyone comfortable. No prior lessons or
experience is necessary. According to Matt, Community Sings encourage
people at all levels of singing to experience the joy and power of song
and musical participation. "The goal," says Matt, "Is to put songs on
people's lips, not just their ears."
Matt
brings a unique set of talents to the stage. His passion for bringing
community together through music and education is infectious. Add to
that Matt's own special brand of humor and we'll be in for a most
entertaining and enlightening experience.
Matt
sums up his mission this way: "The simple act of regularly gathering
groups of singers -- of all levels -- to share songs, is a powerful and
even transformational act which, when done properly, will heal your body
and feed your soul."
Don't
miss this special event! Join us August 13, from 3:00-4:30 PM in the
upstairs parlor of the church, 1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove -- across
from the Public Library. Plank Road Folk Music Society and the Two Way
Street Coffee House are co-hosting.
For more information contact Kristen at 630-518-7602, or at Kristen.fuller@outlook.com
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Mark Dvorak leads workshop on the art of jamming
"We make music together to enrich ourselves and to remain active in our own creative lives."
- Mark
Dvorak
Sing-arounds
and jams . . . they're Plank Road's most popular and well-attended
events. On July 9, many of us attended Mark Dvorak's workshop on how to
make those events even more enjoyable.
In the workshop, Leading & Following At The Folk Jam,
Mark identified the responsibilities that come with leading a song. He demonstrated "the democracy of chaos"
and working without printed materials as a way to energize the music. He demonstrated some techniques to vary the program and further involve those in attendance, and provided tips on choosing the kinds of songs that others
can easily join in.
Mark
described how musicians who are new to jamming with others can watch
and listen for chord changes, as a way to keep up with the music as it
unfolds. "Even beginners, who only know a few chords, can benefit from
participating in a community jam," said Dvorak. "More advanced players
can get behind other players by adding runs, fills, harmonies, and even
leads."
Following the 2-hour workshop, Mark joined the group for a rousing jam and sing-along.
The workshop was co-sponsored by the Two Way Street Coffee House and Plank Road
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Get Out of Your House -- Go Hear Some Music!
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PRFMS Member Gigs
Two
of our local Great American
Bagel shops host two
of our PRFMS member
bands on Sunday mornings
Comfort Food
The first Sunday of every month will find Comfort Food, Rich and Vickie Ingle performing.
Natural Bob Holdsworth
Then on the 4th Sunday of every month, Natural Bob Holdsworth along with mandolinist Tom Jaynes appear.
On September 13th, please join Comfort Food as they make a special appearance on Lilli Kuzma's Folk Festival on WDCB.
PRFMS members, drop us a line if you will be appearing locally.
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 Two Way Street Coffee House
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 Maple Street Chapel Folk Concerts
If you are near Lombard, please visit the Maple Street Chapel Folk Concerts website to see a current listing of upcoming performers.
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If you are near Hinsdale, please visit the Acoustic Renaissance website
for a list of upcoming performers.
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Did you know that many of our local libraries also host occasional music events throughout the year? Harpeth Rising, Mark Dvorak, Chris Vallilo, and Lonesome Eagle all
have been featured at several of our libraries in the past years.
Lisle Library's Friends of Lisle Library Concerts are offered on a regular basis. You can check their calendar at:
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A Special Thanks to our Membership Contributors!!
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Sustaining Artists ($200 - $399)
Member Artists ($50 - $199)
- George Mattson Trio
Supporting Members ($50 and higher)
- John J. Allan
- Dan Anderson
- Bill and Mary Boylan
- Frank and Helene Clarke
- Joe Jablonski
- Paul and Molly Klonowski
- Ron Kranz
- Dottie Lee
- Bill and Sandyha Matthews
- Gregg and Elizabeth Morton
- Pete Pribyl
- Joe and Pam Schumacher
- Carol and Fred Spanuello
- Gary and Kathy Steffenson
- Ric Travis
New Members!
Say Hi to:
- Phyllis Betenia
- Bill Callaghan
- Jim Scalone
If you would like to become
a member or just need
to renew, here is a link
to the renewal
form that you can
print and mail.
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You've been to the Two Way Street Coffee House. Have you ever looked at the folks behind the counter and said, "I know how to make coffee! I'll betcha I could do that!"
All you have to do is contact Tim Kendall.
Timothy Kendall
Assistant
Director and Acting Volunteer Coordinator
Two Way Street Coffee House
cell 630-699-2974
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Top Albums & Songs of April 2016 according to Folk Djs
- Brother Sun
Weights & Wings
- Vincent Cross
Old Songs For Modern Folk
- The Deep Hollow
The Deep Hollow
- Joe Giacoio
I Love Hamburgers
- Meg Braun
Restless Moon
- Hackensaw Boys
Charismo
- David Francey
Empty Train
- Lizanne Knott
Excellent Day
- Cosy Sheridan
Sometimes I Feel Too Much
- Gathering Time
Keepsake
Top Albums & Songs of April 2016
If you have come across some new or little known artists that you think others might enjoy, please drop us a line. |
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What's on your mind?
Do you have ideas for
future articles? Things you'd like to see in the newsletter? Ways we
can make it more enjoyable and relevant to Plank Road members? Here's
your chance to be "note-worthy" . . . just send us an email with your comments about QuarterNotes. We welcome your input!
We may publish some of your comments and always appreciate ideas. (Think of it as sort of a "letters to the editor.")
Please send all correspondence to: PlankRoadFolk@Hotmail.com
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Bob O'Hanlon - President
(630) 325-7764
Gary Steffenson - Treasurer
Bill Lemos - VP, Secretary
2016 Board Members
- Dave Humphreys
- Kristen Fuller
- Jennifer Shilt
- Stephen Davis
- Jim Gilroy
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QuarterNotes Contributors
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Stephen Davis
Jen Shilt
Bob O'Hanlon
Bill Lemos
Andy Malkewicz
and to the numerous folks who took and shared their photos!!!
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President's Message
July, 2016
Is the cake or the
frosting more important? That question occurred to me recently at a
birthday celebration. The frosting is tastier and enhances the overall
flavor, but the cake is essential. So, how does this apply to Plank
Road? Well, we have regular events all year long, an average of 5-6 per
month. They are the basis of our organization...singarounds, jam
sessions, string band practices, youth sessions. All are well attended
and enjoyed by most of our members.
Then, we add the frosting,
such as workshops, festival attendance, log cabin parties, outside
performances. Those are all great and well attended. So, I guess, like a
birthday cake, we love the cake and the frosting.
That leads me
to a commercial about some upcoming special events. In early July, we
hosted a workshop, led by Plank Road favorite, Mark Dvorak. Mark gave us
his tips on how to get maximum enjoyment at our regular singarounds. It
was excellent.
On Saturday, August 13, we will cosponsor (along
with Two Way Street), a community sing, led by a popular song session
leader from Michigan, Matt Watroba. It will be free to all Plank Road
members and open to everyone in the community. Look for our flyers
announcing the details.
And, as usual, Plank Road will have a
tent at the big Fox Valley Folk Singing and Storytelling Festival, on
Labor Day weekend. We consider this one of our major events of the year.
So, enjoy all we have to offer, both the cake and the frosting.
Bob O'Hanlon
President
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SPOTLIGHT: PRFMS Members
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So, where are you from?
Plank Road members come from 50 different towns!
We
meet for sing-arounds and workshops at Two Way Street Coffee House in
Downers Grove. And many members participate in other Plank Road events
throughout the western suburbs. But where do we call home?
Just for fun, we looked at our diverse membership, and here's what we found:
Plank
Road members come from over 50 towns, mostly in the Chicagoland area.
By far, most of us reside in the western 'burbs -- which makes sense,
since that's where most of our activities take place. In fact, Downers Grove leads the list with about 13%
of our members residing there, followed by Lombard with
9% and Naperville with
8%.
Here's the breakdown by number of members:
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Downers Grove
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17
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Lombard
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12 |
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Naperville
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11 |
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Glen Ellyn
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6 |
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Aurora
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5 |
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Chicago
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5 |
| La Grange |
5 |
| Brookfield |
4 |
| Elmhurst |
4 |
| Wheaton |
4 |
| Evanston |
3 |
| Oak Brook |
3 |
| Villa Park |
3 |
The following towns are home to 1 or 2 members:
Addison,
Arlington Heights, Batavia, Bellwood, Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Burr Ridge,
Darien, Fox River Grove, Frankfort, Gurnee, Hinsdale, Hoffman Estates,
Homewood, Lisle, Lockport, Mokena, Montgomery, Morton Grove, Mundelein,
Oak Brook Terrace, Orland Park, Palatine, Palos Hills, Palos Park,
Riverside, Roselle, Schaumburg, Shorewood, St. Charles, Westchester,
Western Springs, Westmont, Willowbrook, Winfield and Woodridge.
Plus, we even have members from Indiana, Michigan and North Carolina.
NOTE: These statistics are approximate, based on recent membership records and may not be completely current.
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With a Little Help From our Friends!
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Woody Guthrie
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Woody . . .
The story of an American legend.
PART 3 - Songs
By Andy Malkewicz
We may revisit Woody in the future, but for now, a brief wrap-up of the west and east coast.
H is
KFVD radio show is a success as cousin Jack moves on, and the Oklahoma
and Woody show quickly becomes the Woody and Lefty Lou (Maxine Crissman)
show, loved by all the displaced Okies. Woody becomes a highly involved
socialist and communist, when his songs are well received (and he gets
paid) at their meetings. He travels across the state, sometimes with Will Geer (Grandpa Walton), singing his songs and promoting the downtrodden to fight back.
Woody
heads for New York, hopping freights, and hitching rides, through the
wind and snow of a cold January 1940. He lands at Will and Herta Geer's
apartment. Quickly he borrows (without returning) Herta's new Martin
guitar, and resumes his carousing. When he realizes he had overstayed
his welcome, he starts leaving signed ballads he would write in return
for their hospitality.
His 1st version of This Land is Your Land
took shape while at the Geer's (Feb 1940). In short order he met Alan
Lomax (John Lomax's son), who helped and encouraged his music,
protestations for unions and the communists. He in turn, met,
encouraged, and traveled with Pete Seeger. He was in and out of the Almanac singers,
and friends with their associates: Lee Hayes, Cisco Houston, Leadbelly,
and many more. He once again is welcomed at the communist meetings, and
became very active in the union movement. He hosted several radio shows
(one with extremely good pay), and was either fired or quit (he felt he
was selling out). It was on a short-lived WNEW show that he delivered
his opening script /speech
which is hanging on the east wall at the Two Way Street Coffeehouse.
When asked about his association with communists, his response in
paraphrase was: "I play for anyone willing to pay me. Show me a communist mistake, and I will show you 10 by a Republican or Democrat."
He
met the love of his life, Majorie Mazia, who he eventually married. In
May-June 1941, Woody worked for the Bonneville Power Administration in
Portland, Oregon, and wrote 26 songs in 30 days. He served several
stints in the merchant marines trying to avoid the draft, and then got inducted into the US Army anyway, as the war was ending, serving several months.
Now let's get to some of the songs.
1937 - "Do Re Me"
tells the story of Woody's first trip to California, meeting with
police and goons at the border requiring all Okies to have subsistence
before they were allowed in.
1937 - One day Woody was sitting on a back step strumming his guitar when a kid ask him where he was from, and he replied, the "Oklahoma Hills",
and a song evolved. Later during WWII, cousin Jack would not only make a
hit out of the song, he got credit for writing it too.
1938 - "I Ain't Got No Home" was a protest song. Though he met and liked the Carters, "This World is Not My Home" irked him in that he felt people should NOT just accept their station in life, as he thought the song was implying.
1940 - Woody was well into the union movement when he wrote "Union Maid" to the tune of "Red Wing".
1948 - "Deportee"
(Plane Wreck at Los Gatos). Written when Woody read of a Mexican farm
workers deportation airplane crash in Los Gatos canyon. Music was added
10 years later (Martin Hoffman).
This
is just a small sampling of his better known songs. He was never done
with a song, so the date written is not usually straightforward. I did
the best I could. There are claims that Woody wrote over 3000 songs,
many unpublished. Add to this the books, columns he wrote, and art -- he
was truly prolific.
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Rotary GroveFest
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Plank Road String Band joins a stellar lineup at Rotary GroveFest
It may have been hot and steamy, but Saturday, June 25 was a beautiful summer day to enjoy amazing music in Downers Grove.
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Maurice and Ron providing sound
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As in previous years, the Plank Road String Band
opened and closed the musical festivities at Fishel Park at this year's
Rotary GroveFest. In addition to the String Band, this year's folk
festival included a great lineup of musicians, including:
- Ben Bedford, a masterful storyteller and songwriter, who delivered portrait-like songs of America.
- The Matchsellers. This duo, consisting of a blues guitarist and a classical violinist, provided a gritty and fun bluegrass set, with upbeat music and humor.
- Heather Styka, a Two Way Street favorite and award-winning singer-songwriter-guitarist, brought smart tunes that were soulful, quirky and often humorous.
- Barbie Silverman & Colby Maddox, two master musicians, dazzled the crowd with guitars, banjo, mandolin and vocals.
- Always a crowd favorite, Lambert and Walz, rocked the stage with ferocious pickin' in an Americana set that included early country, bluegrass and swing with tight vocal harmonies.
At the end of the Matchsellers second set, Lambert and Walz joined them onstage for a memorable encore.
And once again, our many fine volunteers helped to make it all happen. Here are a few of them.........
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Carol and Jim volunteering at the Plank Road tent merch table
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Kristen and Dave stopping to take a breath
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Last but not least........
The Fishel Park Folk Stage was sponsored byTobias Music, and produced by the Two Way Street Coffee House and Plank Road Folk Music Society. Our trusty MC, as always, was
Lilli Kuzma of WDCB, 90.9 FM.
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