About this Event
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb invites you to join us for an evening of music and community, featuring internationally known, award-winning singer/songwriters Joe Jencks and Deidre McCalla. Each artist is individually known for their rich voices, textured instrumentals, and socially-conscious subject matter; together, they will provide an unforgettable evening of music to benefit our neighbors in need.
A portion of ticket sales and all cash donations will benefit the UU Congregation's social justice ministries -- the Overnight Warming Center and the Welcome Essentials Pantry. Information on these missions can be found below.
All are welcome to join us for this magical evening.
https://joejencks.com/
https://deidremccalla.com/
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JOE JENCKS sings with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. A 27-year veteran of the international Folk circuit, award-winning songwriter and celebrated vocalist based in Malta, IL, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove, and grit. Drawing from the rich melodic traditions of his Irish roots, Jencks is known for his quintessentially singable songs and deft instrumentals. Jencks is also known for his songs of social consciousness and has penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant, Lady of The Harbor.
Jencks’ CD Poets, Philosophers, Workers, and Wanderers earned #1 Artist, #1 Album, and #1 Song on the Folk Alliance/Folk DJ Chart and spent several weeks at #1 on the SIRIUS XM Americana Chart. Joe was musical director for an annual retreat: Warriors Heart to Art, writing songs with military veterans. Joe is a dual US-Irish citizen and toured as a Cultural Ambassador with the U.S. State Department during the Obama Administration. From Carnegie Hall to coffeehouses across North America, Joe has become a fan-favorite.
“The spirit of Folk music is people working together. Joe is a fantastic singer who carries on the traditions.” ~ Pete Seeger
“If one can master a craft after investing 10,000 hours, Joe Jencks’ hours are showing! Jencks tells our stories, his story, and the untold stories, as only an American folk master can - with heart and unfettered perfection.” ~ MarySue Twohy, Program Director - SIRIUS XM Radio
DEIDRE MCCALLA doesn’t merely take the stage - she owns it. Her songs embody hope and celebration, struggle, loss, and longing - sometimes all in one song! A Black woman, mother, lesbian, feminist, Deidre McCalla has long stood at the forefront of acoustic singer-songwriters reshaping expectations ofh how Black folk do folk. Deidre’s songwriting carries an unyieldingly honest perspective expressed with a lyric touch that relentlessly celebrates the power and diversity of the human spirit. Deidre McCalla sings of the politics and passions that fuel our lives.
Deidre McCalla’s most recent album, Endless Grace, debuted at #1 on the June 2022 FAI Folk Radio Chart and was named one of the 10 Best Folk Albums of 2022 by Pop Matters, Rhythms Magazine, and the Folk Alley Listener Favorites Poll. In 2023 her song Shoulder to the Wheel won the 19th Annual International Acoustic Music Award for Best Folk/Americana/Roots Song — making Deidre McCalla the first woman to win that category in IAMA history.
Sing Out! calls Deidre McCalla "one of our generation's mostimportant singer-songwriters”
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The seasonal Overnight Warming Center (OWC) of UUCD is a social justice ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb. The OWC mission is to provide a safe, warm, and welcoming overnight haven for individuals and families who are unhoused and without adequate heat, and to provide them with a sense of belonging.
https://uudekalb.org/programs-events/all-programs/overnight-warming-center-owc
The UUCD Welcome Essentials (WE) Pantry, a Social Justice Ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, is held together with the Westminster Presbyterian Food Pantry. Its mission is to fill a gap within our community by supplementing non-food essentials.
https://uudekalb.org/node/490
Event venue & nearby stays
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb, 158 North 4th Street, DeKalb, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.