PHIL OCHS SONG NIGHT AT THE OUTPOST IN THE BURBS
“Phil Ochs is the greatest writer of American protest music…”
– John Lennon, 1971
– John Lennon, 1971
“I just can’t keep up with Phil – and he’s getting better and better and better.”
– Bob Dylan
– Bob Dylan
It is hard to believe that it has been over 30 years since Phil Ochs left us. Suffering from manic depression, Phil committed suicide in 1976. Given advances in medicine since that time, Phil probably could have been helped if he were diagnosed today. We can only wonder what Phil would have made of all the headlines and stories of social injustice and attacks on our freedoms that fill our news today.
During his short career that began in the folk revival
years of the 1960’s, Phil Ochs wrote over 100 songs, some humorous and many about the serious topics of the day — civil rights, Viet Nam and hungry miners. His songs have been recorded by numerous artists including Joan Baez, John Denver, Gordon Lightfoot, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger and many others. Songs such as “There But For Fortune,” “I Ain’t Marching Anymore,” “Small Circle of Friends” and “When I’m Gone” have become soundtracks to our lives, and continue to inspire singer/songwriters of today.Six years after his death, the musicians cooperative
Fast Folk put together a show at Speak Easy, the now-defunct club that witnessed a resurgence of singer-songwriters during the 1980’s and early 90’s. Phil’s sister Sonny Ochs assisted in organizing the first event, which ran late into that October night and featured many members of the Clearwater’s Hudson River Sloop Singers. The following year, Sonny took the reigns and organized another night at Speak Easy that included artists such as Oscar Brand, Sammy Walker, Tom Intondi, David Massengill, Rod MacDonald, and The Washington Squares.The successful evening grew the following year when Sonny moved the show to Folk City. The lineup at Folk City included Suzanne Vega, Melanie, Tom Paxton, Fred Small, Happy Traum, Eric Andersen, Christine Lavin, Frank Christian, Dave Van Ronk and Magpie.
Folk City closed its doors in 1986, and Sonny moved the now annual event to The Bottom Line. Sonny moved to Albany, and the following year saw the Phil Ochs Song Night move to the Capital District’s Eighth Step Coffeehouse where it would be held annual for the next decade.
During this time, Sonny began producing additional Song Nights in Philadelphia, Washington
DC, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The first Phil Ochs Song Nights were held in Canada in 1994 and mini-tours were organized. In 1999 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame hosted a Song Night.Over the years Sonny has evolved the format of the event. Originally only Phil’s songs were
heard, but Sonny began requesting that performers sing one of Phil’s songs and one of their own. I feel this is one of the most compelling features of the Phil Ochs Song Nights. While continuing to keep Phil’s music alive, sharing “new” songs from today’s artists shows that Phil’s work continues to insipire – and there is still many issues that need addressed. In many cases Phil Och’s “reported” on issues of the day in his songs, but more importantly his music attempted to insipire action in others. It may be his lasting legacy that others have taken up where he left off.On Friday, Mar
ch 30, the Outpost in the Burbs will present a Phil Ochs Song Night, with Sonny Ochs as emcee. This tribute show features an impressive lineup including John Flynn, Kim and Reggie Harris, Greg Greenway, David Roth and slide guitarist Pat Wictor. This concert will be held at the Outpost in the Burbs located in The Unitarian Church of Montclair, 67 Church Street, in Montclair, New Jersey. Tickets will be available at the door for $22. For more information, visit the Outpost’s website – www.outpostintheburbs.org.