Join us on an unforgettable journey with songwriter/musicians John Paul White and band, from the legendary wellspring of southern rock in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and modern torch singer Marlon Williams from New Zealand who will be headliners at Bread & Roses Spring Benefit Concert on Thursday May 3 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. The concert is our major annual fundraising event and an important source of support for our institutional shows. Sponsor, VIP and General Admission tickets are on sale now.
John Paul White will perform many of the songs from his 2016 release Beulah, called by Benjamin Naddaff-Hafrey of NPR Music “a wise, entrancing and meticulous bit of southern folk.” Marlon Williams from New Zealand will share songs from his just released stunning new album Make Way for Love. Americana troubadour Courtney Marie Andrews will round out the bill of songwriters playing from her brand-new release May Your Kindness Remain.
Benjamin Jaffe and Suzanne Santo from HoneyHoney, who played at last year’s benefit with Hozier and Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, will return from Los Angeles as musical hosts for this year’s benefit, and share a few of their latest songs from their portfolio of alternative country and indie rock. Former KFOG DJ Renee Richardson, of Renee and Irish Greg’s POP-UP Bay Area, will live auction a special fund-a-need and raffle.
Sponsor, VIP @$350 and General Admission @$125 tickets are available for this very special evening of exceptional contemporary music brought to you by Jeff and Laurie Ubben. Sponsor and VIP tickets include an exclusive pre-concert reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres. For more info, click here or call (415) 945-7120. Event Committee members include: Robin Eber, Adam Fells, Simone Haas, Lane Murchison, Stacy Nelson, Philip Pillsbury, Tucky Pogue, Andrea Schultz and Alex Wellins.
Most recently, John Paul White was a Grammy nominee as guest artist with Rosanne Cash on Rodney Crowell’s song “It Ain’t Over Yet.” From Florence, Alabama, John Paul has re-started his solo career with the release on his Single Lock Records of Beulah, an intensely lyrical and acoustically dexterous set of songs. John Paul was formerly part of the Grammy award-winning duo The Civil Wars.
A classically trained rock musician, Marlon Williams will showcase songs from his deeply personal second album Make Way for Love, (released in February 2018) which runs the gamut of love, from joy and excitement to hurt and acceptance. Marlon is known for his distinctive voice with an affecting vibrato, revealing songwriting and captivating live shows across the globe.
Courtney Marie Andrews has been touring ever since leaving her Arizona home at age fifteen. May Your Kindness Remain depicts the people she has known on the road and their struggles to find success in today’s America. Spanning genres from acoustic folk to country rock to gospel and soul, Courtney is a fresh singer-songwriter whose music bravely strives for healing and empathy in the midst of division and discord.
Don’t miss this extraordinary evening of songwriters who excel at their craft. We expect another sell-out this year, so get your tickets right away. We invite you to support our mission of uplifting the lives of isolated folks who need music most. Proceeds sustain Bread & Roses ongoing program in over 600 annual institutional shows for diverse audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Photo Captions:
1) (l) John Paul White. (r) Marlon Williams, photo by Steve Gullick.
2) Courtney Marie Andrews
3) (l) HoneyHoney at 2017 Spring Benefit Concert. Photo by Ken Friedman. (r) Renee Richardson leading the live auction at 2017 Fall Benefit. Photo by Benjamin Snell.
4) John Paul White performing at The Basement East in Nashville. Photo by Laura Rabell.
5) Marlon Williams Make Way For Love album cover.
6) Courtney Marie Andrews
7) Audience at Spring Benefit Concert at Great American Music Hall 2017. Photo by Ken Friedman.