The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University and the Hiawatha Music Co-op are collaborating to present a special “Live from the Fold” concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. The virtual “Songs of Labor” concert featuring Robert Jones and Matt Watroba will be accessible via either the Beaumier Center or Hiawatha Facebook sites. It is free, but donations are appreciated.
“Songs of Labor” is part of a series of events connected with the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center's current exhibition on the labor history of the Upper Peninsula. The exhibition is not currently open to the general public due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Ever since their first meeting more than 20 years ago, Jones and Watroba have been musical partners. Their relationship started when they hosted back-to-back radio shows on WDET-FM, Detroit. They later started performing together and in doing so discovered a friendship based on mutual respect and a love for traditional American music.
Now the duo literally travels the nation extolling the virtues of “Music That Matters"--music that reflects social change, migration, hopes and dreams.
The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center is a museum and educational center that celebrates the history and culture of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Hiawatha Music Non-Profit Corporation is organized exclusively to provide and promote traditional music and dance, educate and inform society on traditional American music and encourage the appreciation of such music through the facility of an annual traditional music festival.