GET OUT & GO: Loud As Folk Monthly Music Series
By Ashley Owen click here for original article
If “loud as folk” is an oxymoron, then Reno’s monthly musical revue of the same name is turning up the volume to redefine folk music and enrich the biggest little music scene. From its humble beginnings in 2011 at the hands of mastermind and musician Spike McGuire, Loud As Folk has evolved into its current form as a monthly showcase of local and touring songwriters with performances in Reno and the West Coast.
Loud As Folk’s hometown shows, held at Pignic Pub & Patio on the first Thursday of each month, typically feature five performers that hail from places close to, and far from, home. The May 2 show features two internationally touring bands, Forest Pooky of France and Yotam Ben Horin of Israel.
“Loud As Folk is a showcase for songwriters with an edge, a little more grit and gravel than some of the other shows you come across,” said McGuire, a Reno native and longtime musician currently in the band Six Mile Station. “Bringing musicians from similar genres together, it’s a win-win for all the artists involved to cross-pollinate the crowd. And it’s great to see the way the collaborations evolve.”
After Loud As Folk’s original venue, The Alley, closed last year, McGuire and the Loud As Folk family decided to take the revue on tour while trying to find a new home. Pignic Pub & Patio, which opened last fall, offered ample space and an ideal location near the river.
“The inside is very rustic, very Americana; a great vibe for a folk showcase,” McGuire said. “Out back they’ve got a huge patio that looks over Reno, perfect for the summer.”
Loud As Folk has always been free with a $5 suggested donation, which goes to different nonprofits or projects that need community support each month. McGuire also scheduled the event to align with Reno’s First Thursdays, which take place in Pignic’s neighborhood. May is especially exciting because of a new partnership between Loud As Folk and Reno’s Midtown Art Walk. In celebration of the seventh anniversary of the Midtown Art Walk, Loud As Folk musicians will be busking along the walk from 5 to 8 p.m., followed by the official Loud As Folk show at 8 p.m. All funds raised will be donated to St. Mary’s Art Center. McGuire hopes to organize a musical presence at every Art Walk event this summer.
“It’s definitely about the songs and the songwriters, but it’s also about the community and building the scene,” McGuire said, “having a fun place where everyone can get together and catch up.”