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Promoting acoustic music in the Inland Valley |
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Claremont couple opens new venue for folk-music concerts By Will Bigham, Staff Writer Inland Valley Daily Bulletin: 01/17/2008 07:11:55 AM PST Janice and Andy Gelencser longed for an intimate folk music venue in the Inland Valley, so they took matters into their own hands - they established it in their home. On performance days, the Gelencsers convert their dining room to a stage and open their living room for audience members to enjoy the performances. "We love folk music, we love acoustic music, so we're trying to set up a place in the Inland Valley for people to come and enjoy it," said Janice Gelencser. "There's a lot of stuff like that in the West L.A. area, but not in the Inland Valley." Since the Gelencsers hosted their first performance last summer, they have been able to book relatively prominent folk music artists. Former Byrds member, John York will perform Saturday, and booked for future performances are Barry McGuire, best known for his 1965 No. 1 single "Eve of Destruction", and Los Angeles roots band I See Hawks in L.A. Janice Gelencser, 57, grew up in Southern California as a fan of '60s folk music, and at age 15 she taught herself to play guitar. She and her husband purchased their home in Claremont four years ago with the idea of using it as a venue - they chose the home in part for its large living room. "We've always liked that kind of music," she said. "We grew up with that kind of music, and we play that kind of music ourselves. We enjoy living-room song circles."
York's performance at the Gelencsers' Requa Avenue home will begin at 8 p.m. It will be the fourth performance at the venue. "It's the kind of setting that music is supposed to be in, I think, with people sitting around and listening to music in an informal setting," York said. There is a $15 suggested entry donation. All proceeds go to the musicians, said Janice, to encourage and promote folk music. To reserve a space at the show, or for more information, call (909) 596-1266.
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Folk Pioneer Jerry Bergan to perform in Claremont and WhittierBy, Wes Woods Staff Writer, Daily Bulletin November 12, 2009Folk singer Jerry Burgan, co-founder of the 1960s folk rock group We Five ("You Were On My Mind"), will perform Saturday in Claremont. Burgan uses music to tell stories about America. "The focus of the show is getting to the roots of the folk music I grew up on," Burgan said in an interview on Tuesday. "The heart of that kind of presentation is the stories behind the songs." Burgan will perform an acoustic two-hour concert with a 20-minute intermission. Burgan will tell the stories, he said, of the "people who brought the folk music of America to life. I give examples, like `This Land Is Your Land' and how it evolved over a period of a half century from a spiritual song into an Americana anthem. It had lots of stops along the way. Different people threw their hat in the ring. Then Woody Guthrie gave us the song we know today." Burgan believes folk music "always has been and always will be the music of common folk ... classic folk songs are born when someone is moved emotionally enough to sing. And today, we still have writers like that. We will always have writers like that." On Saturday, Burgan will perform with musical backing by his wife Debbie and a bass player. Coming up, Burgan will reunite with former members of We Five for a concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Shannon Center for the Performing Arts at Whittier College in Whittier.
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Inland Valley Daily Bulletin; March 26, 2010 |