Behind the Scenes
This month I’m continuing my series of semi-regular articles focusing on those dedicated individuals who might not make music, but are no less critical in furthering the entertainment scene in our area. These often unsung figures contribute greatly to the local landscape, and typically do so as a labor of pure love. It is a pleasure to be able to support their efforts via Rapid River Magazine!
This month I am thrilled to highlight Don and Louise Baker, whose Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse series has been an enduring part of our local independent and (largely) acoustic music scene.
Nestled in the warm confines of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Edwin Place (just off of Charlotte St.) the series is now in its ninth year. During that time it has presented up and comers, established names and some of the most intimate and engaging performances around.
James Cassara: To my knowledge neither you nor Don came from music backgrounds but feel free to correct me. I’ve gathered you were more on the side of music fan but at some point you obviously felt the urge to move beyond that. So let’s talk about the genesis of the Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse series. Was it in response to a perceived need you saw in the local music scene? There must have been a lot of learning by mistakes.
Don & Louise Baker: Actually Louise was a performer in the local Boston/Cambridge folk scene many years ago and played at church coffee houses. She always had a dream to start one somewhere when the time was right. We perceived that there was a need for an acoustic listening room in Asheville where people could enjoy music without extraneous bar noise.
So back in 2005 we approached some of our local favorites; David LaMotte, Al Petteway and Amy White and Chuck Brodsky. They were willing to help kick off our series.
We started in the small fellowship hall at UUCA and after a standing room only show with Annie Lalley and Joe Ebel we were allowed to move into the more spacious sanctuary. We initially had a hand built stage and pole lamps for lighting and only a few volunteer helpers.
JC: Who were some of your first performers? Were you fortunate enough to host artists just before their careers caught fire? I know that early on you had Chuck Brodsky and he keeps coming back.
D&L: David La Motte was the first in Sept, 2005 and early on we had Al and Amy, Chuck Brodsky, Chris Rosser, Annie and Joe, Pierce Pettis and Michael Reno Harrell.
JC: How do you determine who to get? I’ve gathered the shows have a great reputation in that artists want to play them, and often seek you out. But do you ever invite an unknown based solely on recommendation or availability? Is there anyone you’ve wanted to get but things haven’t yet worked out?
D&L: We get several emails a week from musicians around the country and even Canada and Europe. Many of them have heard about our series from other performers who have enjoyed playing for us. By having only one show a month we have to be choosy about whom we select. We like to book performers that we have had the opportunity to see and hear in person and who have stage presence along with top notch musical ability.
We have also met and booked performers visiting The Swannanoa Gathering, SERFA, New Bedford Folk Festival in Massachusetts, the South Florida Folk Festival and Folks Fest in Lyons, Colorado.
We have tried to engage David Holt, Ellis Paul and Jim Lauderdale but due to tight schedules we have not been successful in placing them in our line up yet.
JC: Hopefully some day! Talk a bit about the role the Unitarian Universalist Congregation plays in all this. You depend a lot on volunteers, and I want to give a special shout out to Charlie Van Buskirk.
D&L: We have been fortunate to partner with UUCA in using the space and we have a small group of dedicated volunteers both from UUCA and just from our local circle of friends. We hope to see better attendance from UUCA members in the future. We get great support from the staff and the sexton there. Charlie has been invaluable to our series by running the sound and offering the use of his equipment too.
JC: How about the audience? Is it a fairly steady set of regulars, or does it vary from show to show? I would think trying to match the performers to your clientele would be quite the juggling act. Suppose there’s an act you really want to bring on board but they might not mesh well with the typical Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse regular. Is there a formula for figuring these things out or is it more gut instinct?
D&L: We do have a large mailing list which brings in our core of regular attendees. They will often come just based on our recommendation. Occasionally we host a Celtic show and that usually brings us a different crowd from those that like singer songwriters, but it’s always a large crowd attending the Celtic shows which is great too.
We are also grateful to local publications like this one that help provide exposure for our artists. As we are entirely volunteer based and non-profit, we have no budget to promote our shows. We rely on our mailing list, Facebook and posters.
JC: Okay, now I am going to put you on the spot. Could you name your favorite five or six shows? That’s not intended to slight anyone but I’m curious who really blew you away; either someone you were relatively unfamiliar with or someone who ended up being even better then you’d hoped.
D&L: Wow that is tough to answer but here goes: Al Petteway and Amy White, Brother Sun, John Mc Cutcheon, Chuck Brodsky, Pat Donohue ( NPR-Prairie Home Companion) Robin Bullock and The Kennedys.
JC: I’ll second The Kennedys. I had several of their albums but seeing them on stage took it to a whole different level. I also loved the two Ronny Cox Trio shows you’ve hosted.
D&L: Thanks!
JC: How far ahead are the shows booked? And how about a plug for those that are upcoming?
D&L: We book out about a year ahead. Upcoming shows include: Brooks Williams, May 18; Neptune’s Car and Flagship Romance, June 8; Pat Donohue on August 3; and Robin Bullock, September 14. We will close out 2014 with the amazing John Gorka on December 7.
JC: Any closing thoughts?
D&L: We need people to come out to the shows and consider volunteering to keep our series going. There are many venues in Asheville that showcase music, but we like to think ours is a treasure of talent in a cozy, quiet atmosphere, easy to park, great desserts and a nice place to make new friends.
JC: Obviously I couldn’t agree more, and thanks for your comments and support of local music!
For a complete listing of events for the Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse, go to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville website, www.uuasheville.org, and click on the “Our Programs” tab.
Mountain Spirit Coffeehouse, 1 Edwin Place, downtown Asheville. Call (828) 254-6001 for more details.