John McCutcheon, plus Kevin So

Friday Dec 11 8:00PM Add to Calendar
Palladium Theater [map]

This concert organized by WMNF's Saturday morning folk programmer Jeannie Holton-Carufel brings two artists whose music is steeped in WMNF's values of peace, equality and social and economic justice.

We also will be visited by WMNF favorite Tracy Grammer; after her sellout show at Craftsman's Gallery Friday evening she is coming to The Palladium to be part of our event.

Tickets are $20 and only at The Palladium Theatre Box Office Phone: 727-822-3590 This show is reserved seat seating

John McCutcheon sings of the nation’s heritage. His words channel the conscience of our people into streams of poetry and melody. He writes about subjects small and great, from a child’s haircut to freedom and human dignity – issues equally eternal and enduring. Think of McCutcheon as an incarnation of Pete Seeger and Mr. Rogers, Will Rogers and Bruce Springsteen, and above all Everyman, righteously passionate and impishly playful, blessed with gifts as a songwriter, historian, musician and storyteller that have won him praise in Australia as “the most overwhelming folk performer in the English language,” from a Russian critic as “the most versatile and compelling performer this reviewer has ever seen,” and from Johnny Cash as “the most impressive instrumentalist I’ve ever heard.”

Kevin So

While John McCutcheon has performed over a dozen WMNF concerts, this is the first WMNF concert by Kevin So. In over a decade of performing his music around the country, Kevin So has earned the respect of fellow musicians, won over members of press and radio, and has built a loyal fan base across the US. Born and raised in Boston, So channeled his early passion for singing into the start of a career in music with his appearance on the nationally broadcast Fox TV show "Big Break" hosted by Natalie Cole. In 1994, So toured the country in a cover band that would later see some of its musicians moving on to Britney Spears' band. It was during that period when he spent a considerable amount of time listening to the early recordings of Bob Dylan. By 1995, So quit the cover band and was a regular on the open-mic folk scene in Cambridge. His strong musicianship caught the attention of a Boston Globe critic who wrote that Kevin was "unusually talented." At the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, an Austin Chronicle's music writer took notice, writing that So was "the big discovery." The release of So's Individual in 1997, was accompanied by a sold-out performance at Club Passim. So moved to Chicago in 1999, booked his own gigs, performing shows in the Midwest and elsewhere. Busking in Austin the following year, Kevin was "discovered" by The Agency Group. Subsequently, he opened for Joe Cocker, Billy Bragg, and Robben Ford. In 2001, So moved back to Boston. Soon thereafter, he released the controversial That Oriental Guy in the midst of a hectic tour schedule. Musically, he was shifting from folk to pop/r&b. The day after September 11, 2001, Kevin connected with popular bluesman Keb' Mo' and co-wrote "Talk," which Keb' would eventually record. So continued touring in 2002, becoming a favorite performer for dozens of Asian American organizations around the US. The double-disc Leaving The Lights On appeared to an avalanche of praise in 2003. With 2 other full length CDs under his belt (The So Must Go On and A Brighter Day), So continues to tour the country at a vigorous clip. More recently, Kevin was proud recipient of the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival Award (Best Music & Lyrics) for his current work-in-progress “Great Wall” – a musical production based on his life and times. So's latest release Best Foot Forward is supported by concert dates in 2009.

For find out more about Kevin So, please visit his website.

WMNF is inviting local organizations in the forefront of the struggle for peace and justice to set up tables at the concert to share their activities and give inspiration. These organizations will be represented:

Hispanic Outreach Center
St. Pete for Peace
Lutheran Services FL
The Refuge
Equality Florida
Green Florida
Sweetwater Organic Farms
Veterans for Peace
Gulf Coast Legal Services
Heart Gallery
Families Learning
Baha'i Communities of Tampa Bay
Green Party