Back through the kitchen and down the stairs- GERDE'S FOLK CITY BASEMENT
Storeroom/dressing room/rehearsal space/flop room/hot house/historical landmark
As with most clubs in New York’s Greenwich Village, space and square footage is hard to come by. Green rooms and rehearsal space for the evening’s talent are sometimes little corridors or alcoves behind a curtain or it is just extra space in the basement (if there was one).
🤌🏼 In the case of Folk City, the dressing room was also the keg and case storeroom. Many historic moments took place down there. Bobby Dylan introduced songs like Hard Rain and Blowin’ to Gil Turner and a lucky few. Phil Ochs and José Feliciano recalled agreeing to record contracts in the basement at Gerde’s. Mostly, it was where folk singers met and made out with other folk singers. Tricks of the trade (as well as professional stage etiquette) were passed on to newbies. And on occasion, maybe a little sex and drugs and rock and roll happened.
As regular emcee Dominic Chianese told me, Mike would ask him upstairs at the bar: What is that SMELL?
🎬 As Suze Rotolo put it: Gerde’s was where "the cross-fertilization of different styles and musical eras forged important links in the chain of American musical history." How did the SINGER/SONGWRITER genre form?
My grandfather Mike Porco offered up his Italian restaurant to be the headquarters for the 1960s Folk and Blues Revival. It was HOME to traditional artists and it became HOME BASE for aspiring Singer-Songwriters from all over the country.
Back then, talented musicians REALLY COULD take a bus to Washington Square to show their wares and actually find work at one of the THIRTY clubs that welcomed acoustic performers. Early on, there was only ONE venue that was a LEGIT room that paid a professional wage. Traveling Troubadours and Blues originators included Gerde’s Folk City on their Eastern circuit.
THEY CREATED A NEW SOUND!
They developed a whole new genre. Country Blues and American Folk mated to create what we now call FOLK ROCK. But wait!! THERE’S MORE!!!
🪡🧵I’ve sewn together a solid story for any viewer to watch and catch the drift. THIS DOC is the FULL untold story as told from multiple people directly connected to Mike Porco and the Greenwich Village SCENE. A complete stranger and the most staunch Folk Revival student will be wowed.🍿🍿
🍿🍿🍿 TWENTY THREE INTERVIEWEES made it happen.
🎥So many greats went on camera with their memories. The documentary is about two main characters, if you will. That would be MIKE PORCO and the MOTHERSHIP, GERDE’S FOLK CITY. For reasons that you’ll learn in the movie, TWO other main figures were spoken about. The two OTHER main characters on everyone’s lips were Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs.
Please help spread Mike Porco’s story to music lovers far and wide🌎🌎
🌎 In case you missed it
https://bobporco86.substack.com/p/documentary-on-mike-porcos-folk-music
The Gerde’s Folk City documentary is called POSITIVELY PORCO. If you have any interest in the music spawned in the restaurant, you will want to see it. Basically, the American singer/songwriter genre has its roots planted at Gerde's.
✅Make a Substack account
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✅Subscribe for paid to watch the GerdesFolkCityDoc!!!
The documentary landed on Substack here https://bobporco86.substack.com/p/documentary-on-mike-porcos-folk-music