EVERY New York upstart musician cut their teeth at the Gerde's HOOTENANNY
Simon and Garfunkel worked their way up at Folk City. First they were patrons at Gerde's. Then they performed new material at the open mic. Then they chose the FOLK CITY stage to GO PRO
Sixty four years ago, Mike Porco added live Folk Music to the menu of his Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village . The rest became American Music History.
Virtually overnight, Gerdes Folk City became the most coveted gig by every hopeful singer/songwriter to make their way to New York. It was the home of New York 's original Hootenanny now commonly known as open mic. Gerdes offered a stage for aspiring stars to make their names known....and many of them did.
The list of those who got their first stage experience at Gerdes reads like a who's-who of American Folk and Folk Rock royalty: Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Judy Collins, Simon and Garfunkel, Jose Feliciano, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nile, Steve Forbert, The Roches, Peter, Paul and Mary, Phoebe Snow, David Massengill, Rod MacDonald, Phil Ochs and, of course, Bobby Dylan.
BUT FIRST Gerde's Restaurant was an Italian eatery situated East of Washington Square and MacDougal Street yet it became the unlikely epicenter of a musical movement.
In his autobiography, Bob Dylan called Gerde's "the preeminent Folk club in America." Mike Porco, an opportunist who was never one to turn away a crowd, was instrumental in, literally, setting the stage for the music revolution of the 1960s.
First he hired only established troubadours and recording stars but soon offered his stage to every bright new musician who came to New York in hopes of being discovered. In early 1960, Mike Porco added a Monday night 'Hootenanny,' widely regarded as New York's first "open mic." It afforded an opportunity for young musicians to practice their skill, try out new songs, garner recognition and gain peer acceptance.
In a short time, Porco became a steadfast supporter, champion and surrogate father for those reshaping the sound of American music.
🎬 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.
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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