The Center for the Arts

KVMR Annual Fundraiser Two of folk music’s most celebrated songwriters, Tom Paxton and John McCutcheon together Live! Enjoy the music of two legends as they reflect on the influence of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, the 1960s Greenwich Village scene and the origins of some of their timeless songs. John and Tom Paxton have been pals for decades, but it was COVID and Zoom that turned them into a songwriting team. Every Monday at 2PM they’d tell jokes, reminisce about old friends, and, of course, talk lots of sports. Eventually one would say, “Well, guess we better write a song, huh?” And off they’d go, two old warhorses pulling the plow. Now, a hundred songs later, they gathered fourteen for their first joint recording, the aptly titled Together which was released in the fall of 2023. Join the folk music legends live together in concert. It will be night of love, laughter, music and of course great stories. Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community. In describing Tom Paxton’s influence on his fellow musicians, Pete Seeger has said: “Tom’s songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they’re becoming part of America.” Pete goes on: “In a small village near Calcutta, in 1998, a villager who could not speak English sang me What Did You Learn In School Today? in Bengali! Tom Paxton’s songs are reaching around the world more than he is, or any of us could have realized. Keep on, Tom!”