July-August 2007 

The Living Tradition Concert Series

by dennis roger reed

In the land of folk music concert series, a year or two is a highly regarded history. However, the Living Tradition concert series held in the Anaheim Downtown Community Center has reached the 100 show mark. These concerts, held on the third Saturday of each month, have featured the best in all things folk, and helped to foster the Southern California folk scene in a myriad of ways.

Part of the import of a long term folk music series is education. Current LT maven Steve Dulson has impeccable folk taste, and no matter what the folk sub-genre being presented, the listener will be entertained by quality performers. Dulson took over the reins of the concert series in 1998, and remembers "I realized we'd achieved some sort of milestone the first time one of our "regulars" walked up to the ticket table, pulled out his money, and asked "Who's playing tonight?"

Admission is usually $14, unless you're smart enough to join Living Tradition in which case you can garner a $3 discount at the door. Kids under EIGHTEEN are free with an adult, and so a new generation of folk lovers can be nurtured.

You can always contact Steve for reservations and info at 949-646-1964 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Upcoming in this year's schedule on July 21 will be the country folk of Susie Glaze and her band, including a tribute to Jean Ritchie, and opening will be LA singer/songwriter Brad Colerick. On August 18 Arizona's wonderful harp and guitar duo D-Squared return. Saturday September 15 has Canada's John Wort Hannam bringing his "working class folk" to LT, with Australian duo Nougat opening with great mandolin and guitar music. October 20 features Edmonton, Alberta's Maria Dunn, a fine young songwriter with a historical perspective.

Living Tradition is more than concerts, though. It's a non-profit organization that hosts contra dances and jams nearly every month. Their events are intentionally family-friendly and open to the public. "LT was founded in 1982 by Carolyn Russell and continues to be a group of people who share the desire to share traditional music and dance."

So if you have somehow managed to miss the last 100 concerts, you've got plenty of opportunities to "catch up," and perhaps find a home for your folk related leanings.