Photo:  Bob Dylan at Caffe Lena, 1961. Photo by Joe Alper.

Greetings - Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I'm going to risk a bold claim: this prize constitutes a validation of the kind of music we enjoy at Caffe Lena every weekend. This may not be the big money corner of the music world, but our guy got the Nobel Prize. He won for creating "new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." His way of capturing the complex human story as it unfolds has directly inspired virtually every songwriter who has joined Lena's roster since the mid-60s. While we don't like to over-emphasize the two Dylan weekends in the long and wonderful story of Caffe Lena, it is certainly true that his legacy has underpinned five decades of our history. Those who have been inspired by his example want to sing their songs into the same room where he sang as a young, emerging artist. This is the only little folk club remaining from that remarkable era. At the risk of crowing rather loudly, I am pretty sure that there is no other venue in the world that more deserves to be considered the carrier of his legacy than Caffe Lena. (And I can't resist adding one more bit: I'm reading in the papers that he hasn't answered the calls of Nobel committee. He hasn't answered my calls either. Now I don't feel so bad.)

About this weekend:  we start on Thursday with the spectacular Irish guitarist and singer John Doyle, accompanied by leading Celtic fiddler Colin Farrell. Earle Hitchener of the Wall Street Journal said of John, "His chops, always assured and adroit, have now entered a rarefied zone of inspired, instinctive, in-the-moment creativity that made me gasp in awe and for breath. In my Wall Street Journal article on him this past March, I described John as one of the world’s best acoustic guitarists. I now think that may be an understatement." On St. Patrick's Day back in 2009, John and his then fiddle partner Liz Carroll played for President Obama. Given that we're in the midst of a political season, I share a clip of that occasion with you (music starts at 1:40 for those of you who won't be amused by Nancy Pelosi's intro). 

Friday & Saturday bring us dear friends. Don Armstrong comes on Friday, joined by local luminaries Tony Markellis on bass, Ed Lowman on fiddle, and Teresina Huxtable & Liz Hood on vocal accompaniment and perhaps accordion. We always love Don's beautiful, spirit-lifting songs that have the flavor of old Mexico and the southwest. And on Saturday it's the enduring Aztec Two-Step celebrating their 45th Anniversary with their rich, nostalgic pop songs which filled the FM stations when all you 50-somethings were in college.

Sunday brings us a new favorite, The Lonely Heartstring Band from Boston. These young Berklee grads are instrumentally bluegrassy, and lyrically folk-pop. Beautiful harmonies, lovable personalities, good strong songs--exactly the kind of music that has put folk back on center stage across the country. Here's a sweet one they just released in May.

Construction Update: The new restrooms and lobby have been framed in. All floors are completed and are now on one, fully accessible level throughout the second story. This week we can access our offices again, though they be coated most thickly in dust!