>> JAMES: IT WAS JUST A FUNKY
BEATNIK KIND OF PLACE BACK IN
THE DAY AND THEN IT'S EVOLVED
OVER TIME AND HAS SUSTAINED
ITSELF INTO PROVIDING TO OUR
COMMUNITY WHAT WE'VE GOT GOING
ON HERE TONIGHT.
♪♪♪
>> TERRI: TODAY WE'RE GOING TO
HEAR ABOUT AN ACOUSTIC MUSIC
SERIES THAT STARTED IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE BACK IN THE
MID-'60S.
THE ORGANIZATION TOOK A HIATUS
IN 2006, BUT CAME BACK STRONG IN
2014 WITH AN IMPRESSIVE SEASONAL
ROSTER OF NATIONAL AND REGIONAL
ACTS.
JOIN US AS WE CATCH UP WITH A
FEW OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED
TO BRING THE PRISM COFFEEHOUSE
BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
COME ON!
♪♪♪
>> PETE: THE REAL EMPHASIS OF
THE PRISM IS ON PRESENTING
CONCERTS IN A LISTENING ROOM
ENVIRONMENT.
SO PEOPLE GO THERE TO LISTEN TO
THE MUSIC, THEY'RE NOT THERE TO
DRINK BEER, TO SOCIALIZE THERE,
AND THEY DO THAT AS WELL, BUT
THE MAIN FOCUS IS ON SITTING AND
LISTENING.
AND A LOT OF OUR ARTISTS SAY TO
US AFTERWARDS THIS IS THE KIND
OF SHOW I REALLY WANT TO DO,
BECAUSE THIS IS THE SHOW WHERE
PEOPLE ARE THERE TO LISTEN TO
ME.
>> TERRI: NAME SOME OF THE ACTS
THAT YOU ALL HAVE SEEN
THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AT THE
PRISM BEFORE STARTING IT BACK UP
AGAIN.
>> PETER: WELL, MIKE SEEGER
CERTAINLY WHO HAD HIS ANNUAL
BREAKING UP CHRISTMAS SHOW
THERE, TONY RICE, RALPH STANLEY
--
>> TERRI: PETER ROWAN --
>> PETER: JOHN DOYLE --
>> TERRI: EMMYLOU HARRIS WAS
THERE FOR 75 CENTS.
>> PETER: YEAH, SHE DID TWO
SHOWS BACK IN THE EARLY ‘70S.
>> PETE: AND --
>> TERRI: IN HER EARLY CAREER.
>> PETE: A LOT OF CELTIC ACTS
TOO.
>> PETER: YEAH.
>> PETE: LIKE LUNASA MADE THEIR
FIRST APPEARANCE IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE AT THE PRISM
COFFEEHOUSE.
>> TERRI: DAVE MATTHEWS PLAYED
THERE IN THE EARLY ‘90S.
>> PETER: DAVE AND TIM REYNOLDS,
YEAH.
>> TERRI: TALK ABOUT HOW OFTEN
YOU HAVE SHOWS.
WHAT IS -- HOW LONG IS THE
SERIES ANNUALLY.
>> CHRIS: I THINK WE DO 10 TO 15
SHOWS A SEASON.
WE HAVE TWO SEASONS SPRING AND
FALL.
WE DO 10 TO 15 SHOWS A SEASON,
SO WE DO 20 TO 30 SHOWS A YEAR.
THE C'VILLE COFFEE HAS BEEN A
WONDERFUL LOCATION, THEY HAVE
FOOD AND BEVERAGES AND IT'S A
NICE ATMOSPHERE, IT'S INTIMATE
BUT FRIENDLY -- AND WE'VE BEEN
VERY HAPPY THERE.
>> TERRI: TALK ABOUT THE
DIFFERENT STYLES OF TRADITIONAL
MUSIC THAT COME THROUGH WE'VE
GOT A SCANDINAVIAN GROUP COMING
IN, THE NORDIC FIDDLERS BLOC AND
WE JUST HAD V ÄSEN IN LAST YEAR.
SO WE BRING IN ACTS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD.
♪
>> JOE: WE'VE GOT TO BE ONE OF
THE LONGEST OPERATING COFFEE
HOUSES AND ON THE EAST COAST.
IF NOT ALL THE UNITED STATES.
THE QUALITY OF THE MUSIC WAS
ALWAYS REALLY TOP-NOTCH, AND YOU
COULD SEE THINGS YOU COULDN'T
SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.
>> PHYLLIS: THE WHOLE INTERIOR
WAS LIKE WOOD, WOODEN FLOORS,
WOODEN WALLS -- NICE PAINTINGS
ON THE WALLS -- SO IT HAD A VERY
HOMEY, WARM ATMOSPHERE AND WE
HAD REFRESHMENTS IN THE KITCHEN.
WHEN WE STARTED DRAWING EVEN A
HUNDRED PEOPLE IT WAS VERY
CROWDED AND TIGHT BUT PEOPLE
LOVED IT, IT WAS FINE.
>> ALASDAIR: WE PLAY ALL KINDS
OF VENUES, YOU KNOW, FROM LARGE
TO SMALL, AND IT'S -- A LOT OF
IS ABOUT PEOPLE, I GET A KICK
OUT OF FOLK YOU KNOW.
♪♪♪
>> CHRIS: I'VE GOT A LITTLE EQ
ON THE ROOM BUT YOUR CHANNEL IS
FLAT.
WHY DON'T WE LISTEN TO HER WITH
THE REVERB AND -- ALL RIGHT SO
--
♪♪♪
>> TERRI: PETER, TELL US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
THE PRISM COFFEEHOUSE.
>> PETER: WELL IT STARTED BACK
IN 1966, STUDENTS WANTED TO GET
AWAY FROM THE UNIVERSITY GROUNDS
AND HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY
COULD TALK AGAINST THE WAR AND
AMONGST THEMSELVES.
AND SO THEY APPROACHED THE
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
OVER THERE ON THE CORNER OF
GORDON AND RUGBY.
AND THE MINISTERS CAME TOGETHER,
THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE GOD
SQUAD, AND SET UP THAT SPACE FOR
THE STUDENTS.
AND STARTED IN '66, AND THEY HAD
THEIR OWN CONCERTS AND THEN THEY
STARTED TO EVOLVE INTO HAVING
FOLKS LIKE JOHN JACKSON AND
EMMYLOU HARRIS COME IN.
AND IN THE MID-'80S, A GROUP
FROM THE PRISM MADE INTO A
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND THEN
AROUND 1990-'91 THEY MADE IT
INTO A WEEKLY SERIES, AND ACTS
FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD STARTED
COMING IN, NOT JUST FOLK BUT
YOU'D HAVE BLUES, JAZZ,
CLASSICAL, FOLKS LIKE MATT
HAIMOVITZ WOULD COME IN AND DO
CONCERTS, PETER ROWAN, TONY
TRISCHKA -- AND IT WENT THAT WAY
UNTIL 2006 -- AND THE CHURCH WAS
READY TO TAKE THEIR SPACE BACK
AND SO THE PRISM KIND OF LOST
ITS HOME FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT
STILL MANAGED TO STAY ALIVE.
♪♪♪
>> JAMES: IT'S A SMALL INTIMATE
VENUE AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN
JUST BE FRIENDS WITH THESE FOLKS
AND THEY BRING WORLD CLASS MUSIC
TO A LOCAL COMMUNITY.
IT'S JUST FANTASTIC.
>> IDA: IT'S PHENOMENAL TO SEE
IT IN C'VILLE COFFEE BECAUSE
IT'S SO SMALL AND I'M GONNA BE
LIKE THREE FEET AWAY FROM THEM
WHILE THEY PLAY.
I'M VERY EXCITED.
>> ALASDAIR: WHAT A JOY IT IS TO
PLAY THIS MUSIC.
I MEAN, HOPEFULLY THAT COMES
ACROSS.
IS IT HONEST?
IT'S A PRIVILEGE, WE LOVE
GATHERINGS AND THE FIDDLE IS A
GREAT MOTIVATOR, IT'S A GREAT
THING TO GATHER AROUND.
>> TERRI: LET'S TALK A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE MUSICAL ROLE THAT
YOU PLAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES, SO
PEOPLE SORT OF HAVE AN
UNDERSTANDING OF WHY YOU'RE SO
PASSIONATE ABOUT BEING BEHIND
THIS.
CHRIS MUNSON, YOU'RE INVOLVED IN
EVERYTHING IN THE
CHARLOTTESVILLE MUSIC SCENE.
>> CHRIS: IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME.
I STARTED BOOKING BANDS IN MY
FRATERNITY AT UVA IN 1980.
AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH
CONCERT PROMOTION, AND I HAD MY
OWN BOOKING AGENCY, RISING TIDE
PRODUCTIONS.
I WORKED AT TRACKS BACK IN THE
EARLY DAYS AND TOURED WITH
SEVERAL NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL ACTS DOING LIVE
SOUND AND PRODUCTION, AND HAVE
CONTINUED TO BE INVOLVED WITH
ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSIC IN
CHARLOTTESVILLE FOR -- SINCE
1980.
>> TERRI: AND PETE --
>> PETE: YES.
>> TERRI: MANDO MAFIA!
YOU'VE - TALK ABOUT YOUR
CONNECTION IN THE MUSIC, IN THE
MUSIC SCENE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
>> PETE: WELL, I'VE, I CAME TO,
I CAME BACK TO CHARLOTTESVILLE
IN 1985 AND IN ABOUT 1989 JOINED
THE MANDO MAFIA, OR HELPED FORM
THE MANDO MAFIA.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF 20 YEARS,
PROBABLY EVERY YEAR WE PLAYED AT
THE PRISM, SO I HAVE A DEEP
AFFECTION FOR THE PRISM.
AROUND THE SAME TIME, FRED BOYCE
RECRUITED ME TO BE A DJ AT WTJU,
SO I GOT MY FINGER ON A LOT OF
DIFFERENT PULSES OF WHAT'S GOING
ON IN THE MUSIC.
>> TERRI: YEAH.
>> PETER: YOU KNOW MY
INVOLVEMENT WE BOTH WTJU AND THE
PRISM STARTED WITH MANDO MAFIA.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN RUGBY ROAD
AND A FRIEND SAID, HEY, TURN ON
THIS RADIO STATION, WE'RE GONNA
GO TO THIS VENUE AND - AND SO
THE FIRST SOUNDS I EVER HEARD
COMING OUT OF THE PRISON WERE ON
WTJU AND IT WAS MANDO MAFIA.
>> TERRI: I LOVE -- I LOVE ALL
OF THE CONNECTIONS AND - AND YOU
ARE THE DIRECTOR OF.
>> PETER: I'M THE FOLK DIRECTOR
YEAH AND LIVE MUSIC AT WTJU THE
UNIVERSITY'S RADIO STATION.
♪♪♪
♪♪♪
>> TERRI: YOU ARE BRINGING IN
JUST TOP-NOTCH ARTISTS.
NAME SOME OF THE ARTISTS THAT
HAVE COME THROUGH SINCE THE
PRISM HAS RESTARTED.
>> PETER: CERTAINLY ALASDAIR
FRASER AND NATALIE HAAS HAVE
BEEN A BIG PART --
>> PETE: PIERRE BENSUSAN.
>> PETER: YEAH, PIERRE BENSUSAN.
>> PETE: BEPPE GAMBETTA --
>> CHRIS: DRY BRANCH FIRE SQUAD.
>> TERRI: AND MOLLY TUTTLE.
>> PETER: MOLLY TUTTLE, YEAH!
>> TERRI: SO TALK ABOUT HER
BECAUSE WHEN YOU BOOKED HER SHE
HAD NOT WON.
PETER: NO, NO.
>> PETE: WE BOOKED MOLLY TUTTLE
BEFORE SHE WON THE IBMA GUITAR
PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD.
>> PETER: FIRST WOMAN TO WIN IT!
>> PETE: LAST YEAR, AND AS SOON
AS WE BOOKED HER, WE STARTED
SELLING TICKETS AND THEY SOLD
LIKE WILDFIRE.
WE SOLD OUT FAR QUICKER THAN WE
SOLD OUT WAY QUICKER THAN WE'VE
SOLD OUT FOR ANY OTHER SHOW.
>> TERRI: AND SEE THIS REMINDS
ME OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE
PRISM BECAUSE THERE WERE A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO CAME THROUGH AND
PLAYED A SMALL LISTENING ROOM
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> PETER: GILLIAN AND DAVE!
>> TERRI: GILLIAN WELCH, YES!
>> PETER: WELL YOU KNOW THE
FIRST TIME GILLIAN AND DAVE
PLAYED THERE WAS IN ‘95 AND
THERE WERE 12, SOMETIMES PEOPLE
SAY 13.
>> TERRI: I WAS THERE.
>> PETER: AND SIX MONTHS LATER
THE PLACE WAS PACKED, AND THEN
TWO YEARS LATER FOR THE FOLK
MARATHON THEY WERE GONNA PLAY
FOR TWO HOURS BUT PEOPLE JUST
KEPT POURING IN AND THEY ENDED
UP PLAYING FOR FOUR HOURS AND
THEY ONLY STOPPED BECAUSE THEY
SAID -WE DON'T KNOW ANY MORE
TUNES.
[LAUGHTER]
>> PETER: AND THAT'S WHAT I LOVE
ABOUT THE PRISM.
>> TERRI: OH, WHAT A GREAT
PROBLEM TO HAVE!
>> CHRIS: AND I THINK THIS GOES
ARE THE GREAT BOOKING PEOPLE
THAT WE HAVE DOING THE BOOKING
FOR THE PRISM.
THEY HAVE VISION, THEY'RE
LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT THING
COMING ALONG.
♪♪♪
>> AL: WE SORT OF HAVE TWO
MISSION STATEMENTS.
ONE IS TO BRING WHAT MIGHT BE
MISSED BY THE COMMERCIAL VENUES
TO THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AUDIENCE.
AND THEN OUR SECOND ONE, IS TO
HELP THE ARTISTS THAT ARE
PLAYING THIS KIND OF MUSIC, THAT
IS NOT NECESSARILY HIGHLY
COMMERCIAL, GIVE THEM A PLACE TO
PLAY IN A TOWN THE SIZE OF
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
>> BECCA: SO I AM IN CHARGE OF
MANAGING THE EMAIL ACCOUNT FOR
THE BOOKING COMMITTEE.
SO ALL THE INQUIRIES THAT COME
IN, I KIND OF SORT THROUGH THEM
AND SEND ON THE ONES THAT SEEM
PROMISING.
I BOOK THE ACTS, HELP NEGOTIATE
THE CONTRACTS AND THEN SET UP
ALL THE DETAILS FOR THAT.
AND THEN I'VE HELPED SOME
RUNNING THE DOOR FOR THE ACTUAL
SHOWS AND SET UP AND THIS AND
THAT.
THE BOARD IS BASICALLY THE
STAFF.
>> CHRIS: THAT'S WITHOUT THE
REVERB, SO LET ME BRING IN A
LITTLE BIT OF REVERB, I WANT TO
MAKE SURE I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH.
NOT TOO LONG?
OKAY.
>> TERRI: SO IF PEOPLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY WANT TO GET INVOLVED
IN SOME WAY BECAUSE IT'S ALL
VOLUNTEER, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
OPPORTUNITIES THEY MIGHT HAVE?
WHAT, WHAT COULD THEY GET
INVOLVED IN AND HOW WOULD THEY
GO ABOUT DOING THAT?
>> PETER: WELL THEY CAN LEARN
ABOUT SOUND.
THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT HANDLING
PROMOTION, SOCIAL MEDIA FOR US.
>> CHRIS: WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING
FOR NEW PEOPLE TO JOIN AND NEW
IDEAS AND PEOPLE CAN HELP WITH.
>> TERRI: GREET PEOPLE AT THE
DOOR.
TAKE THE TICKETS.
>> CHRIS: COME ON IN AND CHAT
WITH US AT A SHOW ONE NIGHT
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO CHAT WITH YOU
OR GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND GIVE US
A HOLLER AND WE'RE HAPPY TO GET
PEOPLE INVOLVED.
>> TERRI: AND WHAT'S REALLY COOL
TOO, IS FOR TICKETING.
PEOPLE CAN GO ONLINE AND GET
THEIR TICKETS IN ADVANCE, YOU
DON'T EVEN HAVE -- AT THE MOMENT
YOU HAVE NO PROCESSING FEE.
>> CHRIS: AND MOST OF THE MONEY
GOES TO THE ARTISTS SINCE WE'RE
VOLUNTEER THAT'S THE OTHER THING
IS YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL
VOLUNTEERS SO WE HAVE MINIMAL
OVERHEAD EXPENSES AND MOST OF
THE MONEY GOES DIRECTLY TO THE
ARTISTS.
>> PHYLLIS: IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT, I THINK, TO PRESERVE
ACOUSTIC MUSIC AND ROOTS MUSIC
AND WORLD MUSIC AND INDIGENOUS
MUSIC, AND SO THIS IS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WHO
CONTINUE TO PLAY THIS KIND OF
MUSIC TO HAVE A STAGE AND AN
AUDIENCE.
>> ALASDAIR: I THINK THE
AUDIENCES THAT COME HERE HAVE
CHOSEN THIS.
THEY COME HERE BECAUSE THEY LIKE
WHAT'S GOING ON, THEY LIKE THE
ENVIRONMENT, THEY LIKE THAT
INTIMACY.
AND IN SO MANY WAYS THIS KIND OF
MUSIC IS DESIGNED FOR THAT.
>> TERRI: SO WHAT DO YOU SEE IN
THE FUTURE FOR THE PRISM?
>> PETE: MORE SHOWS.
>> CHRIS: MORE SHOWS, MORE
SHOWS.
>> PETER: YOU KNOW, FOR ME, IT'S
MAKING SURE THAT TRADITIONAL AND
BEYOND MUSIC WILL ALWAYS HAVE A
HOME IN CHARLOTTESVILLE.
>> TERRI: OH THIS IS WONDERFUL
YOU ALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE
WORK YOU'RE DOING IN FOR ALL THE
GREAT MUSIC YOU'RE BRINGING INTO
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
>> PETER: THANK YOU.
>> CHRIS: IT'S OUR PLEASURE.
♪♪♪
[APPLAUSE]