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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Plank Road Annual Meeting and
Member Sing-Around
January 26, 2 - 5:30 pm
Bring a dish, dessert or snack to share, your voices and your
instruments for an afternoon of music and munchies, as we celebrate 35 years!
Doors will open at 1:30 PM and the music will start at 2 PM, with George Mattson as our jam leader.
This is also a great time to renew your annual PRFMS membership --
but please remember: cash or check -- we can't do credit cards.
The Annual Membership Meeting is primarily an event for members
to celebrate another grand year at PRFMS.
If you do bring a guest, we hope they will consider joining our organization while they are at the meeting.
2 PM Music Jam Session
Doors open at 1:30 PM.
Read the brochure if you plan on bringing a dish to the potluck! Help keep us all safe and
healthy (please no sousaphones).
Ice Festival
Old-Time Barn Dance!
Saturday, February 8
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:
February 8, 2020
March 14, 2020
April 18, 2020
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Plank Road's annual Fall Log Cabin Party
Music, pizza and a beautiful
autumn day!
It was a winning combination of pleasant
weather and rousing music at Plank Road's annual Log Cabin party in Lombard's Four Seasons Park on October 6.
As always, George Mattson was there to lead us
in song -- and keep us on track. Along with the music, everyone enjoyed pizza and beverages provided by Plank Road, plus appetizers, salads and desserts brought by attendees.
Thanks again to those who provided food, as well as all our
volunteers and Jim Gilroy for organizing the event.
Here are a few photographic memories . . .
  
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Danada Fall Festival
Plank Road members entertain
visitors.
Once again Plank Road musicians provided an afternoon of folk music and old-time tunes at the annual Danada
Fall Festival on October 13. The family-friendly event is held at DuPage County's Danada
Equestrian Center in Wheaton. The Plank Road stage is set up in the food concession area where festival-goers can sit down and relax, while enjoying the music.
Organizer Kristen Fuller coordinated the
entertainment with Plank Road member bands. Emcees were George Mattson, Joel Simpson and Jennifer Ashley. The sound system was handled by Bob Holdsworth.
This year's performers included:
- Plank Road Sing-Around All-Stars & Assorted Hangers-On (We use that title loosely.)
- Plank Road String Band
- Ashley & Simpson
- Kilty Pleasure
- George Mattson Trio
- Natural Bob and the Weed Wackers
- Lonesome Eagle
  
And there were lots of horses!
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Fifth Saturday special event . . .
Bluegrass sing-around with Eric Lambert
Five Saturdays in one month are rare events -- occurring just a few
times a year. And on the fifth Saturday of November we were treated with another rare event: A bluegrass sing-around featuring local multi-instrumentalist and well-known folk and bluegrass
artist Eric Lambert.
Eric had generously offered to conduct a "bluegrass revival" at no
cost, in coordination with Two Way Street Coffee House and Plank Road. Most of the coordination was handled by Denise Davis and Two Way Street volunteers, with Plank Road
contributing materials for the song books, as well as additional publicity.
The energy was flowing with mandolins, fiddles and a whole lot
of guitars!
As with our regular sing-arounds, song books were provided, and
everyone had an opportunity to choose a tune. The beauty of bluegrass is most tunes have three basic chords, and after hearing a verse and chorus, it's fairly easy to play and sing along --
even if you don't know the song.
Another hallmark of bluegrass is the instrumental break -- and Eric
encouraged fiddlers, guitar pickers and mandolin players to take a lead at every opportunity.
The event was a big success, with 36 attendees -- and Eric has
graciously offered to lead another Bluegrass Sing-Around on February 29th. Save the Date!
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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
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
Warrenville IL * Sunday January 19, 2020 * 2:00 pm * The Power of Song : A Tribute to Pete Seeger * Warrenville Public Library District * 28W751 Stafford Place * FREE * 630 393 1171 * www.warrenville.com
Lisle IL * Sunday February 16 * 2:00 pm * Let Love Go On * A special acoustic concert * Lisle Public Library * 777 Front Street * 630 971 1675 * www.lislelibrary.org
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
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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Top 10 Folk Albums of the past decade
How many have you listened to? I mean
really listened to?
- Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell (2015)
- Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (2011)
- Bon Iver: Bon Iver (2011)
- Joanna Newsom: Have One On Me (2010)
- Brandi Carlile: By The Way, I Forgive You (2018)
- First Aid Kit: Stay Gold (2014)
- Haley Heynderickx: I Need to Start a Garden (2018)
- Courtney Marie Andrews: May Your Kindness Remain (2018)
- Laura Marling: Once I Was An Eagle (2013)
- The Civil Wars: Barton Hollow (2011)
https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2019/11/best-folk-albums-of-the-2010s.html
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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Bob O'Hanlon - President
(630) 325-7764
Bill Lemos - VP, Secretary
2020 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
January, 2020
I am trying to look back at 2019 and forward to 2020 at the same time, and will comment on both.
Last year was excellent for Plank Road. We gained several new members and our activities were very successful and enjoyable. Our
sing-arounds, song circles and barn dances were well attended and vibrant, which tells me that we are doing what the members want. We offered a workshop, led by Mark Dvorak,
which was excellent, and our participation in the annual Fox Valley Folk Music Festival and the Danada Fall Festival were terrific. And, we had large crowds for our two Log
Cabin parties and our annual Christmas party. So, overall, a great year.
2020 is looking good, too. First, I must acknowledge our most important working partner, Two Way Street, who will celebrate their 50th
Anniversary in November. Wow, what a milestone!
And, Plank Road will continue to provide our members with dozens of regular activities and special events every month of the year. Our Board
of Directors returns from last year, which is good news, and we are working to improve our already great web site and keep the get togethers happy and upbeat, friendly and
inclusive, while constantly improving our quality of music. I am beginning my 12th year as President, and am very excited to get the year rolling.
Bob O'Hanlon
President
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Photo Update
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Where's Waldo?
Or, is that you in this sea of friendly faces?
Your genial Plank Road staff is in the process of
updating photos for use on our website (plankroad.org) and Facebook
page -- and occasionally here in our newsletter. Many of the photos currently in use are
starting to show their age. Or is it us showing
our age?
Time for an update...
We thought it was time to refresh some of our photos, so Jen
Shilt, Bill Lemos, Mike Lake and others have been providing more current images of our extremely photogenic membership. We're gathering them together, sorting them out and starting to
post a few -- and hope to have our website updated in time for our Annual Meeting on January 26.
Special thanks to Jen
Shilt, Dottie Lee and her husband Gerry for their technical expertise formatting and uploading the new photos.
In the meantime, check out the older photos
above. Are you in there somewhere?
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New Survey: Favorite Folk Music Albums
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What are your
favorite folk music albums?
. . . the ones that still make you tap your foot, sing along, and smile.
- In previous issues we've asked: What are your favorite folk songs?
- Then we asked: Who are your favorite song writers?
- Now it's time to ask: What are your favorite folk ALBUMS?
Time for a little stroll down memory lane . . .
Think about the albums you never get tired of listening to . . . or the albums that had the biggest influence on your own singing or
playing. Maybe it's an album that inspired you to buy your first guitar. Or an album where you memorized the lyrics to every song.
So dig back into your vinyl record or CD collection and recall the albums that stirred your soul.
Here are a few examples your trusty writer came up with:
- The Free Wheelin' Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
- The Kingston Trio at the Hungry Eye - Kingston
Trio
- Trio -- Linda Rhonstadt, Dolly Parton and
Emmylou Harris
- Sweet Revenge - John Prine
- Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
- Wildflowers - Judy Collins
- Foggy Mountain Breakdown - Lester Flatt &
Earl Scruggs
- American Ballads - Pete Seeger
- In Concert - Joan Baez
- California Bloodlines - John Stewart
- Life Machine - Hoyt Axton
- Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band (and a bunch of country legends)
These are just some examples to get you thinking -- but we want YOUR favorites. Anything that falls into the wide-open genre of "folk"
is fair game -- old-time, traditional, contemporary, blues, jug band, country, bluegrass . . . you get the idea.
Please submit your list of favorite folk albums no later than March 1 to lemos.bill@comcast.net (Better yet, do it now!) Feel free to include any insightful comments.
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With a Little Help From our Friends!
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Plank Road's Annual
Christmas Party
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Deck the halls with music!
Snow? Who needs snow! Plank Road celebrated the season on a rather unseasonal day -- December
21 -- when the weather outside was delightful (at least for December).
Starting around noon, a group of Plank Road carolers, led
by Cathy Jones, serenaded shoppers on the streets of downtown Downers Grove. At 2 PM, back at Two
Way Street, song books were passed out and George Mattson led a packed house of strummers, pickers and singers for two hours of holiday tunes.
At 4 pm everyone adjourned across the hall for refreshments.
Several folks brought tasty appetizers and holiday treats. (Much appreciated by all!) Sandwiches were provided by Plank Road and beverages by Two Way Street.
Special thanks to our volunteers Jen Shilt, Jim
Gilroy, Tim Kendall and George Mattson for coordinating another great
event!
Here are a few photos from the holiday
party:
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Music Trivia Quiz:
(possible)Answers to previous Quiz:
Q1. "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" was written in 1896. How is this song
associated with Teddy Roosevelt?
This was the theme song of the Rough
Riders Wikipedia
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?
The Linc-Tones, later renamed the Tokens after Sedaka's departure, went
on to have four top-40 hits of their own without Neil Sedaka
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?
Vehicle of course, but we will
have to wait upon Andy's return to hear the rest of the story
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?
The Shadows of Knight single was released in December 1965 (later included in the album Gloria) and reached number 10
on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966, topping the original in the U.S. only in areas where Them's version could not be played, because it contained the words, "She comes to my
room". Some radio stations objected to this, most notably Chicago's station WLS. The Chicago-based band Shadows of Knight's version replaced this line with "She calls out my
name." Van Morrison originally composed the song in 1963.
most answers courtesy of
Wikipedia
NEW Trivia Quiz when Andy returns
Keep those responses coming in to
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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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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 Spring 2020 issue, the deadline is March 11, 2020.
- 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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