The Main Point was a small coffeehouse venue on Lancaster Ave. in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The club was famous for its small intimate atmosphere and inexpensive ticket prices. It hosted performers such as Livingston Taylor, Kate Taylor, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, John Prine, Jimmy Buffett, Allen Ginsberg, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Jonathan Edwards, Deodato, Bill Withers, Arlo Guthrie, Don McLean, Joni Mitchell, Odetta, Blind Faith, Laura Nyro, Jimmy Webb, Spencer Davis, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Richie Havens, Warren Zevon, Doc Watson, Edgar Winter, Loudon Wainwright III, Tom Rush and Leonard Cohen. The Main Point also offered performances by classic folk, blues, bluegrass and country legends to younger audiences.
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The Main Point was formed in 1964 by Jeanette and Bill Campbell and several others inspired by the Philadelphia Folk Festival, as a small folk-based coffeehouse venue. By that fall, the ownership was shared by Jeanette Campbell, Bill Campbell, and new co-owner, Bill Scarborough. Scarborough was the Main Point’s booking director from 1964-1975. When asked at a peak in the Main Point’s success how he made booking decisions, Scarborough cited several factors but admitted that occasionally his own musical tastes influenced him. “I think that the booking of a singer named Bruce Springsteen is the best example I can give you of personal taste and hunch entering into my final choice. Here was a new act out of nowhere, who happened to sign with a major label (Columbia), and put out an album that reminded me of the best of Dylan. I decided to book him as a headliner, even though he was barely known. We did alright with him, but not as well as we’d hoped. I still feel, though, that he’s going to be a big star.” (The Sunday Bulletin, September, 30, 1973) The venue was popular among both musicians and listeners. Dan Fogelberg cited the venue as one of his two favorite places to perform[1].
Some of the performers I saw in the early days ('64-'67) included The Stone Ponies with Linda Ronstadt, Dave Van Ronk, Tim Hardin & Steve Gillette to name a few.
The venue was popular for not only its music, but also for its homemade food and homebaked goods. The venue constantly ran into financial troubles related to its intimate size (ironically, its size was what made it so popular). Musicians gave benefit concerts for the coffeehouse to help it out of its financial straits. Some of these concerts were broadcast over the local progressive rock radio station WMMR, and many well known bootleg recordings have been made from these performances. The Main Point finally closed its doors in 1981.
The Point, the successor to The Main Point, was opened two doors down from the original Main Point in 1998. It was owned and operated by Richard Kardon. The Point lost its lease and had to close its doors in 2005. The Point Entertainment company continues to book shows around the greater Philadelphia area; they produced the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 2008.
The caliber of the performers, coupled with the intimate venue, resulted in many memorable performances. One concert stands out as a particularly legendary event. On February 5, 1975, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band played at The Main Point. Springsteen played for 160 minutes, offering epic versions of "New York City Serenade" and "For You". The concert also featured the first live performance of "Thunder Road", under its earlier title, "Wings for Wheels". The concert was given as a benefit, broadcast over WMMR, and hosted by deejay Ed Sciaky. Later that year, Jackson Browne and David Lindley also performed in a series of benefits for the struggling club.
