March 3: Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer at Carnegie Hall
Julia Wolfe – in residence at Carnegie Hall this season!
Steel Hammer is a meditation on over 200 versions of the John Henry ballad. The various versions, based on hearsay, recollection, and tall tales, reveal both the evolution of the story, as well as the timeless tale of human versus machine. Many of the facts are unclear, but regardless of the details, John Henry, wielding a steel hammer, faced the onslaught of the industrial age as his super-human strength is challenged in a contest to out-dig an engine. The Bang on a Can All-Stars add a slew of instruments to their usual line up – mountain dulcimer, wooden bones, banjo, harmonicas, and body percussion, as well as a dynamic trio of three female voices to tell the tale. Featuring singers Molly Netter, Rebecca Hargrove, and Sonya Headlam.