Coffeehouses have always been a vital part of our local music scene. We’ve seen quite a few come and go over the years, but one has endured — The Wendell Full Moon Coffeehouse. The monthly coffeehouse held in the Wendell Town Hall opened its doors in 1985. While the venue has weathered its share of rocky times, the volunteer-run coffeehouse kept its doors open, becoming the longest-running non-profit venue in New England. Of course, the arrival of COVID shook things up a bit.

In March 2020, The Full Moon Coffeehouse closed its doors, but as other music venues slowly reopened in the following years, it remained closed. When it hadn’t opened by this past September, which is the month when they historically launched their fall season, it was time to start worrying. Would we ever hear the sound of banging drums and guitars strumming at the Wendell Town Hall again? The answer is yes! The Full Moon Coffeehouse is back in business and ready to reopen this weekend when they host a show with the band Do It Now on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Despite being closed for so long, the evening format has stayed the same. There will be an open mic with three acts before Do It Now takes the stage. And like all previous shows, this is a benefit, with this show’s beneficiary being the Wendell Historical Society. (And yes, Dessert-o-rama is back.)

The intense energy and positive message of Do It Now make them the perfect group to relaunch the coffeehouse. The group consists of guitarist John Sheldon of Amherst, percussionist Tony Vacca of Whately, and Beat Poet Laureate Paul Richmond of Wendell. The trio, which has performed at the coffeehouse in the past, combines beat poetry with improvisational world fusion music as they voice the need for social change.

An all-volunteer committee of Wendell residents runs the coffeehouse. Anyone who has ever worked to produce an event of this scale will tell it’s a lot of work. During the pandemic, the committee faced the additional difficult task of determining when it was safe to reopen.

“The committee of the Coffeehouse has been very cautious, not wanting to be any reason for the spread of COVID in our community,” wrote committee member Seal LaMadeleine in a recent email. “We had considered reopening at a few points, but it always seemed to be times that COVID was on the rise, so we decided to keep waiting for safer times.”

And it simply took time for them to feel it was safe. “There were moments when it looked like we might not continue these past four years,” added LaMadeleine. “but the legacy of the Coffeehouse was too much to let go.”

Fellow committee member Karen Traub agreed. “When we met this past summer, it was the positive energy reminding me of the good times, the community connections, and the long tradition that rekindled my enthusiasm,” she said. “New England’s longest running volunteer-run coffeehouse that raises money for local grassroots cultural and environmental organizations is too good of a thing to just let it die.”

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According to LaMadeleine, the coffeehouse “started as a fundraiser in Feb. 1985 by the Route 2 Coalition to oppose Route 2 being built through Wendell State Forest, and has supported hundreds of important causes since then.”

Kathy-Ann Becker was involved in organizing that first Coffeehouse and she continues to be a committee member today. She has many fond memories of the years she spent volunteering for the Full Moon and even shared an article from the Wendell Post about that first Coffeehouse. It was held at the Wendell Town Hall and featured a performance by jazz musician Debbie Frier. Admission was $2.50, and there was an open mic. To further entice the concertgoers, they offered Dessert-o-rama, a selection of homemade treats for sale. The Coffeehouse format — from Dessert-o-rama to the commitment that each show benefits a local environmental or social organization — can be traced back to that very first show.

Committee member Jerry Barilla remembers it before the pre-1985 musical gathering at the old inn in town where the admission was a log to add to the fire. “I’ve always thought that the Coffeehouse grew out of those wonderful early gatherings when there was a lot of talent associated with the many bands whose members lived in town. Outer Space, Loose Caboose, Magic Music are some of the band names I recall.”

So much talent has made its way through the Coffeehouse door. Artists like Darlingside, Livingston Taylor, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, The Lonesome Brothers, Trailer Park and so many others.

“My favorite shows were the early benefits when everyone was donating their time and talents for the protection of the lands along the Millers River,” noted Becker. She also warmly recalls the late Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers, who loved playing the intimate Coffeehouse. “Charles Neville used to really love our audiences and would use our venue to introduce young musicians to play under his wing. That was an honor. ”

Hopefully there will be more great music in the years to come. The Coffeehouse has announced a Dec. 9 show with the Green Sisters and on Jan. 13 they welcome The Gaslight Tinkers.

“We want to give it a go and see if it can have a new life, and we want to give folks a chance to show their support. We hope that the community will show us that it’s important to them as well,” said LaMadeleine.

“Our lineup of three shows is featuring some of the community’s favorite performers. We hope that will be a big draw and get people coming back to Wendell Town Hall.”

Admission is $6 to $20 sliding scale at the door, cash only, with no advance ticket sales. To sign up for the open mic visit wendellfullmoon.org. The Wendell Town Hall is located on the town common.

It’s a busy weekend for the band Ragged Blue. The group, which consists of John Rough on banjo, Corki Demers on fiddle & mandolin, Joe Blumenthal on bass and Terry Atkinson on guitar, will play at the Great Falls Coffeehouse on Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. The next night, Saturday, Nov. 11, you can catch them at the Brewery at Four Star Farms in Northfield at 5 p.m.

Ragged Blue has been together for about seven years but all four members have a long history of creating music in various formations over the years. Blumenthal, Atkinson and Rough played together for many years as members of the long running bluegrass band Maple Ridge.

Ragged Blue started out as a trio then became a quartet when Blumenthal joined on bass. Combing their lengthy performing history with their experience in different styles make for a diverse repertoire. The band describes its music as bluegrass-based with a touch of Celtic, swing, country, and some reimagining of popular tunes. All members sing and share harmonies.

The Great Falls Coffeehouse takes place in the historic Great Hall of the Great Falls Discovery Center at 2 Avenue A, in downtown Turners Falls. Tickets are $6 to $15 sliding scale donation, free for children. Donations help the Friends of the Discovery Center provide free nature programming for the public. The Discovery Center is wheelchair accessible. For more information, please call the Discovery Center at (413) 863-3221 or online at greatfallsdiscoverycenter.org.

The Brewery at Four Star Farms is located at 508 Pine Meadow Road in Northfield. There is no cover charge for this show.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.