Year: 2013

Day of show suggested contribution: $12
65 or over: $7, under 18: $5, family: $24

Bob Franke’s songs are considered classics, fueled by his deep faith and the real-life lessons taught him by his 30-odd years of playing everywhere from concert halls to street corners. Bob has appeared in concert at coffeehouses, colleges, festivals, bars, streets, homes and churches in 33 states, four Canadian provinces and England. His concerts have appeared in lists of the top five musical events of the year chosen by critics in the Boston and San Francisco Bay areas. In 1990, he was nominated as an Outstanding Folk Act by the Boston Music Awards.

Consider this list: Peter, Paul and Mary; David Wilcox; John McCutcheon; Sally Rogers; Lui Collins; Garnet Rogers; June Tabor. These well-known artists (and many more) all sing and record Bob’s music. Seasoned veterans and novices alike are drawn to the complex, warm-hearted spirituality and captivatingly clear-cut melodies of Franke’s songs.
“It’s his integrity. I always think of Bob as if Emerson and Thoreau had picked up acoustic guitars and gotten into songwriting. There’s touches of Mark Twain and Buddy Holly in there, too.”

– Tom Paxton

Learn more about Bob Franke at http://www.bobfranke.com.

Originally from Saint Louis Missouri, John Schindler was influenced early on by that town’s rhythm and blues and his Oklahoma mother’s singing. This funky start was drastically tempered by a nine-year stint in a Catholic seminary where silence and Gregorian chant were his daily bread. After leaving the brotherhood, and armed only with his vow of poverty, John moved to New England and pursued the path of an itinerant musician, playing in sundry bands and bad barrooms. It was during this time, he realized, that his audience could not understand Latin.

Winner of both the 2003 Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest and the 2006 Rose Garden Coffeehouse Song Contest, John has also been a finalist in many other song contests.
“John Schindler is full of wonderful, insightful songs that will find their way into the repertoire of other folksingers. John’s songs really connect!”

– Dick Pleasants, WUMB

Learn more about John Schindler at http://www.reverbnation.com/johnschindler.