Cozy Night Of Music, Storytelling At The Tile Works In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN, PA — This fall and winter, songs and stories performed live will accompany the centuries old surrounds of tools and tiles for "A Night Of Song" inside The Big Room at The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works.

Guest artists from the world of folk, blues, indie, and roots music will take the mic with guest host and "A Night of Song" creator, Joe Montone.

"My vision for A Night Of Song is to provide a glimpse into crafting songs, especially at the intersection of Henry Mercer's tile making, but also create conversation for both audience and artist inside the amazing, cavernous Big Room," says Montone.

Planning A Night Of Song with The Tile Works team is extra personal to him. This immersive event is the second collaborative creation of his newly-founded nonprofit, Stage United, which seeks to inspire communities in Bucks County and beyond through greater access to unique live music programming.

Infusing live music curated by Stage United within the iconic concrete parlor of The Big Room is set to become a quintessential Bucks County experience, especially in the cold months ahead.

The reactivation of The Big Room is one of the many advancements at Tile Works since The TileWorks Of Bucks County assumed operations in 2019. It is now a sought after gem for concerts, fireside chats, and other cultural events.

Executive Director of The TileWorks of Bucks County, Katia McGuirk quotes Henry Mercer, "but if tiles could tell no story, inspire, or teach nobody, and only serve to produce aesthetic thrills, I would've stopped making them long ago," referring to Mercer's love of tiles which are still produced today at The Tile Works using his same methods and designs. She continues, "Through A Night of Song, we aim to sing back to Henry."

On Friday, November 8 Marty O'Reilly will be featured as part of his national tour with support from local Bucks folk singer, Yuri Gohen. Marty’s voice is beautiful and unique, his lyrics stark yet lush over gritty electrified guitar, melding beautifully into genre-defying music within the vast definitions of Americana. Just as one might struggle to explain a dream in the morning, the details might slip away, but the feeling remains, Marty's live performance exemplifies a moment like this.

Yuri Gohen will open the night with a blend of original and traditional folk songs. Joined by frequent collaborator Anthony Carlson on fiddle, the duo aims to showcase the relevance of folk songs as Yuri describes, "both as an invaluable record of our shared history and as the fluid wellspring from which our shared present flows." Gohen has been performing as a folk singer and archivist for over 15 years inspired by Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music and collections of ethnomusicologist, Alan Lomax.

Montone will conduct brief interviews about songwriting with each artist before their sets begin. A Night Of Song is presented by Indigenous Ingenuities, a renowned landscape and architectural design firm in Doylestown.

"We are thrilled to be a part of A Night of Song because we are all about bringing people into incredible spaces, especially while shining a light on incredible craftsmanship," says Matthew Benzie, owner of Indigenous Ingenuities.

Arrival for audiences on Friday, November 8 is set for 6:30 with showtime at 7:30 p.m. A Night Of Song is open to all ages. The TileWorks of Bucks County is located at 130 East Swamp Road in Doylestown. Chef Dan Gallo of Thyme & Plate Catering will be providing delicious snacks.

More installments of A Night Of Song will be announced by December. Tickets are available by clicking here.