Bothy Spring Roots Festival

Series produced by KMSU

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The Bothy Spring Roots Festival is a folk/roots/bluegrass music festival

When the Bothy Folk Club began in February 1991 at the What¹s Up Lounge in Mankato, live music venues in the area were practically nonexistent. There were no coffee houses in the area offering live music. Very few bars featured live acts either, not even the What¹s Up, which began booking bands after the early successes of the Bothy.

More live music appeared as other bars began featuring bands. Coffee houses, like the Coffee Hag and Chestnut Tree, sprung up and regularly featured acoustic music. The Bothy was one of the sparks that started it all. Run by volunteers as a non-profit organization, the Bothy featured well-attended Open Stages and the first appearances of local acts such as The Divers, Stuart Davis and Prairie Wind. The Bothy Folk Club has since brought in national folk acts like Lucy Kaplansky, Greg Brown, Tom Paxton and Christine Lavin, as well as dozens of Minnesota and regional artists over its 18-year history.

The Bothy continues its tradition of Open Stages for local talent before some of its concerts, and also at the annual Rock Bend Folk Festival every September in St. Peter. The Rock Bend also began the same year as the Bothy, inspired by an original Bothy board member, Ross Gersten. After stints at the St. Peter Woolen Mill and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Bothy has now settled down at the Mankato Eagle¹s Club at 708 North Riverfront Drive, just across the street from its beginnings at the What¹s Up. The setting is informal, but the shows are true concerts, not background music for a bar scene.

The concerts are also non-smoking, with a smoking area (and beverages) available in the adjacent bar. The Bothy Festival is member supported. A $15-a-year membership entitles members to $3 off the admission to each concert, so it can soon pay for itself. Nevertheless, everyone is welcome to attend the concerts. The Bothy Folk Club¹s concert series runs from October to May, usually with one concert a month.

Oh yes, you ask, what about the name Bothy? It¹s a Scottish word for the building that servants and other hired help lived in. It¹s where they gathered in the evenings to entertain themselves with music and dancing. Founding member, Englishman Michael Bonner, added this new word to the Mankato music scene. The Bothy will continue to bring new, live music to Mankato, as long as people keep coming. Hide full description

When the Bothy Folk Club began in February 1991 at the What¹s Up Lounge in Mankato, live music venues in the area were practically nonexistent. There were no coffee houses in the area offering live music. Very few bars featured live acts either, not even the What¹s Up, which began booking bands after the early successes of the Bothy. More live music appeared as other bars began featuring bands. Coffee houses, like the Coffee Hag and Chestnut Tree, sprung up and regularly featured acoustic music. The Bothy was one of the sparks that started it all. Run by volunteers as a non-profit organization, the Bothy featured well-attended Open Stages and the first appearances of local acts such as The Divers, Stuart Davis and Prairie Wind. The Bothy Folk Club has since brought in national folk... Show full description


9 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 25, 2010
  • Length: 52:27
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 25, 2010
  • Length: 44:04
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 26, 2010
  • Length: 22:18
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 26, 2010
  • Length: 57:31
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 26, 2010
  • Length: 51:01
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

Bought by KFAI Minneapolis


  • Added: May 27, 2010
  • Length: 45:29
  • Purchases: 1
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 27, 2010
  • Length: 54:53
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 27, 2010
  • Length: 52:55
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From the Bothy Spring Roots Festival - April 17, 2010

  • Added: May 27, 2010
  • Length: 45:17