John McCutcheon

No one remembers when the neighbors started calling the McCutcheons to complain about the  loud singing from young John’s bedroom. It didn’t seem to do much good, though. For, aŌer a  shaky, lopsided baƩle between piano lessons and baseball (he was a mediocre pianist and an  all-star catcher), he had “found his voice” thanks to a cheap mail-order guitar and a used book  of chords.

From such inauspicious beginnings, John McCutcheon has emerged as one of our most  respected and loved folksingers. As an instrumentalist, he is a master of a dozen different  tradiƟonal instruments, most notably the rare and beauƟful hammer dulcimer. His songwriƟng  has been hailed by criƟcs and singers around the globe. His thirty recordings have garnered  every imaginable honor including seven Grammy nominaƟons. He has produced over twenty  albums of other arƟsts, from tradiƟonal fiddlers to contemporary singer-songwriters to  educaƟonal and documentary works. His books and instrucƟonal materials have introduced  budding players to the joys of their own musicality. And his commitment to grassroots poliƟcal  organizaƟons has put him on the front lines of many of the issues important to communiƟes  and workers.

Even before graduaƟng summa cum laude from Minnesota’s St. John’s University, this Wisconsin  naƟve literally “headed for the hills,” forgoing a college lecture hall for the classroom of the  eastern Kentucky coal camps, union halls, country churches, and square dance halls. His  apprenƟceship to many of the legendary figures of Appalachian music imbedded a love of not  only home-made music, but a sense of community and rootedness. The result is  music…whether tradiƟonal or from his huge catalog of original songs…with the profound mark  of place, family, and strength. It also created a storytelling style that has been compared to Will  Rogers and Garrison Keillor.

The Washington Post described John as folk music’s “RusƟc Renaissance Man,” a moniker  flawed only by its understatement. “Calling John McCutcheon a ‘folksinger’ is like saying Deion  Sanders is just a football player…” (Dallas Morning News). Besides his usual circuit of major  concert halls and theaters, John is equally at home in an elementary school auditorium, a  fesƟval stage or at a farm rally. He is a whirlwind of energy packing five lifeƟmes into one.

In the past few years alone he has headlined over a dozen different fesƟvals in North America  (including repeated performances at the NaƟonal Storytelling FesƟval), recorded an original  composiƟon for Virginia Public Television involving over 500 musicians, toured Australia for the  sixth Ɵme, toured Chile in support of a women’s health iniƟaƟve, appeared in a Woody Guthrie  tribute concert in New York City, gave a featured concert at the Smithsonian Folklife FesƟval,  taught performance art skills at a North Carolina college, given symphony pops concerts across  America, served as President of the fastest-growing Local in the Musicians Union and performed  a special concert at the NaƟonal Baseball Hall of Fame. This is all in his “spare Ɵme.” His “real job,” he’s quick to point out, is father to two grown sons.

But it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into  the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed.  People of every generaƟon and background seem to feel at home in a concert hall when John  McCutcheon takes the stage, with what criƟcs describe as “liƩle feats of magic,” “breathtaking  in their ease and grace…,” and “like a conversaƟon with an illuminaƟng old friend.”  Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versaƟlity, charm,  wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.

“John McCutcheon is not only one of the best musicians in the USA, but also a great singer,  songwriter, and song leader. And not just incidentally, he is commiƩed to helping hard-working  people everywhere to organize and push this world in a beƩer direcƟon.” — Pete Seeger

“The most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard.”

— Johnny Cash

“He has an uncanny ability to breathe new life into the familiar. His storytelling has the richness  of fine literature.”

— Washington Post

“Calling John McCutcheon a ‘folksinger’ is like saying Deion Sanders is just a football player.” — Dallas Morning News

Food & Bar: Our full food and drink menu will be available before and during the show.