Acoustic café Stone Soup keeps the folk talent coming BY BOB GULLA

Running a folk music coffeehouse is something of an art. You don’t need much money, which is a good thing. But you do need to book the kinds of popular acts that will get fannies in the seats. That costs money. So I guess the art has to do with straddling the rather fine line between art and commerce, and understanding that you only need to make enough money to buy the talent, rent the venue, and put tea in the hot water.

Stone Soup has managed to straddle that line for 23 years. They’ve weathered location changes and difficult economic climates. They’ve faced adversity in many forms, and stared it down — pacifically, of course. Led by an amiable army of volunteers and a loyal legion of friends, the coffeehouse has been Rhode Island’s premier acoustic music venue for as long as it’s been around. If you’ve been to a Stone Soup show, you know. The people are kind, the atmosphere is warm, and the music is nearly always top-notch.

I’m writing this because we’re all busy people, and as busy people we tend to forget about some things that are worth remembering. Stone Soup is one of those things. Now in year 24, they have a really entertaining roster of shows on tap, all of which can be found on their folksy website (www.soup.org).

This weekend, a performance by Maine- and Austin-based songwriter Slaid Cleaves begins a two-month span that sees Maggie and Suzzy Roche (12/4), Eric Andersen (12/11), and Lucy Kaplansky (1/8) all hittin’ the Soup, along with a variety of other entertaining acts. They’ve already hosted a handful of fine performers this season, including Geoff Muldaur, Jess Klein, and Dave Mallett. But instead of fussing about those you’ve missed, get off your butt and get yourself a cuppa this Soup. Start with Cleaves. He’s an immensely talented and literate songwriter in the story mode of Townes Van Zandt.

SUCKERS’ LUCK. Chris Neal, aka Eddie Spaghetti, e-mailed his list recently, and because I know there are more than a few Supersuckers fans out there, I thought you might wanna hear what’s going on with the band. "I’m writing you from France where we are starting our European jaunt today. You may or may not have heard about our recent and biggest setback of our career, so here’s the scoop: last Saturday night (or early Sunday morning, I guess) our van and trailer were stolen from right in front of my house [in Seattle]."

"Yes, all of our equipment was in there and we now have next to nothing. It’s so huge that words just fall short. We feel like these thieves have stolen from you, the Supersuckers fans, as well. After all, it was you, by coming to the shows and buying our records, who bought this great sounding, vintage gear for us to sound so good through and now it’s all gone."

Area music folks are reaching out to the band and providing support, including some radio stations and a few friendly musicians. "It feels great to know that local radio cares about local bands (even if they can’t play our songs!)," says Neal, "and that bands will always lend a hand when something like this happens." In the meantime, folks out west are keeping their eyes peeled for suspicious looking vintage gear cheap. Go to www. supersuckers.com for more info.

WANDERING EYE. OK, so the big thing this weekend is that the talented Jason Colonies Band is doing a live recording at the Ocean Mist on Friday (the 19th). JC’s been hard at work on a new CD for some time, but it’s taking longer than they expected, so the boys decided to lay down a live one as well. So go down and get yourself a few cocktails and make yourself heard!

The "Your Roots are Showing" series at the Century Lounge is celebrating a full year of shows and the last edition of ’04 this Friday, with a seriously exciting lineup of great roots music. This time it’s Boston’s Three Day Threshold headlining,with the Drunk Stuntmen, Lucky 57, and Hillbilly Graham Crackers sharing the bill. The HGCs rise from the ashes of local bands Bonnis Herd, Screaming Under Stars, and the Riverbottom Nightmare Band and play "unadulterated electrified mandolin gospel rock." Go to www.yourrootsareshowing.org for more details.

Also on Friday, Third Story Congress plays Turtle Soup on Broadway in Providence. Christopher Monti leads the band on guitar with George Hardy on acoustic and vocals, Francis Brennan on upright bass, and Ed DeMille on Afro-Latin percussion and snare.

"We are as much of a rock and roll band as you can be without a drum-kit player," says Monti. "We’ll abide in our nearly-rock and roll world until a drummer appears and opens up the world for us."

Also on Friday, the Rocky Point Pub on West Shore Road in Warwick features original hard rock from Train of Thought and Fat Chance. Black & White will visit the Narragansett Cafe in spectacular downtown Jamestown on Friday night for, and I quote, "an evening of swing-blues, ’50s rock & roll, mild nudity, snake-charming, Pilates exercise, origami, and pony rides for the kids!" Needless to say, you’re on your own with Don and company.

On Saturday (the 20th) at the Call, the Schemers will hold court for the entire night, with no opening act. While there, why not pick up their CD, Remember and take a stroll down the proverbial memory lane. And ask them about the ballot for the 2005 Grammy Awards. On Saturday in Newport, you can go to the Area (formerly Area 22) and catch Just Before August. Admission is $5, doors are at 9 p.m., and the show’s at 10.

On Saturday at the Blackstone in Cumberland, Radio Wallpaper, Maggie Salzberg, and blues lunatic John "Crawlin’ Snake" Mac will team up. Salzberg plays roots-rock with some blues influences.

E-mail me with your music news at big.daddy1@cox.net.