On Friday, June 9, the Folk Factory will present its annual People's Choice Concert, with the 80% Old Time String Band, Prose from Dover, Jim West, Becky Davidson, and Trevor Exter, chosen by audience voting at the last four monthly Open Stages. Doors open at 7:30, and the show will start at 8pm. Admission is by requested donation of $7 to $15 (sliding scale), half price for no or low wage, with children under 12 admitted free. Childcare is available with advance registration, and should be requested by June 5 if possible by calling (215) 848-6246. The Folk Factory coffeehouse is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in the Mount Airy section of northwest Philadelphia, at 6900 Stenton Avenue (the corner of Stenton Avenue and Gorgas Lane). For details, visit www.folkfactory.org .

A year ago, drummer Joe Killian rounded up guitarist Kenny Feder, singer Allie Beik, and bassist and backing vocalist Mari Metraux and started A Lady In Red, with really just two goals - to enjoy making music together, and to leave a little bit of their personal message with those who hear their music. With Allie's passion for vocal harmony, Kenny's love of the classic's, Mari's sweet and passionate acoustic compositions, and Joe's interestingly contrasting love for every-thing from John Coltrane to Guns n' Roses, they try to cover a wide spectrum with their music, so each song will give the listener something new and interesting.

Saint Mad (Molly Mahoney - vocals & keyboard, Martha Michael - vocals & trumpet, Jim Harris - vocals & guitar, and Lynda Chen - vocals & euphonium) brings a wealth of collective musical experience to their quirky brand of pop. Rich vocal textures, unusual harmonies, and compassionate, inspirational lyrics are hallmarks of their original tunes and arrangements of familiar standards. Among their collection of original compositions are parodies that they write specifically for the venues at which they play. The band website is www.myspace.com/saintmad .

A 4-time People's Choice winner, Becky Davidson's principal passion consists of trad-itional American and Celtic ballads, "modern" folk songs from the '60s and '70s, and Mace-donian, Bulgarian and Yiddish folk songs. Her love of folk music began in the '60s when she became involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements, subsequently adding to the mix women's and gay rights. Originally trained as a classical violinist, she picked up the guitar at age 16, gradually developing a style in which she strives to present a song flavored her own way while remaining true to the song's originator.

Nick Winter was raised in the Pacific Northwest with roots in the sagebrush of the Great Plains. He has played guitar, sung and written for more than forty years, performing publicly for the last five years. He mixes finger and flat picking, and his music draws primarily on folk, country and blues. Themes include biography, geography, existential musings and honky-tonk relationships. Nick will be joined by former People's Choice Winner Sharon Abbott for part of his set.

Ryan Williams has been actively writing and playing for over ten years. His songs blend several genres of music together into an engaging tapestry that is completed by his voice. Ryan's writing consists of a blend of relevant, introspective, and sometimes humorous lyrics, which he couples with memorable melodies. He was a 2005 People's Choice winner at the Folk Factory, and has since gone onto self-release two EP's, "Five" (a warm acoustic set) and "Shortfilm" (an eclectic set exploring folk, modern rock, and fifties noir). He's recently teamed up with lead instrumentalist Sean McNellis, and the duo is currently at work on a full length album due in the fall.

The Folk Factory, based at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in Mount Airy, is a forum for people interested in music of all kinds and progressive social change. Facilitated announcements of progressive events (marches, boycotts, etc.) can be made before the start of each event. The Folk Factory is an organizational affiliate of the People's Music Network for Songs of Freedom and Struggle, co-founded by Charlie King and Pete Seeger. Regular concerts are normally on the second Friday of most months, and an Open Stage/Open Circle is held on the fourth Thursday of most months, during the academic year. To volunteer or for more information, visit www.folkfactory.org or call (215) 848-6246.

If you have snail mail and/or email address changes, deletions, or additions, you can call us at 215-848-6246 or email us through the Folk Factory Web site: www.folkfactory.org or at pollackjohnson@verizon.net . You can send any financial contributions (we suggest $5/yr or $15 for 5 yrs to help cover our copying and postage costs for snail mail, and other donations are gratefully appreciated!) to: The Folk Factory, 6900 Stenton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19150. Thanks!

Do you want to see the Folk Factory continue promoting music and progressive social change in the Philadelphia area, as we have for the past 17 years? To help make sure that is possible, we could use a couple more volunteers to help out with our mailings and at our events. We're actually in quite good shape financially, but a number of our volunteers have moved out of town or their life circumstances have changed, so we could use a couple of new faces to help us make it all possible. If you think you might be interested, please call me at 215-848-6246 or email me at pollackjohnson@verizon.net . You don't need to commit to come to every event. The most we ever do in one month is a mailing meeting, an Open Stage/Open Circle, and a concert. But we only do 6 or 7 concerts (and the mailings are only for those) over the whole school year season, and we don't do Open Stages in November or December (in fact, nothing in December). Please think about it, or ask someone you think might be interested. Thanks! You can also contact me with comments and suggestions about the frequency and detail level of these notices.