Folk singer Peter Yarrow performs “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” April 28, 2016, at the LBJ Presidential Library. The event was part of the library’s three-day Vietnam War Summit. (Photo by Marsha Miller)

MARQUETTE — The Hiawatha Music Co-op and the city of Marquette Arts and Culture Center present legendary musician and singer/songwriter Peter Yarrow 7 p.m. on June 30 at Kaufman Auditorium in Marquette, according to a press release from the Hiawatha Music Co-op. 

Yarrow — of Peter, Paul and Mary fame — weaves a narrative of his life in music and politics, punctuating the major events with renditions of the iconic songs.

Songs such as “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” “If I Had A Hammer,” “Lemon Tree” and “Blowing in the Wind” will be performed by Yarrow at the concert. From his life in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, his connections to Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger and his career as part of the trio Peter, Paul and Mary,  Yarrow shares a part of American history influenced heavily by music. Yarrow creates community within his audiences through his reflections in both words and music.

 “Yes, it will be nostalgic for many. But on another level, it will bring them a sense of what is still possible. Yes, they will sing ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane,’ and I will give them a sense of the current history of what this music is doing, and why it’s important,” said Yarrow.  “So, it will be a history lesson, it will be a singalong that inspires, but it will also assert the importance of the continuation of this kind of music in people’s lives today. And where we’re going from here in those terms. It’s not necessarily a big lecture — it’s inherent in the music. They’ll get it. I know it, ’cause that’s what I do.” 

The music of Peter, Paul and Mary is familiar to most – folk classics that remain a binding soundtrack for several generations. But concertgoers can also expect to experience the relevancy of that music, and how it resonates through today’s headlines. Yarrow promises much more than a nostalgia show.  He will connect with any age audience:  he will encourage sing-alongs and audience participation, the release said. 

Yarrow’s talents as a creative artist — both with the legendary trio Peter, Paul and Mary and as a solo performer — are frequently directed at using music to convey a message of humanity and caring, the release said. His gift for songwriting has produced some of the most moving songs from Peter, Paul and Mary, including “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done,” “Light One Candle” and “The Great Mandala.” As a member of the renowned musical trio, Yarrow has earned multiple gold and platinum albums, as well as numerous Grammys.

Tickets are on sale now at the Hiawatha Music Co-op office at 129 W. Baraga from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and at its website www.hiawathamusic.org. A special reception, “meet and greet” will be held at the home of Greg Seiple and Babette Welch prior to the concert. Meet and Greet tickets are $50 and must be purchased ahead of the concert. Time of Meet and Greet will be announced. General seating tickets are $35. Doors for the event will open at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call the Hiawatha office at 906-226-8575.