MINSTREL BOOKING

OK. A very good month in September. With the Frank Vignola and Rory Block shows dominating the month, we averaged 108 paid for the regular shows, and 88.3 if we include the Open Stage. Following on the heels of the Uke Fest, and with a relatively large number of first-timers coming from Rory's mailing list, we had to print up a new batch of 2nd-timer cards to keep up with the demand. October should be good too, although with an abbreviated schedule due to two of the 4 Fridays pre-empted by Special Concert and Festival. We were $117 in the black for September, and $1153 in the black for the past 12 months. Those figures reflect the lowered rent detailed in the next paragraph. It's a little unsettling that with such a good attendance in September we only cleared $117, but we'll see how things go.

The next bit of good news is that our August meeting with the President and Minister of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship bore fruit. I got a revised contract from them for 2013/14 with our rent reduced from $319/show to $280/show. This will probably allow us to continue for the next year without an admission price increase. Rent will go back up to $319 starting July 2014. We have committed to running a benefit concert for MUF designed to raise approximately $1000-2000, which will be handled by Special Concerts. We have also committed to recovering the acoustic panels in the room and relocating two of them if possible to a location further from the center of the stage. I will personally cover the cost of recovering the panels. And we will engage in more regular communication between both organizations so as to keep abreast of mutual interest and inform each other of issues that need to be dealt with.

We made another gesture to improve relations with the Fellowship that was very well received by them. On September 13, we had an Open Stage scheduled. MUF informed me that they would be using the Terrace Room to hold a Yom Kippur service that evening. After consultation with Scooter, I made the offer to them that for that night we would move the Minstrel into the Terrace Room for the Open Stage, and leave the Meeting Room available for the Yom Kippur service. I felt that the Terrace Room could easily handle the small show, and that the Meeting Room seemed much more appropriate for the Service. That resulted in profuse thanks from Minister Allison and other attendees of the Service. I plan on doing the same in 2014, moving the Open Stage to October 3, the first Friday, so we can leave them use of the Meeting Room for Yom Kippur which will fall on that date.

A lot of new bookings since last month:

· November 29 (Thanksgiving Friday) A Blast From The Folk Project Past: Four Folk Project acts from the past who have drifted from the fold. J

Jean Farnworth (nee Kanerva) c:1969 Harp, 12-String guitar, voice Trad & contemporary folk

Claire Reynolds c:1972 Swing & Bluegrass

Bill Hall c:1972 Singer-songwriter

Liza DiSavino & AJ Bodnar c:1985 Songwriters, guitar, piano, brass

· January 10: Zoe Mulford opening for Tom Chapin, and then a feature set of her own on May 16. Original & Trad

· January 31: Split Bill with The Loose Canons (comedic acapella group) and Hugh O'Doherty (songwriter with a lot of funny material.

· February 21: Beppe Gambetta flatpicking guitarist to be featured at Fall Festival in October.

· February 28: L'il Rev Performer from the Uke community doing swing and ragtime classics from the 20's & 30's, plus originals in that style.

· April 4: Jack Williams: Songwriter & guitar wizard. With The Levins, (songwriter duet)opening.

· April 11: Bucky Pizzarelli: Swing guitar legend (He called us!) (Open Stage moved to April 18 to fall on Good Friday.)

· May 16: The aforementioned Zoe Mulford in her feature set.

Highlights for October: Buskin & Batteau on the 18th.

Respectfully submitted

Mike Agranoff

Program Chair

The Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series

Morristown, NJ 07960, USA