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Featured Coffeehouse of the Month

The Linden Tree Coffeehouse
326 Main Street
Wakefield, MA 01880

Many people think of folk music as a '60s thing, but actually, most of the community coffeehouses that dot the greater Boston landscape today got their start in the '70s and '80s.  There was a big boom in folk venues in the mid-80s, due in part to the growth of folk music on local public radio stations, such as WUMB (91.9-FM).  In 1985, the Linden Tree Coffeehouse in Wakefield opened its doors.  It is a classic community coffeehouse, known for its neighborly ways, comfy concert space, first-rate sound, and home-cooked snacks.

Shows are held in a large basement hall of the Unitarian Church in Wakefield Center monthly from October to May, usually on the first Saturday of the month.  Attendance averages 50-125.  Dress is casual, and there is plenty of free on- street parking.

The Linden Tree differs from many programs, in that they tend to tie shows together into themes, such as a bluegrass night, Celtic night, blues night, humor night.

“Sometimes we just look for artists who have some connection, that we think would be fun to see together,” said booking director Liz Freeman.  “and then we look for some theme to tie them together.  Sometimes I almost think of myself like a matchmaker.  I figure if the performers like each other by the end of the evening, so will the audience.  When the artists are enjoying themselves, the audience picks up on that, and it makes it more fun for everybody.”

Food consists of baked goods, with an array of house specialties that run from home-made salsa and chips to a lemon bar highly regarded by Linden Tree regulars.  "We also have a very good chocolate-chip-cookie maker who’s been branching out into a variety of brownies," Freeman said.  "A lot of people tell us that we’re friendly.  We get to know our regulars, and try to accommodate them.  One woman likes to sit in the second-row, over to the right; others who want to be front-and-center.  We like it when people call and say they want their regular spot, because then we know they think of themselves as regulars.

"We try to do a half-and-half mix of new performers and acts who have been there before, because the audience likes the familiarity.  A lot of times, people come just because it’s bluegrass or Celtic night, even if they don’t know the artists who are playing.  They'll say, 'Well, we liked who you had last year’ We like to hear that, because we want to create a sense that the Linden Tree is their coffeehouse, too.  When we hear people who are not on the committee refer to it as 'our coffeehouse,' that's what makes it fun for us."