Rapunzel's 'a treasure trove of musicians, artists'

Dianne Durant bopped her head, tapped her feet and hummed along to the music from one of the eclectic chairs placed around Rapunzel’s Coffee and Books in Lovingston.

In front of her 12 musicians sat in a circle strumming various stringed instruments including violins, guitars and even a standing bass. One of the musicians would begin a song, often with singing, and the rest of the group would join in.

This wasn’t a band that rehearsed together. They had no catchy group name. It was just a bunch of local musicians who come together on Wednesday nights to play in Rapunzel’s jam sessions. The sessions are open to anyone from all walks of life and include, for example, a lawyer, an orchestral violinist, and a gas station owner.

The jam sessions are one of the things Rapunzel’s Further Ado Foundation offers to fulfill the values at its core, to provide Nelson County with ongoing access to the arts and a community space where they can enjoy them.

“Nelson County is a treasure trove of musicians and artists,” said Durant, an audience member from Nellysford. “People could travel a long way and not meet such a concentration of such talented musicians. Rapunzels provides a showcase for this incredible abundance of musical talent.”

Rapunzel’s opened its doors in December 2001 in the old fruit packing shed on Front Street and has offered a performance to the community almost every weekend since February 2002.

By February 2012 Rapunzel’s will have hosted 1,000 shows, said Sara Taylor, its executive director.

It started as a coffee shop that happened to have live music and evolved into the foundation where the focus was on the music and the community space. It became a nonprofit in 2007.

“It became apparent quickly that what the community wanted was a community gathering space, a social outlet and entertainment,” Taylor said. “It turned out to fill a pretty strong need in the community.”

Rapunzels provides a place for young artists to hone their craft by providing a place to perform. Many artists in the area got their start at Rapunzel’s, including well-known blues guitarist Eli Cook who was one of the first performers back in December 2001.

About 95 percent of the performances are musical, Taylor said, but the place also provides the community with a chance to see performances in dance, theater, and poetry.

An open mic night is held the second Friday of every month, hosted by Joe Madison of Blue Star Music.

The foundation is responsible for every show that happens at Rapunzel’s. It is funded by donations and coffee and book sales. It raises about $25,000 a year, which pays the bills for the place, Taylor said.

On Dec. 18, Rapunzel’s hosted a benefit concert to raise money to pay the licensing fees for the year.

The cover fees for the shows range between $5 and $10, with at least 70 percent of the proceeds going to the band playing. There is no cover charge for Wednesday night. Between 30 and 60 people usually come to the shows, Taylor said.

The name Rapunzel’s came about because of Taylor’s long blond locks and the whimsical, fairy-tale feel of the place. There are Christmas lights and comfy couches spread around and books and paintings cover the walls. The name for the foundation stemmed from the last line of Taylor’s first speech when she introduced the band.

“Without that ‘further ado’ we wouldn’t be here,” she said.

Rapunzel’s is open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, a schedule that works around the staff members’ other jobs. None of the staff is paid for their work at Rapunzel’s.

Taylor’s brother handles the recording studio and does the sound for shows. Her dad, who runs the wood working shop next to Rapunzel’s, works the door and stage.

“It took family to get it going and to keep it going,” Taylor said.

The idea of family now extends past the immediate Taylor clan to the patrons and musicians.

Phil Boyce, of Lynchburg, has been going to Rapunzel’s at least once a week for the past five years and plays in the Wednesday jam sessions. He refers to Taylor’s father as the grandfather of the group.

“It’s an amazing atmosphere,” he said. “It’s an amazing place. It’s like a family here. Anybody that walks in is immediately treated as a friend.”

Katrina Somers, of Faber, agreed.

“Everyone here is kind of like family,” she said. “You get to know everyone well. It’s a really nice atmosphere.”

Regardless of age and background, people make connections based on their common love for music and coffee, she said.

Rapunzel’s is for everyone from “grandparents to grandchildren,” Taylor said. High school student, like Somers, and older members of the community gather at Rapunzel’s.

Durant agreed.

“You don’t have to be a recording artist to come here,” she said. “You just have to like music and then you have to see if you can sit in the seat without dancing.”