BEST OF BOSTON

History

These FREE day long events are produced and funded by David Nickerson. For the last TEN years the Showcase (formerly the Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase) has been presented as an opportunity for new people to come together and share new music and new artists.

Combining a top-notch team of volunteers, several dozen of the Northeast's finest developing singer/songwriters, professional sound reinforcement, great locations, and countless fans, the Showcase has become a free, fun, family-friendly mini folk festival.

During the summers of 1995, 1996, and 1997, the Showcase was held at Holliston's Stoddard Park at Lake Winthrop. In 1998, the showcase moved and became two dates at nearby Hopkinton State Park. In 1999 the Showcase was held over a run of 4 dates, one at Dorchester's Savin Hill Beach, and the remaining 3 back at Hopkinton State Park, on the banks of the Hopkinton Reservoir.

In 2000 we took the Showcase on the road, presenting concerts in Winchendon and returning to Holliston.

Since 2001 we've taken the showcase to towns throughout New England, connecting artists and listenters.

We continue to produce the annual Boston's Best Singer/Songwriter CDs, for promotional distribution at Folk Alliance International Conferences, as well as by the artists featured on the CDs.

Best of Boston vol. I sampler CD:
The Scharff Brothers - Happy Man
Cheryl Hoenemeyer - Factory Girl
Dana Edelman - Dog on the Moon
Chris & Meredith Thompson - Wood & Stone
Terry Kitchen - Atlas
Janet Feld - Do You Want To Be Right?
Don White - The MTV love song
Deadline Poet - Rocket Bride
Mike Duffy - Camouflage
Linda Sharar - Pay The Rent
Pat Burtis - Aphrodite
John McVey - Already Broken
Edie Carey - AUGUST
Marc Herman - Hangman's Bluff
Somebody's Sister - When Will I See You
Matt Griffin - Another Day
Rob Laurens - Wondering How You Are

These artists have played at our showcases:

The Tenth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (June 12, 2004) Billerica, MA
Sam Bayer, Carrie Cheron, Julie Dougherty, Tom Driscoll, Steve Gretz, Chuck Hall, Thea Hopkins, Steve Howard, Boris McCutcheon

The Ninth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (July 10, 2003) Millis, MA
Jake Armerding, Kelly Buchanan, Kate Klim, Steve Barkhimer

The Eighth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (September 21, 2002) Bolton Fair, Bolton, MA
Steve Barkhimer, Chris Canty, Rachael Davis, Tara Greenblatt Band, Jen Johnson, Susan Levine, Bernice Lewis, Mark Purcell

The Seventh Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (I)
(July 7, 2001) Hopkinton State P ark, Hopkinton, MA
Kaye Kelly, All About Buford, Beth Boucher, Charlie Strater, Duncan Watt, Joel Cage, Katrin, Ken Selcer, Kyle Shiver, Marc Herman, Michael Hsu, Mike Duffy, Richard Berman, Sam Hooper, Max Cohen, Mark Purcell

The Seventh Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (II)
(July 11, 2001) Holliston Historical Society, Holliston, MA
Charlie Strater, Vanessa Trien, Duncan Watt, Divya Kumar

The Seventh Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (III)
(August 22, 2001) Holliston Historical Society, Holliston, MA
Katrin, Beth Boucher, Ari, Shiner Jones

The Sixth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (I)
(July 26, 2000) Holliston Historical Society, Holliston, MA
Terry Kitchen, The Scharff Brothers, Linda Sharar, Don White

The Sixth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (II)
(August 26, 2000) Winchendon Town Common, Winchendon, MA
Kevin Briody, Mike Duffy, Janet Feld, Matt Griffin, Marc Herman, Cheryl Hoenemeyer, Rob Laurens, Ken Selcer, Laura Siersema, Chris & Meredith Thompson

The Fifth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (IV)
(August 14, 1999) Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton, MA
Arthur Godfrey, Amy Malkoff and Deadline Poet, Jim Bouchard, Charan Devereaux, Richard Berman, Barbara Phaneuf, Dogwood Moon, Jenny Reynolds, Nathan Thompson, Diana Jones, Janet Feld, Les Sampou, Eric Gerber, McCawley Burke, Sarah Scharff, Eugene Ruffolo, Chris & Meredith Thompson, Lee Totten, Dave Dersham, Joel Cage, Paul Horton

The Fifth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (III)
(July 11, 1999) Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton, MA
Lori McKenna, Summer Pierre, Annie Wenz, The Scharff Brothers, Edie Carey, Nate Borofsky, Greg Greenway, Kyle Shiver, Maria Sangiolo, Barbara Kessler, Mike Duffy, Marc Herman, Rob Laurens, Mark Purcell, Kym Tuvim, Daryl Purpose, Jennifer Tefft, Dylan Callahan, Glenn Pettit, Matt Griffin

The Fifth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (II)
(June 26, 1999) Hopkinton State Park, Hopkinton, MA
Featuring Artists of the RESPOND Project: Esther Friedman, Sandi Hammond, Linda Sharar, Laurie Geltman, Jules Verdone, Deb Pasternak

The Fifth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (I)
(June 12, 1999) Savin Hill Beach, Dorchester, MA
Stephanie Corby, Ken Batts, Terry Kitchen, Jerald Harscher, Colleen Sexton, James O'Brien, Pat Burtis, Cheryl Hoenemeyer, Carl Cacho, Kevin So, Mark Erelli, Mica Richards, Jim Rader, Jon Carmen Band, Vanessa Trien, Ken Selcer, Dana Edelman, Rachel Bissex, Erin McKeown, Dan Merrill, Sam Hooper

The Fourth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (II)
(August 2nd, 1998) Hopkinton State Park
Pat Burtis, McCawley Burke, Nathan Thompson, Lori McKenna, John McVey, Kerri Powers, Jon Carmen Trio, Erica Wheeler, Jenny Reynolds, Colleen Sexton, Jim Bouchard, Mark Purcell, Lui Collins, Dana Robinson, Jess Klein, Jerald Harscher, Mary Gauthier, Michael Hsu, Deb Pasternak, Margo Hennebach, Kevin So Band

The Fourth Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase (I)
(July 12, 1998) Hopkinton State Park
Beth Amsel, Bonedance, Carl Cacho, Joel Cage, Dave Crossland, Kris Delmhorst, Mike Duffy, Mark Erelli, Cheryl Hoenemeyer, einstein's little homunculus, Terry Kitchen, Rob Laurens, Bernice Lewis, Kate Mesmer,  Mica Richards, Linda Sharar, Don White, Jon Svetkey & The Loomers, Christopher Williams, Greg Greenway

The Third Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase
(July 19, 1997) Lake Winthrop, Holliston, MA
Liz Queler, Lori McKenna, Rob Laurens, Steve Hurl, Pierce Campbell, Linda Sharar, Greg Greenway, Merrie Amsterberg, Chance Langton, David Crossland Band, Bernice Lewis, Christopher Williams, Lisa McCormick, Mark Purcell, Mica Richards, Jerald Harscher, Cheryl Hoenemeyer, Max Cohen, Faith Soloway Trio, Kevin Connolly, Jennifer Kimball, Toots Rambles String Band, Deb Pasternak

The Second Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase
(July 20, 1996) Lake Winthrop, Holliston, MA
Carl Cacho, Jeff Cannon, Jerry Gregoire, Jim Bouchard, Bowers & Harned, Ratsy, Joel Cage, Susan McKeown, Jim Henry, Max Cohen, Lynne Saner, Dana Robinson, Greg Greenway, Ginger's Island featuring Jaime' Morton, Cormac McCarthy, Michael Holland, Stan Moeller & T.S. Baker, Linda Nawn, The Pushstars with Chris Trapper, Peter Mulvey, Too Of Many, Pamela Means, Cheryl Hoenemeyer, Sean Staples, Faith Soloway, Janet Feld, Jess Klein, Jerald Harscher, Michael Danahy, Buddy Gibson, Michael Hsu, Jenny Reynolds, C.T. Elliot, Kevin So, Kyle Shiver

The First Annual Best of Boston Singer/Songwriter Showcase
(July 29, 1995) Lake Winthrop, Holliston, MA
Kevin So, Cheryl Hoenemeyer, Al Peterson, Buddy Gibson, Ross Robinson, Ron Curcio, Linda Nawn, Jeff Cannon, Ratsy, Peter Mulvey, Sean Staples, Jackson Bradeur, Michael Laurreano, Kelly Riley, Jim Rader, Jim Bouchard, Alex Smith, Kerri Powers, Mark Purcell