The Saugatuck Rowing Club dates only to 1990, but it looks older. Its original proprietor was Dr. Howard Winkelvoss, and it’s where his famous twin sons learned to row under Coach James Mangan. It continues to produce champion rowers, including, may I boast, my cousin’s children.

Still, I hadn’t been there until August 4, my birthday, and the most recent concert in the First Folk Sunday series, produced by the team of Rozanne Gates and Suzanne Sheridan. The latter (below), possessed of a big, warm voice, is also a working singer-songwriter, and opened the show with a short and charming set of covers (Richard Farina, Joni Mitchell, Karla Bonoff) and originals—including a very personal song about her uncle Mike. “Daydreaming,” another original, was jazzy and enveloping.

Suzanne Sheridan. (Jim Motavalli photo)

They concluded, Gates adding vocals, on “90-Pound Housewife Driving in her SUV.” This amusing novelty song, co-written with Gates, managed a placement on a Car Talk CD, where it was much requested. I was the Magliozzi brothers’ blogger; well do I remember this one making a splash.

The series stays close to home. Lisa Bastoni may live (and teach art part-time) in Northampton, Massachusetts now, but she’s a native Westporter, and her mother and even some of her teachers were in the audience.

Lisa Bastoni and Sean Staples. (Jim Motavalli photo)

Bastoni is not well-known yet, but she should be. She’s a really exceptional singer-songwriter, strong on both sides of the hyphen. She was accompanied, on vocals and mandolin, by the fleet-fingered Sean Staples.

Rather than list some titles, which would be meaningless to you, I’m just going to cite some fine lyrics from Bastoni’s songs.

“Two orange peels in perfect spirals.”

“Stars dancing on the waves, in my neighbor’s brand-new pool.”

“Just because there’s a ladder doesn’t mean you have to climb.”

“How’d you ever learn to play the blues in this town.” (That one was about a high school crush who sang Robert Johnson songs at the local deli and delivered pizzas for the parlor next door. The high point of their relationship was when he asked her to accompany him on his rounds.)

“I don’t know your favorite color, but I’m going to guess it’s blue.”

“Let’s look at houses we can’t afford.”

“You’re as close to me as a coat in winter.”

“There’s nothing I can say you can’t see through.”

The afternoon concluded with Bastoni remarking that the hometown appearance “exceeded my expectations of what it would be like to appear here.”

The shows continue with Sheridan performing the music of Joni Mitchell (September 1) with Bob Cooper and Cat Lines; The Flying Fingers Jug Band (a hit last season, October 6); and a Woody Guthrie tribute with many performers (November 3).