DC Bookings

We are frequently asked how to break into the folk music market in the Washington DC metro area. This page is a
work-in-progress to help answer the question.  Steve Key has updated the information as of 2/17/06.   Please email me changes and additions to make this more useful for booking purposes. victor.heyman@verizon.net  

The Washington DC area is a rich market for folk performers if you plan ahead, know where to look, and
generally can be satisfied with attendance in the 40's and 50's. The bigger the venue, the better established
you need to be to gain entrance. Be forearmed.

The Big-League Venues.

The Birchmere (www.birchmere.com/), Alexandria VA

The Birchmere seats about 500, and has music nearly every night. Fewer and fewer acts are folk--500 is a big hall to fill.  It is a listening room with supurb sound. Contact: Michael Jaworek, 703-549-5260 ext 14 fax: 703-549-5280 michael@birchmere.com

The Barns of Wolftrap
(www.wolf-trap.org/barns.html), Vienna VA

Wolf Trap runs the Barns in the winter and the Filene Center in the summer. The Barns seats
about 350, and has concerts three or four nights each week, but closes in the summer. It's a
beautiful venue. The Filene Center seats 8,000.  Contact: gregm@wolftrap.org.  ???

The Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center
www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/

The Millennium Stage holds concerts nightly 6-7PM in the Grand Foyer  of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  No charge to the audience, which usually numbers around 500.  The audience is respectful and quiet, the sound is magnificent, the stage is high and solid, and the gigs pay well.  A wide range of performances are held, with perhaps 20% classifiable as folk. See their website. Booked by Garth Ross <gaross@kennedy-center.org>

Uptown Concerts at St.John's United Methodist Church of Hamilton, 5315 Harford Road, Baltimore MD   

Joyce Sica's major venue in Baltimore holds about 300 listeners and features such acts as Tom Paxton, Turkey Hollow Consort, and Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell.  (www.charm.net/~dirtylin/uptown.html),
Contact: Joyce Sica, JoyceSica@aol.com, 410-922-5210.

The 9:30 Club is also a big-league venue in
Washington DC. http://www.930.com/

The "Coffeehouse" Venues

Vic's Music Corner Concert Series.
(www.victorheyman.com/concert.htm). Rockville MD.

A concert series held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday's of the month. See my Concert page. Contact Scott Moore Mooresp@erols.com  

Institute of Musical Traditions
(www.imtfolk.org), Rockville MD
Contact:   IMTfolk@erols.com. 

IMT is a weekly (Monday) series, September-May, held in the St Mark Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Rd, Rockville MD 20852.
It features a wide-variety of folk and world musical entertainment.   For booking send presskitde CD to

Institute of Musical Traditions
P.O.Box 5930
Takoma Park, MD 20913
Office: 301-754-3611
Email: Office@imtfolk.org

Folk Society of Greater Washington (FSGW) <www.fsgw.org>

The Folklore Society of Greater Washington is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional folk arts in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. FSGW presents over 200 folk events in the area each year, including festivals, concerts, dances and swaps.

Concerts--Monthly programs are free to members, so performers usually get a fixed fee plus a percentage of any non-member admission fees. The monthly programs are usually on the 3rd Saturday of each month from September through May. These concerts have a strong traditional focus and try to present a varied mix of styles and traditions.
Contact the FSGW Program Chair. <program@fsgw.org>

Special concerts are sponsored in rented halls, generally provide sound systems, and have a discount price for members. About one special concert is presented each month. There is no regular time for these concerts, but they are scheduled to avoid conflicts with the fixed monthly programs.
Performers are usually offered a guarantee vs. a percentage of the net income. Contact the FSGW Special Events Chair <special@fsgw.org>

House concerts are held in member's homes, do not provide sound systems, and have a discount price for members. One or two house concerts may be presented each month. They can be scheduled at any time that does not conflict or compete with fixed monthly programs or other special concerts.
Performers are not usually offered a guarantee, but receive the entire door take, less a food allowance for the host. Contact the FSGW Special Events Chair <special@fsgw.org>