The Buzz
ON THE BAY
By Ken Abrams
Common Fence Music Fall Concert Series Fans can look forward to a rousing lineup and safety protocols
Jake Blount
Laney Jones
S.G Goodman
10
The Bay • October 2021
Common Fence Music is a Rhode Island treasure. Based in Portsmouth, this arts organization offers high-quality music on the East Bay and Aquidneck Island. Known for attracting top local and national talent to the region, the non-profit is dedicated to presenting concerts and occasional workshops of folk, roots and world music, and other underexposed but culturally relevant styles and performers, and they have a full line-up scheduled this season. Like so many places, CFM had to adapt quickly last year when COVID closed most venues, pivoting to live streaming. “We chose to do live streaming or a simulcast of pre-recorded shows during the pandemic, prior to COVID vaccinations,” explains executive director Dick Lynn. “This was made possible through a grant from Rhode Island State Council on the Arts to cover overhead. It allowed us to keep our audience engaged by bringing nationally and internationally recognized artists to our audience for no charge.” On the heels of the pandemic, CFM collaborated with the Norman Bird Sanctuary this summer for a series of sold-out outdoor shows. Award-winning performers including Sean Rowe, Allissa Amador, and Dom Flemons playing before crowds excited for live music in July and August. Continuing that energy, a busy slate of shows is planned for the 2021-22 season. The fall series kicks off in October with a couple of rising stars in roots music, both of whom played the 2021 Newport Folk Festival. Providence-based banjo extraordinaire Jake Blount takes the Common Fence Point stage on October 16, and Kentucky singer-songwriter S.G. Goodman will be featured on October 30. “Some are new, young faces, which we try to do as part of our series. It is a diverse group of artists that are quite exciting,” notes Lynn about the upcoming shows. Lynn assures patrons that COVID protocols will be in place. “We will provide a safe space when we go indoors by requiring our staff and volunteers to be both vaccinated and masked,” he says. “We’ll have a requirement for the audience of both masks and either proof of vaccination at least two weeks prior to the show or proof of negative COVID test within 72 hours of show time. We feel that these are the minimum to keep our audience and the performers safe.” “We want the music to continue, for artists to get back to performing, and for our audience to see live shows again in a safe space,” says Lynn. “Our mission is to celebrate and preserve diverse folk music traditions by creating community-based opportunities for cultural exchange. We are maintainers of the flame for unique music in the region.” Learn more at CommonFenceMusic.org
