About
Who We Are
"Home of Musical Magic"
The Mainstay, founded in 1997, is a non-profit live music venue dedicated to presenting a calendar of high quality, year-round concert events to our neighbors along the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and our growing list of friends from Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington D.C., Wilmington, and Philadelphia. We are especially committed to introducing other cultural opportunities to the residents of Rock Hall. We satisfy the diverse tastes of our appreciative audiences with bluegrass, folk music, blues, Gospel, soul music, zydeco, Celtic, classical, and world music. The Mainstay is particularly renowned for its reputation for jazz excellence dating back to our earliest concerts with jazz great Charlie Byrd.
We hope your visit will convince you why our cozy and quirky theater, comfortably filled with 120 mismatched chairs and a separate bar for snacks and refreshments, is frequently cited by the media and our audiences as “the best listening room in the Mid-Atlantic”. But it’s not just about the music. It’s a special place where you can feel connected with a truly exceptional experience and keep it as a treasured memory.
We satisfy the diverse tastes of our loyal audiences with bluegrass, folk music, blues, Gospel, Celtic, classical, and world music. The Mainstay is particularly renowned for its reputation for jazz excellence dating back to our earliest concerts with jazz great Charlie Byrd, and continuing to the present day with acclaimed jazz figures from all along the Eastern seaboard.
We hope your visit will convince you why our cozy and quirky theater, comfortably filled with 110 mismatched chairs and a separate bar for snacks and refreshments, is frequently cited by the media and our audiences as “the best listening room in the Mid-Atlantic”. But it’s not just about the music. It’s a special place where you can feel connected with a truly exceptional experience and keep it as a treasured memory.
Along the Way...
1995
The first “pre-Mainstay” concerts are held at the America’s Cup Café, adjacent to the current Mainstay.
1997
The first floor of a storefront building on Main Street in Rock Hall is rented as concert space and named The Mainstay. There is no stage at first.
1998
Charlie Byrd performs at The Mainstay, the first of several concerts there before his death. The relationship with Charlie Byrd is the beginning of an enduring Mainstay jazz legacy.
1999
The Mainstay is organized as a 501(c)3 corporation to facilitate fundraising.
The Mainstay joins the North American Folk Alliance.
Volunteers build a stage with lights and a basic sound system.
2000
New Orleans’ Preservation Hall Jazz Band performs at The Mainstay, the first of several engagements at The Mainstay.
2001
The “Charlie Byrd Jazz Series” is established at The Mainstay.
2002
The Mainstay building is purchased after a fundraising campaign.
2003
The Mainstay receives an NEA grant for nonprofit administrative study. Maryland Citizens for the Arts recognizes The Mainstay for community development.
2004
The “Kids Are First” grant program is established to support local children’s programs and activities.
The first of several forums about Rock Hall History is held.
Tom McHugh, Mainstay Executive Director, accepts the Kent County Volunteer of the Year award.
Volunteers raise $40,000 in a single dinner and auction event for The Mainstay and its community programs.
A lounge/refreshment area (The Byrd Room) and a deck are added to The Mainstay.
2005
A “Burn the Mortgage” concert is held to celebrate the payoff of the entire mortgage on The Mainstay building.
The “Hedgelawn Classical Music Series” is established.
2006
Max n’ Friends” Thursday night jazz series begins.
2007
Contract staff is hired to assist with booking and marketing.
2008
A significant bequest from Lillian B. Fairall Foundation is received.
The 10th annual Rock Hall FallFest is celebrated.
A major investment in improved stage lighting and sound system is made.
2009
The Mainstay receives its first annual Maryland State Arts Council Operations Grant.
A free outdoor summer concert series “Music in Oyster Court” is initiated.
Our Mainstay Family
Board of Directors
Barbara Parker
Robert "Dobby" Dunlap
Debra Woodruff-Capper
Lansing Williams
Brian Cole
Adrian Cotton
Mark Einstein
Dave Fife
Karen Frison
Dave Sharp
Tom Wall
Staff
Matt Mielnick
Danny Palmatary
Contractors/volunteers
Bob Kuiper
Reiney Geller
Daphne Howarth
Antoinette Smith
Keith Walbert
Becky Byrd
Byrd Room
Clark Bjorke
Rich Geller
Bob Gerber
Joe Holt
First Fridays
Linda Morgan
Hometown Multimedia, LLC
Our Mainstay Family
Matt Mielnick
Executive Director
Clark Bjorke
Sound Engineer
Jacqui Caine
Board Assistant
Matt Mielnick
Clark Bjorke
Jacqui Caine
Joe Holt
Mainstay Mondays
Danny Palmatary
Bob Kuiper
Keith Walbert
Jacqui &
Tom Caine
Daphne Howarth
Becky Byrd
Byrd Room