Folknotes 10/16/26

Hello Everyone,

Here’s the QCB news this week.

• Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, October 18, 2026

• Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, October 25, 2026

• Upcoming Area Concerts

• Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)

~

Leo Coffeehouse
5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday
October 18, 2026

5:00 PM: Jam downstairs
Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.

5:15 PM: Guitar Roundtable Workshop led by Mike Helm
This forum is for players of any skill level to exchange ideas so we can all make better music together. Bring a question, share a tip. Learn a new lick or chord. Gain a new perspective, share your own with us. Enrich your guitar experience.

6:00 PM: Sign Up For Open Mic
Priority given to those who are new to performing at a Leo open mic, followed by those who have not performed at our previous two open mics, followed by anyone else who wishes to play, subject to availability of slots.

6:30 PM: All Evening Open Mic

Open mic evenings offer opportunities for both experienced performers and those new to playing in front of an audience. Usually, there is a full sound system. We typically have 15 slots of 8 minutes each (two songs maximum). Acts are typically one to three performers with vocals and instruments.

Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse
5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, October 25, 2026

5:00 PM: Americana/Roots Song Circle led by Dennis Allen

5:00 PM: Jam downstairs
Anyone can bring well known, jam-friendly songs to lead in the circle while others provide backup and harmony.

Performances: 6:40-9:00 PM 

1st Set: Jodi Williams
Jodi is a West Chester-based singer-songwriter who thrives in the quiet, honest space of stripped-down acoustic music. In 2017, she traded her guitar for the ukulele, falling completely in love with the instrument and never looking back. While she spends her days creating as a professional photographer and textile artist, performing has always been her first and truest love.  Jodi is excited to share her music with us and dive into the world of the Balladeers.

2nd Set: Jen Howard
Jen is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, born in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. Although coming from a blue-collar, religious and home schooled upbringing, Jen's music is a mix of Folk, Roots, Reggae and Sophisti-Pop. Her music's central themes include; human nature, love, courageous motivation and intentional compassion for ourselves and others. In 2024, she released "Still", the follow up to her 2019 debut EP "Motion". Jen Howard has performed in 42 states and 6 countries!
More info.

3rd Set: Michael Johnathon
Michael is a banjo and guitar playing, log cabin dwelling, folksinger and poet who created the syndicated, live-audience broadcast of WoodSongs, heard on nearly 500 radio stations. WoodSongs airs on KET, the Kentucky Channel and PBS TV affiliates across America. He also created the new TV series WoodSongs Kids. Both are supported by Kentucky Tourism.

Michael and the WoodSongs fan base collected and distributed over 5,000 music instruments to musicians who lost everything in the tornadoes of western Kentucky, the floods of Appalachia and the storms of Helene. He also organized the national association of "front porch" musicians called SongFarmers.

He is a recipient of the prestigious Milner Award, the highest award given to any artist in Kentucky. Aside from 23 albums and 6 published books, his latest release is a book of POETRY called SEEDS, already nominated as Kentucky Poet Laureate and will be featured at the Kentucky Book Festival this November. More Info.

~

Upcoming Area Concerts

The best place to share information with QCB members about upcoming area concerts is on our QCB Members Group Facebook page.

Jake Speed & The Freddies 25th Anniversary Concert and Album Release to Benefit Cincinnati Public Radio, Sat, November 07, 2026, 8:00 PM, Memorial Hall OTR. More info here.

For more shared area events see the QCB Members Group page.

Ricky Nye & Memorial Hall present the Blues & Boogie Piano Summit 2026, Saturday, November 14, 2026, 8:00 PM, Memorial Hall OTR.
More info here.
And here on Facebook.

That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.

Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse

President’s Letter