Now that it’s spring, the coffeehouse season is beginning to wind down, meaning concert-goers will have to forgo their fix of acoustic guitars combined with yummy desserts and coffee until these venues open again in the fall.
Last Saturday, the Orange coffeehouse series wrapped up its season with a show by The Green Sisters, and when Carrie Ferguson takes the stage at the Wendell Town Hall on May 19, it will conclude the 2018 winter season of the Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse.
But when folk singer Bill Staines performs at the St. James Coffeehouse in Greenfield on Saturday at 7 p.m., it will be more than an end-of-season show. It will mark the formal end of this coffeehouse venue.
The St. James Coffeehouse first opened its doors in 2001, and presented shows with both nationally touring artists and local acts on a monthly basis until 2012. At that time, Fred Momaney of Greenfield, who is the driving force behind the concerts, decided he needed a break and ended the coffeehouse with hopes that someone else would run the monthly series.
When nobody was interested in the job, the coffeehouse closed for a while. But then a chance meeting with singer-songwriter Don White, who was a frequent and popular performer at St. James over the years, changed everything.
“We were traveling to North Carolina and were about halfway there when I went online and noticed Don White was performing in Philadelphia,” recalled Momaney. “So we went to see him, and when he got off stage and saw us there, he said ‘Holy crap, I think I’m in the wrong place.’”
That encounter led to Momaney getting back in the saddle and once again putting on the shows at St. James. But he limited it to a couple of shows a year, and usually booked established favorites like White and Staines.
Staines was so popular that Momaney can’t remember how many times he played the coffeehouse, but he thinks it was either 13 or 14 times.
Staines, who came out of the 1960s folk scene, is a true folk troubadour who has been touring the United States for over 40 years, playing nearly 200 shows a year and driving 65,000 miles annually.
Seeing Staines in concert is like spending an evening with an old friend, as his warm, engaging personality easily connects with an audience. His shows feature a mix of traditional tunes along with his own contemporary folk ballads. His songs have a strong sense of place, and whether he’s writing about the lush landscapes of Alaska or the struggles of an everyday person, his music offers a slice of Americana that listeners can relate to. Staines sprinkles his shows with humorous stories that are often about his experiences on the road. And he loves nothing more than to get the audience to sing along.
Nanci Griffith, who has covered some of Staines songs, has said “Bill Staines has been my hero since 1977. He carries on where Woody left off, carrying on the tradition of stories and characters you wish you knew.”
Momaney, who has been a fan of Staines since the 1970s, feels the secret behind his popularity with audiences at St. James Coffeehouse is simply his music.
“I think it’s his songs and the way he encourages people to sing along with him,” Momaney said. “Sometimes it’s like an old fashioned hootenanny.”
Staines enjoys playing at St. James Coffeehouse as much as his fans enjoy seeing him there.
“It has always been one of my favorite places to play,” Staines wrote in an email exchange. “It’s always a warm and giving audience of all ages and they love to sing. Anyhow, I’m really looking forward to the show. They always have the best desserts.”
We can’t talk about this coffeehouse without mentioning their famous desserts.
“Some of the church members contribute some, but my wife Marie makes 90 percent of them,” said Momaney. “Eclairs, carrot cake and peanut butter pie.
“She goes online and gets these incredible recipes. It’s the only time I get them as she won’t make them at home. I’ll miss that part,” he added with a laugh.
Momaney and his wife hope to do more traveling, so he is ready to bid farewell to the St. James Coffeehouse. As he does, he reflected on the good times.
“It’s been wonderful. My wife and I love music and our kids grew up there — they were the original roadies, loading everyone in and out,” Momaney said. “I love to sing, so it’s been a way for me to indulge my musical leanings and we’ve met a lot of wonderful people over the years. We are ready to move on, but it’s bittersweet.”
The St. James Church is located at 8 Church St. Doors open at 7 p.m. Local musician Jennie McAvoy will open Saturday’s show, performing at 7:15 p.m. Staines will come on at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $16 in advance or $18 at the door. Children ages 5 to 12 are $8 and $9, respectively. Advance tickets are available at the World Eye Bookshop in Greenfield.
As some music venues close down for the summer, others open their doors. One of the most popular summer music series in the Pioneer Valley is Watermelon Wednesdays, held at the historic West Whately Chapel, near the intersection of Conway and Williamsburg roads in West Whately.
The series, now in its 19th year, features the best in acoustic music including jazz, classical, swing, traditional, bluegrass and more. For the most part, the shows are held on Wednesdays and begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m. And yes, they do include watermelon which is served during intermission.
The 2018 season will kick off on June 13, with a night of classical mandolin and guitar with Carlo Aonzo and Rene Izquierda. Highlights of the upcoming season include fiddle player Jeremy Kittel on July 4, and the return of ukulele and cello duo James Hill and Anne Janelle on July 11. Hill will offer a ukulele workshop for players of all levels earlier that day. Rootsy vocal trio Lula Wiles will appear on July 31, and banjo great Tony Trischka returns on Sept. 12.
For a detailed rundown of the featured shows and to purchase tickets visit watermelonwednesdays.com. Keep your eye on the website because Paul Newlin, the director of Watermelon Wednesdays, promises that more shows will be added to the schedule.
And remember, this is a small venue, so shows often sell out. Purchasing tickets from the website in advance is strongly recommended.
Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com.