Our Next Online 60's Folk Singalong

It's coming up soon!

If there is a song from our repertoire that you'd like to hear, please let us know. Song lists are in the Tabs above.

Links to the show are in the Show Dates Tab above.

Get Your Requests In!

The next 60's Folk Singalong is coming up quickly, so we invite you to get your song requests in and we will do our best to include them in the setlist.

Check the various show tabs here on this site to see which songs are available to choose from...

Thank You!

We had such fun on Friday night live-streaming our singalong show. It was so exciting having viewers from all over the world! We love when people tell us in the comment sections where they are watching from.

We were a little late getting started after encountering a technical glitch at the beginning and had to reboot our computer. Unfortunately that added to some confusion for people trying to access the show. We think we have a good solution to avoid that problem in future shows...we're learning and adapting to the technology as we go along.

The video of the live performance is available on the FOLK SONGS LIVE Facebook Page though, so you can watch it there if you like. This link should take you to it: https://www.facebook.com/FOLKSONGSLIVE/videos/1593471417500738/

Thank you for joining us and also for your generous contributions to our Virtual Tip Jar/e-Transfers. We really appreciate the support.

Our next folk singalong is scheduled for Friday, August 21st. Hope to see you then.

Join Us Online!

It looks like the only way, in the forseeable future, that we'll be able to get together is online. So, we are pleased to present a new series '60's Folk Singalong with Sue and Dwight' on the third Friday of each month live-streaming from our Folk Songs Live Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/FOLKSONGSLIVE/

The next show is on Friday, July 17th and starts at 7pm ET.

See you then!

What A Get Together!

Posted by Dwight

The latest generation of our singalong shows, 'Get Together - 60’s Singalong' hit the ground singing last Wednesday night at the Free Times Cafe. A robust and energetic crowd of 57 filled the music room and spilled out into what we lovingly refer to as the VIP Lounge. No matter where you were seated though, the air was full of voices! The crowd included many of our wonderful regulars, brand new faces, and members of singing groups Choir!Choir!Choir! and Shout Sister Choir. The singalong movement is growing!

Beginning with the Folk Revival and ending with Woodstock, the 1960’s witnessed the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, and the birth of the Peace and Love generation. The music of the 60’s reflected these transformations as traditional folk merged with electric instruments to give birth to the Folk Pop, Folk Rock and Singer Songwriter eras.

Picking up where our Folk Revival show left off in 1965, the new show covers songs all the way up to 1970. Old favorites like Puff The Magic Dragon and Walk Right In were joined by new favorites For What It’s Worth, California Dreamin’, The Sound of Silence, One Tin Soldier and others.

Here's the full setlist:

Thanks to everyone who came out to sing with us. It couldn't have been a better way to start the 'new' era.

Next show is Wednesday, March 18, 7:30pm. Make sure to reserve your seats in advance at 416-967-1078.

Wow...What A Send-Off!

Photo by J. Whitfield

Last Wednesday night, the monthly edition of our 60s FOLK REVIVAL singalong show ‘Where Have All the Folk Songs Gone?’ came to an end, after a wonderful seven year run at the Free Times Cafe. 

It was a fitting finale featuring a full house, a boisterous singing audience, and The Weavers classic 'Goodnight Irene' to end the evening. We were humbled (yes, there were tears) and so appreciative of the standing ovation we received from the audience.

Photo by E. Carter

Another highlight of the evening for us, was Klaas VanGraaft taking the stage, as the second set got underway, to say some wonderful things about the show and how the songs and their meanings took him back to the days when he himself was a popular musician on the folk scene, as a solo artist and part of The Chanteclairs. 

The official FOLK REVIVAL period ran from 1955 to 1965 and in presenting our Where Have All The Folk Songs Gone? show, it was important to us to stay within those years to retain authenticity of the show premise. However, in recent months, in response to audience feedback, we began including some songs that pushed a few years beyond 1965. The FOLK REVIVAL ended somewhat abruptly in 1965 with the British Invasion and young folk artists like Bob Dylan expanding their styles beyond acoustic folk to create new musical categories like Folk Pop and Folk Rock. The response to the newer songs was very positive so we decided it was time to create a new show that encompasses the full decade of the 1960's. 

Although we will miss revisiting the FOLK REVIVAL every month, we are very excited about the expanded repertoire we can draw from in our new show 'Get Together - Sixties Singalong', which debuts at the Free Times Cafe on Wed. Feb. 19th. Fortunately some favourite songs rooted in the 60's will carryover from the other show...I mean, it's hard to imagine a show without 'Puff The Magic Dragon'.😉  Hope you'll join us!

 

Happy New Year!

Posted by Sue

Wow, we got so busy in December I didn't have a chance to post about the show that month. It was less than a month ago, but so much has been happening since then, it feels like a million years ago.

It was our last as a trio, as we've now welcomed Henry Lees to this group. Some of you have already seen Henry perform with us in our 'Greatest Hits of Peter, Paul and Mary' show. He made his debut with the 'Where Have All The Folk Songs Gone?' gang on New Years Eve. And what a fun time that was!

Photo by Phyllis Chan

Stepping back a few weeks before the show, we were thrilled to be interviewedon ZoomerRadio's Afternoon Express with Norm Edwards and Eva D.  If you missed it, you can listen here: Zoomer Radio Interview
They are so much fun!

I went into New Years Eve last night feeling like I could cry at the drop of a hat. Not exactly sure why but I'm thinking it's an end of the decade thing where we're not just looking back on one year but on ten, and the many life changes that have occurred during that time. All the ups and downs, from exciting career changes and the amazing experiences and friendships that has brought, to the incredible sadness of losing family and friends.

On a night when songs like ‘Thirsty Boots’, ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Turn Turn Turn’, ‘Puff The Magic Dragon’, and of course the dreaded waterworks inducing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ are on the setlist, having those emotions so close to the surface could have resulted in what Oprah calls “the ugly cry”. Luckily that didn’t happen, and I sailed through the show on a cloud of joyus contentment looking out over an audience who made it so easy to enjoy every minute of it.

The evening started off with delicious buffet dinner. I don’t usually like to eat too close to performing but luckily just before we took the stage, Judy led us all in some “Oy’s to push the food down”. LOL!

Right out the gate, the audience were fabulous singalongers, and that enthusiasm continued throughout the whole night. As we usually do on NYE, we included a few original songs, Henry’s ‘Without A Doubt’ and our ‘One Song’ in the final set, which were wonderfully received. At the end of the night we got a standing ovation and one gentleman came to the stage and said he wanted to thank us on behalf of the audience. I gave him my mic and after his generous accolades, there was another resounding round of applause. I can’t think of many occupations where that happens at the end of a work day, but it's definitely what helps keep us in this crazy business with it’s highs and lows.

It was a beautiful way to end off a year…a decade…and such a positive start to the new one!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE from the 'Where Have All The Folk Songs Gone?' gang! See you on Wed. January 22nd for the next show.

Music Is Amazing That Way

Photo by P. Chan

Posted by Sue
What a fun time! I was a little jet-lagged going into the evening, having just returned from vacation, but once we started singing and hearing the enthusiastic voices of the audience joining in, I felt totally invigorated. Music is amazing that way. It does whatever you need it to do...calm you when you're too anxious, give you energy when you're pooped. There was a physiotherapist in the audience who is studying ways to incorporate music into her work. 

We had three generations at a table up front...grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter. The little one surprised even her mom with the number of songs she knew, ones that the mom didn't even know! Good to know these great songs from the 60's are still being taught. Coincidentally, I was chatting with a teacher at the break who had discussed the song 'Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream' with her class of elementary students. They talked about ways to update the language to make it more relevant in today's world. The first thing they pointed out was that there needed to be some women in the room signing the papers. 💗From the mouths of babes. 

Here's the setlist for the evening...

Our next show is a little earlier in the month than usual (second Wed. of the month instead of the third) as people will be busy with their holiday activities after that. 

And if you're thinking of coming out to our New Years Eve show this year, get your reservation in early!

 
Hope to see you soon!