Astoria to welcome tuneful Tenor Guitar Gathering
Published 10:57 pm Tuesday, May 27, 2025
“Playing a six-string guitar is like driving a truck. But a four-string is like driving a sports car,” said John Halovanic, president of the Tenor Guitar Foundation, expressing his delight in playing the tenor guitar.
Everyone can share in Halovanic’s enthusiasm May 30 and May 31 at Astoria’s 15th Tenor Guitar Gathering.
According to Halovanic — and an Astoria mayoral proclamation — the annual festival “brings the world’s largest gathering of four-stringed instruments, including tenor guitars, mandolins, violins, ukuleles, violas and banjos to Astoria.”
The sessions will feature concerts, workshops, raffles, opportunities to try and purchase instruments, jam sessions, and other events, most focused at the Charlene Larsen Performing Arts Center.
“It’s crazy how interest in the four string has grown these past few years,” continued Halovanic. The Tenor Guitar Foundation and Gathering was created by the late Mark Josephs in 2010. All-volunteer members continue in his honor with the event, dedicated to preserving and promoting the unique sound and rich history of the tenor guitar.
Believed to be a hybrid of the mandolin and banjo rage of the early 20th century, the tenor guitar basically has the body of a guitar joined to the neck of a tenor banjo with a scale length of around 23 inches. Legend has it that the instrument’s popularity soared during the Prohibition era by offering banjo players a mellower, quieter, option that wouldn’t alert the police to alcohol-fueled speakeasy jams.
There’s no guarantee that this year’s Tenor Guitar Gathering won’t alert the police as festivities kick off Friday morning at 10 a.m. when musicians and enthusiasts muster at the Riverwalk Inn for the traditional Trolley Ride. Bring your instruments and voices for a rollicking play- and sing-along jaunt on the waterfront. Afterward, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a lunch buffet will be served at Bridgewater Bistro, accompanied by tenor guitarists Tim May, Chris Wessel and friends. (Advance reservations are a must).
Jam sessions and workshops will be happening all day Friday at the PAC. Check out KUMN radio station in the afternoon when a literal “jam” session will see how many musicians can cram into the station studio to perform during the 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. slot. Friday night’s concert, on the Center’s main stage, features EZ Marc Poschman, Alison Helzer, Pat Mac Swyney and Brian Oberlin. It will begin at 7 p.m. with a post-concert meet-and-greet the musicians in the lobby. For those who can’t get enough of the music, you can join an impromptu after concert jam at 10 p.m. to midnight in Astoria Riverwalk Inn’s lobby.
Saturday, all day, more workshops are in room A of the Center, along with jam sessions on the main stage, including “Chris and Tyler’s Most Excellent Jazz Jam” at 10:30 to 11:20 a.m. and “Alison and Pat’s Most Excellent Irish Jam” at 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.
Saturday evening’s concert starts at 7 p.m. featuring Tim May, Grant Flick, Tyler Jackson, and a “special” guest. As the night before, meet ’n greet the musicians in the lobby, or join musicians for an after-concert late night jam in Astoria Riverwalk Inn’s Lobby.
For those who’ve missed the previous days’ events, the Richards Family and their “Tenor Guitar Orchestra” will be playing background music at Astoria’s Sunday Market.
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Tenor Guitar Gathering
Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31
Charlene Larsen Center for Performing Arts, 588 16th St., Astoria. This is the former Trinity church on the northeast corner of 16th Street and Franklin Avenue.
Information and tickets, log on to tenorguitar.org.
• Editor’s Note: The print edition version of this story had an error in the name of John Halovanic, which was introduced during the editing process. Apologies.
