Folk Renaissance Man John McCutcheon Performs At The 204

Folk singer, songwriter, storyteller and acclaimed instrumentalist John McCutcheon will perform two concerts on Dec. 2 at The 204 (the Harwich Cultural Center). CranFest presents the two performances, a free one for families with children from 3 to 3:45 p.m. and a ticketed evening show at 7:30 p.m.

Master of a dozen different traditional instruments, McCutcheon recently released his 45th collection of songs, created and recorded over a career which has earned him the praise and affection of music lovers worldwide. His recordings have received many honors, including seven Grammy nominations. He has produced over 20 albums by other artists, and his books and instructional materials have helped countless others to discover the joy of playing and creating their own music.

“My feeling about John being such a beloved performer is that he's real,” said CranFest music director Bob Weiser. “No drama or pretense, his stories and songs are about people and connect with familiar experience to that of the audience. He touches on the neglected corners of history and the people who inhabit them — which is mostly us, people like you and me — and he elevates the commonplace to the level it deserves.”

McCutcheon, who has been known to point out that his “real job” is as father to his grown sons, said that part of his 40-year career has been spent trying to redefine what a “kids’ concert” is. When he first became a father, he decided he would create an album for his son. When he looked around at what was available for children, however, what he found wasn’t exactly inspiring.

“I was playing mostly for adults at that point,” McCutcheon said, “and when I looked around I found that most of the stuff coming out for kids was unmusical and condescending. There were kids’ albums trying to teach a lesson, which was really for the patrent, not the kids. I decided I wanted to make an album that would settle the argument on the way to the beach for summer vacation of what the whole family would listen to. I wanted to make that album, something kids and parents would like. Parents would say, ‘Oh, I know what he’s talking about,’ and kids would hear a different thing.”

McCutcheon points out that his afternoon performance is intended to be an experience the entire family enjoys together, not a kids’ concert where children are dropped off. In fact, children will not be admitted to the performance without an adult, and adults will not be admitted without children.

For the evening performance, however, adults may attend unaccompanied to hear McCutcheon, who was praised by none other than Johnny Cash as "the most impressive instrumentalist I've ever heard" and by Pete Seeger as “not only one of the best musicians in the USA, but also a great singer, songwriter, and song leader.”

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience a performance by a true icon and folk renaissance man. McCutcheon’s free family show will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 from 3 to 3:45 p.m. at The 204, 204 Sisson Rd. in Harwich Center. Families are asked to sign up at www.harwichcranberryartsandmusicfestival.org/ with the number of kids and adults who will be attending. An Evening with John McCutcheon will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at The 204. Tickets are $25 per person, and may be purchased at www.harwichcranberryartsandmusicfestival.org. For more information about John McCutcheon, visit folkmusic.org.