Battle Ground folk musician Tom May’s Winterfolk event has stood the test of time. On Feb. 5, the 23rd annual Winterfolk will take place at the Aladdin Theater in Portland.
An evening of folk music, the event is a benefit for Sisters of the Road Cafe, which provides low- and no-cost meals. Tickets are $28 in advance and $30 at the door. For more information, go to http://aladdin-theater.com, http://sistersoftheroad.org or http://ticketmaster.com.
In conjunction with the event, Sisters of the Road is holding a raffle for a guitar worth $3,950 and 10 hours of recording time at a studio in the greater Portland area. Raffle tickets cost $10 and are available at the event or in advance at Artichoke Music in Portland.
This year’s Winterfolk features seven acts, including headliner Tracy Grammer. Representing the local talent, May and Vancouver finger-picking guitarist Doug Smith will perform.
May, the 58-year-old host of the longtime radio show “River City Folk,” will perform new music at the event. Smith, 55, will play a combination of original instrumental compositions and covers.
Last year’s Winterfolk played to a packed house of about 620 people, and it’s an event worth seeing, May said.
“It’s just such a great feeling at the event,” according to May. “People are not only there to enjoy a fantastic festival of folk music, but also to raise money for such a wonderful, community-building organization as Sisters of the Road Cafe.”
Amboy musician hits the right notes with monthly open mic
Amboy musician Wayne Hoffman was approached eight years ago by the North Clark Historical Museum’s Roberta Emerick about hosting a monthly open microphone session at the museum. Hoffman has attended and performed at open mics throughout Clark County since 1985, but he never imagined the new gig would become a museum mainstay. The session celebrated its eighth anniversary this month.
“I said ‘Yeah, sure, but don’t get your hopes up,’” Hoffman recalls. “I called a lot of my friends and cried and begged.”
That first session drew 18 performers and 90 audience members, far exceeding expectations. “That’s pretty rare,” Hoffman said. “And I told them that.”
The gig would draw 110 people the following month. It was the beginning of a north Clark County tradition that has continued the first Friday of every month for the past eight years, save for each July.
Today’s gigs draw about 30-40 people each month, Hoffman guesses. It’s a far cry from the first few months, but he says a number of loyal musicians make regular appearances.
Hoffman, 61, celebrated the anniversary on Jan. 7 with a cake-cutting ceremony.
Hoffman made sure to praise the musicians and dedicated fans who make it to the monthly sessions. “The museum and the grange hall are both unique in the fact that it’s not a bar, and the only reason that people come is to listen to the music, so they’re paying attention to every performer,” he said. “They’re not shooting pool. They’re there only for the music.”
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