Last Updated - 05/11/08

Welcome to

The Wild Hog in the Woods

Items of Potential Interest to the Wild Hog Community

The Wild Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse Turns 30!

They said that we'd never last! Current and former members of the Wild Hog and anyone else who’s interested are warmly invited to help plan. For more information and to help out this page will tell you everything you need to know.

Coordinators' Meeting Highlights

• Help Wanted

Did you know that the Wild Hog in the Woods is incorporated as a co-op?

It's true - we are an all-volunteer organization. It's the good will and hard work of our members and friends that make it possible for the Wild Hog to continue our 26-year tradition of offering folk music, dance and other events to the Madison community.

This is a time when we really need some extra help in order to keep our tradition healthy:

• Treasurer. The Wild Hog treasurer makes bank deposits, pays our few bills each month and prepares a simple monthly statement. Johanna Fabke, who served as backup to Chris Lipo, is willing to continue in this role and can help a new volunteer to learn the job.
• Baking coordinator and/or baking volunteers. Our thanks go out to Christine Hoag, who has done a fabulous job in providing home-baked treats for our audiences. Christine is moving on to other endeavors so we're looking for a successor.
• Set-up volunteers. This is the person who greets you at the door, collects admissions, brews coffee, and, yes, washes the dishes. This is a great volunteer opportunity for those who enjoy backstage work - the show absolutely could not go on without you! Experienced volunteers will show you the ropes, and you get free admission to concerts.

Please think about becoming a Wild Hog volunteer. Call Kim Genich, volunteer coordinator, at 233-5687 or Johanna Fabke, newsletter editor, at 838-3112, or just come to the coordinators' meeting on December 6 and dive right in.

The Beatles got it right when they sang, "We get by with a little help from our friends."

• EventsGalore.net's® Jim Winkle spoke to us about his new venture on the Internet. He's developing a website where, for a modest fee, Madison organizations can post their calendars and people can sign up to receive automatic updates by e-mail. We thought it might be a valuable adjunct to our own website and decided to give his system a try. [Webmasters note - I now have this up and running. See Calendar in the menu at the top of the Wild Hog web pages.] Or here - Calendar

Barn Dance Update

After almost 25 years!, The Wild Hog in the Woods is no longer running a barn dance.

However there are plenty of other groups holding dances in the Madison area. Check the following links for more information -

Madison Folkdance Unlimited   (International dancing - mostly south and eastern European)

Madison Contra Dance Schedule

Madison Scandinavian Dance Schedule

Madison English Country Dance Society

Madison Scottish Country Dancers

With all of these dance types - if you can walk, you can dance, no partner necessary.

Madison Online also has search engine for events that might be of interest.

Who We Are

The Wild Hog in the Woods, Inc. is an all volunteer run, non-profit group, that is dedicated to promoting, preserving, and enjoying all types of traditional folk and acoustic music, by providing weekly live performances in our coffeehouse, and occasional special events. We are located in the great city of Madison, Wisconsin.

The Coffeehouse

The Wild Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse cooperative has been bringing folk music to Madison for over 25 years, featuring shows for all ages in a friendly, smoke free and alcohol free venue housed in the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center at 953 Jenifer St, in Madison, Wisconsin, and is open for concerts Friday nights from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Snacks and soft drinks are available. There is ample free parking on street or in the lighted parking lot across Brearly Street. The Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center is also served by Madison Metro bus routes 3, 4.

Concerts feature local, regional, and occasionally, nationally touring artists. There is a minimal cover charge for non members ($3.00 for regular concerts), to help to cover the cost of renting the room, and to support the coffeehouse.

Wild Hog in the Woods members receive a discount on the price of admission to performances (admission for members is $2.00 for regular concerts).

Also, we sell homemade treats, plus coffee, tea, soda and juices at the performances.

Our volunteers setup tables, run sound, take in admissions and staff the refreshment table.

The music varies with the performer or band that is playing and may include styles ranging from traditional folk and fiddle tunes to contemporary folk, bluegrass, western, jazz, blues, and swing.

Typically, performers are supported only by audience contributions and are collected in a ceramic hog called "Phillup the Pig!". Please donate generously! and fill up the pig!

It's a Wild Hog tradition to offer one or two performers an open mic between the main performer's two sets. In fairness to all, we suggest 15 minutes if there's one performer, 10 minutes each if there are two. Contact one of the coordinators before the concert starts, if you would like to take advantage of the Open Mic.

Here is a link to our Calendar, where you can also have automatic email reminders of events sent to you (FREE!).

Here is a map to the Wil-Mar Center -

Upcoming Wild Hog Special Events

See our Calendar

Other (Non Wild Hog) Special Events

See our Calendar

Volunteering

We are an all volunteer run group. New volunteers are always welcome!, and you don't have to be a member to help out. The 'Hog' is a great way to meet others interested in folk music and to help support folk music in Madison. Volunteers receive a price break on admission to events. Some of the tasks we can use help with are - newsletter editing, blurb writing, volunteer coordinating, refreshments coordinator, musician scheduling, weekly poster hanging, weekly poster design, treasurer, Hogline message coordinator, newsletter mailing, web page assistance (graphics help, information gathering, hyperlink donations, etc.), set-up and take-down for the folk stage at the coffeehouse, plus other Hogly activities.

Workshops

Sound Workshops are given occasionally to teach people interested in learning how to use sound equipment at dancing and performing events. The workshop uses an excellent booklet - "All Mixed Up" by Bob Mills, who is a traditional acoustic and folk musician out on the east coast. In concert he does songs like these samples from his latest CD, and he also plays mandolin and banjo for contra dancing, and guitar for old-time and Irish music. He wrote this booklet to fill the need of small acoustic bands who need help understanding sound system use for sound reinforcement at their performances. He also has some excellent sound tips online (especially - how to mic a piano, and onboard mics for fiddles) that you might find helpful. We expect to have copies of "All Mixed Up" available at our workshops. You may keep your booklet from the workshop for a mere $5.

Note: there is a sound workshop scheduled for Wednesday, September 8, at 8:00 pm at the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center -

Sound System Workshop
Free and open to the public - all are welcome -

Chris Kasper of Good-N-Loud Music Company will offer instruction on how to make best use of the Wild Hog sound system. His presentation will introduce newcomers to the basics and refresh the skills of experienced volunteers. There is no charge for this event, but donations are always welcome.

Here is a map to the Wil-Mar Center -

For more excellent links on acoustics, go to the 'Wild Hog' page on Acoustics for Sound Reinforcement and Recording

Here is a link to - "A Sensible Way to Mic a Mandolin" using an AKG C406 microphone. This would probably work for you fiddle/violin, banjo, and other acoustic musicians too.

Here is the rec.audio.pro FAQ Listing

Here is information on our new Mackie CFX-16 sound mixer board.

These were taken from the Mackie CFX webpage -

Owners Manual (pdf)
Hookup Guide (pdf)
Specifications (pdf)
Master Selection Picture (jpeg)
Channel Strip Picture (jpeg)

Becoming a Member

You may become a member by sending a check to - Wild Hog, 953 Jenifer Street, Madison, WI 53703. Please remember to include your name and address (and email address if you would like to receive occasional messages about special events). You can also become a member at concerts. It is not necessary to be a member to help out! Members receive discounts for performances, receive a newsletter every two months, and help a great bunch of people promote traditional and acoustic folk music.

• Individual membership is currently $13 for a Subscribing Member, $10 for a Working Member (Working Members are asked to commit to volunteering at least 3 times during the year).

• Family membership is currently $18 for a Subscribing Member, $15 for a Working Member (again, Working Members are asked to commit to volunteering at least 3 times during the year).

For your convenience - you may printout a membership application. Memberships run for the calendar year.

Our History

The Wild Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse was founded in the spring of 1978, by Madison area traditional folk and acoustic music musicians and enthusiasts, to provide a listening space where people could go to listen and/or play folk music. It was felt, back then, that there was really no place to have weekly folk music performances where local people could listen to, and/or perform acoustic folk style music. Through -

"constant talk about 'If only there was...,' some of us decided that some sort of coffeehouse, maybe a cooperative, was needed to fill the gap that we felt...".

And thus was formed The Wild Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse cooperative. The co-op is an all volunteer run non-profit group that exists to provide quality folk music, folk dance, folk arts, and folklore to the Madison community. Volunteers keep the 'Hog' running - including the musicians, who typically play for donations only. The Wild Hog in the Woods name is taken from an old (not too widely known) English folk fiddle tune/song of the same name. A tune by that name has been recorded by numerous artists among them are: Fuzzy Mountain String Band, Dan Gellert and Shoofly, Kimble Family, Taylor Kimble, Michael Kline, Pine River Boys & Maybelle, and Nimrod Workman. There are related tunes by the name of "Bangum" and "Old Bangum", and is probably an adaptation of the tune used in the Appalachians for the ballad "Bangum and the Boar".

One legend has it that the name for the WIld Hog in the Woods Coffeehouse was a compromise reached after an evening of discussion among the founders with a little beer being consumed along the way.
An anonymous well-wisher mimeographed the words of this traditional song to help celebrate the Wild Hog's first birthday in 1979. In honor of our forthcoming 29th birthday, here they are again:

There is a wild hog in the woods (Diddle all down now, diddle all the day)
There is a wild hog in the woods (Diddle all down today)
There is a wild hog in the woods, he'll eat your flesh and drink your blood,
Track him down, cut him down, catch him if you can.

How may I this wild hog see? Blow your horn, he'll come to thee.
He put his horn up to his mouth. He blew east, north, west and south.
That hog came runnin' with such a sound that all the hills and the trees fell down.
He followed that hog both day and night, swore he'd stop that hog's wild flight.
He followed that hog down to his den, found the bones of a thousand men.
Bangum drew his wooden knife, Swore he'd take that wild hog's life.
They fought three hours by the day. At length that bloody hog crawled away.
He met an old hog on the ridge: "Begone, you rogue, you've killed my pig!"

You can view some letters from our 10 year anniversary, reminiscing about the 'early days'.

Our Mission

The purpose of this corporation shall be exclusively charitable, literary, educational and artistic, including but not limited to:

1. Providing quality folk music, folk arts, and folklore in a coffeehouse atmosphere.
2. Educating the membership and the public about various styles of folk music, folk arts, and folklore.
3. Educating the membership and the public about co-operative principles and co-operative economics.

Newsletter

We publish a newsletter every two months which is sent to all members. Contact Johanna Fabke 838-3112, jbfabke-at-aol-DOT-com, if you have information to relay.

Web Pages

These web pages are currently maintained by Ron McCabe ( hogwebmaster6 <at> tds [dot] net ).

Other Madison Area Folk Music Sources

Our Sister Folk Music Promoter

• The Madison Folk Music Society Mad Folk is a non-profit society dedicated to fostering folk music in the Madison area! They put on a series of Concerts, a yearly Festival, and run Education Programs in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin.

Radio - Weekdays

• WORT 89.9 FM is Madison's listener-sponsored community radio station. Their Schedule includes various acoustic (including - Classical, Folk, Blues, Rock, and Jazz) and has folk music weekdays from 9 am to Noon.

Radio - Saturday

• A Prairie Home Companion, WERN 88.7 FM 5 pm to 7 pm
• Big Top Chautauqua - Tent Show Radio, WHA 970 AM, WHAD 90.7 FM, 9 pm to 10 pm.

Radio - Sunday

• On The Horizon - 2 pm to 5 pm - is a world wide folk music emporium on WORT 89.9 FM - Madison's listener-sponsored community radio station. Their Schedule includes - Classical, Folk, Blues, Rock, and Jazz.
• Simply Folk, hosted by Judy Rose, WERN 88.7 FM, WHA 970 AM, WHAD 90.7 FM, 5 pm to 8 pm, the Simply Folk Playlists from the previous year (you can also make requests, which are played on the second Sunday of the month - rosej@wpr.org). Also, Public Radio Music Source to order CD's or cassettes of the folk, jazz, or classical recording you heard on Wisconsin Public Radio.
• Big Top Chautauqua - Tent Show Radio, WERN 88.7 FM, 8 pm to 9 pm.
• Riders' Radio Theater, WHA 970 AM, WHAD 90.7 FM, 8 pm to 8:30 pm.
• Down Home Dairyland, WHA 970 AM, WHAD 90.7 FM, 11 pm to 11:30 pm.

Venues

• Indigo Coffeehouse and Art Gallery - 1st Thursday of the month: 7 - 9 pm, "Bygone Days" - old-time country music, with bands changing monthly. No cover. - 300 South Main Street, Verona (just south of Miller’s grocery) 845-6800, www.indigocoffeeandtea.com for information, contact Sally Bennett: (608) 845-2124, spbennett9-at-hotmail-dot-com.

• Mickey's Tavern has informal Celtic music sessions Wednesday nights, starting at around 9:30-10:00 pm. There is no cover. Also, on Tuesday night Catfish and Area 51 perform at 9 pm. Cover? 1524 Williamson Street (next to the Yahara river), (608)251-9964.

• Borders Books and Music - East, music usually runs from 7 pm to 9 pm on Friday nights. No cover? 2173 Zeier Road (East of East Towne Mall), (608)240-0390.

• Borders Books - West, music usually runs from 7 pm to 9 pm on Friday nights. No cover? 3416 University Avenue, (608)233-4477.

• Mother Fools hosts a wide variety of music every Friday and Saturday night. There is a cover charge. Shows start at 8 pm. Acoustic music is presented many times each month, check their schedule for show details. The last Friday of every month is an open mic, which is a free event. 1101 Williamson Street, (one block "uptown" from the Williamson Street Coop), (608)259-1301.

• The Club Tavern has music available throughout the week - here is their music schedule.

• Go to the Madison Music Online Club Calendar - for an excellent listing of Madison venues and performances. Also, here is a direct link to their Regular Weekly Gigs, showing gigs day by day.

Some Folk/Acoustic Music Venues, Events, and Links to venues and events in the Southern Wisconsin Area

• The Coffee House in Milwaukee Wisconsin. 631 North 19th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A music tradition since 1967. The Coffee House is a program of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in cooperation with Lutheran Campus Ministry.
  Managers: Sandy Weisto & Dylan Damkoehler
  Telephone during open hours: (414) 344-9997
  The Coffee House Information Line: (414) 299-9598
  They serve coffee, herbal teas, soda, and baked goods. Free parking is available in our lighted lot. The Coffee House is wheelchair-accessible. Here is their Concerts page.
• Cafe Carpé, in Fort Atkinson, WI, has live acoustic/folk music most Friday and Saturday nights. They now have their own web site! Nice work Satchel!! They have a wonderful atmosphere, plus great, reasonably priced food, and drinks. Cover charge varies with the performer and runs from roughly $5 to $15. It is approx. 40 minutes from Madison, and well worth the trip. You can contact them at (920)563-9391 for reservations (usually only necessary for bigger perf.), or to find out who is performing. Their address is 18 South Water Street West, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538. Here is a listing of their upcoming performers, and with a link to a map.
• SWBMA Events Calendar - This is a wonderful page! Refer to it often.
• SWBMA Jams Schedule and Calendar - If you enjoy playing and/or listening.
• The Wild Hog Area Jams Listing - with links to maps.
• The Witz End (Stevens Point, WI) has an excellent website with a really nice music links page for Madison and Wisconsin including concerts, touring info, ticket sales, festivals and online music.
• The Fondy Acoustic Music Alliance, Inc. (FAMA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing listening and playing opportunities for fans of acoustic music. Located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and serving the area from Milwaukee to Appleton and Madison to Sheboygan, FAMA hosts Jam/Open Mic sessions that are typically held on the second Sunday of each month.
• Triple M FM has a Madison concert page.
• Musi-Cal^tm - Search for concert schedules for your favorite musicians, check out festival links or browse club listings! Excellent.
• FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Concerts and Venues by City - Madison.
• FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Music Site Map - Excellent.
• Dirty Linen listing of concerts in Wisconsin.
• Madison Music Online Club Calendar - "Madison's first and still the best online club listing!" Excellent listing of Madison venues and performances.
• Folklore Village holds dances usually every Saturday night starting at 8 pm, there is a potluck dinner before the dance starting at 6:30 pm. All dances are taught and beginners, and the whole family are welcome. Located on County BB six miles East of Dodgeville (608)924-4000
• Green Apple Folk Music Society in the Appleton area of Wisconsin.
• The Madison Blues Festival - madisonblues@madisonblues.com
• Our friends at Narodno! International Dancers an eastern European dance performance troupe, who also host the annual Folk Ball in Madison. Which is the Midwest's Compleat folk event - Dancing, Workshops (dancing, singing, musical), Jam sessions (musician and singing), and Performances of dances from around the world. True to the Madison tradition - it is supported completely by volunteers and donations!
• You are cordially invited to Madison Folkdance Unlimited - where you can do (learn to do) dances from around the world - with a focus on eastern Europe (i.e. the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Hungary, etc.), in the Madison tradition - its free. They meet Wed. and Sun. nights starting at 7:30 pm. Teaching is from 7:30 to 8:30 pm, request dancing starts at 8:30 pm. "Generations of Bulgarian goatherds can't be wrong."

Links of Local Acoustic/Folk Interest

• FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Concerts and Venues by City - Madison
• FolkLib Index - Wisconsin Music Site Map - Excellent.
• Musi-Cal^tm - Search for concert schedules for your favorite musicians, check out festival links or browse club listings! Excellent.
• Dirty Linen listing of concerts in Wisconsin.
• The Celtic Music Association of Madison, Wisconsin - "a group of unpaid volunteers that organizes not-for-profit concerts by traditional Irish, Scottish, and Welsh musicians."

Support those who support folk music!

Spruce Tree Music & Repair, 851 E. Johnson St., Madison, WI 53703, (608)255-2254. Violin and musical instrument repair, Instrument Sales, and Instruction. Hours - Mon. & Tue. 12 - 8
Wed. - Fri. 10 - 5, Sat. 10 - 4 -

B-Side Compact Discs & Tapes, 436 State St., Madison, WI 53703, 608-255-1977. Madison's "Alternative" Music Emporium. -

Steep & Brew Coffee

Steep & Brew graciously donates the coffee that we serve at the Wild Hog in the Woods concerts and events. Our gratitude to Mark Ballering and all the folks at Steep & Brew!

STEEP & BREW 2871 University Ave	608-238-6878 Madison, WI 53705
STEEP & BREW 544 State St	608-256-2902 Madison, WI 53703
STEEP & BREW 6656 Odana Rd	608-833-6656 Madison, WI 53719
STEEP AND BREW 855 W Broadway Ave	608-223-0707 Madison, WI 53716

Tickets

Tickets for Wild Hog special events (and other Madison folk music promoters) can usually be purchased at the following businesses (call ahead to be sure) -

Spruce Tree Music & Repair, 851 E. Johnson St., Madison, WI 53703, 608-255-2254
. . . . Mon. & Tue. 12 to 8, Wed. - Fri. 10 to 5, Sat. 10 to 4,
B-Side Compact Discs & Tapes, 436 State St., Madison, WI 53703, 608-255-1977
Borders Book Store East, 2173 Zeier Road, Madison, WI 53704, 608-240-0080
. . . . . Mon - Thur 10am to 10pm, Fri - Sat 9am to 11pm, Sunday 10am to 9pm
Borders Book Store West, 3750 University Ave. Madison, WI 53705, 608-232-2600
. . . . . Mon - Thur 9am to 10pm, Fri - Sat 9am to 11pm, Sun 9am to 10pm
Canterbury Booksellers, 315 West Gorham (at State Street), Madison, WI 53703,
. . . . 608-258-9911 / 608-258-8899, 800-838-3855
Orange Tree Imports, 1721 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711, 608-255-8211
. . . . Mon. - Thu. 10 - 8, Fri. & Sat. 10 - 5:30
Steep and Brew, 6656 Odana Rd., Madison, WI 53719, 608-833-6656
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544 State St., Madison, WI 53703, 608-256-2902
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2871 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705, 608-238-6878