WICN In Worcester To Mark 700th 'Folk Revival' Show

WORCESTER, MA — If WICN DJ Nick Noble set out to revive folk music, he's succeeded.

Noble will mark his 700th "Folk Revival" show on Thursday. The weekly program explores the vast folk genre, and serves as a showcase for everyone from contemporary local musicians to the greats of the 1950s-to-1970s folk boom.

Noble, a retired teacher, took over the show in 2007 from longtime host Norah Dooley. He had been a frequent guest of Dooley's due to his knowledge of the genre. Under his watch, he's made the show a beacon for folk listeners within range of WICN and far beyond.

"I really have latched on to my principal goals with the show," he said this week. "The first is to highlight the songs of the great folk revival period in the 50s, 60s and 70s. And so I play songs from that era pretty regularly. I also want to emphasize local artists from New England."

He's quick to downplay the 700-show streak. Other DJs at WICN have been broadcasting for decades, Noble said. But it's hard to deny the reach of "Folk Revival." With live streaming over the internet, the program has attracted listeners in almost every state, plus overseas in Australia and China.

The program is also a resource for folk musicians. Noble estimates he gets a few dozen submissions on tape, CD and mp3 every month, and has pledged to play at least one track on air from all of them.

Thursday's 700th show will be a showcase for some of Noble's favorite local folk acts. The lineup will include:

• Colette O'Connor (Plympton) — A singer-songwriter and herself a radio/livestream/TV host making her 13th "Folk Revival" appearance on Thursday.
• P.E. James (Worcester) — A singer-songwriter and cover artist who performs regularly at the Grill on the Hill restaurant at Green Hill Park making his 21st "Folk Revival" appearance Thursday.
• Beth DeSombre (Wellesley) — An award-winning singer-songwriter and a professor of environmental studies at Wellesley College. She will make her 23rd appearance on Thursday.
• Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards (Webster) — Mark and Raianne have released multiple albums, have toured Canada and much of the eastern and southern U.S., and are the founders of the annual Massachusetts Walking Tour. They will make their 23rd appearance on Thursday.
• The Lied To's (Doug Kwartler and Susan Levine, Boston) — They made their "Folk Revival"debuts as individual solo artists in the spring of 2010 and will make a combined 18th appearance on Thursday.
• Dan and Faith Senie (New Hampshire) — A talented husband-and-wife folk duo who are veterans of the DDGCAmFFF festival making their 16th "Folk Revival" appearance on Thursday.
• Ari Charbonneau (Worcester) — Frequently seen performing locally at Nick's and Vincent's, she's been appearing on the "Folk Revival" since 2009 and will make her 14th appearance.
• Eric Luskin (Needham) — American Public Television VP by day, folk singer by night, and frequent "Folk Revival" guest.

"There are very few stations in this country that emphasize folk, the music of the people," Noble said. "There are some, a dozen or so around the country, and I'm proud to be at one of those. That's what's important."

Thursday's 700th show begins at 7 p.m. on WICN, 90.5. The show airs weekly on Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m.