Mine was a Peter Paul and Mary concert in Berkeley in maybe 1966. It was a double date with my first real girlfriend, my best friend Mike and his girlfriend, and I was too young to drive. His older sister dropped us off.

Think it might have been at my church actually...chock full of musicians and social activists and Folk was big during my seminal years - the '60s and '70s.
(I was convinced that Peter, Paul and Mary were Methodists...Ghandi, too, but that is a different story.) The older set's music was the Woody Guthrie and Weavers stuff, so we got a lot of that too.

Every time a new ground breaking Folk song would make it's way to the public (and that's what it's all about, isn't it), someone would render their interpretation of the song and we'd be on our way.

Eventually there was a Coffee House in the annex and my neighbors and their friends played there. A few of them moved on to Austin and Waco to attend Univ. and became song writers of some note. My neighbors and a friend made an album which got some air play in the '70s.

I can recall vividly seeing the new Bob Dylan album
("The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", his 2nd) in the hands of a very excited guy running into the foyer on his way to youth group one Sunday night. He was isistant we understood the significance of this new music, and kept shaking the album in front of our young faces, so I made a mental note and it stuck.
Eventually, I was able to go to one of Dylan's concerts in Houston.

Summers, there were flat bed trailers parked in town parks with bands perched atop, and in college too in a lovely north eastern Texas town in the piney woods. A lot of original compositions with that crowd. Plus some stadium concerts with various bands and singers, too many to name, and quite frankly...too many to remember!
Oh, yeah...and there were the folk bands at the annual company picnics since I was a little tyke.

Probably, the first Folk performance I can recall which was in an organized setting was in Junior High.
We were all herded into the auditorium for one of those assemblies, and I was surprized to find that when the curtain went up it was my older teenaged next door neighbors and friends! They were performing on traditional folk instruments, "Little" Ewell's home made upright wash tub bass, an old ceramic moonshine jug, plus some other funky instruments made from garden hoses and funnels and things a la P.D.Q. Bach style. It was a hoot and I waved and blushed and thought it pretty cool to know the band.
It was probably the last time I ever heard the song, "I don't want her, you can have her, she's too fat for me!" sung in public.

Btw, that homemade upright washtub bass I keep mentioning can be seen at: www.tubotonia.com on the Wash Tub Bass page, scroll way down to wash tub bass registry picture #17 "...The Ear-Wringers". (see family with red shirts) Those were my musical next door neighbors I keep fondly mentioning as well!

My first time was a Pete Seeger concert in 1965 at the high school in Beacon, NY where Pete lives and near my home. The previous year a relative who was a surveyor told me he had been working on the property of a guy named Seeger who played banjo and sang on his porch. I had been listening to PP&M and other revival stuff that got played on the radio but had never heard of Pete. A few months later I was in a record store in NYC and happened to see this Seeger fellow on the cover of the "We Shall Overcome" album. The album literally changed my life and I began buying every folk album I could find (or afford).

The opportunity to see Pete in concert in his home town was one I'll never forget. He was there in a blue work shirt , sleeves rolled up with a skinny Rooster tie. As a teenager, I thought he looked pretty old then and I remember thinking I was glad I got to see him before his career was over! Ha! Little did I know that 40 years later I'd still see Pete in an occasional live performance.

Pete's inspiration took me on to some involvement in civil rights and the anti-war movement, as well as sporadic efforts at banjo playing. I've been to a lot of Pete Seeger and other folk concerts since then but that first concert had all the magic - making the connection back to the Weavers , Woody, and their antecedents, singing along to "This Land is Your Land", and at the end, standing with the crowd to sing "We Shall Overcome".

When I was in fifth grade in Grand Junction, Colorado, I had a teacher named Marilyn Wilson who was quite a competent folksinger/guitarist. She was quite young--possibly even in her first year as a teacher--and she taught us Green Green by the New Christie Minstrels, Greenback Dollar, and other songs by Joan Baez the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul & Mary and the Limelighters.

I had started playing guitar a couple of years earlier and was able to learn a lot from her. This was the school year of the Beatles invasion and she allowed us to debate the relative merits of Brit pop, folk and tin-pan alley songs.

In the forty years since, I've been lucky enough to hear, and even play with, some great musicians but have always felt that my life-long love affair with acoustic music could be traced directly back to fifth grade in the Rockies. Thanks, Mrs. Wilson!

We learned about Folk Music in school, I remember listening to Burl Ives singing the Foggy Foggy Dew on my teacher's record. I'm old enough to remember Hootnanny on Saturday nights, and seeing people like Ian and Sylvia, The Limelighters, the Brothers Four, the ORIGINAL Kingston Trio.

I think my first LIVE performance was Gordon Lightfoot, right after If You Could Read My Mind (which is actually NOT one of his better songs!) hit. The sound was awful, so he invited everyone in the rather sparsely populated War Memorial to 'come down front'.

My 1st was the 1st Maraposa Folk Fest in Orillia Ont ( not in Maraposa as your link says). My wife (girlfriend then) and I snuck in with the help of a friend. The headliner that night was Ian and Sylvia. I think Doug Kershaw , the Rajun Cajun was there too. It was also the 1st time I ever ate pizza. I believe the year was 1961.
Orillia, is also Gord Lightfoots home town as it is mine.

1969 Live at a massive Detroit arena - 2 guys - no band - filled the place with sound - one acoustic guitar 2 voices - enraptured audience of believers - those 2 guys were Paul and Art - the audience was huge but you would never know they were there as they performed.

The first time I saw Peter, Paul & Mary I was equally impressed at their ability to capture and maintain the audience attention. It's hard work folks - it takes attetion to detail & real effort and training to command and hold the attention of even an appreciative audience. They don't mind hearing and seeing the same punch lines and meaning-filled lyrics over and over as long as they are delivered with sincerity.

I watched a guy peform the most amazing solo guitar instrumental I've ever witnessed - the people next to me talked all the way thru it - when he was done they asked "does this guy ever sing?"........

Keep workin' those 4 chords folks - and never give up workin' on message - work the presentation and I will surely become your fan.

Captain Matt - folksailor at large

My first folk show was a coffeehouse in the public library basement in Essex, Md. They had a number of people who were damn fine muscians. At the time, I was learning to play guitar and was just getting into acoustic music. There was one guy, whose name I forget, who played "Legend of the USS Titanic" by Jamie Brockett. Later in his set , he pulled out a 6 string Dulcimer ( made by Diamond Dulcimers). When played that dulcimer I was hooked!
Took me 3 years to find one. I've been playing acoutis music ever since.

In 1961, when I was 8 years old, I went to a progressive Jewish summer camp near Kingston, New York, where Pete Seeger played one night -- I still remember he sang "Wimoweh" with all the words, and of course he sang "We Shall Overcome" and all of us -- black, brown and white -- linked arms and swayed and sang our hearts out. We all believed that the music we poured out into the world would change the world. And in many ways, it did.

Grew up just outside of New York City, my high school years were in the 1960's. Was real confused in that time of civil rights and Viet Nam but enjoyed the Beatles, Joan Baez, and Clancy Brothers all at the same time. As if the politics of the day weren’t confusing enough. My first concert was, get ready for this, I won front row seats (2) in the Westchester County municipal auditorium, for Bob Dylan. The first half of the concert was acoustic and the second he marched out with “The Band” and was almost booed off the stage.

After 2 tours in SEA I saw the need for balance between what the idealist of the folk world would like to have and the reality of the real world. The dichotomy to this day keeps me thinking back to when the folk purists didn’t want Mr. Zimmerman to be electric and Bob himself seeing change, just like that day on stage from acoustic to electric. What a first concert for sure.

My first true folk experience was quite memorable. One night in 1973 at the "Upper Town Pub" in Old Upper Town , Astoria, Oregon. I had been there for a few hours consuming too many cold ones and playing pool and thinking it was time to head home. Outside a bus pulled up to the curb and people began carrying equipment in and setting up so I thought perhaps I would stick around some. Well to my astonishment and total enjoyment the band was quite good, putting on a very good show. After a time I had to find out the name of the band so I stepped outside and on the side of their bus was written in big bold letters "THE HOLY MODUL ROUNDERS". I had never heard of them but have allways considered that night in that old tavern as one of the best musical experiences of all. There can be no better evening than a great band in such a small venue with plenty of cold beer and everyone having a great time.

"My first time folk experience" that truely stands out in my mind was dancing in circles as a child to my Uncle and Aunt's band. I have been raised with folk music, to this day it is something that brings me great joy and peace. It reminds me of many happy childhood memeories, and still gives me goosebumps.

I grew up in the industrial North West of England and when I was 16 (thats 41 years ago) and a friend took me to a folk club in city-centre Manchester. I can't remember who the booked artists were, but someone sang Ewan McColl's 'Manchester Rambler' and I was hooked.

I've listened to and enjoyed a great deal of folk music since that day, but English music is still my first love.

It seems that I've known "If I Had a Hammer" and "Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore" all my life, but the first live performance I saw was probably the vice-principal of my high school perform some folk songs during assemblies. I performed in a couple of small local folk music festivals about 1974-1976.

I heard Stringband at a coffee house in 1976, and someone played "Barrett's Privateers" at a house party the same year. I grew up in Halifax, and I was amazed that there was music about my hometown, so I found out who had written the song. Thereafter I went to see Stan Rogers every chance I had, unfortunately, only about 3 or 4 times before he died.

But the best live performance I ever heard was in my kitchen, about 15 years ago. The authentic performance practice orchestra, Tafelmusik, was performing in Calgary. My husband, a classical violinist, had performed with them a few times, and asked one of the violinsts, David Greenberg, to come for supper. After the dishes were cleared, David, who is both an extremely accomplished baroque violinist and traditional fiddler, got out his violin. He played wonderful jigs, reels, and strathspeys. I've never been to a better folk music concert.

Well, I'll claim the earliest "first time folk experience" reported here. I have a very clear memory at around 4 years old. My best friend, a little girl next door, was away and I was feeling kind of lonely. I played a Peter, Paul & Mary album my folks had (I believe it was "Moving On"). It was during the song "Take off your old coat." I was leaning on the window seal, gazing out, and a feeling of sadness...yet sweetness overtook me.

Some 46 years later, that moment still resonates in my memory and I continue to look to music that stirs what is human in all of us. Call it folk or whatever you care too, but Folk Alley offers it up in generous helpings. Thanks!

My first folk experience wasn't live, but listening to my father's Kingston Trio "String along" album around 10-11 yrs. old. Later, he had a hootenany album, too. Yeah, I know what the socially conscious "critics" say about them, but they had a great sound and entertaining songs. I still listen to them today. The music was engaging. We used to watch "Hootenany" until it turned into "Shindig".
My first live folk performance was a talent show at our high school where a Mr. Dennis Kerr, Science teacher, sang "They Call The Wind Maria". I was dazzled by his guitar playing. Folk music is listenable. I can understand all the words and it deals with every subject under the sun, and then some, not just the safe subjects.
My first real full length folk/rock concert was in Manchester, NH 1971 in the armory. Jonathan Edwards opened for ????. Now, he was dazzling, playing guitar while he blew his harp. Amazing.

I met folk music at live house in Hirosaki,Aomori when I was fifteen years old.In Japan,there are some folk musicians influenced by American folk musician.I saw a stage by Masato Tomobe,one of the best folk mucians in Japan.
After that,I got a feeling I can hardly explain.Sounds and lylics of the music got my heart strongly.Since the live set,I kept looking for folkie and pre-war blues sounds.At last,I'm here and I'm writing this message.
I found here very recently, but here is like a base I was looking for.From far east islands,I'm feeling peace of mind.Please keep playing.Here is a happy home.

Lynwood Brown, I think you had, at the young age of four years, what is called the BLUES!
It stirs me to know that someone so very young could appreciate that feeling, cherish it, and move through life cultivating that precious gift of feeding the desire to connect with what makes us human.
And yes, Folk Alley does that for me too...it's a good place to be.

My father, while in his late thirties/earlie forties (30 years ago, tried to learn the guitar (actually did pretty well.) In order to teach himself he picked up the Pete Seeger "Amerian Favorite Ballads" collection, which he played endlessly. His right-wing self was shocked when he learned some of the sordid details of Pete's background. He gave it up but the music stayed with me. He is still right wing and Republican and I have a great deal of enjoyment reminding him that my current liberalness is due to the music he brought in.

UGH! I just looked at that post! I can spell; I just can't type.

"Bad spellers of the world, UNTIE!"

(grin....teasing you, Richard P.)

My very earliest festival memory is of the Fox Hollow Folk Festival (http://churchtree.tripod.com/foxhollow.html) in Petersburgh, NY in 1972. My parents took me - I was only 5 years old but I have SO many memories of that day!

Yeah...people can be so short sighted at times.
When I heard Bob Dylan in Houston he was booed quite loudly for doing his stuff from "Slow Train Coming" as well.
Odd, for someone who is so highly praised for writing "The Times, They Are a'Changin' ", he sure gets booed a lot for just that...change.

I can remember hearing and meeting Bob Gibson back in 1959 in Denver. We later became friends. I sure miss him and Hamilton Camp who are now in that Heavenly Choir.

Union Grove Fiddler's Convention, 1974. Wow, did that ever change my direction! Without that experience, I would no doubt still be in the Sandhills of Carolina, raisin' soybeans and fat li'l babies.

Thank God.

..and they'd probably be genetically altered soybeans at that (not to mention all those
fat little "human beans"...).

My first folk music experience was a Pete Seeger Concert in the community hall of a synagogue in Skokie, Illinois in 1959. There had to be 2000 people there, and when the concert was through, about 100 people just stayed, singing as many of the songs that Pete had sung. He was so impressed, he stayed with those of us who remained and we sang deep into the night. The highpoint of that night for me was to actually get to play his 12 string guitar! Will never forget it! The most unselfish man I have ever met!

I come from Finland, Northern Europe. I guess the first time I remember hearing (American) folk music, must have been around the time the russkies sent up their Sputnik. No connection otherwise. I was into my second year of primary school and it took me a while to understand what exactly I had heard (The Weavers).
I had to grow up a bit before the folk scene really hit me, and this happened sometime in the early sixties.
Local movie theaters used to show these feature length movies, put together of bits and pieces, and I remember seeing this beautiful, slender wraith of a girl, with the voice of an angel. Joan Baez of course.
From around 1964 or so, I became seriously interested in folk music, playing the guitar and singing with friends, etc.
The year 1966 was when folk music really got sort of established here, and as a high school (and later, university) student, I used to play the guitar in a somewhat irregular - but fun! - band.
The sixties was a great decade here in Finland, folkmusicwise!
And of course, this is a genre that, having established itself here, never really went away :)

"George" - Some of my favorite cutting edge stuff comes from Finland! They are on the progressive end of things, Folk-wise, as well as in the arts in general.

Not my first, but the first time my brother heard it (with me), At the Newport Folk festival in the aerly 60's. A thunderstorm stopped the program for a while- bit when it cleared the clouds were racing across the moon, as Judy Collins sang the haunting song "Anathea". It was transfixing- My brother and I will never forget it.
So glad to discover Folk Alley- the music still lives!

greetings and felicitations from over the big pond in England to you guys in the USA.
I often surf the net in search of folk and other music to remove myself from the mind deadening dullness of the electronic fish tank (TV) and found Folk Alley. Reading the comments on First Time Folk brought back many memories, many many years ago when I was Just a lad my musical tastes were limited to the popular music of the day, then I joined a mountaineering club, remember that this was in the early 1950s,and found myself associating with people who had a university education, had served as officers in WW2, and had travelled the world. Result, a cultural and musical explosion. On a more mercenary note( if you will pardon the pun) my main climbing partner was a talented musician and singer and apart from the first pint of beer we rarely had to buy a second or indeed third,or fourth etc.Aswell as the usual rather rude climbing songs his repertoire included American and traditional english,scottish and irish songs. I also learned to appreciate trad jazz, some modern jazz and classical music. At one time at the height of the Skiffle revival we had a small group with me on washboard and drums, great fun for us but I suspect not as much for the listeners. As you see from the fact that I am still tuning in to folk programmes it stayed with me. If you fancy extending your listening to UK stuff tryBBCradio2/folk and follow the links they are many and varied, ranging from Mike Harding to traditional Irish and even piping with Radio Scotland Pipeline.

Thanks for the comment JL (March 21)! I'm glad you took the time to post & would really like to hear what it is you like re "Finnish cutting edge stuff". As it is, I'm pretty much into American trad. and the sixties boom of course.

My first introduction to folk music was in chemistry class at Chapel Hill Sr. High School in NC. My teacher , Dr. Bill Futrell [we called him Opie because he looked like Ron Howard in that role], played the guitar and he brought it to class to make the subject more interesting. He lectured using the talking blues format to get his points across with lots of humor and he wasn't averse to jumping up on the lab tables to keep our attention. Dr. Futrell also was the founder of the school's folk music club and is the reason I took up the guitar. Great memories.

The first real folk concert I attended was to see Tom Rush at the Cellar Door in Georgetown, MD. in 1969 after moving to the DC area immediately after high school. Tom is still performing and I saw him last year in Blacksburg, VA.

T. Rush was my earliest influence. I learned more advanced guitar from his old albums.

It was at the Allegheny County Fair in South Park =- I guess in the late '60's. As a teenager into country music (before country was 'cool'), I happened upon a concert by George Hamilton IV. I loved his delivery of Lightfoot's 'Early Morning Rain' before I hardly knew who Lightfoot was. He had another hit that I really enjoyed called 'Canadian Pacific'. Lo and behold, that folk-tinged country was the first actual concert I'd attended and . I'd heard and enjoyed PP&M and the Kingston Trio and the New Christy Minstrels, and I saw Pete Seeger on TV, which inspired me to learn to play guitar. Now hundreds of concerts later, I'll never forget that live show at the fair.

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