Paul Geremia is one of the funkiest and most respected bluesmen and ragtime guitarists on the East Coast. With ten solo albums to his credit, Paul’s superb recordings place him firmly among the legends that inspired and influenced him over four decades of performing and touring. Impressive 6- and 12-string guitar and bottleneck slide work, along with outstanding blues harp and unpretentious wit, have made Paul a Godfrey’s favorite. He’s a modern-day master with a soul of long gone bluesmen, and a national treasure, as witnessed by many appearances on Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion.

www.PaulGeremia.org/ -   Listen to sound clips

The spawning ground for new artists! Open Mike features a grab bag of regional talent. During each 3-song/15-minute set, you may hear anything from guitar pickers and budding singer-songwriters to pianists, fiddlers, comedians, poets, and storytellers. Many a notable act started here. Watch history in the making! Sign-up is just before 7:00 p.m.

Old-Time music is the real thing: music the way it is supposed to be, played for the sheer joy of swapping songs and having a good time. Come to our own back porch session and bring your guitar or banjo, fiddle or mando, bones, what have you. Just for the fun of it!

Questions, questions, questions. They disturb. They provoke. They exhilarate. They intimidate. Welcome to Socrates’ Café. Join us for a philosophical dialog in the tradition of Socrates. This is philosophy for everyone; just bring the courage of your convictions and the courage to have your convictions challenged!

www.philosopher.org/

This year we have something very special for the Chanukah season…hot Klezmer at Godfrey’s with Shtreiml! Founded in 2002, Montreal/Philly-based Shtreiml offers a high-octane mix of not-so-traditional Eastern-European Jewish and Turkish music. Led by harmonica innovator Jason Rosenblatt, one of the few people worldwide who can play the diatonic harmonica (a.k.a. blues harp) chromatically, Shtreiml's blues-rock infused set delivers a new look at some centuries old folk music. Joined by Rachel Lemisch (trombone), Thierry Arsenault (drums), Adam Stotland (bass) and Brooklyn-based freak Michael Winograd (clarinet) the group's set has been labeled "explosive" (Halifax Chronicle Herald) and "exhilarating" (Rootsworld). This will be a spectacular show!

www.Shtreiml.com -   Listen to sound clips

Eric Schwartz is the clown prince of romantic singer songwriters. No, that’s not an oxymoron. It’s completely normal for Eric to be 2/3 of the way through one of his beautiful romantic ballads, and next thing you know he’s off on a tangent about his erotic fantasies or a pet peeve or an incident with his cat (not usually in the same song, though). Probably best known for his videos that we can’t mention here (yeah, that one). He’s brilliant, warped, spontaneous, VERY politically incorrect, totally original, and one of the funniest and most intelligent performers you will ever enjoy.

www.EricSchwartz.com/-   Listen to sound clips

Opening for Eric will be Nate Marks, a Godfrey’s open mike performer who impressed us with his unique style and twisted songwriting. We thought he would be perfect to open for Eric.

Scott Ainslie is a master of the traditional blues style and a mesmerizing historian. His performance is matched by a passion for teaching and telling about the blues both as music and as history, making his concerts completely absorbing. His performances include interesting stories and anecdotes about the music that leave his audiences slyly better educated and fully entertained.

www.CattailMusic.com/ -  Listen to sound clips

Godfrey’s is pleased to present storytelling. Join us and the Lehigh Valley Story Telling Guild for this special night. Bring a story to tell.

www.geocities.com/lvstorytellers

Sometimes feel a little down for the Holidays? Well, snap out of it and be a part of the 4th Annual Zen For Primates Bi-Polar (that's North and South!) Holiday Extravaganza. There will be fresh Penguin Soup (thanks to the new No Species Left Uncooked Act) and there's sure to be plenty of Gingerbread and Hot Toddies (if you bring 'em) and Zen will be doing rousing versions of their quirky Christmas repertoire, including "Let It Snow" - "Chestnuts Roasting" - "Jamaican Sleighride" and many more (if the band remembers 'em.) Luckily these songs are all included on their "When It's Christmas Time In Tibet" CD, which the band will have on hand, along with their newly released CD "Mary Ann's Dead Husband Was My Stella Novagratz". And, keeping with tradition.....it's still T. Roth on vocals, Mike Krisukas on guitar and vocals, and there's Jodi Beder on cello. Pete Fluck is on sax and harmonica, and that's Shelagh Maloney on violin.
Zen continues to offer their uniquely quirky unification of jazz/funk, classical and pop. And, it's still called Cabaret Rock by those who like to call things something. Actually, Zen defies any musical categorization but they have been accused of being "Strange and beautiful" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Strange, different, and oddly attractive" by Dirty Linen, and possessing the "Strange/arty album of the month" by Tower Records/Pulse Magazine. How strange!?

www.bummertent.com/Zen.htm  -  Listen to sound clips

Philadelphia’s Sean Hoots, Rob Berliner, and Andrew Gray, collectively known as Hoots and Hellmouth, perform rocking blues and gospel saturated old/new music with solid vocal harmonies and bouncing rhythmic accompaniment. Fans of Frog Holler will be familiar with their music. They are all over WXPN, and gaining momentum all over the country. Their new eponymous CD just flat out ROCKS! This is young, fresh, hot music that will have you on your feet and jumping. It’s a party at Godfrey’s.

www.HootsAndHellmouth.com  -  Listen to sound clips

Opening will be another Philly favorite, Birdie Busch.

www.BirdieBusch.com/  -  Listen to sound clips

The spawning ground for new artists! Open Mike features a grab bag of regional talent. During each 3-song/15-minute set, you may hear anything from guitar pickers and budding singer-songwriters to pianists, fiddlers, comedians, poets, and storytellers. Many a notable act started here. Watch history in the making! Sign-up is just before 7:00 p.m.

Swing is back - big! This is the night: Western swing, big band Dixieland, and more. Bring sheet music. All instruments welcome.

A low-volume get-together for swapping songs and riffs with other blues players. Hosted by Tavern Tan featuring Doug Ashby, Tom Axcel, Andrew Brubaker, and Dave Joachim.

&

Joey Mutis III's music has been a breath of fresh air in the Lehigh Valley music scene for years now. We can't help but applaud his Electric Farm, with its always crisp arrangements, tasty folk-pop sound and Joey's quirky songs. There's elements of The Kinks, Neil Young and Nick Drake (look him up…). A new album is on the horizon with the band further exploring the "folksy space rock situation".

6:30 pm

www.TheElectricFarm.com/  -  Listen to sound clips

Dave Fry returns to the Lehigh Valley and First Night with his guitar, mandolin, and banjo, his wry commentary on life as a working-class arts entrepreneur, and a bag full of audience-tickling shenanigans. Dave's First Night shows pack the house so make a date to be there. It's a great way to bid adieu to 2007 and bring in 2008 with a chuckle.

9:00 pm

www.DaveFryMusic.com/  -  Listen to sound clips