A RETROSPECTIVE OF FOLK MUSIC IN NEW ENGLAND

The me&thee coffeehouse will be celebrating its 40th anniversary with a panel discussion and retrospective of the New England folk music scene on Sunday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Marblehead. This event is free and open to the public.

Dozens of community coffeehouses now dot the suburbs around Boston, drawing folk performers from all over the world, from edgy urban songwriters to traditional ballad singers, bluegrass to blues, Celtic bands to folk-rock, making this the most active area in the country for folk music. We'll explore how that all began in Marblehead, with the little club that the Boston Globe called "one of the most storied and respected acoustic venues in the country." Moderating the panel is longtime Boston Globe folk music writer Scott Alarik. Panel members include me&thee Coffeehouse founder Anthony Silva; Salem folk singer Julie Dougherty; Boston roots musician Alastair Moock; poet, activist, and New England Folk Archives director Tim Mason, and a few surprise guests. After the discussion, audience members will be encouraged to join the conversation.

A month long exhibition in the church Stetson Gallery of the church chronicles folk music in the region through photos and historical memorabilia provided by the New England Folk Music Archives, a group started in March 2009 to celebrate the rich musical history in Boston and surrounding areas. Images from legendary venue Club 47 and several Newport Folk festivals, as well as those by photographers John Byrne Cooke, Dick Waterman, Melissa Bugg, Walter Petrule and Byron Lord Linardos, will be included. Through exhibits and discussions like this, the archives group hopes to preserve the legacy of the uniquely American sound of musicians such as Baez, Muddy Waters and Bob Dylan, who worked in the genre in the 1960s and brought folk music into the 21st century. There is also an interactive installation in which people can add their own recollections and thoughts about the very rich history of folk music in the greater Boston and North Shore area.

A “meet and greet” with the panel participants will follow the event. Refreshments will be available. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Marblehead Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

CALENDAR: Celebration of Folk Music in New England panel discussion on Sunday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m. me&thee coffeehouse / UU Church of Marblehead, 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead. FREE. For information, info@meandthee.org or 781-631-8987.