Famed folk artists Vince Bell and Sara Hickman will headline this year’s Houston Folk Music Archive Homecoming Concert Oct. 29. And in response to COVID-19 precautions, this year the popular concert series will be streamed live via Zoom starting at 6 p.m.
In recent years, the annual concert thrown by the Friends of Fondren Library and the Houston Folk Music Archive (HFMA) had become a huge draw for alumni and local music lovers alike.
Beginning in 2017, the yearly concert series spotlighted the work done by the Woodson Research Center’s archivists in cataloging the city’s seminal folk music scene. In 2019, legendary Houston band Wheatfield — the first band to donate materials to the HFMA — returned to Rice for a concert that packed the South Reading Room at Fondren.
This year, Bell and Hickman’s performances will be preceded by opening remarks from Tamara Saviano, author of “Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark.” Having a guest speaker is a new addition that takes advantage of the virtual format, said Norie Guthrie, archivist and special collections librarian at Fondren who oversees the HFMA.
“That would have been much harder to pull off if the concert was in person,” Guthrie said. Among other benefits of the virtual concert, she said, was “the ability for those far and wide to attend.”
And when they do, they’ll be treated to intimate performances by two of the most well-known and well-loved Texas folk artists: Bell came up in the '70s scene with Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett and Lucinda Williams, while Hickman is widely admired for her social advocacy work through music and served as the Texas State Musician in 2010 — right between Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett.
“Vince was unable to attend our first concert, so he really wanted to perform,” Guthrie said. “Sara had reached out to me about doing a concert the next time we had one. So I thought doing a doubleheader event with them would be a great idea.”
Along with her co-organizers Amanda Focke, director of the Woodson Research Center; Mary Lowery, executive director of the Friends of Fondren Library (FOFL); and FOFL event chairs Barbara Gibbs and Gretchen Stephens, Guthrie is also excited about a giveaway tied to this year’s concert: Everyone who registers for the event will be entered to win one of 15 limited edition posters designed for the concert by Houston artist Carlos Hernandez.
For more information on this and additional virtual homecoming events through the Woodson Research Center, visit woodsononline.wordpress.com.