“Musicians share stories as songs and songs as stories at First Friday Storynight”
First Friday Storynight at BLTC
June 7, 2013 – 7-9pm
Better Living Through Coffee
100 Tyler St., Port Townsend, WA 98368
$10 Suggested Donation; no one turned away
Come join the Mythsinger Foundation and host Brian Rohr this Friday, June 7, as we delve into the deep rich connection between song and story, reminding us of the time when a song was a story and a story was a song and the differences between the two were as fine and thin as the strings of the old minstrel’s harp.
“I always think of my songs as short stories.” Says performer Ahmad Baabahar, one of the featured tellers at this months First Friday Storynight at BLTC. “Song and storytelling to me are one and the same art form.”
Also featured during this special event will be popular Port Townsend musician Michael Townsend, who shares that “Some songs are carefully crafted short stories or episodic portraits, while others follow a winding path to a satisfying conclusion. The timeless mysteries of tone and melody bring a special quality to the story experience.”
As is our tradition, we will also host an open mic section, so please bring your own short story to share… only rules are it must obviously be a story and no reading, everything must be shared in the ways of the oral tradition. Because of the musicality of this night, you are encouraged to bring your story songs, as they will be most welcomed!
About the Artists:
A Hoosier by birth, Michael Townsend began playing guitar professionally in the roadhouses and dance halls of Montana. After moving to Seattle and later Port Townsend, he was able to pursue his passion for the music of Africa and Latin America. Michael has worked with Key City Theater’s stage bands, played for Tango dances and concerts with Bertram Levy, rocked the house with wife Vickie in Cuban and Cajun bands and pursued his interest in world music and modern jazz.
Ahmad Baabahar aka “Harlem Ren” was born in New York City and raised internationally, living in Canada, England and Hawaii before turning 16yrs old. He moved to Seattle in 1990’s with his beautiful wife Velda Thomas and then onto Port Townsend in 2007 with his two great kids Kreea Mae and Kavi Ray Baabahar.
Growing up Ahmad was exposed to a wide range of musical influences in his family home. His father was a well known New York musician and singer having his own Doo wop group called “The DellChords” and even having the opportunity to sing back up with the great Nat King Cole when he was only 17 yrs old! With this constant exposure to the musical world, Ahmad was privileged to grow up watching and meeting many legendary musicians and Blues greats, such as Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf among others. Ahmad was also very lucky to be with his dad on the days when he would go play Congas and sing with the great Richie Havens. But it was Ahmad’s mother who give him the love of live music, she made sure Ahmad saw everyone she loved, people like Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and a host of great songwriters and storytellers. Ahmad loves to share his gift of music and story telling which he believes can change men and minds.
Brian Rohr is a storyteller and healing arts practitioner living here in Port Townsend, WA. Having moved from Chicago in 2007 to study with local master Storyteller Daniel Deardorff, he has since shared myth from different cultures to national and international audiences. Locally, Rohr first began hosting a bi-monthly Storynight at the Boiler Room in 2009, before moving it to its present monthly format at Better Living Through Coffee for the past 3 1/2 years. He is an active Board Member of the Mythsinger Foundation and fully believes that the old stories are alive, vital and can inform us on how to live our lives as authentic human beings.
About First Friday Storynight
This monthly event explores the art and ritual of the oral tradition: sharing the old myths, folk tales, and fairy tales along with more modern stories and personal sharings. Showcased will be local and visiting storytellers, musicians and weavers of magic with words. Each month, there are two to three featured tellers, and space for guests in the audience to share a story or two during the open mic sections.
First Friday Storynight is supported by the Port Townsend Arts Commission.
BLTC is a family owned and operated coffee house located in Downtown Port Townsend.