McCutcheon in the ‘trenches’ at Sebastiani

It’s a big double bill this weekend at the historic Sebastiani Theatre, but this time we’re not talking movies. The venue has two top-notch music shows with the Blue Rose Ball happening on Saturday, June 13, followed by John McCutcheon on Sunday, June 14.

The Blue Rose Ball is a benefit for the Blue Rose Foundation, whose mission is to “provide equal access to educational resources that start children on an early pathway to success” by awarding preschool scholarships to children from economically disadvantaged families.

The evening opens with guitarist John Oates – from the blockbuster '70s duo Hall and Oates – along with Kelly Williams, granddaughter of the legendary Hank Williams. The evening also includes performances by James Maddock, Nicole Atkins, Kelly Fitzgerald, the T Sisters, Brothers Keeper and Jono Manson with Jason Crosby. The evening is presented in memory of James Spanfeller, Sr. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Then on Sunday, June 14, it’s an encore performance from John McCutcheon. McCutcheon is not just a singer-songwriter, but a storyteller. He wrote his first song when he was 15 and it won him a prize in the high school talent contest. Since then, his 36 albums have garnered six Grammy nominations. His song “Christmas in the Trenches” is considered a classic and was recently named among Folk Alley’s 100 Most-Essential Folk Songs.

For this show, McCutcheon will be “in character” in the role of labor-activist-songwriter Joe Hill, dubbing the show “Joe Hill’s Last Will.” Hill was a Swedish immigrant who, like so many others, worked at a variety of trades, trying to make his way in this new country. He was also a musician, a writer, a man of wit and insight, who knew how to craft songs that informed, inspired, and inflamed. He created a template for songwriting that was used by Woody Guthrie and others in the civil rights movement, taking well-known melodies and crafting new words that made the songs leap to life in a new and changing world until his untimely death in Utah, where he was executed by firing squad following a dubious murder conviction. Doors are at 7:30 p.m. Reserved seats are $22, available to Sebastiani Theatre or Readers’ Books.

James

Marshall

Berry

jmberry@sonoma?music.com