Eighth Step Coffee House facts for kids

The Eighth Step Coffee House, often called "The Step," is a famous place for live music and performances. It started in Albany, New York in 1967. It was created by a group of local churches called FOCUS CHURCHES. They wanted to help people in the community. For its first 30 years, The Step was in the basement of the First Presbyterian Church in Albany.

The Step quickly became popular with students and young adults. It was near many colleges, like the University at Albany. It soon became its own non-profit organization. The Step was open every day and run by a small team and many volunteers. It earned money from ticket sales and memberships. At its busiest in the 1970s, it had thousands of members!

A Place for Music and Dance

The Eighth Step became known for its amazing performances.

Concerts and Open Mics

Smaller concerts and a weekly "Open Mic" night were held in the basement coffeehouse. The Open Mic was the biggest in the area. For bigger shows, with hundreds of people, they used the church's Assembly Hall upstairs. This space was called "8th Step Upstairs." It even had beautiful Tiffany Windows.

Starting Contradancing

The Eighth Step also helped start contradancing in the Capital Region. This was thanks to a musician named Bill Spence. Contradancing is a traditional type of New England line dancing. It became very popular in the area. Many groups started their own dance nights with live music every weekend. The yearly 3-day Old Songs Festival also had a lively dance area that went on late into the night.

Many Kinds of Performers

The Step brought in many different kinds of artists. They featured famous musicians from all over the world, as well as local talent. They were especially known for contemporary singer-songwriters. But they also hosted Celtic music, jazz, bluegrass, folk rock, comedy, and even theater. The Step was also a meeting place for groups like North River Friends of Clearwater and Irish music sessions.

Moving to New Homes

Eventually, The Eighth Step grew too big for its first home.

From Cohoes to Traveling Shows

In 2000, The Step moved to the historic Cohoes Music Hall in Cohoes, New York. After three successful years there, it became a "traveling feast." This meant it presented concerts on many different stages around the region. It held shows at places like RPI, Proctors, and the University at Albany.

A Home at Proctors Theatre

In 2007, The Eighth Step found a new home at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York. It has been there ever since.

The People Behind The Step

Since 1987, Margie Rosenkranz has been the Executive Artistic Director of The Step. She helps choose the artists and organize everything. Margie has a lot of experience in the arts. She worked for The Egg and Skidmore College. She also worked with Pete & Toshi Seeger for the Sloop Clearwater. The Sloop Clearwater is a special boat that teaches people about the beautiful Hudson River.

Amazing Artists at The Step

The Eighth Step has introduced many talented singer-songwriters to the area. Some of these include John Gorka, Patty Larkin, Greg Brown, Cheryl Wheeler, The Wailin' Jennies, Dougie MacLean, and Dar Williams.

Many famous artists have performed at The Step since 1967. These include Pete Seeger, Richie Havens, Tom Paxton, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Arlo Guthrie, Alison Krauss, and Odetta. Even Ani DiFranco, a well-known independent rock artist, performed there when she was just starting out. She played for 40 people in the coffeehouse. The next year, she played for 400 people upstairs. The year after that, The Step presented her to over 2,600 people at Albany's Palace Theatre!

The Step Today

At Proctors, The Step usually uses the GE Theatre, which seats 430 people, or The Addy, which seats 90. One of Pete Seeger's last concerts, with his sister Peggy, sold out the main stage with 2600 seats! The Step's seasons usually run from September to May. You can get tickets through their website or the Proctors Box Office. Just like in the old days, they still serve delicious desserts and hot coffee. A cup of coffee still costs just a dollar!