Plank Road's Regular Events
in conjunction with 2WS
Sing-Around
1st & 3rd Sat. | 2-4 pm
Vocal instrumental jam and sing-along with songbooks and leader.
Country and Western
Sing-Around
4th Sat. | 2-4 pm
Sing along with your favorite C&W songs.
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 Own
Song!
Plank Road String Band Practice
630-620-0688
2nd Sat. | 2:00-4:00 pm
An old-time string band practice for intermediate/advanced players.
from Sept to April
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.
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Sunday, October 6
Plank Road's popular Fall party will be back again at the Lombard Log Cabin on Sunday, October 6.
Note:This year the festivities will again be on a Sunday, from 2 - 6 pm.
As usual, there will be music, food and fun for everyone. We'll have our usual sing-around, with a break for pizza, salad and more!
Autumn should be an ideal time, hopefully with mild weather.
In addition to your instrument(s), feel free to bring a dish, dessert or snack to share. Plank Road will provide pizza, salad, soft drinks and coffee
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Lombard Park District's Log Cabin is located in Four Seasons Park on Main St. and 16th St. in Lombard (between Roosevelt Road and 22nd street)
Early Autumn Old-Time Barn Dance!
Saturday, November 9
Come and enjoy a fun-filled evening of music and dancing for the entire family!
Our dances are informal, with no costumes needed -- in fact, you don't even have to bring a partner!
The Plank Road String Band will provide lively music, and a caller will walk you through all the dances at our Old-Time Barn Dance -- No Experience Necessary!
Chairs will be set up around the edge of the room for visiting with friends and enjoying music between dances.
8:00 PM - doors open at 7:30 PM
1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove
(Across from the Public Library)
$5.00 admission
Mark your calendar now! Barn Dances will be held:
November 9, 2019
February 8, 2020
March 14, 2020
April 18, 2020
Special Event!
Eric Lambert to lead a
"Bluegrass Jam Revival"
November 30.
Mark your calendars! The Two Way Street Coffee House and Plank Road are excited to announce a special bluegrass jam led by Eric Lambert, one of the area's most popular artists, on Saturday, November 30.
This is a free event, held at Two Way Street. It will be similar to our usual Saturday sing-arounds, with Eric leading and music books provided. As with all our sing-arounds, everyone is welcome. Bring your guitar, banjo, mandolin or fiddle -- or just come to sing or listen. All levels welcome.
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 50 years?!
Hard to believe it's been half a century since Woodstock, the three-day (some would say 4-day) "peace and music" festival in Bethel NY.
And what does this have to do with folk music?
In the early and mid-1960s we were experiencing what some have called the "Great American Folk Scare." By the time Woodstock happened in 1969, rock and roll had pretty much regained its hold on American youth. But there was still plenty of "folk" influence, fueled by folk-rock, blues, and rock artists who came of age during the folk boom.
Among all the rockers at Woodstock, there were a few genuine folkies, like Tim Hardin and Joan Baez. And some blues acts like Canned Heat, Paul Butterfield and Johnny Winter. Then there were others whose music was heavily influenced by folk music, such as Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, Melanie, John Sebastian, the Grateful Dead, The Band, Credence Clearwater Revival and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.
Side Note: Several of these artists and many others didn't make the cut in the epic documentary film or the original 3-record album.
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Get Out of Your House --
Go PLAY Some Music! - Open Mikes
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Yes, many of us get together for the PRFMS/2WS Sing-Arounds, BYOS and special events. But are you aware of the myriad opportunities to display your talents at local Open Mikes?
Below is a listing of some of the places that we found on the internet. Please call before you go as policies and events change.
Mondays
Tuesdays
Empire
48 W. Chicago Ave. Naperville
Wednesdays
Thursdays
Plus, if you know of other open mic venues that PRFMS members might enjoy, please drop us a line.
Sources
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Get Out of Your House -- Go Hear Some Music!
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Mark Dvorak
Wheaton IL * Saturday November 9 * 7:30 pm * Acorn Coffeehouse @ Burning Bush Gallery * 216 N. Main Street * $10 suggested * 331 701 7891 * 708 705 8669 * www.acorncoffeehouse.com
PRFMS members, drop us a line if you will be appearing nearby.
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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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For those of you closer to the Wheaton area, please visit the Acorn Coffeehouse located in the Burning Bush Art Gallery at:
216 N. Main St
Wheaton
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Tobias Music concerts
Every once in awhile, our friends at Tobias host music in their new(ish) music room
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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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The Brashler Barn
Located at 17560 S. Gougar Road, Lockport, IL 60441
Friends and Family Venue - Not a Public Business
No smoking, no alcohol, no pets, no children under 14
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A Special Thanks to our Membership Contributors!!
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Sustaining Member
Supporting Members ($50 - $199)
- Dan and Mary Anderson
- Bill and Mary Boylan
- Tony Janacek
- Paul Klonowski
- Ron Kranz
- Dottie and Gerry Lee
- Bill and Sandhya Matthews
- Gregg and Elizabeth Morton
- Bud O'Connor
- Kristin Rosenwinkel
- Joe and Pam Schumacher
- Jen & James Shilt
- Carol and Fred Spanuello
- Gary Steffenson
-
John Wolaver
New Members!
Say Hi to:
- Richard Krueger
- Jill Lagerstrom
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
Director
Two Way Street Coffee House
cell 630-699-2974
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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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Robert Hunter
Grateful Dead Lyricist
Known as the primary lyricist for the Grateful Dead -- and particularly Jerry Garcia -- poet and writer Robert Hunter died September 23 in California at the age of 78.
His lyrics were often dreamlike variations of the American folk tradition, meshed with the band's casual musical style. Some of Hunter's most memorable songs included "Uncle John's Band," "Scarlet Begonias," "Touch of Gray," "Ripple," "Truckin'" and many others. He also wrote with other performers including Bob Dylan.
It's been said that his often-quoted lyric in "Truckin'" could describe Hunter's life: "What a long, strange trip it's been."
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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.")
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It's all about Plank Road pride!
You say you already have a Plank Road t-shirt? Not to mention a tote bag or sport bottle? But you know your collection isn't complete until you have at least one of everything
with a Plank Road logo!
So here's the list. Start checking 'em off! ✔
☐ Hats $15
☐ T-Shirts $15
☐ Tote Bags $3
☐ Sport Bottles $5
☐ Guitar Case Stickers $1
Items are available at many Plank Road events, or you can contact Bill Lemos directly at lemos.bill@comcast.net.
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Promote yourself!
New lower advertising rates for members
If you're a current advertiser in this newsletter, or think you might want to advertise, we have good news! Our new ad policy makes it easier (and more economical) to promote your gigs or other music-related endeavors.
Paid members of Plank Road can submit an ad that will run for the full year (4 quarterly issues) for only $50. Your ad can be a basic line listing which can be hyper-linked to your external website, or a complete ad with graphics. (For these ads, you'll need to submit an image file. See Mark Dvorak's ad for reference.)
Artwork must be submitted 3 weeks prior to our "publish" date. For the Winter 2020 issue, the deadline is December 10, 2019
.
- Plank Road members only.
- $50 annually (4 newsletters). Previously $200 - save $150!
- Ads must be related to folk or acoustic music.
For complete details, including specs for image files, please contact Stephen at:
plankroadfolk@hotmail.com.
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Bob O'Hanlon - President
(630) 325-7764
Bill Lemos - VP, Secretary
2018 Board Members
- Dave Humphreys
- Kristen Fuller
- Jennifer Shilt
- Jim Gilroy
- Dottie Lee
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QuarterNotes Contributors
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Stephen Davis
Bob O'Hanlon
Bill Lemos
and thanks to the folks who took and shared their photos!!!
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President's Message
October, 2019
I hope everyone is enjoying the Plank Road activities as much as I am this Fall. After a long summer, September and October are full of music and fun.
Our barn dances resumed on Saturday, September 14, which was the first of five we have scheduled. Our String Band practices for these dances all year around and always sound great as the dancers do their thing. The String Band has also played several "gigs" around the area and are in great demand.
We had a successful two days at the annual Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival in Geneva. We don't tell stories, but played a lot of music at our tent and attracted many attendees to join in our sessions. We had more than the usual number of people ask about Plank Road and express an interest in attending our music sessions. Plank Road also has an hour each day on the front stage, to play and sing and showcase our organization. It was an enjoyable weekend.
Another popular gathering was held on Sunday, October 6, at the Lombard Log Cabin. We played music, ate pizza and enjoyed the day on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Check our web site for details.
And, on Saturday, November 30, we are co-sponsoring a bluegrass session in the afternoon, led by the well known, talented Eric Lambert. Two Way Street and Plank Road are proud to present this event on a "fifth Saturday", when there are no regular events scheduled. Once again, we will be posting details on our web site.
I hope all you Plank Roaders are ready for an active few months!
Bob O'Hanlon
President
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Bob Smith and the String Band
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The leader of Plank Road's popular String Band has packed up his fiddle and hit the road . . .
Fare thee well, Bob Smith!
After many years dedicated to Plank Road's popular String Band, Bob Smith has officially retired and moved to Florida.
We talked to Bob shortly before he left and asked him about his love of old time music. He began attending barn dance practice sessions as a guitarist around 2004, and soon joined Plank Road, playing at our barn dances. "Old time music seemed to fit the best," says Bob. "It just seemed to be in my bones."
Bob lived in Lombard since 1992, and years later he met the Jones family through Jennifer Shilt when his daughter took lessons from them. He began playing mandolin and eventually fiddle, taking lessons from Cathy Jones. "Cathy taught an ensemble group on Thursday nights which led to our current group, and ultimately to our band Blind Squirrel."
"It has been a great pleasure to be involved with the many musical friends I have made since this journey began, and I will sorely miss them all. Many thanks to Cathy Jones and the Jones Family Music School for giving us all the foundations for learning and playing this wonderful music."
Bob says moving to Florida will bring many new challenges, adding "I hope to continue playing old time and other folk music after settling in down there."
The baton is passed to Cathy Jones . . .
While Bob and his fabulous fiddle will be missed by members of the String Band and Blind Squirrel, as well as all of us who have enjoyed their music over the years, there is some good news: Cathy Jones has agreed to lead the String Band moving forward.
A little String Band history . . .
The origin of the Plank Road All-Volunteer String Band began with Cathy Jones, Mark Dvorak, Marianne Mohrhusen and Marvin Lensik. Marianne wanted to learn how to call dances, so Mark and Cathy decided to have a volunteer band with whoever wanted to play. It grew from primarily Plank Road members to incorporating many of the Jones Family Music School students.
Additionally, "barn dance dynamics" classes and workshops (that included Plank Road members) were held by Cathy for students who wanted to get more involved in the specifics of performing old-time music as a band. Over the years, as the Jones Family Music School
started to wind down, the band began meeting at the First Church of Lombard.
Today, the
String Band remains
a passionate, committed group of musicians whose common goal is to perform traditional old-time music
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- Excerpted from an article by Bob Smith in the Autumn 2013 issue of QuarterNotes.
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Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival
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Fox Valley Folk Festival
Another great festival . . . and a big turnout at the Plank Road tent!
Sunday, September 1 started out overcast with threats of rain, and the crowds were thinner than usual. But the rain never happened, and the usual crowd of folk music fans were soon enjoying the 43rd annual Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival over Labor Day weekend.
As always, Island Park in Geneva was the perfect venue for one of the largest folk festivals in Illinois with 8 stages and dozens of top artists performing over two days.
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Folk music has many friends...
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On Sunday and Monday mornings, the "Plank Road All-Stars" greeted people entering the park with a mix of songs by
Bob O'Hanlon, George Mattson, Ron Leanaugh and Bill Lemos,
interspersed with lively tunes by members of the String Band, featuring
Cathy Jones, Chuck Maltese, Jim Gilroy, George and Ron.
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Members of the String Band jammed with Plank Road members as well as festival-goers who dropped by throughout the day.
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Monday was even better . . .
The Plank Road site was the place to be -- it was a beautiful day with large crowds and lots of activity around the Plank Road tent. George Mattson and Dale Stallman set up shop in front of our tent and performed non-stop all day long. They were joined by many roaming musicians throughout the day, with players and passers-by reaching 30 people or more.
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The spontaneous Plank Road jam on Monday was easily the largest group outside of the organized stages.
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Many Plank Road folks participated, both as volunteers and performers.
Once again Cheryl Joyal did an amazing job of coordinating much of the festival (see her comments below).
Bob O'Hanlon coordinated Plank Road's participation. In addition to the morning performers listed above, Plank Road volunteers included the following (our apologies to anyone we left out):
- Jennifer Ashley
- Phyllis Betenia
- Gary Blankenship
- Bob Cordova
- Dave Humphreys
- Rich Jacob
- Mimi O'Hanlon
- Bill Paulson
- Bonnie Paulson
- Joel Simpson
- Joe Schumacher
- Pam Schumacher
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We asked Cheryl Joyal how she does it all. . .
Here's what she said:
"My role involves both pre-festival organization and onsite festival management. I have awesome area managers including Rich Jacob, Heidi Knuth and Raven Wheeler, and between us we manage to keep each other smiling, and they help me keep my head on my body!"
Cheryl says the pre-festival work involves making sure that all the volunteers are assigned to roles and times that work for them and the festival. They help Juel Ulven, the over-all festival coordinator, with the performer stage schedules -- and a lot of paperwork that allows the festival to run smoothly.
"The festival operations, although always busy, are a lot of fun and very satisfying, especially when performers tell you "This is the best organized festival I have been to" or "I really like that this festival makes it so easy for performers."
"We are the 'Face of the Festival' to performers, volunteers and attendees."
Cheryl's onsite role involves making sure that all areas the team planned for are running smoothly -- such as shuttling performers between stages and making sure volunteers are at their assigned places.
Her team also solves issues that arise for performers. For example, when someone says "Has anyone seen the Main Stage act for the 1 PM show? We can't find them and they go on in 5 minutes!"
Cheryl says issues always arise, "but our goal is to address them so that they do not disrupt the experience of 'perfection' for those attending and performing and volunteering!"
Our thanks to Cheryl and her team for once again making the Fox Valley event so successful.
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With a Little Help From our Friends!
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Mark Dvorak
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Performing at Two Way Street Coffee House
OCTOBER 4
Tobias Music
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Favorite Songwriters
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But wait, there's more!
Readers respond with their favorite songwriters . . .
In our last issue we featured favorite songwriters submitted by several readers. Since then, two more folks have responded. As before, some are well-known, while others, not so much. That's one of the great things about folk music -- the wide range of diversity!
George Mattson:
Since I'm one of the best procrastinators I know, I thank you for giving us PRFMS readers a second chance to tell you about our favorite songwriters. There wasn't anyone listed last issue that anyone could raise any objections to, but there were so many "worthies" missing. Thinking about it for a short time and I came up with about 20.
No list of folkie songwriters should be missing Greg Brown, Guy Clark, Iris Dement, John Hartford, Joni Mitchell, Jimmie Rodgers, Tom Russell, Gillian Welch/David Rawlings, Townes Van Zandt or Hank Williams.
Everyone should also be familiar with Harlan Howard, James McCandless, Anna & Kate McGarrigle, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Tim O'Brien, Maggie, Suzy & Terre Roche, Richard Thompson, Ian Tyson
and Brian Wilson.
Juel Ulven:
I would have to say that there are no song writers who can hold a candle to "Trad" and "Anonymous." Much of their work survived for hundreds of years without being recorded or even written down. That requires songs that are extremely good.
Close behind T & A (Trad & Anon), I would place the legendary Canadian writer and performer Stan Rogers. He was the best live performer I have ever seen, and also the best song writer and story weaver. His sad death in the 1983 Air Canada plane fire leaves us all wondering how far he would have gone.
A current living songwriter who never ceases to amaze and delight me is Zoe Mulford who pens songs that are often mistaken for "Trad's," as well as funny contemporary songs, thoughtful social issue and political songs, and generally smart songs for every mood and occasion.
Both Stan and Zoe are mainstays of capital "F" Folk music in the songwriter area.
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Music Trivia Quiz:
Answers to previous Quiz:
A1. Who Invented the Phonograph?
The simple most correct answer is Thomas Edison. His first version in 1877 was a piece of tinfoil wrapped around a rotating cylinder, and a crude stylus which would create vertical groves in the foil in response to sound vibrations. Alexander Bell labs improved the process in the 1880's using wax-coated cardboard and zig-zag grooves. Emilie Berliner initiated use of flat discs, and spiral grooves. This is the process that's been used since (with lots of fine tuning improvements).
A2. What did Patsy Cline attribute to her having a big voice?
At the age of 13, Patsy was hospitalized with a throat infection and rheumatic fever. She said later, "the fever affected my throat, and when I recovered, I had a booming voice like Kate Smith."
A3. What was Patsy Cline's first big hit? Why didn't she like it?
Her first big song was "Walkin After Midnight." She considered herself a country singer, and didn't like doing it because it was a "pop" song.
A4. What famous 60s record producer at age of 21, weighed less than 120 lbs. soaking wet, wore Bristol boots with pointed toes, and carried a holstered snub-nosed 38 revolver?
Phil Specter. There is a story to go with this, but I seem to have lost it.
A5. Why did Mike Ditka quit when Halas asked him to become an assistant coach??
What the heck does a football player/coach have to do with music? Not much, but, a radio disc jockey's pay range in the mid-60's was between 12.5K, and 47K. Dikta, who knew this, was offered 10K, and walked.
NEW Trivia Quiz:
Q1. "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" was written in 1896. How is this song associated with Teddy Roosevelt?
Q2. Since we're on the subject of Roosevelt, What famous icon was named in his honor? What is the story behind it, and what famous song was written using the icon name?
Q3. What famous 50's-60's solo artist was a member of the musical group the Tokens before they had any big hit?
Q4. The Ides of March group was initially formed by Jim Peterik and some friends as the Shon-Dells (not Tommy James) in 1964. What was their most famous song, and the story behind it. What was their first hit?
Q5. Why did the Shadows of Knight version of "Gloria" make it big in the US, and not the original British version? Who was the lead singer on the British version?
Keep those responses coming in to
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