Gerry Laverty  Folksinger / Songwriter
February 16

Influenced by the Great Folk Scare of the 1960's, Gerry Laverty was fortunate to receive early encouragement from fabled Columbia Records producer, John Hammond who described several of his early efforts as "quite moving."  An award winning songwriter, (Mid Atlantic and VOCAL) he has appeared on several compilations such as Richmond Local 641 and The Floating Folk Festival, Volumes 1 & 2.  His first solo release was Zion Crossroads (1999) recorded in his Wolfhound Studio.  His newest release is entitled Songs For The New Dark Ages.

The songs evoke spiritual images, the lone wanderer and rail against social injustice.

For more information in Gerry, visit "www.gerrylaverty.com"

Fran Metzger
March 23rd

When Fran Metzger immerses herself in a ballad, she is in her element.

Her clear, straight soprano is ideal for her interpretations of the traditional songs of the British Isles; and she adds a richness and depth of tone that come from years of classical training.
 

Her passion for timeless tales extends to songs masterfully crafted by contemporary songwriters. A typical performance will include a mix of traditional songs thoughtfully blended with the works of Nanci Griffith, Dar Williams, Woody Guthrie, Lucy Kaplansky, James Keelaghan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Stan Rogers, and Mark Knopfler, to name just a few.
 

While living in Michigan in the 1980s, Fran performed at coffeehouses, house concerts, and art festivals, both solo and with the duo Barbyellen. Since she transplanted to Virginia in 1992, her local performances have included First Night of Williamsburg, the coffeehouse scene, and ten years as a balladeer for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Fran also toured around Virginia with the traditional trio Potpourri with funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Her discography includes vocals on Dave Crossland's Her's to the Ride, as well as her own work-in-progress, Ancient Waters, Timeless Rhymes.

Fran's focus over the last few years has shifted to her three children, ages 3, 5, and 8; but she never strays too far from her music, and she carries the not-so-secret hope that her kids will choose to make some music with her in the future.

Robert Matter
April 20th

ROBERT MATTER has been playing guitar and singing for over forty years. His musical roots are founded in contemporary folk music of the late 50's and early 60's. 

For the past fifteen years he has been performing throughout the state of Virginia and has recently decided to follow his passion of performing on a full time basis. He is ready to broaden his base of performance venues. His performances are sprinkled with a rainbow of different musical selections touched with his own unique style.

Audiences are struck by the intense and moving renditions of songs that they thought they had forgotten. In addition to performing many of his own compositions, he covers songs from artists such as Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, John Denver and Peter, Paul and Mary.

The Glass Brothers
May 25th

The Glass Brothers are a duo from Richmond.

Clips from their self-titled CD are available at CDbaby.com.

To here some of the clips, please visit http://cdbaby.com/cd/glassbrothers

Greg Trafidlo
June 29th

Singer/songwriter Greg Trafidlo has been performing solo and with folk group, Trifokal, since 1989. His music is an eclectic blend of original and traditional favorites, along with tunes by some of today's best songwriters, including Steve Gillette, Kate Long, David Roth, Steve Key, and others. His witty songs have delighted audiences from the U. S. Capitol to Baja California. Greg's first solo CD, Old Dog, New Tracks earned two WAMMIE nominations from the Washington Area Music Association. With Lara Poole and Neil Phillips, he has made 15 recordings as a trio with Lara Poole and Neil Phillips.

For more information on Greg, please visit his website at
http://www.gregtrafidlo.com/home.html