Old-Time Almost Fridays
Every THURSDAY
Growing out of the success of Bluegrass Tuesdays, is a new weekly night of traditional music every Thursday. Old-Time Almost Fridays, named in part because we're just so excited that it's almost the weekend, aims to bring the Bluegrass Tuesdays magic to the Old-Time community. The night will include performances and multiple jams hosted by many talented Old-Time musicians. Old-Time Almost Fridays are hosted by Tony Watt. Please check out this article in Bluegrass Today about the announcement of the new night!
We hope you can join us sometime soon and please help spread the word about Old-Time Almost Fridays!
Update as of June 12th, 2025:
I am very excited to say that Old-Time Almost Fridays jams will be moving to the Russell Field Playground near Alewife in N. Cambridge. It’s less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The schedule of the jams will remain similar:
7:30 pm Beg/Int Old-Time Jam
8:30 pm Int/Adv Old-Time Jam
Here's what we've learned about jamming at the Russell Field Playground:
(1) There are two parking lots on Rindge Ave. on either side of the little league park (Comeau Field): the lot with the cul-de-sac (to the west of the field) is usually full, but there's tons of space in the lot to the east of the ballpark, which is the lot for the Francis J. McCrehan Swimming Pool at 359 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door).
(2) We often jam near the sprinkler spot (a.k.a. splash pad) near the yellow canopy, which is between the pool, the playground, and the ball field.
(3) There are working port-a-johns right there, so everyone can have that true "festival experience".
(4) Please bring a folding chair (preferably without arms).
(5) It's not as well lit as some people might like, so if you have a small camping lantern, you might want to bring one.
(6) Mosquitos were mostly not an issue, but you still might want to bring bug spray or wear heavier clothes, as long as it's not too hot.
We hope you can join us every Thursday this summer while the weather holds!
PREVIOUS SHOWS:
Please Note: Jam Hosts are listed in parenthesis (Beg/Int Jam host, followed by the Int/Adv Jam host)
- 5/29/25 – The Waitts Mountain Woodchoppers (B/I: Andrew Tanis, I/A: Cathy Mason)
- 5/22/27 – Pieces of Grain: Zach Meyer & Alex Barstow (B/I: Chris Reckling, I/A: Joel Wennerstrom & Ben Bruno)
- 5/15/25 – Clawhammer banjo Master: Adam Hurt & Beth Williams Hartness (I/A: Cathy Mason)
- 5/8/25 – Dan Bui String Band (B/I: J Johnson, I/A: Annie Rouillard)
- 5/1/25 – Berklee's Old-Time Ensemble taught by Bruce Molsky (B/I: Chris Reckling, I/A: Joel Wennerstrom & Ben Bruno)
- 4/24/25 – Foghorn Stringband mandolin player Caleb Klauder & Friends (I/A: Chris Reckling)
- 4/17/25 – The Dead Sea Squirrels (B/I: Kurt Werner, I/A: Ben Truboff)
- 4/10/25 – The Beet Boxers (B/I: Andrew Tanis, I/A: Annie Rouillard)
- 4/3/25 – Cathy Mason, Sarah Nelson & Chris Reckling (B/I: Zach Meyer, I/A: Joel Wennerstrom & Ben Bruno)
- 3/27/25 – Frog Hollow Day Camp with Mark Wholley, Eric Boodman, Laura Feddersen, Tyson Graham, and Joel Wennerstrom (B/I: Andrew Tanis)
- 3/20/25 – The Waitts Mountain Woodchoppers (B/I: J Johnson, I/A: Zach Meyer)
- 3/13/25 – Kurt Werner & Friends (B/I: Andrew Tanis, I/A: Jon Gersh & Kathy Fletcher a.k.a. Planet Banjo)
- 3/6/25 – Annie Rouillard & Friends (B/:I Zach Meyer, I/A: Joel Wennerstrom & Ben Bruno)
- 2/27/25 – Hannah Rose Baker & Friends (B/I: Andrew Tanis, I/A: Cathy Mason)
- 2/20/25 – Chris Reckling's Jam (B/I: J Johnson, I/A: Annie Rouillard)
- 2/13/25 – All the way from South Dakota: Humbletown with Special Guest Michael Prewitt (B/I: J Johnson, I/A: Jon Gersh & Kathy Fletcher a.k.a. Planet Banjo)
- 2/6/25 – Jon Weisberger with Sam Stage & Tony Watt (B/I: Andrew Tanis, I/A: Cathy Mason)
- 1/30/25 – Zach Meyer & The Flat Earth Rounders! (B/I: Kurt Werner, I/A: J Johnson)
- '24/'25 Holiday Season Hiatus
- 12/19/24 – Zach Meyer & The Flat Earth Rounders (B/I: Peggy Conant, I/A: Jon Gersh & Kathy Fletcher a.k.a. Planet Banjo)
- 12/12/24 – Dan Bui String Band (B/I: Cathy Mason, I/A: Zach Meyer)
- 12/5/24 – Bruce Molsky's Berklee Old-Time Ensemble (B/I: Kurt Werner, I/A: Ruth Rappaport & Ben Wetherbee)
- 11/21/24 – Micah John & Lillian Chase (B/I: Julie Metcalf, I/A: Jonah Sidman)
- 11/14/24 – I.SEA Stringband with Isaiah Gardham, Sam Powers, Emma Turoff & Anika Thomas (B/I: Cecily Mills, I/A: Riley Mullany)
- 11/7/24 – The Dixie Butterhounds (B/I: Andrew Tanis, I/A: Chris Reckling)
- 10/31/24 – The BOO Grown-Ups O-T Almost Fridays Halloween Spooktacular and Costume Contest
- 10/24/24 – The Ruth & Ben String Band (B/I: Cathy Mason, I/A: Jon Gersh & Kathy Fletcher a.k.a. Planet Banjo)
- 10/17/24 – Launch Party featuring arguably the most important Old-Time musician of his generation: Bruce Molsky! (I/A: Cathy Mason and Long Lost String Band)