An extraordinary double-bill featuring Peter Yarrow of the legendary 1960s folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary and the quintessential singer-songwriter of the 1990s folk music scene, John Gorka.

Peter Yarrow and John Gorka

Peter Yarrow weaves a narrative of his life in music and politics, punctuating the major events with renditions of iconic songs we all know and love such as “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done,” “Light One Candle,” and “The Great Mandala.” From his life in Greenwich Village, to his connections to Bob Dylan & Pete Seeger, and his career as part of the trio Peter, Paul & Mary, Peter Yarrow shares a part of American history influenced heavily by music and creates community within his audiences through his reflections in both words and music.

Peter Yarrow’s talents as a creative artist are frequently directed at using music to convey a message of humanity and caring. Over the years, many issues have moved Peter to commit his time and talent: equal rights, peace, the environment, gender equality, homelessness, hospice care, and education. All have utilized his skills as both a performer and an organizer. Peter Yarrow’s life and work is based on his passionate belief that music, with its power to build community and catalyze change, can be a particularly powerful organizing tool.

John Gorka, “the preeminent male singer-songwriter of the New Folk movement.” –Rolling Stone Magazine

Rising from a milieu of lovelorn singer-songwriters, John Gorka illuminates instead with his trademark wordplay, twisting, turning, and tying words and phrases in the way a balloon artist creates complex creatures from simple balloons. Few contemporary songwriters coax language as deftly as John Gorka. For over two decades, his keen ear has picked up the stories of those along his path, folding them into poetry and song.

Hailing from New Jersey, but forged in the Greenwich Village folk scene, John Gorka honed his craft and persona into an unmistakable image. The shy, wry, insightful, and yes, sensitive singer-songwriter has been copied and parodied. But the old coat he wove still fits, and still suits him well. The old songs ring as true as they ever did, and the new ones are just as good.