Saturday, January 18, 2020 – 7:30 PM | Rockville, Maryland

It is almost time for the voters to speak! The policies and rhetoric of this Administration have been distasteful and distressing. We have been speaking out, tweeting, organizing, and supporting thoughtful candidates. AND… each of the past three years, we have gathered in January to enjoy the music of 5 performers raising funds for 5 worthy causes. We have been lifted up by the songs and the missions of the nonprofit beneficiaries.

And now, it’s time for one last UnNaugural Concert! For the final time (in 2021, I hope/expect to be celebrating at an INaugural rather than an UnNaugural!), we will come together to be inspired and uplifted. Once again, I have selected five remarkable singer/songwriters and five effective and varied causes.

Please get your tickets soon, as I expect to sell out again this year. If you can’t join us, please consider making a donation of any size to support the five groups.  Many thanks for your activism, your commitment to progressive change, and your support of live music!

Cheryl

Cheryl C. Kagan
Founder and Executive Producer
UnNaugural Concert

PS: You can click here to see highlights from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 concerts!

PPS: You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @UnNaugural.

PPPS: Our beneficiaries from the past three years were the ACLU, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, CASA, CCAN, Interfaith Works, JCADA, LCV, MD Hunger Solutions, MD Health Care for All, MCASA, MHP, NGLTF, Planned Parenthood, Trash-Free Maryland, and Umttr.

Featured performers:

David Roth

Originally from Chicago, David Roth makes Cape Cod his home.  He has earned top honors at premier songwriting competitions – Kerrville (TX) and Falcon Ridge (NY) – and taken his music, experience, and expertise all over the world, and beyond!  His song “Rocket Science” accompanied the crew on the Space Shuttle Atlantis’ mission in 2009. Winner of five Positive Music Awards and the 2015 Grace Note for Outstanding Contribution to New Thought Music, David is the founding director of the Cape Cod Songwriters Retreat.

Crys Matthews

Growing up as the gay daughter of a black preacher in the Deep South, Crys Matthews’ songs of social injustice are deeply personal. The award-winning singer-songwriter’s blend of blues, folk and bluegrass has drawn comparisons to Tracy Chapman, Ruthie Foster, and Toshi Reagan.  In 2017, Matthews won the People Music Network’s Social Justice Song contest at NERFA. She also won the Grand Prize at the prestigious NewSong Music Competition in NYC, which included an invitation to perform at the Sundance Film Festival.

Rod MacDonald

Rod MacDonald is a singer-songwriter from New York City.  A big presence in the folk revival of the 80’s, MacDonald co-founded the Greenwich Village Folk Festival. He has recorded 12 solo CD’s, including “Later that Night," which reached the top ten on the national folk music charts and was named "Best Local CD” by the Palm Beach Post in 2014.  He has performed with Pete Seeger and Suzanne Vega, among others.  Rod continues to tour across the U.S. and in Europe.

Cynthia Kaplan

Cynthia Kaplan is a NYC-based writer, actress, and musician. Her literary work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, and The Philadelphia Enquirer, among others. Her book, Why I’m Like This: True Stories was a Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” book and a Booksense bestseller.  Kaplan’s theatre and film appearances include Work; Pipe Dream, which she co-wrote; and Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. She plays tours nationwide with her band, The Cynthia Kaplan Ordeal.

Tom Chapin

In a career that spans six decades, 26 albums, multiple Emmy and Grammy awards, and a Hall of Fame induction, Tom Chapin has covered an incredible amount of creative ground.  A professional musician since his teenage years when he performed with his older brothers, Chapin is an award-winning children’s author, songwriter, television host, actor, and activist.  His latest CD, “At the Turning Point,” was recorded live in concert to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his band recording and touring together.

Organizations We’re Supporting:

All profits will be donated to five effective advocacy groups:

We envision a nation where everyone can freely choose a faith and support it voluntarily, or follow no religious or spiritual path at all, and where the government does not promote religion over non-religion or favor one faith over another.

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CRCMC fosters peace by enabling people to experience conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow and by empowering them to effectively manage their own conflicts.

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Death with Dignity is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to provide aid-in-dying as an option for individuals with a terminal illness and to stimulate nationwide improvements in end-of-life care.

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MCAEL is a community coalition – a group of individuals and organizations from the community that have come together to strengthen and promote adult English literacy services in Montgomery County.

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VisArts’ VisAbility Art Lab is a supportive art studio for adult emerging artists with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities who have a strong interest in making art part of their professional careers.

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One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.

Bob Marley
sflwaWelcome 2020