President’s Letter
Folknotes 5/6/26
Hello Everyone,
As usual, we have three great musical acts lined up to perform for us at Leo Coffeehouse this Sunday. If you can, join us. You’ll be happy you did.
Here's what's going on:
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, May 10, 2026
Looking Ahead: Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, May 17, 2026
Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, May 10, 2026
5:00 PM Songwriters Collaborative
Share your songs with other songwriters for encouragement and friendly critiques.
5:00 PM: Song Circle/Jam-Downstairs
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
Performances 6:40 - 9:00 PM:
1st Set: Alana and Neil
Singer-songwriters Alana Johnson and Neil Harrell, will perform some of their favorite originals and covers. Blending their individual styles: eclectic and fun, edgy and comfy. No matter what, we are going to have fun.
2nd Set: Roger Nunlist
A solo acoustic guitarist and vocalist who performs classic rock songs from the Eagles, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Neil Young and many more.
3rd Set: Oxford Folk Jazz
Oxford Folk Jazz quintet performs an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, American standards and musical selections from around the world. OFJ is composed of Zach Davis, Jim Dynes, Frank Fitch, Fred Hautau and Lara Thurston.
Find them on Facebook.
Looking Ahead:
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, May 17, 2026
5:00 PM Motown Singalong/jam led by Robin Roland
5:00 PM Song Circle/Jam-Downstairs
Anyone can bring songs to lead while others provide backup and harmony.
5:15 PM: Guitar Roundtable Workshop Mike Helm leads this forum 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.
Performances 6:40 - 9:00 PM:
1st Set: John Fonner
You can often find John as Emcee for the Leo Coffeehouse but tonight he’s on the bill performing on tenor guitar with bassist, John Gardik. The music will include several original songs, and an eclectic mix of old country classics, mid-century gospel and odds and ends. Remember: if folks like it, it’s folk music.
2nd Set: W. Montys
A folksy acoustic get up in greater Cincinnati comprised of W. Brian Ferry, Denny Davis, Graham Hentschel, & BJ Johnson on guitar and harmonica, fiddle, tenor guitar, and mandolin respectively. They've played together for well over a decade as opportunities present themselves from barns to front porches, the Southgate House to Birdie's Coffee.
3rd Set: Mike Oberst
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, old-time musician, and songwriter best known as a co-founder of the Cincinnati, Ohio old-time group, The Tillers.
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
It’s that time of year again. The start of a new Leo season. Annual QCB membership dues continue to be $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Membership gets you into every Leo Coffeehouseperformance for a year. Where else can you get that kind of musical entertainment and camaraderie for that amount of money?
It really helps us out if you pay through the QCB website.
The easiest way to pay your dues for the 2025/26 season is via PayPal right here.
If you prefer to pay by check, click on the link above and print the membership form. Then mail the form and your check to Treasurer: John Mann, 6514 Meis Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45224.
To donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or here on our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.
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Reference Information/Links
Facebook:
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
We are keeping our standard annual QCB membership dues at $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Last year, knowing that the pandemic cut into our contingency funds, as we continued to pay overhead expenses with no income, some members donated larger amounts to QCB. We very much appreciate the support of all QCB members at all levels.
We are exploring setting up our website to allow the payment of different levels of dues support. For now, if you’d like to pay the standard dues, you can pay them online here or by a check at Leo. (We’ve discontinued our P.O. Box, I will have a mailing address in the next newsletter for those who wish to mail their membership dues.)
If you would like to donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or through our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.