For diehard Denver folkies, discomfort is as much a part of the concert experience as singalongs and acoustic guitars. So you'll have to excuse folk music fans if they look just a tad dazed Saturday night at the plush, elegant Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

They'll be out in force for the inaugural Denver Folk and Roots Music Festival presented by the Swallow Hill Music Association.

"It will be nice to have comfortable seats during the (four-hour) show. I hope it's not so comfortable that people fall asleep," said a chuckling Jim Williams, the folk association's executive director and concert director.

He said the event was modeled after the 30-year-old Ann Arbor Folk Festival, presented at the venerable Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan.

"That event was designed to introduce lesser-known acts to an audience familiar with the bigger names. We wanted to come up with something that applied to the musical environment of Denver," he said.

The big evening will start with sets by local flamenco legend Rene Heredia, the singer/songwriter duo Storyhill, local bluegrass pickers Sons & Brothers, and Irish instrumental virtuosos Liz Carroll and John Doyle.

Following intermission and suitably classy refreshments, the audience will settle in for tunes from mandolinist Mike Marshall with Choro Famoso, Claudia Gomez and a bluesy finale with Taj Mahal.

It makes sense that the emcee for such a grand, cross-cultural hootenanny is Denver's folk music godfather, Harry Tuft.

"It will be different. There won't be any grass to spread our blankets on, and no folding chairs. Maybe we should offer, as an option, a piece of plywood so folks have a familiar hard surface to sit on," he said.

Tuft recalled that the first seats Swallow Hill used for concerts "were the barest of metal folding chairs. In the old (Denver) Folklore Center we used church pews. There were other situations where we just sat on the concrete floor to listen."

While putting on a concert in the Ellie is a "major leap for Swallow Hill," Tuft said, it makes a lot of sense because "the acoustics are so good."

"We'll only have to have a minimal amount of amplification."

Besides, Tuft insisted, staging folk music concerts in comfy, acoustically friendly venues is not unprecedented even in the building where the Ellie now resides.

"Years ago, when it was the Auditorium Theatre, I promoted concerts there by Judy Collins, Earl Scruggs and Ravi Shankar," Tuft said. He said he's pleased that the lineup for Saturday's show in the 2,000-seat hall "spans the whole range of folk and roots music."

Just in case, emcee Tuft said he'll have his acoustic guitar with him while the stage crew is changing equipment between acts.

A true folkie is always ready to sing a tune or two, regardless of the venue.

Denver Folk & Roots Music Festival

• When and where: 6 p.m. Saturday, Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts

• Cost: $40-$75

• Information: swallowhillmusic.org, 303-777-1003

• Of note: Mike Marshall will also teach a mandolin workshop 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday for intermediate to advanced players.

Opera house folk

From flamenco and choro to bluegrass and blues, the acts at Swallow Hill's debut Denver Folks & Roots Music Festival run the gamut of sounds.

STORYHILL

Minnesota-based singer/songwriter duo Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson whose sound on 13 albums echoes Simon and Garfunkeland the Everly Brothers.

Recommended listening:Reunion

On the Web:storyhill.com

SONS & BROTHERS

A relatively new Colorado Springs-based bluegrass band.

Recommended listening: Count the Score Even

On the Web:sonsandbrothersband.com

LIZ CARROLL AND JOHN DOYLE

Fiddler and guitarist are among Ireland's most highly regarded folkinstrumentalists.

Recommended listening:In Play: Liz Carroll & John Doyle

On the Web:lizcarroll.com

MIKE MARSHALL AND CHORO FAMOSO

Marshall is a mandolin virtuoso, known for his work with the DavidGrisman Quintet and Montreux and collaborations with Darol Anger andChris Thile. Choro Famoso is a group of South American instrumentalistall-stars recruited by Marshall who will also back noted Colombiansinger Claudia Gómez.

Recommended listening:Mike Marshall & Choro Famosa

On the Web: mikemarshall.net

CLAUDIA GOMEZ

Colombian singer, songwriter blends a musical tapestry of flamenco,cumbia, samba and jazz.

Recommended listening:Majagua

On the Web:claudiagomez.com

RENÉ HEREDIA

The noted Denver flamenco guitarist will appear with dancer La Churumbela.

Recommended listening:Mano a Mano

On the Web:reneheredia.com

TAJ MAHAL TRIO

Led by a global legend in world, roots and blues music singer and guitarist Taj Mahal.

Recommended listening:The Best of Taj Mahal

On the Web:taj-mo-roots.com

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