by Ruth Smith

The third year of NH Audubon’s Birds and Beans Coffeehouse concert series was launched last week with a sell-out crowd coming to hear Bill Staines. These concerts, offered quarterly at the McLane Center in Concord, have been extremely popular, but for the first time we had a waiting list for ticket sales.
Bill Staines, a longtime favorite of many audience members, did not disappoint. With old favorites like River, Roseville Fair and All God’s Critters, he had everyone singing along. Newer tunes, continuing in his tradition of rich lyrics and storytelling, provided a nice balance and an enjoyable evening.

The next performers in the series, appearing on September 27, will be Lula Wiles, a talented trio of young women playing traditional tunes and originals on guitar, fiddle and upright bass. Since we booked them, they have been invited to perform at the Newport Folk Festival so they are clearly rising stars. [Tickets and information link]
Thanks to ReVision Energy for their support of these two concerts and NH Audubon. (If you are interested in solar energy and work with them, mention that you heard about them through NH Audubon and you’ll get a discount on your system and we’ll get an additional donation as well.)

Photos by Carolyn and Paul Marino.