Ballads return to the backcountry with another season of Concerts in the Woods.

For 14 years, music lovers have been traveling 14 miles of country road after crossing Highway 104 to get to the Laurel B. Johnson Community Center on the tip of the Toandos Peninsula in Coyle.

“It’s like a really long 14 miles; it’s beautiful, but it’s slow,” said Joe McKinstry, who took over hosting the Concerts in the Woods series in 2019.

While the concerts wont be in the woods themselves until summertime, the community center captures sound in a special way.

“It’s this really amazing sounding community center. Somebody had a really good ear for wanting to make something that was acoustically really great sounding,” McKinstry said.

“The people who come and play are often surprised by how live and how great it sounds in there,” he added.

There are currently eight shows scheduled from February through July, mostly acoustic, folk, and bluegrass acts that fit the bill to a tree.

The first of these is Kathryn Claire, a violinist who will perform alongside Sid Ditson on violin/viola and pianist Don Henson Sunday, Feb. 19, one day after their performance in Port Townsend.

“We try to block-book where we can so if somebody is coming to the Peninsula for one of our shows, I’ll call them,” McKinstry said.

Beyond its wild style, something that sets this series apart is its daylight hours with shows starting at 3 p.m.

“We did move it all to matinee shows now, no more evening shows,” McKinstry said.

Even more important, though, is the attention the audiences bring to these shows.

“There’s such a good vibe, you know? It’s so nice when these performers come in and they play and they have this listening audience. They’re there to listen. They’re not there to talk, they’re not there to drink. They’re there to listen to their music and really take it in,” McKinstry said.

He also made sure to mention that cookies and coffee will always be served for all who attend.

“We always bring cookies. They have that at set break. People are used to it, too. You don’t want to show up without the cookies,” McKinstry joked.

There is a suggested donation of $20 for all the shows, but McKinstry notes that people do not have to feel forced to pay if they’re unable.

To learn more and see the full line-up of artists included in the concert series, go to coyleconcerts.com.