TOL Coffeehouse

The mission of this not for profit organization shall be: a. To preserve folk music as a viable art form and introduce it to new generations via small venue concerts; b. To provide entertainment and enjoyment to an audience in Columbia, South Carolina; c. To engage musicians and performers, schedule performances, and manage the execution of the folk music events; d. To donate any residual profits from the paying audience to Tree of Life Congregation.

TOL Coffeehouse books nationally known folk musicians, generally singer/songwriters either solo or with their bands. Our goal is to present a fall-to-spring season of four or preferably five concerts. The current season includes Jonathan Byrd, David Wilcox, the legendary John McCutcheon, and rising stars Windborne. Our venue is the Social Hall at Tree of Life Synagogue. The hour preceding the concert, we sell sandwiches donated by Groucho's Deli along with assorted home-baked goodies and beverages. Patrons are allowed to bring their own dinner, and to bring in beer or wine (we do not sell alcohol.) Our "regulars" are like a family, and that "meet, greet, and much" hour is spent catching up with each other and reconnecting. Our goal, as stated in our Mission, is to introduce this music to new generations. Our performers sing some old favorites, but also new songs in the folk tradition that are relevant to current events such as the lasting impact of the Pandemic.
Before moving to Tree of Life, the organization was housed at the Unitarian Universalist Church, and known as the UU Coffeehouse, so we have a23 year history in the Midlands.

Testimonials

What we hear mostly is, "Wow, I thought I would have to go to Atlanta to see [this performer]." We also hear younger patrons who thought that folks music faded with the sixties and seventies, comment on how they could identify with the songs today, which is one of our primary goals.