The stage light was the only one shining in the single, dark room at the Dartmouth Grange on the night of June 11. Thirty community members—only visible as silhouettes—had arrived to watch three folk performers from Rhode Island.

Russ Smith introduced the musicians—Tom Perrotti, John Fuzek, and Ed McGuirl—as he has for every musician to play in the Paskamansett Concert Series since he started it last July.

“It’s just a way to get folk music back into the Grange and into Dartmouth,” said Smith.

Though not a musician himself, Smith said he loves music. He met a lot of local talent while managing a music series at Sandywoods, a venue in Tiverton, and he hosted a folk radio show—“Root and Branch”—at WUMD 89.3 FM.

Currently running a nature-based dog care, Smith said the concert series is mostly for fun. “It’s a break even experience for the most part.”

Performers get 70 percent of the $12-15 ticket sales, said Smith. Sixty dollars covers the rental fee for the hall, and the person running sound gets $100, he said. Any leftovers go toward expenses. Performers also get to keep anything they make on CD sales.

Russ has worked with Perrotti, McGuirl, and Fuzek before, and although the trio have played in pairs before, they’ve never performed altogether.

“We don’t really practice,” said Fuzek. “We know each other’s styles.”

The concert echoed that, sounding more like a jam session with random tunes and stories and reflecting the casual, intimate setting. At one point, Fuzek even stopped mid-song, laughing because he couldn’t remember the words, but promised they were all drinking water or root beer. The Grange only allows food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The three maintained high energy while jumping from blues to Celtic to folk with their guitars, guiro, mandolins, harmonica, concertina (a small accordion), and penny whistle, despite all of them being old enough to have a Neil Young story—“I’m the one who urinated next to Neil Young,” said Perrotti.

There was no dance floor to enjoy McGuirl’s “Raining in Rhode Island” or Fuzek’s “White Boy Blues,” nor did anyone dance between the table setup. However, audience members clapped after each song, and stayed for the whole two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Not all the concerts are blues and folk based. Local opera singer Allison Messier is scheduled to perform in the fall, said Smith.

The next concert will host Chris Farias on July 9, and Fuzek will return with his Neil Young cover band in August.

The Grange is located at 1133 Fisher Road. Visit paskamansettconcertseries.weebly.com for more information.