The Folk Club of Reston-Herndon

09/17/2023

This Tuesday, Sep 19th, we're having a concert by the Heather Pierson Duo. Heather is a New Hampshire based singer-songwriter, pianist, and performer with a passion for cultivating joy, both onstage and off. With a toe in the realms of New Orleans jazz, blues, vocal chants, instrumental piano, and folk, her live performances feature her bell-tone vocals, ease at the piano, and are infused with happiness, honest self-reflection, and a genuine desire to connect and share from the heart.
"Joy Came Back" https://youtu.be/0KWVg6gGmeM
"Starlight" https://youtu.be/21LG5rSYuVk
The show starts at 7:15 (doors open at 6) at Amphora's Diner Deluxe in Herndon. The requested donation for tickets is $17 ($16 for members) and are available at the door.

05/21/2023

Folk Club Friends and Members,

Folk Club's 38th Anniversary Celebration

We hope you can come this Tuesday, May 23rd to help The Folk Club of Reston-Herndon celebrate 38 years of promoting and presenting acoustic music in Northern Virginia.

There will be single-song slots for musicians to share their talents, a door prize raffle for CD's, no admission charge, and free cake at intermission. We only do this for special occasions and this is definitely one.

Please, if you have any unwanted CD's - wrap 'em up and bring 'em in for the door prize give-away. Anyone can sign up to perform a song alone or with a group.

We hope you can come to this special night to help us celebrate. The chances are good you will hear a folk song or two.

We meet in the banquet room at the Amphora Diner Deluxe, 1151 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170 from 7:15 to 9:45 PM - doors open at 6 PM.

See you there,
Ben Hamblin
President

05/14/2023

A long ago Folk Club friend returns! This Tuesday May 16th we're presenting Runaway Home (Mark Elliott & Gary Culley) in concert. Mark Elliott was one of the youngest early members of The Folk Club way back when in the late 1980's. He's since moved to Nashville and found success as a performer and songwriter.
Gary and Mark connected early on in Nashville and have been playing together so long that they are considered musical “twin sons from different mothers.” That kinship led to a successful album called “Flight of Dreams” and a touring career playing clubs and festivals from coast to coast. The duo went on to win the coveted Kerrville New Folk Award along with many other awards.
Check out this video that has some early pics and vids of the early Folk Club of Reston & Herndon open mics (2013): https://youtu.be/z8Bq0iFUcBs. Tickets are available at the door or reserve seats with treasurer Al Hobson at [email protected].

01/15/2023

This Tuesday night at the Folk Club we have a concert by a special musician - Lara Herscovitch. "Sound Waves Magazine" described her music as “expertly written prose… songwriting at its best… good for your ears AND your soul.” "Acoustic Live in New York City" added, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global concern, and a fierce intellect. It might seem too good to be true, but true it is.” Check her out: www.youtube.com//videos
Come to the Amphora in Herndon to see her in an intimate setting. Tickets available there. The show starts at 7:15 pm.

Lara Herscovitch is a singer-songwriter-poet-performer-author gem, described in The Boston Globe as “a luminous voice and a buoyant stage presence… big-heart...

12/19/2022

Annual Holiday Party- Tuesday, December 20 - 7:15 PM
Don your holiday garb, bring wrapped-up unused CDs for the raffle (if you have any), and slide yourself over to Herndon’s Amphora Diner for more fun than you can shake sleigh bells at. One of our ticket elves will, of course, be handing out raffle tickets at the door, and dessert is provided – all for free. Remember, this is a round-robin night, where each act on the signup board gets just one song, so everyone can add to the merriment. Hope to see you there!

12/13/2022

Monthly Member Showcase (Dec 13 2022) - The Two Peas
Ann Granger and Larry Rice teamed up in 2019 after their fortuitous Match.com meeting and became The Two Peas in a pandemic pod soon after (you’ll hear that story in an original song by Larry and his daughter Lea). Always in danger of bursting into a song or a parody, the Two Peas began performing together about a year ago playing farmers markets, private parties, and of course, the Folk Club.
Ann, a lifelong folkie began playing Peter, Paul & Mary songs on ukulele as a child. Her public performance career started and ended when she played autoharp for an outdoor PTA ceremony and a bird flew over and pooped on her head. Thinking this could be a sign from God, Ann left the autoharp, bird droppings, and performing behind. She soon learned guitar, then mountain dulcimer while studying Folklore and Ethnomusicology in college. Following in the footsteps of Alan Lomax and Cecil Sharpe she focused on the traditional music of the British Isles and Appala-chia, collecting and researching music in Scotland, England, Appalachia, and the Adirondack Mountains. A longtime member of the Folk Club, Ann has been mostly on the listening side in recent years. Her last showcase was with Dumb Muscle and the Divas in 2012.
Born the same year as Pat Benatar (1953), music has been a big part of Larry’s life. He started playing bass in a band with his brother Steve and still best friend Dave when he was 12. He learned guitar and banjo before he went to col-lege. Bored during his last semester senior year, he helped found the band Flatbush, singing and playing bass and fiddle from 1974-1981. Regional success brought two top ten singles on Cleveland’s WMMS, and opening act gigs for New Riders, Little Feat, and others. Flatbush is in the History of Rock in Cleveland exhibit at the R&R HOF. In 2007, Larry started teaching music and playing with his adult daughters Lea and Shannon as The Big Cheese Band at a Ron Goad event. He teaches six different things with strings. Fifteen years and 3 LP’s, an EP, and a single later, Lea and Larry still have fun writing and playing music. TBCB has had 3 songs chart, “Life on the River” ( #1 AAA 2015), “The Christmas Crocodile” ( #17 AC 2015), and “Everything” ( #15 Relix Jam Bands 2022).
The Two Peas thank Ron Goad and Jay Ridgeway for accompanying them.
- Larry & Ann

11/15/2022

Tonight: Brooks Williams Concert [Tue, Nov 15 at Amphora Diner Deluxe in Herndon, VA - $11 tickets available at the door] Postponed from March 17, 2020 (we all know what happened then!). Come and see him in an intimate setting and chat with him if you wish.
A Georgia native now living in England, Brooks Williams seamlessly brings together Americana and country blues in a style that is unmistakably his own. A flashy fingerpicker, soaring bottleneck slide player and a soulful singer, Brooks Williams “is at the top of his game,” says Blues In Britain.
For his 30th Anniversary Tour, Williams has recorded an album of his favorite songs from his back catalogue. Called Work My Claim, the songs reach across the span of years and are as relevant now as they were when released.
He released his first album early in 1990. The Washington Post wrote a glowing review which prompted National Public Radio’s invitation for Williams to appear on All Things Considered with Noah Adams. And that’s where it all began. The tours followed and so did the albums. Counting the new one, he has done twenty-nine in all and has never looked back.
Williams is a consummate artist, performing hundreds of shows every year and recording at a dizzying pace.

11/07/2022

This Tuesday, November 8th, Joe Shade has the stage for this month's 25-minute member showcase:
Once upon a time there was a musician from St. Louis named Joe. He played in glam and glitter rock bands when the local music scene was populated mostly by southern boogie. Wisely, he left town in the late 1970’s seeking his musical fortunes in the East Village of New York. // After several abortive attempts at success and with a band destined to become the American version of ABBA, success was within his grasp. A single, recorded for Chiswick Records in England, under the moniker “Pin-Ups” (that’s Joe and Norman on the cover photo), got good reviews but went nowhere—a common phenomenon in the music business. Leveraging the record, Joe and his long-time songwriting partner Norman were chosen to partici-pate in an ASCAP workshop run by Rupert Holmes on “New York Pop”. They were pop songwriters! But workshops do not pay the rent. After 8 years of struggle and risking it all, the “career” had come to the end. // Many years passed and music became a thing on the shelf. After 9/11, it became obvious to him that life was a precious gift, and that led to his return to the business of writing, recording, and gigging. In 2007, he worked with Billy Bragg on the Jail Guitar Doors project, producing several benefit concerts with local area musicians, and learned how much effort it takes to put on shows. // In the past year, he’s been a regular at the Reston Herndon Folk Club performing both old and new songs of his. As an accomplished songwriter he is grateful for the Folk Club, knowing how special it is when someone actually listens. Joe would also like to thank Rich Battaglia and Sherry Stewart for joining him on stage. (photo by Judith Presson)

10/10/2022

Rick Landers and Heartland are playing a showcase at the open mic on Tuesday, October 11th.
Rick Landers is an author, publisher, and singer-songwriter who co-wrote a book on press releases for working musicians, published e-books on music theory, the blues, Free and Bad Company, and others, and has published and served as the Editor of Guitar International magazine since 2004. He has interviewed music legends such as Les Paul, Buddy Guy, Judy Collins, Jimmy Webb, Paul Reed Smith, Chris F. Martin IV, Joe LaMond (president, NAMM), Vince Gill, Pat Martino, Steve Vai, Jesse Colin Young, Steve Earle, Slash (and his wife, Perla Hud-son), and many more.
Rick has played guitar since he was 13 in his native Michigan, having been influenced by all of the British Inva-sion, Motown/Stax artists, and more. He's also been immersed in American and British folk musicians and he dabbled in songwriting since he moved to DC in the 1970s, busking in Georgetown and marginally performing in the Adams-Morgan area. He then took a hiatus from performing and rarely wrote any more songs until around 2017, then on a lark played an open mic at ArtSpace Herndon, where he was asked to be its first featured singer-songwriter.
Landers works with Heartland, a group comprised of Ron Goad (percussion), Jim Nagle (dobro), and John Werntz (bass), with others such as Bill Bowman (bass) and Peter Grattan (harp/keyboards/percussion) filling in on special occasions.
Rick’s setlist for the show, with links to recordings and lyrics for the songs is: Maria , Working Overtime , She's Better Than Me , Red , Angel on the Wing , Cross Country Drive , Hollywood & Vine , and Big Cadillac.

09/18/2022

This Tuesday, Sept 20th, come to the Amphora for the Toby Walker concert.
Internationally-acclaimed Toby Walker has been hailed as a roots music fingerstyle guitar wizard, and has toured the
US, Canada, and Europe. He's been featured in the New York Times, the London Sunday Times, the London BBC, Sirius-XM radio
and was the 1st place recipient of the International Blues Challenge Award - Solo division - given out by the Blues Foundation in
Memphis TN. Walker blends the styles of blues, ragtime, country, bluegrass, rock and old-time jazz into his own unique style. Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna and the Jefferson Airplane says "Flat out... you have to hear this great musician... I'm blown away" and has employed Toby to teach at his Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp for several years. In 2010 Walker won the NY Music Award for 'Best Instrumental CD,' sharing the honors with Mariah Carey, Rufus Wainwright, and Judy Collins among many others. Walker recently released several instructional DVD's for Homespun Tapes and his
latest CD release - 'Mileage' - has been hailed as a shining success in the genre of traditional blues recordings. Carnegie Hall acknowledged his talents and hired him to teach in their "American Roots" program aimed at honor level middle school students.

09/12/2022

September 13 Showcase – Shenandoah Run
Formed in 2011, Shenandoah Run is a DC-based band with a vision—to keep folk music alive and fresh! Fidelity to this vision has been key to our success. Our performances pay tribute to vintage Americana and contemporary folk music, with a little country thrown into the mix. Our top-notch musicianship and soaring harmonies lend a fresh voice to classic and contemporary folk and Americana music and often entice audiences to join in for that irresistible sing-along.
Shenandoah Run is comprised of founder Bob Melissinos (vocals and guitar), Jill Nelson (vocals, octave guitar, and percussion), Jim Thorne (vocals, guitar, mandolin, and flute), Renee Moyer (vocals and percussion), Leslie Smile (vocals and fiddle), Joe Dickey (banjo), John Werntz (bass), and Ben Hamblin (vocals and guitar). With a winning blend of voices and instruments, our performances attract large, often “sold out” audiences of as many as 1,200 pa-trons. For events such as summer concert series, SR regularly attracts some of the largest audiences the venues have experienced.
Shenandoah Run has become a favorite at a variety of venues in the Greater Washington metropolitan area and beyond. Some of these venues include Jammin Java in Vienna (16 times), Avalon Theatre in Easton (3 times), Creative Cauldron in Falls Church (15 times), Maryland Hall in Annapolis (5 times), The Mansion at Strathmore, The AMP by Strathmore (2 times), Rams Head On Stage (2 times), World Folk Music Association Showcase (4 times), Wash-ington Folk Festival (4 times), Carroll County Arts (4 times), Anne Arundel Concert Commission (3 times), and many others.
In the picture (L to R): Robert Burleson (replaced by Ben Hamblin), Jim Thorne, Jill Nelson, Pam Ferguson (replaced by Leslie Smile), Bob Melissinos, Renee Moyer, Joe Dickey, John Werntz.

08/16/2022

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16TH: THEME NIGHT – SONGS ABOUT WORK
At this week's open mic, we hope to hear songs with an attitude about work (either positive or negative, doesn’t matter).
There are many possibilities to choose from, and here are a few of the more popular ones: Takin’ Care of Business, She Works Hard for the Money, Five O’Clock World, Take This Job and Shove It, Workin’ Man Blues, A Hard Day’s Night, 9 to 5, Heigh-Ho, Get a Job, Money for Nothing, Whistle While You Work, It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, Working in the Coal Mine, Sixteen Tons, Working Class Hero, etc.
There are countless others, and our open mic musicians will unearth some and share them with us. Whatever, it’ll all be fun.

08/05/2022

August 9 Member Showcase: TM Hanna

I’ll be joined on my showcase by friend and musical cohort Jeff Walthall. We’ve played to-gether a few times over the years, as Celtic Union and also as Reckless Kin. After a break of over two years, we are once again performing.
Although I have done showcases in the past, I haven’t done one recently and I originally thought I might just go solo and play as many different instruments as I could in the time allot-ted. I decided against that due to logistics.
I then thought I would gather a number of people, assemble a band and have a party up there on the stage, but decided that would require too much rehearsal. I also considered assembling several people that would each sing a different one of the songs that I’ve written.
After realizing that I have tried all of these on showcases of the past with varying degrees of success, I decided to go with a showcase idea that actually worked fairly well the last time we tried it. Jeff and I will be presenting a few of my favorites from our extensive repertoire. - TM

07/09/2022

July 12 Member Showcase: Rich Battaglia

Rich is excited and delighted to be doing the Member Showcase. His creative journey has been long, meandering, arduous and continual. Originally from South Philadelphia, music started with second grade clarinet, continuing through middle school orchestra and chorus. He then was recruited to play in a Mummers Parade string band and migrated to sax.
Rich was catapulted into adolescence by the song ‘Do-wah-diddy’ on AM radio. That’s when playing guitar and bass started. The first show he did was at a cub scout meeting, playing Twist and Shout and You Really Got Me with The Locusts. At 14, he joined a working band, The Rockets: Weddings, socials, Bar Mitzvahs, but the best were Draft Parties. That meant no old standards, just Rock & Roll all night. The fact that some poor soul was getting sent off to ‘Nam made the partying all the more intense. Playing with The Rockets lasted till he left for college, where he transitioned into folk songs. Donovan, Dylan, Eric Anderson, Leonard Cohen. Now a solo performer, there were small gigs and jams here and there, and the writing of songs began.
Rich became interested in classical guitar while getting his degree in mathematics at Temple University (graduating NOT magna cm laude, but skinna da teetha). After a two-year break, he enrolled in the Temple College of Music, majoring in composition and guitar. It was nerve wracking and soul freeing. Playing for the string department jury at the end of every semester shredded his nerves, only reversed at the end. But singing with the choral department expanded and widened his musical universe. He was accepted for the elite Concert Choir, and sang with the chorus many times, singing with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy, both at the Philadelphia Academy of Music and Carnegie Hall in pieces that included The Verdi Requiem and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia..
That math degree wasn’t a complete waste: It landed him a job with AT&T. He got transferred to New York and hooked up with the National Improv Theater in Chelsea, where he studied, performed, and taught. He moved to the Washington, D.C., area after he was married and formed the improv troupe Now This! He later taught improv at a few schools and for 10 years has led a neighborhood improv troupe, System One Thinking.
He was also a member of a group of musicians in Garrett Park from 2003 through 2019. They met for jams twice monthly at the Garrett Park Town Hall and did quarterly coffee houses for the community. Many different bands, trios and duets were put together with a strong group of musicians.
Rich helps run the Donoharm Farm Second Saturday concerts, in Germantown MD.
For the showcase, Rich will do a mix of original tunes and covers, both solo and with Ben Hamblin, Ron Goad and John Werntz.

06/19/2022

This Tuesday night, June 21 2022, we're presenting The Furnace Mountain Trio in concert. The Furnace Mountain Trio is 3/4 of The Furnace Mountain Band and consists of Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Dave Van Deventer on fiddle and vocals, and Morgan Morrison on guitar and bouzouki.
They’ve performed throughout the world, from the Yangtze River in China to the banks of the Shenandoah River, where they are the host band of the Watermelon Pickers’ Festival. The trio plays music from the American Appalachian traditions, as well as original compositions, and songs penned by their favorite song writing friends.
The band creates music that is at times lively and raucous, with spirited fiddle melodies weaving in and around the powerful rhythms of the bass and bouzouki, and other times poignant and poetic, with sublime vocal harmonies beautifully interpreting some of the oldest songs ever written. [https://furnacemountain.com/]
The concert starts at 7:15 pm at the Amphora Diner Deluxe, 1151 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170 - tickets $12 ($11 for members) at the door.

06/12/2022

June 14 Showcase – Jennifer Katt

Jennifer Katt has been writing and performing music, individually and with others, since the early 80’s. Following the breakup of the classic rock/pop cover band “Full House,” she and two other members and frequent co-writers - Tomm Sibert and Janet Gerber-Salins - reformed as the trio “Bugleweed,” performing their award-winning original tunes in three-part harmony with acoustic instrumentation.
After a successful run in the DC-area folk music circuit, Bugleweed succumbed to members’ shifting life priori-ties, and Tomm and Jennifer once again found a new musical home with “Random Act,” an 8-member high-harmony group featuring a lavish array of instruments and vocal arrangements (think “A Mighty Wind” 😉).
After half of Random Act moved to the West Coast and following some considerable downtime, Jennifer took to writing and performing once again, sometimes with others but often as a solo singer-songwriter, enjoying the intimacy of smaller venues and songwriting circles. Her song themes often feature people who are important to her—aka tribute songs—some of which she plans to perform for this showcase. Jennifer will be joined by Tomm Sibert and their musician son Samm, plus other special guests who have graced the stage of the Amphora.

05/24/2022

Tonight, May 24 2022 – 37th Anniversary Celebration
Join us to celebrate 37 years of sharing acoustic music at our Tuesday night open mic. We’ll have round-robin open mic entertainment (one song per musical act), free dessert, and door prizes (also, it’s free). Bring wrapped-up folk music CD’s that you think others might enjoy; the Folk Club adds CD’s by recent concert artists. See you there.

05/15/2022

This Tuesday night we present Ken & Brad Kolodner w/Rachel Eddy. The dynamic father-son team Ken & Brad Kolodner weave together a captivating soundscape on hammered dulcimer and clawhammer banjo, blurring the lines of Old-Time, Bluegrass and American Roots music. Regarded as one of the most influential hammered dulcimer players in North America, Baltimore’s Ken Kolodner joined forces in 2009 with his son Brad, a renowned clawhammer banjo player. They are joined by the dynamic multi-instrumentalist Rachel Eddy on fiddle and guitar.
Tuesday, May 17th, 2022 - show starts at 7:15 PM (room open after 6 PM) - $13 ($12 members) - Amphora Diner Deluxe, 1151 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170 - purchase tickets at the door or by email at [email protected]

05/10/2022

MAY 10 MEMBER SHOWCASE – RYAN MURPHY
Ryan Murphy started playing guitar in high school as a creative and emotional outlet, but rarely played any original songs in public. The appeal was always in the writing of the songs, rather than playing.
During the pandemic, Ryan got back into writing and playing music, and, as restrictions lifted, felt a need to be more social and play in public for the first time in 20 years. To this end, he started playing at the Folk Club open mic nights in March of 2022, joined the Club in April, and won the showcase drawing on the same night as joining.
Ryan grew up listening to a wide range of music, but always enjoyed the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, and Gordon Lightfoot. Otherwise, his preferences have been somewhat contradictory with a great deal of listening to hard rock while playing almost exclusively acoustic guitar, and listening to male vocalists but mostly covering songs by female vocalists.
Other than playing music, Ryan is a psychologist focused on developing questionnaires for use in clinical trials of new medical treatments.
While Ryan has typically played solo at the Folk Club, during the showcase he will be joined by Bill Bowman on bass and Ron Goad on percussion.

04/18/2022

Tomorrow night we present Piedmont Bluz (www.piedmontbluz.com) in concert. The Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo are ambassadors of Country Blues music and the
Piedmont style of fingerpicking. Their mission is to help preserve these rural, east coast traditions by educating audiences about
this unique aspect of African American culture through musical entertainment. They feel that "there are stories to tell, people to
remember, and things that must be said" so, in addition to tickling your ears with delightful music, they weave a bit of history into the presentation of each song.
The show starts at 7:15 pm on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 - requested donation $11 ($10 members) - at the Amphora Diner Deluxe, 1151 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170. Purchase tickets in advance by email to [email protected], or at the venue.

04/08/2022

APRIL 12 MEMBER SHOWCASE – JOHN DRUITT

John Druitt loves music as a way to bring people together. Born overseas to an American family, he grew up in countries like Bolivia, Algeria, Cameroon, Indonesia, and Morocco. He lived in Arizona too, which some people claim is also a developing country. He finally landed in Virginia to attend high school and has been local ever since. John has been playing guitar for about 40 years but he wouldn’t say he is 40 years good. His parents told him he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket with the lid on it. Being left-handed and dyslexic, it took him a moment to figure out where everything went. Now he hopes to inspire future dyslexic left-handed guitar players to stick with it. During the day John works as an IT consultant, but at night, John still works as an IT consultant. He aspires to spend more time in music once his finances are sorted.
John’s avid curiosity and eclectic tastes have dragged him across a spectrum of international guitar styles, from folk, blues, rock, and samba, to classical and slack-key guitar. For a recent sample of his original music, visit his YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2X8bMFkZoPA. This coming showcase will feature members of Big Al’s Garage, the best new band you haven’t heard of yet! They will play a range of popular acoustic rock songs from the 60s through today from artists like America and Simon and Garfunkel.

(photo courtesy of Lori Saunders; Instagram )

04/08/2022

There is a Blue Melody Sessions house concert at the Fiely's new home (and stage) in Great Falls, Virginia, with the masterful Claude Bourbon on his USA 2022 tour. Originally sponsored by Rick & Terry Landers and Mike Davis, the Blue Melody Sessions house concert series has been on hiatus (other than driveway concerts) since the beginning of the pandemic. Tammy and Dave Fiely have joined forces with Rick, Terry, and Mike to host these events, and are excited to host Claude Bourbonʻs concert!
Claude's guitar performances take the blues, Spanish, and Middle Eastern stylings into uncharted territories. Thousands of people in the U.K., Europe and the U.S. have enjoyed his amazing virtuosity where his fingers dance across the strings to create a unique sound that is "Claude.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZQgd7qJHVc
WHEN: Saturday, 9 April 2022. 6:00-9:30 pm. Potluck will start at 6:00 pm, and the concert should begin at 7:00 pm. Timing of sets up to Claude.
WHERE: 11205 Richland Grove Drive, Great Falls VA 22066 (aka “Shiba Chalet”)
COST: $20 donations per person requested, and please bring a dish to share if you plan to attend the potluck. :)
PARKING: Please try to carpool, if possible. Parking is limited (i.e., long driveway with no shoulders) but we can handle about 10-12 cars near the home for those with mobility issues. We do have a drive-way loop in front to drop off folks at the front door. Overflow parking is in the cul-de-sac at the bottom of the hill (bit of a hike if you canʻt hitch a ride, but worth it!).
COVID: Will execute this event under the assumption there isnʻt a new outbreak. We ask that audience members are fully vaccinated, with masks optional.
RSVP: PLEASE respond to let us know if youʻre attending (or not) and number of guests by responding to this email @ [email protected]. Space is limited, and this is a “by invitation only” event.
If you have any questions, please contact Dave Kawika Fiely at [email protected] or (703) 622-2032. We look forward to seeing you and enjoying the wonderful music of a world-class artist!
- Dave & Tammy (and Rick & Terry and Mike!)

- Paroles et Musique de Claude Bourbon (2019)- Images et films de Claude Bourbon- Shot in the USA and Canada

03/12/2022

March 15 Showcase – Dan Telfer & Friends
(by Dan Telfer)
My first showcase was January 11, 2011, exactly eleven years before this one. A blizzard hit that afternoon, but Sol Creech and I played our hearts out to a 3/4 full room of hearty souls at the Tortilla Factory.
The Folk Club has changed my life for the better. A lyric of mine from “Christmas 2047” (and coincidentally on my license plate) says that “health and laughter and love and song are my God’s greatest gift to me.” The Folk Club has contributed and amplified the laughter, the love, and the song in my life.
How? The FC got me up and playing in front of people. It got me writing my own songs and performing them. It got me playing autoharp (thanks Todd Crowley) and harmonica. It taught me *not* to play the banjo. The FC allowed me to play with numerous other artists with their varied instruments. It gave me the opportunity to bring some of my grandkids to the FC and have them get up to sing and perform.
I’m a member since about 2005. So, 16 years with approximate attendance 30 times per year, or about 500 times at the FC. The round trip of 50 miles to and from home in Springfield translates to 25,000
miles on the Parkway. Yikes!
Pictured are 7 of 14 of Evie and my grandkids who also contribute to the laughter, the love, and the song of my life - some of whom have performed at the Folk Club of Reston-Herndon. Please sing along!

02/27/2022

Special Announcement – Live Open Mics Resume! Beginning March 1, 2022!
Based on recent positive trends of the coronavirus, we feel it is safe for us to gather at the Amphora every Tuesday night, and follow the CDC’s guidance (last updated Feb 25th). For now: 1) We expect only fully vaccinated people to attend, 2) We request that everyone wear a face mask when not eating, drinking, or performing, and 3) We request that anyone with any coronavirus symptoms stay home. As before, we will be unplugged (no sound system) unless it’s a showcase or concert night. We realize that some people are not yet ready to return to a live music situation. To provide a music-sharing opportunity for those who are unable or not yet willing to come to the Amphora Al Hobson will resume hosting an open mic on Zoom every other Monday night, starting March 7th (then March 21st, April 4th). Send an email to Al if you are interested ([email protected]) in performing or listening.