Holly Near has been singing for a more equitable world for 50 years. She is an insightful storyteller, committed to keeping her music rooted in her very personal worldview. Holly’s concerts lift spirits and inspire activism. She brings to the stage a unique integration of world consciousness, spiritual discovery, and theatricality. Her evening at the me&thee is a ‘don’t miss’ event for fans of folk, women’s music, and progressive politics; her voice is more powerful and clear than ever.

A little bit of history: In 1971, Holly joined the “Free the Army” tour, an anti-Vietnam War road show of music, comedy and headed up by actors Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. In 1972, she was one of the first women to create an independent record company, paving the way for Ani DeFranco and others. She’s often cited as one of the founders of the Women’s Music movement. Throughout her long career, Holly has worked with a wide array of musicians including Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, Mercedes Sosa, Bonnie Raitt, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Phil Ochs and many others. She has been recognized repeatedly for her work for social change, including honors from the ACLU, National Lawyers’ Guild, National Organization for Women and National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. A staunch advocate for LGBTQ rights, Holly was one of the first celebrities to discuss her sexual orientation in a People magazine interview in 1976. She has also become a spokesperson for the social change music movement and was recently profiled in a PBS American Masters program.

“I do not separate my music from my heart nor do I separate my ideas from my daily life,” she says. “I do not relate to political work as a series of causes. Moment by moment, I integrate what I learn, personalizing my politics. It is from this personal place that I write my songs.”

Holly’s guests for this great evening of music include three very special friends who will accompany her throughout the evening. Tammi Brown is a talented vocalist with roots in Gospel mixed with jazz and soul. Bass player/singer Jan Martinelli and guitarist/singer Tory Trujillo will also join the stage to back up Holly and blend their voices for an unforgettable evening of music.

• You would have to have a heart of flint and the disposition of an ogre not to be charmed by singer-songwriter, gay and political activist Holly Near. Los Angeles Times
• Legendary singer-songwriter, actress, teacher and activist Holly Near continues to inspire and is as powerful and poignant as ever. San Francisco Bay Times
• One of the remarkable things about Holly Near is not that she possesses one of the clearest, most expressive voices on the acoustic stage, but that she can marry that remarkable voice to a political message and then wrap it in a lovely melody that stays with you. www.acousticmusic.com

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