The Leo Coffeehouse is one of the oldest, longest running folk and acoustic music venues in the United States. The Leo was started in 1963, when a group of students at the University of Cincinnati formed the Queen City Balladeers and the Leo Coffeehouse.
The coffeehouse first opened in the basement of the University of Cincinnati YMCA and was originally called the Wise Owl. The named was changed to the Leo Coffeehouse and the music continued at the University Y for many years. The Leo moved down the street to Old St. George’s Church in 1999, and moved to its current home, Zion United Church of Christ in Norwood, in 2006.
Over the years, many nationally-known artists like John Denver and Utah Phillips have performed at Leo, but the coffeehouse is mainly an outlet for the many Tri-state area artists. These artists love performing to a “listening room.” where they don’t have to compete with pick-up lines and drunken conversations (as they do in bars) or the grinding of the espresso machines (as they do in most coffeehouse.)
The early years, as reported by Prudence Hunt in the opening of her article in the October, 1993 edition of Folk Notes, were times of high camaraderie
HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY
TO BALLADEERS PAST & PRESENTBy Prudence Hunt
I’d like to teach the world to sing …
The above lyrics speak to the togetherness that people shared in ’60′s and ’70′s — a lifestyle exemplified in the Queen City Balladeers. In the summer, the Balladeers, as a group, held folk festivals, went picnicking, swimming and camping; in the fall they organized Halloween parties, hay rides, and square dances; and in winter it was ice skating and Christmas caroling.In 1975, there was even a group pilgrimage to the folk singers’ Mecca: the Martin Guitar factory in Pennsylvania. Member participation during these decades was astounding. On one evening, 180 people showed up at the Leo.
Meeting minutes from the ’60′s and 70′s show that the Balladeers were very much into community well-being as well. Members played at hospitals, schools, nursing homes, orphanages, country clubs and other venues throughout the city. Workshops and projects with other organizations were held regular basis. For example. Balladeers gave freely to early WEBN album projects.
Members also gave back to the Balladeers: there were T-shirt and sweatshirt sales; bulk orders of guitar strings to give members a price break. Each meeting including a “buy-sell” session where trading went on between members.
After all these years, one thing remains true: The Leo Coffeehouse is an incredible place for an evening of high-quality entertainment.
If you have a story to tell about the history of the balladeers, please add it as a comment below. If you have photos or other items to share, send them to the Queen City Balladeers using the contact form.
Hi Eric,
They say proper names are the first things to go.
I do need more context, maybe even a picture from the 1960′s.
Do I remember you also from the math department?
Best regards,
Bob P.
Bob – Yes, you nailed it –University of Cincinnati Math Department! – Eric
Hi, Bob! I remember you! –from the late 60s or early 70s –your jug band days. I have wondered from time to time what became of you. I’m glad to see that you are still interested in good music. Hey! Why don’t you plan a trip to Cincinnati sometime during the 2013-2014 season of the Leo CoffeeHouse –during the 50th anniversary year of the Queen City Balladeers. It would be fun to see you again! I wonder if I would recognize you. Do you remember me? — Eric Hovemeyer
I remember the open mike nights at the Leo in the basement of the Y in the late 60′s and early 70′s – heard Erich Sylvester, Jack Gambetta, Nat and Paul, quite a lot of good pickers and singers, and genuine tolerance for us newbies. Dave was the president I remember – can’t recall his last name. Toby Skeen once repaired a crack in the back of my Martin 0017 – excellent craftsman. On a few slow nights, I even got roped into MC-ing.
Hello all,
The “asian guy” who played mellow blues (a good man feeling happy) and to whom Gary Weisman refers was/is Dave Kimura. I too wonder what Dave now is doing, and what he is playing. He may have been from Hawaii if I recall correctly.
I also wonder about Roy (Toby) Skeen who was starting on fiddle about the time I left Cincinnati.
As for myself, after jug band, and then a couple of decades as a bluegrass mandolinist, lead and tenor singer, and guitarist, I got into old time fiddling in the mid to late ’90s. And now I am also doing quite a bit of Scandinavian fiddling.
“Out in California, where they sleep out every night, a-cha, cha, a-cha, cha, cha, a-cha”
Best regards to all,
Bob Palasek
Hello Bob
Are you ready for a trip to Ft.Lauderdale with Jack Lohman, JohnMarlowe and myself? What a trip that was in my 64 Ford convertible. Great times and great music.
John
settogo@hotmail.com
I just happened to check out the QCB website and was delighted to see comments from my old friend Fred McCoy (see you this summer, Fred!) and John Dieters, a name I haven’t heard in a very long time. Fred and I and the rest of the members of the “Newcomers” (7 of us total!) were no doubt the youngest members of the QCB back in the mid-60′s. As high-school kids from Mason (then a small town), we drove down to the Wise Owl in the Y every Sunday night that we could manage. John, you may not remembers us, but you taught me how to Travis pick! Mostly we learned from the many seasoned (and generous and kind) musicians in the group, but we also performed a couple of times there. I particularly remember a blugrass group called the Rabbit Hatch (Hash?) Ramblers that came up from Kentucky and another youngster (maybe 17 years old) named John Zwerchek (sp?) who was a very talented guitarist who I heard later backed Mary Travers after PP&M broke up. I also remember an Asian guy who dressed in leather and engineer boots and played a very mean blues guitar (Hot Tuna and Snaker Ray-type stuff). EVERYONE at the QCB was friendly and treated us with respect despite our young ages. I was also there at the after-concert QCB party with the “Mitchell Trio” when John Denver played “Jet Plane” before it was ever recorded by anyone. I missed out when Ian and Sylvia came through town. I also remember that at the time we were members, QCB had the largest collection of Martin guitars in any one organization in the country (over 70 as I recall). I remember more than one 1940′s era herringbone D-28′s!! The Newcomers mostly played to senior citizens and other such groups, but we had a lot of fun and many of us are still playing. We did get to open for John Jacob Niles (yes, that one…I have the pics to prove it ) at the Warren County Fair. One of our members, John Gould, became quite an accomplished guitarist and played quite a bit in the area and out on the west coast. We’re having a reunion this summer, so I have to practice!
Keep on keepin’ on, Balladeers!
Gary Weisman
Durham, New Hampshire
(Still playin’ my ’76 Guild F-50)
My name was Erich Zwertschek in those days, not John as above, and I did play in Mary Travers band on her first solo concert tour. Mike Z. is my brother, who was one of the founding QCB members. Thanks for writing. Check out my new CD selling via cdbaby.com
John, thanks for the memory. I attended QCB jams at the “Y” a couple of times circa 1967 and saw John Denver (with the Chad Mitchell Trio, less Chad) at the Wise Owl. I never forget a guy named Paul Prestipino, a one man orchestra, who took some time to show me some chords, nor will I forget the friendly Balladers who added to my meager guitar skills. After 40 years and retirement, I’m picking up my guitar again and look forward to hearing the Leo concerts.
Glad the QCB are still around. Fred
As I remember it , I was the third president of the Queen City Balladeers. We were still performing in what was called “The Wise Owl” in the basement of the YMCA on Calhoun St. Full crowds every night…great talent. I was almost impeached when I approved buying an upgraded sound system with new Electro-Voice microphones and just about emptied the club’s treasury. Once we had the equipment and enjoyed the upgrade peace returned. We also start the concerts in Eden Park and was surprised with the large turnout we had with only donated advertising on the radio. They were a success the entire summer. J. Henry Miller, with the YMCA will always be remembered for his help. Trust me, there would have been no Queen City Balladeers without him! Happy Holidays Balladeers John B. Deiters , Miami, Florida
John Deiters, if you see this, please contact me. Now in San Francisco.
Erich Zwertschek, now Erich Sylvester, erichsyl@sonic.net