Starting about the time of the last Summer Song Festival and continuing for 15 years, the SF Folk Club presented free concerts at the main branch of the SF Public Library. Sandy Darlington coordinated the first set of concerts, then Ed Silberman (and possibly others), and then Faye Cuthbertson coordinated the series for many years.
The following was obtained from old issues of the Folknik. I looked at Folkniks through Jan 1990, and found no further mentions of the library concerts beyond 1988. These listings are likely incomplete.
Folknik May-June 1975
Free Concerts at the SF Public Library
The Folk Music Club is sponsoring four free concerts in the Lourie Room, Ground Floor, Main Library, Civic Center. alternate Thurs. eves. from 6:30 to 8:45.
(These may continue depending on how it goes.)
Sandy Darlington is doing the coordinating and did the first concert May 1.
Others scheduled are
Faith and friends May 15;
Mike Heinz May 29;
and the Frisco Fire Band, June 12. (Their last Bay Area appearance before the grand, triumphal European Tour!)
Folknik Sept-Oct 1975
Sept. 4: JANE VOSS
accompanied by Linda Keen, Valerie Mindel.
Folknik Nov-Dec 1975
now on Sundays 3pm-5pm
Nov 9 Brian Rosenew, Larry Fitzparick
Nov 23 Fay Cuthbertson’s Band
Dec 7 Eric Park & Biggs Tiner
Dec 21 Carol singing with the SFFMC
Folknik Jan-Feb 1976
Jan 18 Heather Wood, Liz Browser
Feb 1 Sunny Goodiar & Katy Jako; Tom Hobson
Feb 15 Nancy Schimmel
Feb 29 Ann Leist, John Gallagher, Hudie Silberman
Folknik Mar-Apr 1976
Mar 14 Sharon Devlin, Sean Folsom, and Rince Mohr
Mar 28 Antonio Gabriel & friends
Folknik May-June 1976
S.F. Library Folk Music Series
(Meeting on Sunday afternoons in the Lurie Room, Main Library):
May 9: Fay Cuthbertson’s Band
May 23 : Sharon Devlin and Sean Fo1som
June 6: Cecil Williams
June 20: Tom Hunter
Folknik July-Aug 1976
now on Thursdays 7pm-9pm
July 8 Ed Bronstein
July 22 David Mangles & Nathan Cramer
Aug 5 Fay Cuthbertson & pals
Aug 19 Strings of Hearts, LaWanda, Victoria, & Miriam
Folknik Sept-Oct 1976
Sept 2 Concert: Tan Kuntz & Barbara Fraser
Sept 16 Mother Pluckers
Sept 30 Linda Hershaw & Eric Park
Oct 14 Paul Foster & Antonio Gabriel
Folknik Nov-Dec 1976
Sat Nov 20 (Portrero branch) Valentine Doyle
Nov 22 Sea Shanties & Ballads, quartet
Nov 24 Joan Hines
Dec 9 Liz Browder & friends
Folknik Jan-Feb 1976
Jan 20 Mother Pluckers
Feb 3 Julie Bidou
Feb 17 Carlos (sic) & Mary
Folknik Mar-Apr 1976
Mar 10 Linda Hirschhorn & the Soft Connection
Mar 24 Salt of the Earth
Apr 14 Ed Bronstein
Folknik May-June 1976
May 12 Tom Koontz & Barbara Fraser
May 26 Catherine Ralston, Antonio Gabriel, Nathan Craver
June 9 Paul Foster
July 14 Mother Pluckers (Fay Cuthbertson, Laveda Downey, Loretta Norton, Liz Browder, Terrie Petrig)
Folknik July-Aug 1977
July 28 Folk Club Friends
Aug 11 Steve Nearny & Greg Brawley
Folknik Sept-Oct 1977
Sept 8 Greg & Bethany Pratt
Sept 22 Art Peterson & friends
Oct 13 Denise Burgess & Nina Feldman
Oct 22 Friends of folk music club
Folknik Nov-Dec 1977
Nov 10 Mother Pluckers
Dec 7 Paul Foster (Ortega library)
Dec 8 Julie Bidou, Brian Townley
Folknik Jan-Feb 1978
Jan 12 Van Rozay
Jan 26 Alan Ehrlich
Feb 23 Nina & Scott Gerber
Folknik Mar-Apr 1978
Mar 9 Steve Scott
Apr 13 Faith Petric
Apr 27 Peter Kessler
Folknik May-June 1978
May 11 Barbara Frazier & Children
May 25 Mother Pluckers
June 8 Linda Hirschhorn/James Byfield
June 22 Nathan Craver
Folknik July-Aug 1978
July 3 Larry Lyon & BG
July 27 Steve Nearny/Greg Brawley
Aug 10 Barry Smiler & Friends
Aug 24 Folk Music Friends
Folknik Nov-Dec 1978
Nov 9 Mother Pluckers
Nov 30 Helen Kivnick, Gary Gardner & friends
Dec 28 Art Peterson & friends
Folknik Jan-Feb 1979
Jan 11 Small Wonder Stringband (Greg & Jere Canote)
Jan 25 Gail Fratar & Carlo Calabi
Feb 8 Faith
Feb 22 Nathan Craver
Folknik Mar-Apr 1979
Mar 8 Dick Holdsotck
Apr 12 SFFMC concert
Apr 26 Mike Gotter
Folknik May-June 1979
May 10 Peter Kessler
May 24 Gail Fratar & Carlo Calabi
June 14 Mother Pluckers
June 28 Yakin
Folknik Sept-Oct 1979
Sept 13 Folk Concert
Sept 27 Folk Concert
Oct 11 Folk Concert
Nov 8 Folk Concert
Folknik Nov-Dec 1979
Nov 8 Folk Concert
Folknik Jan-Feb 1980
Jan 10 Carol Denny & friends
Jan 24 Nathan Craver & friends
Feb 14 Bob & Dixie
Feb 28 Life of Reilly Band
Folknik May-June 1980
May 8 Greg Pratt
May 22 Mother Pluckers
June 12 Concert
June 26 Concert
Folknik July-Aug 1980
July 10 Nathan Craver
July 24 Clem Small n frenz
Aug 14 Catherine Ralston
Aug 28 Steve Sedberry
Folknik Sept-Oct 1980
Sept 11 Susan Rothbaum & friends
Sept 25 Lynn Lloyd
Oct 9 Mother Pluckers
Oct 23 Wolfe Katz & All the Music You can Stand
Folknik Nov-Dec 1980
Nov 13 Sue Barrera+Jan Seifert
Dec 11 Randy Wilson
Folknik Jan-Feb 1981
Jan 22 Steve Sedberry
Feb 12 Helen & Gary Lapow
Feb 26 Eric Park
Folknik Mar-Apr 1981
Mar 12 Randy Wilson
Mar 26 Lynn Lloyd
Apr 9 Marguerite & Sylvia
Apr 23 Swingaderos
Folknik May-June 1981
May 14 Faith Petric
Folknik Sept-Oct 1981
Sept 1 Sue Hunt & Chris Leuteman
Sept 24 Helen Kivnick & Gary Gardner
Folknik Jan-Feb 1982
Jan 14 Sue Hunt & Chris Leuteman
Jan 28 Julie Searles & Matthew Allen
Feb 11 Isles of Prydain
Folknik May-June 1982
May 13 Clem Small & Friends
May 27 Mugs Muggles
June 10 Library concert
June 24 Library concert
Folknik July-Aug 1982
July 8 Mary O’Sullivan
July 22 Johnny Newcomb & friends
Aug 12 Jan Seifert & friends
Sept 9 Ed Silberman
Folknik Sept-Oct 1982
Sept 23 Barbara Norbert
Oct 14 Library concert
Oct 28 Todd Silverstein
Folknik Jan-Feb 1983
Jan 27 Peter Kessler & Gail Frater
Feb 10 ABC String Band
Feb 24 Ceil Tarman & Maureen Brennan
Folknik Mar-Apr 1983
Mar 10 Barb Woodward & friends
Mar 24 Out of the Rain
Folknik July-Aug 1983
July 14 Sylvia Herold
July 28 Debbie Marx
Aug 11 Wendy & Nancy Robertson
Aug 25 BLT, women’s country band
Folknik Sept-Oct 1983
Sept 8 Nathan Sills
Sept 22 Ed Silberson (sic) – probably Silberman…
Oct 13 Joel Stafford/Gone City Band
Oct 27 Toni Gross
Folknik Mar-Apr 1984
Mar 8 Piper Heisig & Co
Mar 22 Mugs Muggles
Apr 12 Catherine Ralston
Apr 26 Sharyn Dimmick & Co
Folknik May-June 1984
May 10 Maureen & Ciel
Folknik July-Aug 1984
July 12 Susan & Jeremy Rothman
July 26 Nina Feldman & firends
Folknik Jan-Feb 1985
Jan 24 John McCormick
Feb 14 Mike Stadler & Marguerite Millard
Feb 28 Helen Kivnik & Gary Gardner
Folknik Mar-Apr 1985
Mar 14 Pam & Clem Small
Mar 28 Gail Fratar
Apr 11 Library concert
Apr 25 Mary Cooper & friends
Folknik Sept-Oct 1985
Sept 12 April Masten
Sept 26 Mark Schack
Oct 10 Alan Perlman
Oct 24 Sharyn Dimmick
Folknik Jan-Feb 1986
Jan 23 Peter Krug
Feb 13 Rick Fisel
Feb 27 Faith Petric
Folknik Mar-Apr 1986
Mar 13 Mari Cooper
Mar 27 Jan Seifert
Apr 10 Peter Kessler & Gail Frater
Apr 24 Alan Pearlman (sic)
Folknik May-June 1986
May 8 SFFMC people
May 22 Barbara & Norburt
June 12 April Masten
June 26 Clem Small
Folknik July-Aug 1986
June 10 Ed Lynch
June 24 Kathleen O’Connell
Folknik Nov-Dec 1986
Nov 13 Summer Raven
Dec 11 SFFMC sings carols
Folknik Jan-Feb 1986
Jan 22 Ed Lynch
Feb 26 Erika Aschmann
Folknik Mar-Apr 1986
Mar 12 Art Peterson
Mar 26 Diane & friends
Apr 9 SFFMC
Apr 23 SFFMC
Folknik June-July 1987
For well over ten years (we’re not sure exactly when we started, but
there are listings back in 1976), the San Francisco Folk Music Club
has provided musicians for free concerts in the Lurie Room of the
central San Francisco Public Library, McAllister and Larkin Streets
(Civic Center).
Entertainers and dates (second and fourth Thursdays of each month) are
faithfully listed in the folknik schedule on page 10 and every now and
then someone asks vaguely … Library Concerts? What’s that? Well, its
part of the Club’s public service program. Over the years various
volunteers have coordinated the concerts, starting with Ed Silberman, J
think, and for five years or more Faye Cuthbertson has carried on the
job. Some fo!k whom Faye calls to see if they· want to perform get the
idea she works for the library and this is part of her job. No, Faye does
not work for the library, she does this as an SFFMC volunteer.
Musicians wanting/willing to play can reach Faye at <phone numbers>. The
audience is composed of the entertainer’s friends, fans, family, and
library patrons wandering by. A small honorarium is paid by the Friends
of the Library who also provide flyers and list the concerts in the
library’s calendar of mon1hJy events. Concerts start at 7:00p.m. and end
when the Library closing bell rings at 8:45.
So, now we all know what Library Concerts are and will rush to the
phone, call Faye and volunteer to play. Thank you very much.
Folknik Jan-Feb 1988
Jan 28 Nathan Craver
Feb 11 Mike Harmon
Feb 25 Faith Petric
Folknik Mar-Apr 1988
Apr 14 Jeff Wilkinson
Folknik May-June 1988
Library Concerts in Jeopardy
Many thanks to Fay Cuthbertson who has been in charge of the folk
music concerts each month at the Main Library in San Francisco for
the fine job she has done! Because of the money shortage in the city
budget, the library may be closed in the evening. Those people who
have been involved with the series, as well as those who would like to
be, should send postcards to City Hall requesting that the library stay
open at night. If it does remain open, someone will be needed to
continue the folk music program. Anyone interested?