Fallbrook Americana Series enters seventh year of concerts

FALLBROOK — The adage “Time flies when you’re having fun” has never been more true than for the Fallbrook Americana Music Series committee as they enter their seventh year of bringing tradition-based music to Fallbrook. Pat Sica, an active Fallbrook resident, started the series by approaching Phee Sherline, then booking talent for San Diego Folk Heritage, saying, “If you’re interested in creating a concert series for Fallbrook, I’ll help you.”

“It isn’t every day that an offer like that comes around,” said Phee, and the pair scouted locations and formed the guidelines that govern the series today. Their goal has always been to keep the music acoustic — that is, without heavy amplification. And the concerts must have a reason for being other than to book a hot group touting their new CD. “In every case, our artists perform music of their passion, whether it is for the love of blues or Celtic or early swing or bluegrass or whatever. They do more than play their next tune to please the audience. They are perpetuating their own appreciation of the small slice of the art they have chosen. It’s this specialization we require,” says Phee. “We’re not interested in simply filling the hall.”

Because of this specialization, Fallbrook has known six years so far of intriguing acts, all of them different, all of them a world apart from the popular music played today on TV and radio. “It is knowing we’re bringing something unique to Fallbrook that keeps us going,” said Phee.

The 2006 schedule begins Jan. 21 with Los Angeles-based Border Radio, whose forte is ’20s and ’30s swing. Bluegrass is featured once a year in February, this year by the Cherryholmes Family. March 11 brings Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsen. The season is nearly booked but space is open for opportunities that might come along. Very soon the year will be lined up.

The series offers up to ten concerts annually, most of them on Saturday nights at 7:30 at Hilltop Center, 331 East Elder. The committee is all-volunteer and the goal is to create a good venue for the artists. “We want them to love playing here and go home with enough money to make it worthwhile. So far we’re succeeding very well,” said Phee.