MoFolk Listening Room
By Mattéa Overstreet
Music is how we celebrate, how we remember, how we grieve, and how we hope. It gathers us together around feelings and stories that bind the human experience. Before screens and algorithms, songwriters were offering their craft face to face, in parlors, backyards, and villages where people gathered to listen and engage. A new concert series hopes to revive that spirit, Creating a space where artists and their stories are centered, and the room leans in.
MoFolk Listening Room is a modern music salon, celebrating the tradition of song sharing and fostering creative exchange. This pop-up concert series, located in Modesto, CA, is a sanctuary for regional songwriters to be experienced and nurtured by an engaged and intentional audience. MoFolk draws inspiration from spaces where storytelling was the soul of the show. Listening Rooms gave rise to legends like Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, whose songs were forged in spaces small enough for their truths to resonate.
Like those spaces, MoFolk is about intention. Each songwriter is offered space to tell stories, let their lyrics breathe, experiment with vulnerability, and be heard in full. MoFolk invites music-loving audiences into a safe, accessible, and relaxed space to support local artists at no cost..
The Listening Room offers the performers an opportunity for curiosity, exploration, and growth. Emerging and seasoned artists alike can step into the next level of their craft and be uplifted by the spotlight.
On Tuesday, June 17th, MoFolk will feature three artists rooted in authenticity and lyrical depth. Eli Allsup, Shaylin Nichole, and Weston Perry are offering a chance to hear stories you won’t find on playlists or in bars. It’s a living room for Modesto’s creative spirit.
“Songwriting is a true reflection of somebody’s internal landscape. What an honor and privilege to be able to dive into that vulnerable place with the artist. I think as a community, we need this more than ever right now.” – Shaylin Nichole.
Songwriters who resonate with this ethos are encouraged to apply to perform their work. Registration is open to songwriters with a shared respect for the listening room format.
MoFolk is a space where songs become conversations, and connection is built through the power of authenticity, vulnerability, and everything else that makes music matter.
MoFolk Listening Room: Eli Allsup, Shaylin Nichole, and Weston Perry Tuesday, June 17, 2025 – 6 pm The Artist Lab at Prospect Theater, Modesto – FREE ADMISSION For artist submissions and more info, scan the code or visit: mofolk209.carrd.co
