John McCutcheon’s back in Central Virginia

By Jane Norris

Published: August 8, 2008

From staff reports
A familiar face is returning to Central Virginia for a concert tonight.
Grammy Award nominee John McCutcheon will be performing 7:30 tonight on the Old County Courthouse lawn in downtown Culpeper, so hop on U.S. 29 and head north to hear the former Charlottesville resident back in familiar territory.
A multiple Grammy nominee, McCutcheon has built a career as an instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He has mastered more than a dozen different traditional instruments and is perhaps best known for his work on the hammer dulcimer. Fans also hear him perform on banjo, guitar, autoharp, fiddle, mountain dulcimer and jaw harp.
He’s known for writing folk music geared toward adults and for his family albums that children and parents can enjoy together.
McCutcheon lived in Charlottesville for two decades before relocating to Atlanta. Since moving to the Atlanta Braves’ hometown, the devoted fan has been attending plenty of games.
The folk singer had missed the team for four decades — ever since they were the Milwaukee Braves and were moved out of his hometown. McCutcheon has been a fan from early in childhood, and he even showed up at age 7 for Little League tryouts. He was a year too young, but was accepted anyway.
The lifelong baseball fan is likely to perform music from his latest CD, “Sermon on the Mound.’’ Three tracks were co-written by friend Si Kahn — “Baseball on the Block,’’ “World Series ’57’’ and “Hope I Make It.’’ “The Star-Spangled Banner’’ and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame’’ are on there, of course, for baseball fans of all ages. McCutcheon penned the other 13 songs on his own, including the title track.
Throughout the selections, McCutcheon reflects on what the game has meant over the years to the kids who play it in neighborhood pickup games, the players who dream of making it to the professional ranks, the pros who inspire others and the power of the endeavor to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together.

John McCutcheon
Bluemont Concert Series
7:30 tonight
Old County Courthouse lawn in Culpeper
Rain site is Culpeper Middle School
$5, $4 seniors and Bluemont friends, $2 children younger than 12
http://www.bluemont.org
(540) 338-4640