Calendar
Submit calendar info to:
calendar@corvallisfolklore.org
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.
Olivia Awbrey & Huck Notari
Olivia Awbrey
“A slightly more epic Esme Patterson…look out for her.”
– Chris T-T, English Songwriter
“Keep your eyes peeled…Olivia Awbrey is one to watch.”
– Eugene Weekly
“Packing well-crafted, road-tested tunes on her debut record, Olivia Awbrey spreads her folksy wings and brings some outspoken punky, rock and roll energy to her full-band, studio debut while still retaining her softer side.” – Vortex Music Magazine
Since releasing her debut EP, Fight or Fight (2017), Olivia has garnered attention in the folk and psych-rock communities in the US and the UK. Unafraid to blur lines between folk, psych and punk, her songs and voice have been likened to Esme Patterson and Liz Phair. With the help of hard-earned scholarships, Olivia took her songs to FAI 2017, FAR-West 2017, and the Spokane Folk Festival last year.
Exploring themes as ordinary as grocery store check out lines and as grand as the formation of Pangea, Olivia continues to draw in listeners throughout the US and Europe.
While intermittently recording her sophomore release with producer Hutch Harris (The Thermals), due out early 2019, Olivia is on tour in the US this spring and summer, and the UK this September.
Huck Notari
It was his grandfather, Glenn Burris, a Broadway singer who first sparked Hucks curiosity of singing at a young age. Huck Notari grew up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where his parents first introduced him to the piano and he taught himself to play the guitar at the age of 17.
Huck later moved to Eugene, Oregon where he joined up with a country blues, ragtime band called the Kitchen Syncopators (with Gill Landry of Old Crow Medicine Show, Woody Pines and Felix Hatfield) and toured up and down the west coast. He also found himself in New Orleans, where he was a Charlie Chaplin mime on Royal Street. But it wasn’t until 2007, when he moved to Oregon City that Huck discovered his own voice and wrote his first album, “Highland”, followed by his second album,” Very Long Dream”, in 2009 and his third, “Huck Notari and the River” in 2013.
Huck Notari’s lyrics and authentic guitar picking are timeless and draw his listeners into a place of nostalgia, broken hearts and old values. Huck currently calls Portland, Oregon his home. He is working on his fourth album and continues to tour around the U.S. and Europe.
Unleashed!
Since its members came together in 1999, UnLeashed! has been one of Portland’s favorite contra bands. Fiddler Jocelyn Goodall leads the pack with the driving style she learned from famed Irish fiddle master Tommy Peoples. On guitar, banjo, and fiddle, Rick Macquoid provides enough energy to keep dancers going all night long, while Eliza Romick’s percussive dulcimer and banjo-ukulele add that infectious pulse that dancers love. With Rick Piel’s incessant keyboard backup supplying intensity and rhythm, an evening with UnLeashed! is guaranteed to make you howl with joy!
Erik Weberg
I danced my first contra dance in Moscow Idaho in the Fall of 1986. Several excursions to the dance hall were necessary for me to find the courage to actually dance, but once I, tried it caught hold quickly and I became a regular dancer. Christian Petrich encouraged me to try calling for the first time in 1990 and soon after that I started regularly attending the first Wednesday open mic in Spokane Washington. I called dances around Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for a few years before moving west of the Cascades in 1993. I was soon asked to call dances in Portland and up the Willamette Valley. Since then I’ve been calling dances, festivals and weekends around the country from Seattle to Boston, from Fairbanks to Tuscon and most places between. I am able to enjoy this craft because of the good folks who encouraged and taught me to call dances years ago, the booking agents and local dance committees who have given me wonderful opportunities to practice in their communities, and the thousands of dancers and musicians who forgive me my mistakes and make it all worthwhile. If you’re reading this you’re probably one of them; so, thank you!
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
7:30 Cassandra Robertson
A muse with a message, Cassandra has the heart of a lion, and the mane to match. Accompanied by her acoustic guitar, she floors the audience like a sonic boom with captivating messages of peace, prosperity, hope and above all, inspiration. Her unique style of “acoustic conscious folk” kick starts the heart and levitates the soul; reminding us all that we CAN positively affect the world we all share, as long as we choose planet over profit and remember to be ourselves.
8:30 GuitarMasala
“I’m very happy to let you know that after a long hiatus from playing, my hand issues have been resolved and I’m back to playing guitar, composing and performing with my band, GuitarMasala.
We hope you will join us for our re-emergence concert. Otto Gygax will be coming down from Portland to play his world class rhythms on hand drums. We’ve managed to snag George Beekman from his busy performance schedule to lend his magic with symbols, bells and chimes. Sherry Rosen will be adding texture, harmonies and melodies on the Indian harmonium. We’re elated to be playing together again.”
With strong eastern influences, and a strong supporting cast, Sid Rosen delights with his original compositions for guitar.
The best Cellar is a once-a-month evening of acoustic music. Admission is “pay what you will,” and kids are free. Cookies and coffee are available. Located in the cellar of the Methodist Church on 11th and Monroe, in Corvallis. For more information, or to join the volunteer team, contact Mark Weiss at mjweiss@cmug.com
The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc
is a fiddle trio from Norway, Sweden and the Shetland Islands that have wowed audiences worldwide by their gripping and unique blend of fiddle music. Their show in Corvallis last year stunned the crowd, so much so, that they immediately agreed to return this year. NFB is comprised of Olav Luksengård Mjelva (Norway), Anders Hall (Sweden) and Kevin Henderson (Shetland Islands), each a master of their respective traditions. Their sound has been described as “unique, meaningful, intense and invigorating” with clever use of harmony, rhythm, riffs & bass lines. Their humor and personalities also make for a truly fun evening.
Pre-show social hour at 6:30 with live Scandi music in the lobby by Vänta Bara with special guest, Amy Håkansson
Vӓnta Bara, translated from Swedish as “Just Wait” is a trio with Lori Prime on fiddle and nyckelharpa, Kim Majors on fiddle and Maralyn Belgique on cello. Collectively, they have played various forms of traditional and folk-dance music for over two decades. Amy Håkansson grew up in a family blue grass band, but her love for the nyckelharpa led to a year-long study at the prestigious Eric Sahlstrom Institute in Sweden. She studied under Väsen’s Olov Johansson who invited her to perform with the group on both nyckelharpa and banjo! Their love of traditional folk music has brought them together to play dance tunes for Norske Runddansere at the cultural center, Nordia House, in Portland. They are excited to share their music in Corvallis for a social hour in the lobby of the Majestic Theatre where snacks, wine, sodas and 2 Towns Cider are available.
The Bridgetown Boys
- Victor Fiore – fiddle
- Lanny Martin – piano
- Jon Neff – guitar
We’re all experienced contra dance musicians. We’re in the Portland Megaband and, following a rehearsal, we jammed together and decided to form a band. We sound sound pretty darn good, if we say so ourselves. (Formerly named “Magpie”, then “Lanjovic”)
Tarka Ayres
Tarka Ayres credits contra dance with helping keep her mental stability through school. She started dancing in 2004 and has called dances in Oregon and Washington since 2012. Dancers appreciate her ability to integrate new dancers into the community, her clear teaching and succinct calling, and her choices of challenging dances.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
Potluck at 6:00 p.m with host Relan Colley, 745 NW 16th St; 541-753-2617. (Located near the south side of Corvallis High School and several blocks east of Fred Meyer. The closest intersection is NW Taylor & NW 16th.) Probably in the backyard if the weather is good!
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.
Corvallis Guitar Society
The goal of the Corvallis Guitar Society is to act as a catalyst to bring local guitarists out of the woodwork and provide an opportunity to perform and enjoy guitar music in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. The accent here is on participation and we hope people will want to participate in the open stage section also – no piece of music is too short or simple (though there is a five minute limit if we have a full sign-up sheet) and you are guaranteed a warm round of applause for showing us what you can do! We do have a limited number of open stage slots so be sure to sign up early at the front desk on the way in.
Our Mission
To promote classical and related guitar styles by providing a supportive performance environment for people of all ages and ability.
We seek to achieve this through a monthly meeting that provides an opportunity to discuss, listen to, and play solo guitar music including classical, flamenco, finger-style, jazz, as well as classical guitar ensemble styles.
Guy Davis
once said, “I like antiques and old things, old places, that still have the dust of those who’ve gone before us lying upon them.” Blowing that dust off just enough to see its beauty is something Guy has excelled at for over twenty years of songwriting and performing. It’s no wonder his reverence for the music of the Blues Masters who’ve gone before him has been evident in every album he’s ever recorded or concert he’s given.
Guy has had his musical storytelling influenced by artists like Blind Willie McTell and Big Bill Broonzy, and his musicality from artists as diverse as Lightnin’ Hopkins and Babatunde Olatunji. However, there’s one man that Guy most credits for his harmonica techniques, by stealing and crediting from him everything that he could, and that man is the legendary Sonny Terry.
Guy’s new album, “Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train – A Look Back at Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry” is an homage to these two hugely influential artists, not only on Guy’s career, but to thousands of musicians around the world. One such artist is the Italian harmonica ace, Fabrizio Poggi, who collaborates with and produced this recording.
Recorded in the summer of 2016 in Milan, the album features the original, title track song written by Guy Davis, songs by both Sonny and Brownie, as well as songs known to have been recorded and performed by the famed duo written by their contemporaries, such as Libba Cotton and Leadbelly.
Guy and Fabrizio have a relationship going back a decade in which they’ve performed together on tour in Europe and in the United States. In 2013 Fabrizio produced and played on Guy’s highly acclaimed recording, “Juba Dance”, which was number one on the Roots Music Charts for eight weeks. And ‘Fab’ also performs on Guy’s last album, “Kokomo Kidd”.
Guy Davis has spent his musical life carrying his message of the blues around the world, from the Equator to the Arctic Circle, earning him the title “An Ambassador of the Blues”. His work as an actor, author, and music teacher earmark him as a renaissance man of the blues.
What music and acting have in common, he explains, “is that I don’t like people to see the hard work and the sweat that goes into what I do. I want them to hear me and be uplifted. And I want some little eight-‐year-‐old kid in the front row to have big eyes and say, ‘Hey, I want to do that!’.”
Guy Davis is an exceptional harmonica player, and accompanied Pete Seeger on his final tour. He is well worth seeing and hearing.
The evening is hosted by Bob Santelli of the GRAMMY Museum and features storytelling, a live on-stage interview, audience questions and a performance by Guy Davis.
Click here to purchase tickets.
American Strings participates in Corvallis Arts for All. When tickets are still available on the evening of the performance, SNAP participants with an Oregon Trail card may purchase up to two tickets for $5 each at the door. No advance purchase.
We’re throwing a fest!
Sinking City Pop Fest
is happening here in Corvallis, Oregon
from May 11-13, 2018.
We’re still very much in the planning stages, but it’s going to be a stacked weekend of all-ages DIY punk shows and events around Corvallis to celebrate our awesome community. There will be a ton of updates on this project in the next few months, so check back here or join our fb group to stay in the loop.
Touring bands often refer to the stretch of I-5 between Portland and San Francisco as the “dead zone.” In 2015, some friends started organizing shows under the umbrella of Corvallis DIY in an attempt to make Corvallis a more visible destination for punk, indie, emo, and hardcore bands booking their own tours. At the same time, we started hosting regular meetups and throwing events like Band in a Hat and the Halloween cover show to get people excited about participating in their local community. Our scene has been growing steadily since then, and Corvallis has gained a reputation as a fun, semi-secret place to play on the west coast – a rainy city sunken into the heart of the Willamette Valley.
Sinking City Pop Fest is not-for-profit and volunteer-run. All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Rural Organizing Project, an intersectional nonprofit that supports radical organizing efforts in small Oregon communities.
Stay tuned for the show schedules and ticket presale information.
BANDS
Adieu Caribou (Salem/Corvallis)
Bad Dates (Corvallis)
Bobby’s Oar (Seattle)
Broken Dead (Eugene)
Dogbreth (Seattle)
Dooley (Corvallis/Eugene)
Flexing (Corvallis)
Garage (Corvallis)
GLIT (Eugene)
Lisa Prank (Seattle)
Mr. Wrong (Portland)
Plattenbau (Berlin)
SEACATS (Seattle)
Shaene Marie Pascal (Corvallis)
The Shifts (Eugene/Corvallis)
Special Moves (Olympia)
trying to be brave (Corvallis)
Watercolor Paintings (Thousand Oaks/Oakland)
Wayside Ghost (Eugene/Portland)
The Wobblies (Portland/Corvallis)
VENUES
Interzone (Friday night)
1563 NW Monroe Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
Mudville Stadium (Saturday matinee)
House / ask-a-punk
Chintimini Community Center (Saturday night)
2601 NW Tyler Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
Nearly Normals (Sunday matinee)
109 NW 15th St, Corvallis, OR 97330
SPONSORS
Razorcake, Interzone, Sacred Art Tattoo, Nearly Normals, Bullfrog Music, Happy Trails Records, & The Arts Center
Song Circle
Share a song, lead a song, request a song, or listen as we go round the circle. Song Circle is free and open to all who wish to participate. Bring your own instrument, borrow one, or just sing.
Gerry O’Connor
with Richard Mandel
(and afternoon workshops – see below)
From Dundalk, County Louth, Gerry O’Connor has played and recorded with such highly regarded groups as Lá Lúgh (Eithne Ní Uallacháin, Sony Music) and Skylark. Gerry has toured and recorded with members of all the legendary groups including Planxty, Bothy Band and others. Lá Lugh’s album “Brighid’s Kiss” was voted Album of the Year 1996 by readers of the Irish Music Magazine. His solo album “Journeyman” was counted in the top five Albums of the year 2004 by the Irish Times.
Richard Mandel (guitar, tenor banjo, bouzouki) fell into the well of Irish music in the mid-‘90s and was soon driving every session he could get into. As a first-call accompanist, Richard has performed and toured with legendary Irish musicians including Gerry O’Connor, Paddy Keenan, Jimmy Keane, Mick Maloney, Paddy O’Brien, Tony DeMarco and many others. Richard plays in the trio Three Mile Stone with mandolinist Marla Fibish and fiddler Erin Shrader. Three Mile Stone released its debut CD, produced by John Doyle, in March 2010 and has received rave reviews. In addition to Three Mile Stone, Richard can be heard on Christa Burch’s CD “Love of the Land”, Radim Zenkl’s, “Restless Joy”, and Tipsy House’s CD, “Sets in the City.”
[P]owerful guitar work, whether taking the form of a high-energy rhythmic input or a more intricate embellishment. —David Kidman, Living Tradition Magazine
Richard’s guitar playing is a perfect support and backdrop for Marla’s and Erin’s tune conversations. It never draws attention to itself except by its excellence and appropriateness. And he can play the snot out of the tenor banjo, too! —Roger Landes (Irish bouzouki master and Zoukfest founder)
[A] lightning right hand and spot on chord choices. He is also a precise and powerful tenor banjo player.—Kevin Carr, FolkWorks
Advance Tickets (at Grassroots Books, 227 SW 2nd St.) are recommended as space is limited.
Afternoon Workshops on May 17 ! ($7/$5 CFS members)
2pm: DADGAD Guitar Accompaniment w/ Richard Mandel
4pm: Irish Tunes for all Instruments w/ Gerry O’Connor
Annual Membership Meeting 2018
The Corvallis Folklore Society’s Annual Members’ Meeting will be on
Saturday, May 19th, 2018
starting at 5:00 pm
before the regular contra dance, at the First Alternative Co-op South Store meeting room at 1007 SE 3rd Street. It will replace the usual pre-Contra dance potluck dinner.
In the old CFS tradition we will combine a potluck dinner with an open jam session, so bring your instruments and/or voices along with a dish to share. Bringing your own plates and utensils will help reduce landfill.
The purpose of the meeting is to provide CFS members an opportunity to talk with the current board, to vote for the 2018-19 board and, most importantly, to help support, expand and improve CFS activities.
The room will be open around 5:00 pm and the festivities will start as soon as people arrive. The business meeting will begin at about 5:30. Members who don’t wish to eat or jam are encouraged to come just for the meeting. The business meeting will end in time for contra folks to get to Saturday night’s dance at Gatton Hall.
Hope to see you there!
A reprise of a dance cancelled in December 2017 because of icy roads
The Nettles
Laura Brophy – fiddle
Kevin Johnsrude – guitars
Michael Proctor – bass
Brian Bucolo – percussion
The Nettles are well-known on the West Coast for their original approach to contra dance music. Playing traditional music from all over the world, The Nettles create a strong rhythmic groove under soaring improvisations. Rhythmic drive and melodic fluidity allow The Nettles to propel contra dances into the stratosphere. .
Michael Karcher
From New York via Seattle.
Beginners lesson starts at 7:30pm (experienced dancers welcome) dance starts at 8:00pm
Each dance is taught. No partner necessary (it’s traditional to dance each dance with a different partner)
CFS Annual Membership Meeting with Potluck at 5:00 pm (all are welcome) at South First Alternative Co-op meeting room, 1007 SE 3rd ST
First and Third Saturdays of the month except July, August. Occasional special dances.
First and Third Sundays
We will mix Balkan, Israeli and other folk dances each week, with occasional live music from Balkan, Israeli and other traditions. Watch the calendar for announcements about special dances, but just come to each dance and learn all sorts of dances.