What's New!
Enjoy these great events!
Live Streamed Shows — Most of our shows are live-streamed at their scheduled time in their entirety here (or use the Watch tab on the Home Page). There is no admission charge, but please help us defray our program expenses by clicking here.
Past Show Archives – You can also choose to watch most of our shows anytime after a performance by choosing the Watch tab.
Open Mic Night — The Mainstay features a popular Open Mic Night on the second Wednesday of every month (starting at 7 p.m.). The event welcomes area performers to take the stage and perform a sampling of their repertoire. Musicians sign up for the available performance slots on a first come, first served basis, and are invited to perform two songs while on stage. Musicians (individual and small ensemble players) are allowed to perform cover songs and originals. The Mainstay’s baby grand piano is onstage and available for players. The event is open to performers in all musical genres, but also welcomes original poetry recitations and appropriate short comedy bits. The Open Mic events are open to the public and there is no admission charged.
Pub Nites – Thursday evenings are now “Pub Nite”. Join us for a few hours of good conversation and great live music featuring the area’s best talent. The Mainstay bar will open at 5 pm, and the music starts at 5:45. Musicians will set up on our rear deck weather permitting. There is no cover charge.
Singer/ Songwriter Association – The Mainstay is now the home for a new singer/ songwriter association for area musicians. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month. Writers/ performers share their new compositions and discuss the process of songwriting, recording, and performing before a live audience. The group also organizes and presents two annual free concerts. These are staged in the Nashville “round” style, with several musicians on stage performing their work in rotation.
The Mainstay Players – Based on the success of a 2024 Beatles tribute show involving nearly twenty local musicians, this core group of Mainstay Players now produces two annual tribute shows, each spotlighting the work of a specific music icon (or legendary artists that share a history).
Bus Trips of Interest – Our successful annual trips to the Philadelphia Flower Show have encouraged us to offer more one-day trips that cater to a variety of interests. Would you like to come with our group to the Maryland Renaissance Festival for the day? Or perhaps to an Orioles game? How about a theater show in Baltimore? Or maybe to the beautifully landscaped gardens and arboretum of Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA for their Christmas extravaganza? Let us know what your interests are. Plans are already underway.
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