President’s Letter
Folknotes 6/17/26
Hello Everyone,
Here's what's going on:
Online Board Election Is Underway
Songwriter Showcase with Fred Steffen, Thursday, June 18, 2026
Leo Coffeehouse, Open Mic, 5:00 PM-9:00 PM, June 21, 2026
Mike Boerschig’s Outdoor Jam/Potluck, Saturday, June 27, 2026
Headstone Ceremony for Phil Schwartz, Sunday, August 16, 2026
Summer Schedule
Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)
Online Board Election Is Underway
The email with the link for QCB members to vote and comment on the operations of QCB/Leo Coffeehouse online was sent out on June 11, 2026. If you are a paid member for the 2025/26 season and haven’t voted/commented yet, please do so. If you are a paid member and didn’t receive the email, and you would like to vote/comment, please let me know. The ballot system will be open until midnight on June 21.
Songwriter Showcase with Fred Steffen
Thursday, June 18, 2026
From QCB member Lenny Hall:
Past longtime balladeer member Fred Steffen will be one of three songwriters appearing at a songwriter showcase at the Whiskey City’s Liberty Theatre in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Thursday, June 18. Doors open at 7 PM, show starts 8:00 PM. This one is a free show in the intimate, historic theater.
Find more information here.
Leo Coffeehouse Open Mic
5:00 PM-9:00 PM, June 21, 2026
The open mic is open to performers and listeners alike. See the Summer Schedule below for more information.
Mike Boerschig’s
Outdoor Jam/Potluck
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Get the outdoor jam & potluck info here.
Headstone Ceremony for Phil Schwartz
From Janice Alvarado:
There will be a ceremony for Phil Schwartz's headstone at the Clifton United Jewish Cemetery, 730 Ludlow Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 on Sunday, August 16 at 11:00 AM.
Summer Schedule
We plan to open Leo Coffeehouse at Zion United Church of Christ every Sunday this summer: June, July, and August, from 3:00-9:00 PM on 1st Sundays, and from 5:00-9:00 PM on all other Sundays.
Double check the schedule on the QCB website and the QCB Members Facebook page in case, for some reason, we can’t open. The schedule will always be updated as soon as changes are decided. I will also send out a Folknotes with any changes to the schedule.
Rise Up Singings: June 7, July 5, August 2
On 1st Sundays, the Leo will open early at 3:00 PM for Rise Up Singing.
Song Circles: June 7, 14, 28, July 5, 12, 26, August 2, 9, 23, 30
Except for 3rd Sunday open mics, we will have song circles downstairs and up.
Summer Open Mics: June 21, July 19, August 16
On the 3rd Sundays we will have a song circle and an open mic, very likely with the sound system set up. With all the summer activities, it’s possible we will not have the sound system set up. I’ll let you know if that happens.
The sign up sheet will go out at 6:00 PM and performers will start playing at 6:30 PM.
As normal, upstairs rooms will be available for those who would like to sing in a song circle.
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
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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.