I am not a fan of cold and snow. Maybe it is okay for a week or two, but for my tastes, it gets boring real fast.

Many people tend to ignore the signs of cabin fever. I urge you to be careful. If you find yourself sitting in front of the TV watching yet another home improvement show on cable, you are in danger of succumbing to the grips of this debilitating illness. The cure is simple – get out now!

This is another good weekend for getting out of the house and checking out some live music. Tonight, Steve Forbert will be performing at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck; C.J. Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band will be at Bergen Community College, Maura O’Connell is at the Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair, NJ; Lou & Peter Berryman perform for the Princeton Folk Music Society; the Blind Boys of Alabama are at NJPAC; and Modern Man will be at the Our Time Coffeehouse in Garden City.

Tomorrow night, I have the pleasure of serving as emcee for a concert featuring Modern Man’s George Wurzbach and singer-songwriter Rich Deans at the Acoustic Cafe in Park Ridge. This promises to be a great evening. Rich will be the opener, and if you had the chance to hear him when he was a guest on TRADITIONS you know what an incredible songwriter he is. Pat Wictor has recorded his songs “Don’t Dig My Grave Too Deep” and “You Can Count on Me” – an anthem-like song that also has been recorded by Hope Machine. And what else can you say about the incredibly talented George Wurzbach? His wit, wisdom and warm stage presence will capture your heart.

The Acoustic Cafe is a relatively new venue, located in the Our Lady of Mercy Church – 2 Fremont Ave. Park Ridge, NJ. For information you can phone 201-573-0718. If you can attend, please be sure to say “hello”!

Also on Saturday night – the legendary Greg Brown performs at Sanctuary Concerts in Chatam, NJ; Paul Brady will be at B.B. King’s in the city; the aforementioned Pat Wictor and Kate Gaffney will appear at the Hillside Cafe in Nutley, NJ (a wonderfully cozy room!); Richie Havens is at the Music Hall in Snug Harbor; Beaucoup Blue will be at the Postcrypt in NYC; Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart are at Music at the Mission in West Milford, NJ; and if you really feel like stepping out – there will be a Swingin’ Tern dance with Dave Rupp and John Devine & Mat Clark at at the Ogden Memorial Church in Chatham, NJ – the beginner’s workshop starts at 7:30 PM with the dance following at 8 PM.

If you have to stay home this weekend, at least be sure to turn your radio dial to 89.1 FM (or listen in on the web at www.wfdu.fm) This will be our FINAL week of fund raising. While many listeners will celebrate the fact that you won’t hear Bill and I preach for another year, please remember the importance of your donation. WFDU has ONE fund drive per year – that is it! We need you to show your support so that we can continue to provide an outlet for folk music and singer-songwriters.

Even though TRADITIONS has been a Sunday afternoon staple on WFDU since 1980, there are no guarantees in this day and age. We have already discussed how the “original” TRADITIONS, Mary Cliff’s brillant program with a 34 year history, was “dumped” by WETA in Washington with a weeks notice. Mary found another home on WUMB in DC, but her program was cut from four to two hours. WUMB also has a history of making changes. A bit closer to home, in CT, Susan Forbes-Hansen found her long running show cut. The folk community is outraged as this important outlet was taken away.

You can help keep shows like TRADITIONS and THE SESSION alive and well. Please make your call this weekend! Find out more by going to www.wfdu.fm !