28 April 2023
John Gorka
We are so happy to welcome John Gorka back to the Me&Thee, where he has played to packed houses for years. John is a world-renowned singer-songwriter who got his start at a neighborhood coffeehouse in eastern Pennsylvania — Godfrey Daniels. Please note: masks are mandatory at this concert, at the artist’s request.
Concert starts at 8:00 pm
Although John’s academic coursework at Moravian College lay in philosophy and history, music began to offer paramount enticements. Soon he found himself living in the club’s basement and acting as resident MC and sound man, encountering legendary folk troubadours like Canadian singer-songwriter Stan Rogers, Eric Andersen, Tom Paxton, and Claudia Schmidt. Their brand of folk-inspired acoustic music inspired him, and before long he was performing his own songs — mostly as an opener for visiting acts.
Soon he started traveling to New York City, where Jack Hardy’s legendary Fast Folk circle became a powerful source of education and encouragement. Folk meccas like Texas’ Kerrville Folk Festival (where he won the New Folk Award in 1984) and Boston followed, and his stunningly soulful baritone voice and original songwriting began turning heads. Those who had at one time inspired him — Suzanne Vega, Bill Morrissey, Nanci Griffith, Christine Lavin, Shawn Colvin — had become his peers.
In 1987, Red House Records caught wind of John’s talents and released his first album, I Know, to popular and critical acclaim. With unusual drive and focus, John hit the ground running and, when an offer came from Windham Hill’s Will Ackerman in 1989, he signed with that label’s imprint, High Street Records. He proceeded to record five albums with High Street over the next seven years: Land of the Bottom Line, Jack’s Crows, Temporary Road, Out of the Valley, and Between Five and Seven.
His albums and his touring (over 150 nights a year at times) brought new accolades for his craft. His rich multifaceted songs full of depth, beauty and emotion gained increasing attention from critics and audiences across the country, as well as in Europe where his tours led him through Italy, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Switzerland and Germany. He also started sharing tours with many notable friends — Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter among them. All this brought his music to an ever-widening audience. His video for the single “When She Kisses Me” found a long-term rotation on VH-1’s “Current Country,” as well as on CMT and the Nashville Network.
In 1998, John felt the need for a change and decided to return to his musical roots at Red House Records, driven, in part, by the artistic integrity that the label represents in an industry where the business of music too often takes precedence. His release After Yesterday marked a decidedly different attitude towards making music for John, and his next release, The Company You Keep, held fast to his tradition of fine songwriting, yet moved forward down new avenues.
He has worked with Ani DiFranco, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty Larkin and Nanci Griffith on later albums which examine his life as a husband and father. Windham Hill has released a collection of John’s greatest hits from the label called Pure John Gorka. In 2010, he also released an album with his friends and Red House label-mates Lucy Kaplansky and Eliza Gilkyson under the name Red Horse. Getting high praise from critics and fans alike, it landed on the Billboard Folk Charts and was one of the most played albums on folk radio.
Many well known artists have recorded and/or performed John Gorka songs, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nanci Griffith, Mary Black and Maura O’Connell. John has graced the stage of Austin City Limits, Mountain Stage, etown and has appeared on CNN. His new song “Where No Monuments Stand” is featured in the upcoming documentary Every W–ar Has Two Losers, about activist and Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford (1914-1993).
John Gorka lives in Minnesota and when not on the road, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children. He continues to tour, playing festivals, theaters and clubs all over North America and Europe.
Photo: Joe del Tufo, Moonloop Photography
Special NOTE: Per John’s contract, masks will be required this evening. Please bring a mask but we will have them at the door as well. Thank you for your understanding.
