November 2014
Release of Joe Hill centenary edition of “Solidarity Forever” Labor History calendar.
11/14/2014 Joe Hill 100 Years Part 3, Labor/Migrant/Gulf Group Exhibition. Uri-Eichen Gallery, 2101 S. Halsted, Chicago. Features work by more than 70 artists from around the world. Opening features Bucky Halker singing songs of Joe Hill. 8 p.m.
January 2015
1/16/2015 Proposals due for 47th annual conference of the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association. Come to Seattle May 1-3 to Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the writing of Solidarity Forever, Honor the life of Joe Hill on the centennial of his execution, and Act to strengthen and rebuild the labor movement for a secure future.
1/17/2015 Participatory readings celebrating the life of Joe Hill. Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival, Machinists’ Hall, Burlingame, California.
March 2015
Exhibition: 3/14/2015: Joe Hill – martyren från Gävle. Länsmuseet/Gävle, Sweden. The website includes information on the exhibit, which will run for several weeks, and on related events.
Film Showing & Joe Hill Songs: 3/25/14: La Maison des Métallos (Steel Workers House), Paris, France. Release party for new Les Mutins de Pangée documentary on Howard Zinn, which includes segment on Joe Hill. Fred Alpi will perform Joe Hill songs.
April 2015
Exhibition: 4/10/2015 Joe Hill 100 Years Part 4: Killed, paintings by James Wechsler. URI-EICHEN Gallery, 2101 S Halsted, Chicago.
Songs of Joe Hill: April 3-May 17: Joe Hill Tour in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland with David Rovics and Kristian Svensson. Details at http://www.davidrovics.com/
Songs of Joe Hill tour: April 3: Nordsjællands Efterskole, Aggebovej 34, Helsinge, Denmark
April 7: Lilla Kulkturhuset, Lund, Sweden
April 8: Gemenskapen, Spånehusgatan 83, Malmö, Sweden
April 9: Medborgarhuset, Lönsboda, Hässleholm, Sweden
April 10: Oktober Bogcafé, Vesterfælledvej 1B1750, Copenhagen, Denmark
April 11: Perrong 23, Hässleholm, Sweden
April 13: Metropol Hörby, Lund, Sweden
April 14: ABF Huset, Trelleborg, Sweden
April 15: Folkets hus, Ängelholm, Sweden
April 17: Kulturhuset, Jönköping, Sweden
April 18: Cyklopen, Stockholm, Sweden
April 19: Joe Hill Museum, Gävle, Sweden
April 20: Runö Conference Centre, Åkersberga, Sweden
April 21: Kafé 44, Stockholm, Sweden
April 23: Folkets Hus, Copenhagen, Denmark
April 28: Langsøhus, Silkeborg, Denmark
April 29: Kulturhuset Silkeborg, Silkeborg, Denmark
April 30: 1000 Fryd, Aalborg, Denmark
May 2: Klub – Bildung & Kultur am Besenbinderhof 62, Hamburg, Germany
May 15: Landquart, Switzerland
May 16: Wallhalla, Davos, Switzerland
May 17: Rössli Bar, Bern, Switzerland
May 2015
5/1-2/2014 Chicago Commemoration. Among events being organized are a Friday night concert and ceremonies at the Haymarket Monument on Friday May 1 (Illinois Labor History Society, Noon) and at Waldheim Cemetery Saturday May 2 (11 a.m., includes scattering of ashes of former IWW General Executive Board chair Fred Lee, who secured the release of Joe Hill’s ashes from federal custody).
Concert: 5/1-10/2015 Joe Hill Road Show. Concerts in Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, St. Paul, and more.
Joe Hill Road Show: 5/1/2015 May Day Kickoff with Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund direct from Sweden and more! Haymarket Monument, 175 N. Desplaines St., Chicago. Free
Friday, May 1: Chicago: HideOut, 1354 W Wabansia Ave. with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund, and a short talk on Joe Hill by Alexis Buss. http://www.hideoutchicago.com
Sunday, May 3: Batavia, IL: Fox Valley Folk Society, with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund http://foxvalleyfolk.com
Tuesday, May 5: Sheboygan WI: Paradigm Café, 1202 N 8th St. with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund, Lil’ Rev and guest Michael Lee Amons. http://paradigmvenue.com/
Wednesday, May 6: Madison, WI: Barrymore Theater, 2090 Atwood Ave. with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund, Lil’ Rev and special guests David HB Drake, Steven Lee Rich, David Sewell, Moe Hirsch, The Solidarity Sing-A-Long Singers, the Forward Marching Band, and spoken word with Marty Kehrein and Martha Stahl. http://www.barrymorelive.com/
Thursday, May 7: Green Bay, WI: Luna Café, 330 Main Ave. with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund, Lil’ Rev and special guest Skip Jones. https://lunacafe.com/
Friday, May 8: Milwaukee, WI: Anodyne Café, 224 W Bruce St. with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund, Lil’ Rev and special guests David HB Drake, Will Branch and Harvey Taylor. https://anodynecoffee.com/
Saturday, May 9: Oshkosh, WI: New Moon Café, 401 N Main St. with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund. http://newmooncafe.com/
Sunday, May 10: St. Paul, MN: East Side Freedom Library, 1105 Greenbrier St.with Bucky Halker, JP Wright, Anne Feeney, Jan Hammarlund, and special guests Emmett Doyle and Paul Metsa. http://eastsidefreedomlibrary.org/
5/1-3/2015 Pacific Northwest Labor History Association conference, celebrating the centenary of the writing of “Solidarity Forever” and honoring the life of Joe Hill on the centennial of his execution. Seattle, Washington.
June 2015
Concert & Book Release: 6/6/2015. Tribute to Joe Hill celebrates release of a new French translation of Franklin Rosemont’s book on Joe Hill and working-class culture, and several musicians performing Joe Hill’s songs in French and English. CNT complex, 33 rue des Vignoles, 75020 Paris, France.
Concert: 6/6-19/2015 John McCutcheon’s “Joe Hill’s Last Will” tour
6/6/2015 Sutter Creek Theater, 44 Main St., Sutter Creek CA
6/7/2015 Grass Valley Center for the Arts 314 W Main St., Grass Valley CA
6/8/2015 Chico, Calif. Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, 1075 E 20th St.
6/10/2015 Fresno, Calif. John McCutcheon’s “Joe Hill’s Last Will” tour hits the site of one of the classic IWW free speech fights
6/11/2015 Modesto, Calif. Church of the Brethren, 2301 Woodland Ave.
6/12/2015 Fremont, Calif. St. James Episcopal Church, 37051 Cabrillo Terrace
6/13/2015 Berkeley, Calif. Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison
6/14/2015 Sonoma, Calif. Sebastiani Theater, 476 First St. East
6/19/2015 Richmond, Virginia. Singleton Center for Performing Arts, 922 Park Ave.
July 2015
7/5/2015 Concert: David Rovics, Joe Hill Commemoration Concert, opening LaborFest 2015 at ILWU Local 34 Hall in San Francisco. On July 5, 1934, two longshore strike supporters were gunned down by police, igniting the 1934 San Francisco general strike. LaborFest is an annual working class cultural, music and film festival. www.laborfest.net
7/15/2015: Film: “The Ballad of Joe Hill”(1971, Sweden) by Bo Widerberg. San Francisco. FilmWorks United International Working Class Film & Video Festival. Wednesday, July 15, 7:00 p.m. Free. ILWU Local 34 Hall, 801 2nd St. next to AT&T Ball Park.
This dramatic film tells Joe Hill’s story as an immigrant coming to the United States. This rarely seen Academy Award-nominated film is about an ingenious immigrant labor organizer who is framed on a murder charge in a highly sensationalized trial with little evidence. Despite worldwide appeals, Hill is martyred by a Utah firing squad after one of the most controversial capital punishment trials of the 20th Century. Today, on the hundredth anniversary of his death, the state of Utah has reinstated the firing squad. Despite the bullets that ended his life, his legacy, humor, principles and solidarity with workers of the world live on.
7/23 – 8/2/2015 Joe Hill Roadshow, East Coast leg begins in Washington, D.C. and ends in Cambridge, Mass.
Thursday, July 23, Washington, DC: Magpie, Charlie King, DC Labor Chorus and George Mann in concert. Washington Ethical Society, 7750 16th St NW, 7:30 pm. $10-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Friday, July 24, Baltimore: Magpie, Charlie King and George Mann in concert. First Unitarian Church, 514 N Charles St., 7:30 pm. $15, $10 students and seniors, no one turned away for lack of funds. Advance tickets: 410.685.2330
Saturday, July 25, Philadelphia: Magpie, Charlie King and George Mann with special guest John Braxton in concert. University Lutheran Church, 3637 Chestnut St., 7:30 p.m. Sliding Scale, $10 – $30, children $5. Sponsored by Crossroads Concerts; co-sponsored by American Swedish Historical Museum and IWW Hungarian Literature Fund.
Sunday, July 26, Ithaca, NY: Magpie, The Burns Sisters and George Mann in concert. The Space at Greenstar, 700 W Buffalo St., 7:00 pm. $15, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Wednesday, July 29, New York City: Magpie, Charlie King, George Mann and New York City Labor Chorus in concert. Local 1199 Union MLK Auditorium, 310 West 43rd Street, New York, 7:30 pm, $10-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds.
Thursday, July 30, Schenectady, NY: Charlie King, Magpie, Joe Jencks, and George Mann onstage in the underground theater. Eighth Step at Proctors, 432 State Street, Schenectady, 7:00 pm
Friday, July 31, Barre, VT: Magpie, Charlie King and George Mann (with special guests Anything Goes) in concert. Old Socialist Labor Hall, 46 Granite Street, 7:30 pm, tickets $15, seniors and students $12, no one turned away!
August 2015
Joe Hill Roadshow, Northeast Leg
Saturday, August 1, Springfield, MA: Magpie, Charlie King and George Mann in concert. Bing Art Center, 718 Sumner Ave., 8:00 pm. $15, students and seniors $10, none turned away for lack of funds.
Sunday, August 2, Cambridge, MA: Magpie, Charlie King and George Mann (with special guest Evan Greer) wrap up the Northeast leg with a concert at this venerable, historic folk music venue. Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA 8:00 pm. Tickets $20, $18 for members.
through Sept. 7: Exhibit: Joe Hill – martyren från Gävle. Länsmuseet Gävleborg, Gävle, Sweden.
8/13-15/2015 Still Building Internationalism Conference, Gävle, Sweden. Three days of music, books, and organized discussions around the topics of Work and Migration, Work and Repression, and Building Internationalism, Connecting Struggles. Organized by the SAC union,Joe Hill-sällskapet and Federativs Förlag, the conference will be attended by members of self-managed and radical unions across Europe. Click here for information on registration.
September 2015
9/5/2015 Concert: The Joe Hill Organizing Committee hosts a day-long celebration of Joe Hill’s life and work Saturday, Sept. 5, at Sugarhouse Park (which stands on the site of the prison where Joe Hill was held and executed) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Noon to 8 p.m. Judy Collins, Mark Ross, Anne Feeney, David Rovics, Mischief Brew, Joe Jencks, and many more. Free.
9/6/2015 Exhibition on life and legacy of Joe Hill opens at American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia. Ran through Labor Day 2016.
through Sept. 7: Exhibit: Joe Hill – martyren från Gävle. Länsmuseet Gävleborg, Gävle, Sweden.
9/7/2015 Concert: Bucky Halker sings labor songs at the historic Pullman site in honor of Labor Day and Joe Hill. Pullman Historical Site (Chicago suburbs), Noon – 2:00 p.m., free.
Joe Hill 100 Roadshow in Sweden!
Anne Feeney and Jan Hammarlund on tour, singing the songs of Joe Hill in English and Swedish.
Friday 9/11/2015 – Sunday 10/13/2015. Vaensterdagarna, Malmo http://vansterdagarna.vansterpartiet.se/
Sunday 9/13/2015, 8:00 p.m. Jonskoping
Tuesday 9/15/2015 7:00 p.m. Tellus, Misommarkransen. www.tellusbio.nu/
Wednesday, 9/23/2015 8:00 p.m. FolkKulturCentrum
Stockholm. http://folkkulturcentrum.se/
Saturday, 9/26/2015 8:00 p.m. Kultarnatten, Norrkoping
October 2015
Exhibition on life and legacy of Joe Hill continues at American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia.
10/4/2015 Concert: Joe Hill Roadshow, Atlanta, Georgia, 7:00 p.m. With I Want Whiskey, George Mann, Lee Furey, Jumpin’ Jesus Christers, and Craig Rafuse. Sunday, Oct. 4, Eyedrop, 88 Forsyth Street, Georgia. $10 – $20 sliding scale.
10/8/2015 Concert: Bucky Halker. Woody Guthrie and songs of the Dustbowl. The show will also include several Joe Hill songs. Chillicothe Library, 430 N Bradley Ave, Chillicothe, IL. 2:00 p.m., free.
10/10/2015 Concert: Shelby Bottom String Band, The Cantrells, Todd Sharp, Jack Herranen & The Little Red Band and others commemorate Joe Hill. Nashville, Saturday Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Douglas Corner, 2106 8th Avenue South, Nashville TN 37204. Tickets $12 advance, $15 at the door. (Checks can be mailed to TAP, PO Box 60338, Nashville TN 37206) Sponsored by Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Nashville Peace and Justice Center.
10/17/2015 Concert: Joe Hill Roadshow in Pittsburgh. Anne Feeney, Mike Stout and the Human Union, and Smokehouse Lightning. Saturday, Oct. 17, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The Pump House (location of the Historic Battle of Homestead), 880 E. Waterfront Dr., Munhall, Pennsylvania.
10/22-24/2015 Conference: The North American Labor History Conference will feature a round table on Joe Hill’s legacy and other events. Detroit, MI.
10/23/2015 Concert: An evening of Rebel Music commemorating Joe Hill’s centenary with Len Wallace, The Adrays, and The Slowdown. Friday Oct. 23, 8:00 p.m.,Cass Commons, 4605 Cass at Forest, Detroit. Sponsored by the Detroit Branch of the IWW, the Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, and the Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice. $10 donation.
November 2015
Centenary of the murder of IWW songwriter and organizer Joe Hill by the state of Utah.
Exhibition on life and legacy of Joe Hill continues at American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia.
Joe Hill Roadshow, West Coast leg. Nov. 5 through Nov. 20. Chris Chandler, George Mann and David Rovics, with special guests.
11/5-28/2015 Play: The Subversive Theatre Collective presents Si Kahn’s “Joe Hill’s Last Will.” Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Tickets $25, $20 for students, seniors and union members, Thursdays are pay what you can. Manny Fried Playhouse, 255 Great Arrow Avenue, Buffalo NY (third floor of North Buffalo’s historic Great Arrow Building).
11/7/2015 Concert: “Joe Hill…The Man Who Never Died… 100 Years Ago!” Everett, Washington. Featuring Gary Kanter, Friends & Fellow Travelers. Saturday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. Firewheel Community Coffee House 2727 Colby Ave.
11/13/2015 Concert: Bucky Halker, Anywhere But Utah – The Songs of Joe Hill. Friday, Nov. 13, 7:00 p.m. Uri-Eichen Art Gallery, 2101 S Halsted St, Chicago. Bucky will be sharing new recordings from his new release “Anywhere But Utah – The Songs of Joe Hill” in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the murder of Joe Hill. Some of these songs have never before been put to vinyl, disc or acetate. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for an exhibition of artwork from the IWW, the Illinois Labor History Society, Fight for Joe Hill, Molly Crabapple and Jon Langford, and a talk by public historian Paul Durica. The exhibit runs through Nov. 23.11/16/2015 Lecture: William Adler, Ogden, Utah. Adler
will speak on The Man Who Never Died: The Life and Legacy of Joe Hill After a Century, 7 p.m., Dumke Legacy Hall in the Hurst Learning Center at Weber State University; free.
11/17/2015 Tom Morello & Friends Joe Hill Memorial Concert. Tuesday, Nov. 17, 8:00 p.m. Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles. Performers include: Tom Morello, Joan Baez, Ziggy Marley, Van Dyke Parks, Boots Riley, Rich Robinson, The Last Internationale, Tim Armstrong, Wayne Kramer, Jill Sobule, David Rovics, and Built for the Sea. Part of events marking the centenary and celebrating the release of the new edition of The Letters of Joe Hill. Tickets $20.
11/18/2015 Lecture: William Adler, Salt Lake City, Utah. Adler, author of The Man Who Never Died, speaks at 7 p.m. at Ken Sanders Rare Books, 268 S. 200 East, Salt Lake City; free.
11/19/2015 Vigil to mark centenary of the execution of Joe Hill, Salt Lake City. Sugar House Park,1400 East 2100 South, 6:00 p.m.
11/19/2015 Vigil: 7:21 a.m. Si Kahn & John McCutcheon will stand vigil on the very spot where Joe Hill was tied to a chair, blindfolded and, with a paper heart pinned to his chest, shot to death by a firing squad. Anyone in the Salt Lake City area is invited to join.
11/19/2015 Soapboxing: The Upstate New York Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World will lead a traditional soapboxing demonstration at noon, on Thursday, Nov. 19 ,at Washington Avenue, downtown Albany, on the sidewalk adjacent to West Capitol Park. Presentation & Concert: That evening, IWW delegate Greg Giorgio will discuss Joe Hill’s Legacy and lead a sing-along of Joe Hill’s songs. 6:30 p.m. at the Altamont Free Library.11/19/2015 Concert: 100 years later: Tribute Concert for a true rebel that never died. Berlin. Bernd Köhler & Blandine Bonjour, Geigerzähler, The Overall Brigade. Supamolly, Jessner Str. 41, D-10247 Berlin, Germany. 6:00 – 12:00 p.m.
11/19/2015 Soapboxing. The General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World has called for Wobblies and others to emulate Joe Hill on the centenary of his execution by speaking on a sidewalk, public park or other public place about Joe Hill and the struggle for workers’ emancipation. A pamphlet issued to support the actions is available as a free download.
11/19/2015 The Letters of Joe Hill. Former IWW General Secretary-Treasurer Alexis Buss will discuss the life and legacy of Joe Hill, and in particular his writings collected in the new expanded edition of The Letters of Joe Hill (for which she collected extensive new material and updated and expanded the notes). John Braxton will sing Joe Hill’s songs. Thursday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m., Swedish American Historical Museum, Philadelphia.
11/19/2015 Concert: “Don’t Mourn, Organize: The Musical Legacy of Joe Hill,” Chico, California. Jim Brobeck, Michael Cannon, Laurie Dana, Kim Gimbal, Mackenzie Howlett, Mark Johnson, David Longaker, Mark McKinnon , Gordy Ohliger, Laurel Paulson-Pierce, Katrina Rodriguez, Jim Williams, and David Zink will share music by Joe Hill and inspired by him. 7:00 p.m., Blue Room Theater, 139 West 1st Street, Chico (above Colliers Hardware, accessible). $15, reservations or advance tickets required. (Proceeds benefit the Bernie Sanders campaign; Joe Hill’s “Mr. Block” suggests he might have preferred a different strategy.)
11/20/2015 Concert: “Joe Hill…The Man Who Never Died… 100 Years Ago!” Seattle, Washington. Featuring Gary Kanter, Friends & Fellow Travelers. Friday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. Couth Buzzard Books, 8310 Greenwood Ave., Seattle.
11/20/2015 Don’t Mourn, Organize! Performances in Celebration of Labor Troubadour Joe Hill. New York City. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! will lead a group of musicians and actors in a rousing evening honoring the great labor troubadour Joe Hill: Musicians Allison Moorer, Stephen Said, Son of Nun and Jamie Kilstein, actors Susan Pourfar and Brian Jones, comedian Hari Kondabolu, and writer Walter Mosley. Friday, Nov. 20, 7:00 p.m. New School’s Alvin Johnson/J.M. Kaplan Hall, 66 W 12th St., Manhattan. The event celebrates publication of the new edition of The Letters of Joe Hill. Admission free, but tickets required.
11/20/2015 Concert: John McCutcheon, “Joe Hill’s Last Will.” Denver, CO. Bread & Roses Cultural Center.
11/20/2015 Commemoration Concert: Kansas City MO. Danny Cox, Dr. Joyce Downing, Tom James, Bill Clause, Kasey Raush & Scott Stanton, Ariana Eakle, Bob & Diana Suckiel and more. Friday, Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m. Trailside Center, 9901 Holmes Rd. $15 donation. Be prepared to sing.
11/21/2015 Concert: John McCutcheon, “Joe Hill’s Last Will.” Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Legion Arts.
11/21/2015. Joe Hill Roadshow, Knoxville TN. Jack Herranen & the Little Red Band, Black Atticus, Shelby Bottom Duo, Matt Kinman & Friends. Saturday, Nov. 21, Potluck 5:00 p.m., Show 7:00 p.m. Candoro Marble Building, 4450 Candora Ave., Knoxville. $5 donation.
11/22/2015 Commemoration: Joe Hill funeral re-enactment with a casket, brass band and several performers (including Swedish and Italian). Bucky Halker, Jon Langford, Sally Timms, and more. The Hideout, 1354 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago.
11/22/2015 Concert: John McCutcheon continues his Joe Hill’s Last Will tour in Madison, Wisconsin.
11/23/2015 Concert: John McCutcheon concludes his Joe Hill’s Last Will tour in Rockville, Maryland.
Exhibition: Joe Hill 100 Years Part 5. URI-EICHEN Gallery, 2101 S Halsted, Chicago. Posters and other memorabilia from the Industrial Workers of the World General HQ’s Collection, Molly Crabapple, and Pocket Guide to Hell’s Paul Durica. Live music with Bucky Halker.
December 2015
12/12/2015 Presentation: “Don’t Mourn, Organize!” commemorating the life of Joe Hill and raising funds for Haymarket Books, publisher of the expanded edition of The Letters of Joe Hill. Bill Ayers, Rick Kogan, Maya Schenwar, Jesse Sharkey, Sharon Smith, James Thindwa, and other special guests will read from Joe Hill’s writings and perform his songs. Saturday, Dec. 12, 7:00 p.m., Preston Bradley Center, 941 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. Tickets $10 – $45, includes a copy of the new edition of The Letters of Joe Hill, compiled by Alexis Buss, with a new foreword by Tom Morello.
2016 events
Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. The Joe Hill Roadshow makes a return appearance at the MSU Community Music School, Lansing, Michigan, 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $18, $5 for students. Performing are Magpie (Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino), Charlie King and George Mann.