The Frog Pond Sunday Social

The Frog Pond Sunday Social - an enchanting, invitation-only live music experience, located under a two-hundred-year-old cedar tree in Silverhill, AL - is a prime example of a hidden, local gem. The private residence turned Folk Alliance International House Concert Venue, is the home of Cathe Steele - a respected local musician and curator of significant folks and blues events. Steele’s list of accolades include participating in The Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival and establishing long-standing music traditions at Pirates Cove.

Post-Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Steele, then manager of Pirates Cove, and John Thompson, owner of Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, put their heads together to land Mobile and Baldwin County on the map for top-shelf musician tour stops. It was a last-minute 2010 New Year’s Eve concert venue cancellation that launched the debut of The Frog Pond with Grayson Capps taking the stage.

As 2011 rolled in, Steele set motion to her vision to bring together songwriters who had never performed together. With her gift for identifying and selecting musical talent Steele, alongside Capps, hand-selected musicians to fill The Frog Pond stage every Sunday afternoon. “Creativity on the stage,” says Steele, “The purest form of being in the moment. Listening & responding in a musical conversation while adding to each other’s story.” It is the ultimate venue for musicians to share their works with different fan bases and to expose serious listeners to new music.

A Tight, Connected Community

While some aspects of the community have grown over the years, the main focus of The Frog Pond remains a tight, connected community, and “a core of solid songwriting.” While most of the sounds found at The Frog Pond typically find root in the troubadour, americana, and blues traditions - much of The Frog Pond’s charm stems from odd pairings, group play sessions, and lineups one might not expect. Steele puts together a ‘songwriters in the round’ rotation for the schedule - pairing players who would not usually have the opportunity to perform together, and seeing what they can create.

Over the last decade, The Frog Pond’s Sunday Socials have risen to the forefront of the local music scene, forging a new experience for like-minded music lovers, and good, honest folk. Steele passionately reflected as we sat under the trees for our interview, she added, “With so many things in life today that tear us apart, what we have in common is music.”

Perhaps one of the most memorable mashups can be seen in the genesis of Willie Sugarcapps - an amalgamation of three separate acts: Grayson Capps, Sugarcane Jane, and Will Kimbrough. Brought together on The Frog Pond stage in 2012, the supergroup released their first nationally recognized album the following year.

House Concert Venues

While The Frog Pond community is open and engaging, Folk Alliance International House Concert Venue regulations require each event to be by invitation- or RSVP only. While seeming a bit standoffish at first glance, the intent of the ‘invite-only’ provision is a safeguard to protect the intimate, familial environment and the ongoing sense of respect that the event is on private property.

All door “fees” / donations are passed to the performing musicians. “It is not about a profit margin or personal gain,” says Steele, “It is about relationships, community, and the music.”

The first Frog Pond Sunday Social House Concert of 2020 is Feb. 16th. It is a Home Grown Sunday Celebration of local songwriters and musicians featuring Grayson Capps, Corky Hughes, Jimmy Lumpkin, Molly Thomas, Ryan Balthrop, Robbie Fleming, Suzanne Schmitt, Kelley Poole, Brenda Bledsoe, Jon Cook and more. Many more events are planned for the coming year, coupled with the addition of The Treehouse - a new indoor performance space in which to share unique and life-changing experiences.

Hope to see you at the show! Be prepared to have an experience that changes the way you listen to music.

Website:  http://www.thefrogpondatbluemoonfarm.com/