Fiddle Club House Concert and Jam

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Paul Tyler

Kristian Bugge (from Kobenhavn) on fiddle & W.B. Reid (from Seattle) on guitar

On Saturday May 30 at 4pm in Miller Beach, Indiana, the new Dunelands Chapter of the Fiddle Club of the World will host a potluck dinner house concert and jam/workshop featuring traditional dance tunes and songs from Denmark. Suggested donation: $20 (All proceeds go to the performers.).

Send a message to hoosierfiddle@gmail.com to receive the location of the concert.

Miller Beach is about 35 miles from the Chicago Loop. The early start time will make it easier to make the day trip from the North Side and beyond. The host will have a bunch of hotdogs and brats on the grill. Please bring a side dish to share. You should also bring a chair if you don’t want to sit on the floor.

We encourage you to make it a day in the Dunes. Our house is less than a mile from West Beach in the Indiana Dunes National Park. There are several hiking trails and bike paths nearby, plus the Lake Michigan beach is two blocks away.

After supper, Kristian and W.B. will play a single concert set, followed by a jam session for all players. A Danish tune or two will be taught.

Here is a sample from the YouTubes:

https://youtu.be/80RioPqAalY?si=lMwy_ud4DSKD30tN

To learn more about Kristian and W.B. you may download this promo file:

https://drdosido.net/staging/FCW/guests/Kristian_Bugge-WB_ Reid.pdf

Fiddle Club of the World Welcomes Renee Vaughan

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Paul Tyler

Fiddle Club is back again. We are bringing a featured guest fiddler to give us a short concert and lead a jam. In this case, our fiddler is Renee Vaughan, a nyckleharpist from Minnesota.

Renee Vaughan plays new and traditional Scandinavian music on nyckelharpa (a keyed-fiddle), the national folk instrument of Sweden. Renee is currently the Musician-in-Residence at UW-Madison’s Center for Nordic Folklife and will be sharing tunes from her project on the music of first generation Swedish immigrants.

This Fiddle Club of the World-Chicago Chapter meeting will be held

Wednesday, May 1 at 8:00pm at

Borelli Pizza (2124 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago)

Suggested donation: $10. The concert set will be followed by a jam for all players. A couple of Nordic tunes will be posted next week to help you get ready to play.

Here’s a tune from a Swedish fiddler, August Widmark, who emigrated to Minnesota in the 1800s. Renee learned this from a music notebook kept by Mr. Widmark and his family. Learning the story and setting of this notebook are a centerpiece of her residency at UW’s Center for Nordic Folklife.

Widmark Polonaise (aka Slangpolska efter August Widmark)

To learn more about Renee, her instrument and her music, checkout: www.reneevaughan.com.

Fiddle Club of the World Orchestra

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Paul Tyler

Will provide music for a Barn Dance at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Friday December 2, 2016. The dance runs from 7:30 to 9:30. Paul Tyler will be the caller.

For more info on The Social, click here, and scroll down a little.

The Orchestra will rehearse at our revived monthly jam at Gideon Welles (4500 Lincoln) on Sunday, November 20 at 7pm. Another rehearsal will be scheduled for the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

If you want to be in the Fiddle Club Orchestra, you must know these tunes.
They can all be found on the pages linked above: First Tunes for Jams and More Tunes for James.
Big Betty *
Devil in the Hay Stack *
Golden Slippers *
Snouts and Ears of America *
Hast Schottische *
Storm *
Sullivan’s Polka/Britches Full of Stitches *
Walk Old Show, Heel Come A-Dragging *

Also, it is strongly urged that you learn these:
Vidar’s Vals *
Valse de Los Panos *
Tacco e Punta (aka Heel and Toe Polka or Pattycake Polka)
The Seven Step
Raatikko
and
Sekmannsril (Soldier’s Joy with a 3rd part)

* Notation can be found in the PDFs or JPEGs linked on First Tunes for Jams and More Tunes for James.

A Fiddle Calendar for a Chicago Summer

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Paul Tyler

Upcoming Fiddle Club of the World (and other) events
lots and lots of happenings, starting in April

Sunday, April 17, 7-9pm: monthly jam at Gideon Welles (4500 N. Lincoln)

Friday, April 22, 7:30pm: Harry Bolick guests at Fiddle Club of the World
at Seman Violins (4447 W. Oakton in Skokie)

Friday, April 29, 8:30pm: Big Shoulders Square Dance with Cook County Revelers & Tamara Loewenthal

Saturday, April 30, daytime: fiddle & banjo workshops with Bruce Molsky
& clogging workshop with Tamara Loewenthal
(see Old Town School of Folk Music workshop listings)

Saturday, April 30, 8pm: Bruce Molsky in concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music

Sunday, May 15, 7-9pm: monthly jam at Gideon Welles (4500 N. Lincoln)

Thursday, June 16, 7:30pm: Lydom, Bugge & Høirup, Fiddle Club guests from Denmark
at Seman Violins (4447 W. Oakton in Skokie)

Sunday, June 19, 7pm: Betse Ellis & Clark Wyatt guest at Fiddle Club of the World
at the Atlantic Bar & Grille (5042 N. Lincoln)

Tuesday, June 21, 6-8pm: Fiddle Club jam for Make Music Chicago 2016
at Winnemac Park, all players are welcome

July 7-10: 14th Midwest Fiddle Championship* and 5th Battle of the Bands
at Square Roots Festival (Lincoln Square in Chicago)
*rumors that a Banjo Division will be included are true

Old-Time Square Dancing in Chicago

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Paul Tyler

A couple of great dances are coming up in the next month or so in the City of Big Shoulders. We’ll call them Big Shoulders Square Dances.

Foghorn String Band plays the first ever Evanston Barn Dance on Monday, November 2. Calling by Bill Sudkamp and DrDosido.

(Click the poster for the Facebook event page.)

Renowned caller, Phil Jamison, will lead you through the figures at Kuhn Barn at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois on Sunday, November 8 at 6:30pm. Music will be supplied by the Volo Bogtrotters.

(Click Phil’s picture for more information).

Can I Get an Amen plays the Global Dance Party at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Friday, December 4 at 8:30pm. Calling by DrDosido (aka Paul Tyler)

(Click the band’s picture for ticket information.)

No experience needed to enjoy any of these great dances. All figures will be taught. Merriment is encouraged.

Big Fiddle Stuff in City of Big Shoulders

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Paul Tyler

Leadway Jam Session Big Shoulders Square Dance

Sunday, November 16:
Last jam session of the year at 7pm at the Leadway Bar & Grill (523 N. Damen).
(Click tune list above for running list of all 2014 jams.)

Friday, November 21 Big Shoulders Square Dance with White Mule.
8:30 Global Dance Party at the Old Town School of Folk Music (4545 N. Lincoln).
Hot fiddling by Genevieve Harrison Koester. Solid old-time backup by Smith Koester, Andy Gribble and Abby Ladin. Callin by Paul Tyler. Dancing by y’all. No experience necessary.
(Click photo above for more information. Tickets available here.)

Old -Time Square Dance with Bowhunter

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Paul Tyler

Friday, May 9
Dancing from 8:30 to 11:00
Old Town School of Folk Music’s Global Dance Party
Szold Hall, 2nd floor of 4545 Lincoln (Chicago)

Music by Bowhunter, a band of young’ns from Kalamazoo and Lansing.
They’re millennials, and they’re good.
Calling by Paul Tyler, an old boomer geezer from Indiana
He guarantees a good time for all, even for those who’ve never square danced before.

Click here for more info or to reserve your spot.

Old-Time Square Dance, May 9

Stuff to Know About

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Paul Tyler

1. Old-Time Square Dance with Bowhunter
A fine young band from Kalamazoo & Lansing
Old Town School of Folk Music’s Global Dance Party
Szold Hall (4545 Lincoln), 8:30-11 on Friday, May 9

: Old-Time Square Dance, May 9

(click for larger image)

2. Fiddle Club of the World monthly jams
3rd Sunday of each month, 7 pm
Leadway Bar & Grill (5233 N. Damen)
Open to all fiddlers, players, pickers and listeners

3. 12th Midwest Fiddle Championship is in the works.
At the Old Town School’s Square Roots Festival
Weekend of July 11-13
Details to be announced.

4. Friends of the Fiddle Club is forming!
Pay some attention, learn how you can help,
and what you get out of it. It’ll be good.
I promise.

Fiddle Stuff on the Schedule

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Paul Tyler

Square Dance! (It will make you a better musician.)
In Chicago this Friday (Aug 17) with music by Patt & Possum and calling by Bill Sudkamp. Dancing starts at 8:30 in Szold Hall at Old Town School East (4545 Lincoln). All dances will be taught. No experience necessary.

Square Dance with Patt & Possum

Possum, as many of you know, is Charlie Walden, who was a featured guest at Fiddle Club of the World in February 2011. Patt Plunkett played piano with him then, and will at the Global Dance Party square dance.

Fiddle Club Meetings

Frank Hall
(click here for another view)

Frank Hall
Sunday, Sept. 30, 6:30
Atlantic Bar & Grill (5062 Lincoln)
Frank is a fine old-time fiddler, who once lived in Bloomington, Indiana, where he played with the Easy Street String Band. He now lives in Ireland, where he continues to play American old-time.

jam session
Sunday, October 21, 6:30
Atlantic Bar & Grill (5062 Lincoln)

Rosin your bows.

Gran Baile (Big Dance ) this Friday

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Paul Tyler

Square your sets!

White Mule

NB Text on this eCard is misleading. It’s all square dancing all night long! Every dance will be taught. Dancing starts at 8:30 and runs till 11. (There is not a separate teaching half hour followed by a concert.)

And the music will be fabulous, provided by Genevieve & Smith Koester, who were featured guests at Fiddle Club of the World on April 19, 2010. Here’s a sample from that meeting . . .

Litchfield

Fiddle Club of the World

(Chicago Chapter)

Category Archives: Events