Music

On this, the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march, we’ll recall the tunes that black and white civil rights demonstrators sang as they faced beatings, bites from police dogs, jail, and sometimes death.

Bill Cohen and Paisha Thomas will sing the simple songs and invite everyone to sing along. Also featured will be vintage film footage of key triumphs and tragedies of the movement between 1960 and 1965.

In conjunction with St. John’s 50th Annual Triune Concert Series.

Free.

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It’s true that the sixties ended a long time ago but the work for civil rights and social justice that was started in the sixties is still ongoing, and, ironically, is more under attack now than ever. So, just as music and songs played a big part in the social action movements of the sixties, we need them more than ever now. Come join us for a monthly afternoon song swap of songs for social action (every last Sunday of the month).

Grammy Award-winning R&B and gospel maven Mavis Staples brings her legendary vocals to the McCoy Center for a one-night-only appearance with the five-time Grammy Award-winning gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama. This not-to-be-missed evening promises to be an uplifting celebration of American gospel music performed by two renowned champions of the genre.

Tickets are $35-$65 at the CAPA Ticket Center [39 E. State St.], all Ticketmaster outlets, and ticketmaster.com.

To purchase tickets by phone, please call 614-469-0939 or 800-745-3000.

Serious love songs of the 20th Century, a humorous trivia quiz, and a live interview with Cupid will highlight a Valentine concert by Bill Cohen in the basement Fellowship Hall of Overbrook Presbyterian Church, 4131 N. High St. The show runs 7-9pm on Saturday, February 7.

With guitar and piano, Bill will sing favorites made famous by John Denver, Sam Cooke, Bette Midler, Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, Dan Fogelberg, the Eagles, the Beatles, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, Tom Waits, and others.

Join the Folk Ramblers, Carl Yaffey and Bill Cohen, in singing the classic folk songs we remember from five decades ago. We’ll do songs made famous by folks like Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio, the Limelighters, Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, the Weavers, Tom Paxton, and others.

As an alternative to over-eating and binge shopping on Thanksgiving and the day after, Bill Cohen invites us to a more meaningful event. He’s singing a wide variety of songs about the various gifts we can be grateful for: friends, family, freedom, nature, music, our bodies, emotions, and more. Plus, we’ll be inspired by poems and quotations about true gratitude.

Civil rights sit-ins. Bell-bottoms. Anti-war marches. Student Power. Afros. Mini-skirts. Hippies. Riots. Space flights. The generation gap.

Those hallmarks of the turbulent 1960’s will be rekindled this year at the annual “Spirit of the ‘60’s Coffeehouse.”

The show begins at 7:30pm in the church basement but get there early for a good seat.

Bill Cohen will lead a candlelit, musical, year-by-year journey through the era, with live folk songs, “news reports” of sixties happenings, displays of anti-war buttons and posters, and far-out sixties fashions.

Join the Folk Ramblers -- Bill Cohen and Carl Yaffey --  in singing the classic folk songs we remember from decades ago.  We’ll do songs made famous by Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio, the Limelighters, Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, the Weavers, Harry Belafonte, Tom Paxton, and others.

Sing and clap along to love songs, children’s songs, work songs, civil rights songs, anti-war songs, lullabies, and more.  We’ll feel the power, energy, and community that people feel when they sing together.