This article (using the picture above) came up in my Facebook memories (from 6 years ago) today:

https://chestertownspy.org/2016/05/24/mainstay-mondays-with-joe-holt-and-featured-guests-begins-monday-may-30 

.The article ran a week earlier, but I shared it on Facebook 6 years ago today (Memorial Day, 5/30), the day that the experiment that was "Mainstay Monday" began, originally scheduled as a 15 week series, to end on Labor Day. The article from 2016, announcing the new series, mentions the possibility of extending the series beyond 15 weeks, but who knew that it would take a global pandemic to end (weekly) Mainstay Mondays nearly 4 years later!

As is known now (but not when the series ended), it wasn't my intention to stop presenting shows, just to pull back from weekly to monthly shows. It almost didn't happen, and I was resigned to that, but as it turned out, the story had (at least) another chapter to play out, as the new director offered me a monthly First Friday series for 2022. I'm having fun with it, presenting themed programs, with wonderful guest artists, that vary from month to month. A welcome addition to the Mainstay this year is the livestreaming of shows, that archive on YouTube. Here are the links to the "First Friday with Joe Holt" shows so far:

February - In Love with Swing, featuring Cody Leavel - sax/vocals and Amy Shook - bass  full show

March - Straight Lines, Winding Roads, and Detours, featuring classical pianist Stephanie LaMotte  set 1  set 2

April - "Motown and More" - A Tribute to African American vocalists of the 20th century, featuring Paula Johns  full show

May - "Peggy Lee, Meet Blossom Dearie", featuring Beth McDonald and Sharon Sable  full show

So, my "First Friday with Joe Holt" series pretty much picked up where Mainstay Monday left off, but with even more possibilities for unique programming that you won't see anywhere else. Like this Friday (6/3), when a Traditional Jazz trumpet player, a Bop sax player, and a Latin trombonist join me to tackle the Great American Songbook all together (something that would very likely never happen on it's own). Just like Mainstay Mondays, these shows all find their own special "Mainstay Musical Magic" sweet spot. If you can't make the show, check in with the Mainstay Livestreams YouTube channel instead.  :)