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John McCutcheon

Multiple Grammy-nominee John McCutcheon charms audiences with “story telling that has the richness of fine literature” (Washington Post) and his mastery of a stage full of folk instruments is simply amazing. He plays guitar, fiddle, autoharp, banjo, jaw harp, (hambone if we are lucky) and is best known for his hammered dulcimer playing. A John McCutcheon concert is always energizing, fun, uplifting, community building, and his audiences leave with a renewed sense of hope for humanity. “This notion of telling stories of ordinary people who have done great things, and carrying those stories from one place to another, of telling people ‘this is where I’ve been, these are the stories I can bring you,’ is the heart of what I do,” McCutcheon sums up. “That’s my goal. If you can recognize yourself in my songs, then I’ve done my job.” He lives in Georgia but keeps moving, toward wherever he senses there’s still a story yet to be told.

His 30 recordings have gathered many honors including 7 Grammy nominations, but it is in live performance that John feels most at home. It is what has brought his music into the lives and homes of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed. People of every generation and background seem to feel at home

in a concert hall when John McCutcheon takes the stage, with what critics describe as breathtaking in their ease and grace…, like a conversation with an illuminating old friend.
So if you want to laugh, cry, be inspired, and feel like you are a part of a big community, then don’t miss this concert.

Whether in print, on record, or on stage, few people communicate with the versatility, charm, wit or pure talent of John McCutcheon.

Tommy and Saundra O’Sullivan

Muddy Creek Concerts, in partnership with Culture Ireland, is proud to present an evening of traditional and modern Irish music with Tommy and Saundra O’Sullivan at the Heritage Hall Community Center in Monroe, Oregon, seventeen miles south of Corvallis. Acclaimed as “one of the great contemporary folk voices of Ireland”, Tommy and Saundra O’Sullivan own and operate O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub in Dingle, Ireland, which is a music mecca in a music-oriented town on Ireland’s west coast.

A dessert potluck will be featured before the concert and during the concert intermission, so bring some goodies to share! We will also supply bottled water and soda- feel free to bring any other libations.

Concert Details
Date:  Friday, Feb 28, 2025
Location:  Heritage Hall Community Center (old United Methodist Church), 648 Orchard Street, Monroe, OR
Directions:  In Monroe, turn west off of Hwy 99W onto Orchard Street at the south end of town. The Community Center is on the left between 6th and 7th Streets
Times: 5:00 pm- Dessert Potluck Starts (and continues through intermission)
5:30 pm- Door To Concert Hall Opens
6:00 pm- Concert Starts
Approx. 8:00-8:30 pm- Concert Ends

A voluntary donation of $25-30 per person is suggested, with $5 going to Heritage Hall and the rest to the artists. Donations will be collected at the door.

Note: Concert attendance is limited to 90 people, so if you have to cancel your reservation, contact Pete Angwin ASAP at muddycreekconcert@gmail.com or by phone or text at (530) 227-8212. Non-cancelled no-shows make it difficult to host concerts in the future!

Lúnasa

Formed in 1997 and celebrating its 27th anniversary in 2024, Lúnasa has long been one of contemporary Irish music’s leading voices. Named after an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, the group that Folk Roots magazine once called an “Irish music dream team” was formed from members of some of Ireland’s greatest bands. Lúnasa has sold over a quarter of a million records, performed more than 2,000 shows across 36 countries, and collaborated with many notable artists outside the tradition.

From the start, the band’s complex arrangements and unique sound reshaped the boundaries of traditional music and energized audiences the world over. Critical acclaim followed, The Irish Echo describing the band as the “the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet”; MOJO magazine named the band “the new gods of Irish music,” adding that “nobody since the Bothies has wielded such a thrilling rhythmic underlay.” Billboard raved that “anybody who listens can’t help but find them contagious.”

Lúnasa’s current lineup includes Trevor Hutchinson, who achieved fame as the bassist with the The Waterboys; uilleann piper Cillian Vallely, who toured with Riverdance and recorded with Bruce Springsteen; Kevin Crawford, widely considered one of Ireland’s greatest flute players; award-winning fiddler Colin Farrell, who has performed with Project West, Grada and Michael McGoldrick; and guitarist Ed Boyd, known on the UK folk circuit for his work with bands such as Flook, Kate Rusby, and Cara Dillon.

The Corvallis Folklore Society is thrilled to co-present this concert with PRAx to bring Lúnasa to Corvallis!

This concert is a benefit for the Corvallis Celtic Festival (July 24-27, 2025). Visit corvalliscelticfestival.org for more information.