The Half Moon Cafe, at Clay on Main in Oley, has hosted a multitude of local and regional musicians over the years, and Paula Taylor from Meadowood Music adds her expertise to the pro?duction team this year.
The fall lineup kicks off on Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. (doors open 7:30 p.m.) at Clay on Main in Oley with a.k.a, who have performed a variety of musical styles together, featuring moving vocal duets with a timeless Americana sound.
A.k.a. happens to be fronted by the Half Moon’s founder, Mike Petrauskas, who explains, “My original vision was to create a place to play music, like a 60’s coffee house. I’ve seen the Half Moon grow from a dream into a vibrant local music scene. It added a new dimension of artistic creativity to Clay on Main. I’ll miss running it, but it’s being put into good hands. The Meadowood folks are good friends who will carry on the tradition and keep it moving forward. They will keep it fresh.” Petrauskas was Half Moon’s main coordinator, but stresses that it was a group effort. “Lots of people worked hard to grow the Half Moon. Niki [Miller] and Bill [Oswald] worked at almost every show since 2006. People donated pieces of the sound system, and fixtures. A lot of talented musicians played at the Half Moon and helped promote it.”
Oct. 20 brings Mike & Paula from Meadowood, a duo who have honed their collaborative style over more than 20 years of playing Scottish and Irish ballads, early American tunes, and more. This time, they’ll be joined by their friend Rich Dodson.
The next show, on Nov. 3, brings Dave Fry, a co-founder of Godfrey Daniels and specialist in children’s music. His wry lyrics, spontaneous stage patter, and audience participation entertains people of all ages. Rhythm Road takes the stage on Nov. 17, bringing their enthusiastic delivery of jazz standards and artfully crafted originals. On Dec. 1, Crow Hill’s high energy, engaging bluegrass music will be complemented by tight vocal harmonies. The December 1st show also marks the beginning of a new feature, Dining Room, where a guest musician entertains visitors during the lead-up to the main stage performer. Betsy Manning, on ukulele and vocals, is the first on the Dining Room lineup. Plan to arrive earlier when the Dining Room is happening; doors will open at 7 p.m. to allow guests to enjoy the feature from 7:15 – 7:45 p.m.
In addition to hosting established local musicians, the Half Moon serves as an incubator for emerging musicians and a home for amateurs who love to play together. Their Open Mics are on the first Mondays of each month, from 7-9 p.m., and are a great place for budding artists to get some stage time. This fall, stop by on Nov. 6 and Dec. 4; there will not be an Open Mic on Jan. 1. Contact Vinny Rose with questions <vincentjrose@hotmail.com>.
Ukelele Jams take place on the last Saturday of each month from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. (there is no Uke Jam in December 2017). In addition to ukes, percussion instruments, harmonicas, guitars, mandolins and banjos are also welcome, as well as the most portable of instruments – voices. A suggested donation of $5 will be accepted at the door. Contact Besy Manning with questions, or to be added to a Uke Jam mailing list <betsybird27@hotmail.com>. To RSVP for the uke jam (requested but not required), visit Meetup.com and look up “mainline ukelele group”.
Clay on Main is a non-profit artists’ cooperative, located at 313 Main St in the historic village of Oley. Clay on Main is open to the public on Tuesdays from 10-2 p.m., Wednesdays from 12-9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2 p.m. Gallery exhibits are also open on Sundays from 1-4 p.m., and additional viewing of the gallery can be arranged by appointment.
