A ground breaking collection of songs emerging from McCutcheon’s 3 year encounter with the People’s Republic of China, sparking new characters, tones, melodies, and East Asian textures.
In 2023, Boris moved with his wife Laura and their two children Niamh and Jack to Beijing, China where they lived for almost three years. It was not easy for the McCutcheon’s to transition into a mega city. After all, the McCutcheon’s were country mice and by the time they felt comfortable identifying as city mice, it was time to leave. As you can imagine there was a lot to observe and write about from their daily experiences, good and bad. From this “parallel universe” of living and traveling in China comes his latest project entitled, Beijing Survival Guide.
McCutcheon’s performances are dynamic and captivating. His musical style encompasses both rock and folk influences, reminiscent of outlaw storyteller Steve Earle and prolific underground songwriter Michael Hurley. But his high-desert folk-core sound falls into a category all its own. McCutcheon has garnered recognition as an “Americana icon” and “King of Americana” in the
Netherlands, where he is celebrated for his contemporary interpretation of American roots music. His music emphasizes the themes of deep connection to home place and the earth, storytelling, and wilderness, infused with a soulful, poetic, and humorous flair. Bittersweet, never pretentious, with the faint odor of sage and pine cones, the music of New Mexico-based songwriter Boris McCutcheon is rooted in country, rock, traditional folk and blues songs, but has long defied even those genres.An award-winning songwriter, McCutcheon is credited for inventing the genre of “New Mexicana”. Over the course of two decades, he has embarked on extensive European tours, collaborating with esteemed acts such as Los Lobos, Asleep At The Wheel, The Gourds, Calexico, and Ryan Adams. His performances are often accompanied by his incredible band, ‘The Salt Licks’.
The Salt Licks:
Alex McMahon co-producer of Beijing Survival Guide. He is a multi-instrumentalist, session musician, experimental staple of the Albuquerque, New Mexico music scene and so much more!
Randy Morris is a well-known drummer, vocalist, and fixture of the local music scene in Taos, New Mexico. He is most notably recognized as a long-standing member of the prominent Taos jam band, Last to Know, Brett Davis is the long-time electric guitarist, banjo player, and backing musician for the prominent Santa Fe-based Americana singer-songwriter Boris McCutcheon and The Salt Licks. He has contributed extensively to their acclaimed alternative-country and roots-rock albums, including, When We Were Big, Cactusman vs. The Blue Demon and Bad Road, Good People, recorded at Santa Fe's Frogville Studios.
Susan Holmes is a prominent Santa Fe-based bassist, songwriter, and producer known for her versatile work in country, folk, and alt-country, playing with local icons like Bill Hearne and Boris McCutcheon, leading her own band The Susan Holmes Brotherhood, and contributing to the vibrant New Mexico music scene as a session musician and band member. She plays both electric and upright bass and is a staple in the Southwestern music community, often featured in local venues and festivals.
Kevin Zoernig is a prominent Santa Fe-based musician, composer, producer, and educator, known for his work in contemporary jazz and world music, founding the Contemporary Music
Program at the College of Santa Fe (now United World College of the American West), teaching piano, and leading/playing in various bands, with albums like "Blue Z" and collaborations with artists like bassist David Friesen. He's a pianist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist deeply rooted in the Santa Fe music scene, balancing performance with his teaching and recording.
Sergio Webb is a highly respected, Texas-born, Nashville-rooted guitarist and songwriter who became a fixture in the Americana/Folk scene, known for playing with artists like David Olney, Gail Davies, and Pinto Bennett, and he later relocated to New Mexico, often associated with Santa Fe, bringing his unique, intricate guitar style and deep musicality to the region's vibrant scene.
Chris McGandy is a musician and pedal steel guitarist who has historically worked very closely with Levon Helm, the late legendary drummer and vocalist of The Band. Beyond his performance career, he is known within regional music circles for collaborating with other musicians in the Northeast. For instance, he assisted singer-songwriter Boris McCutcheon in building and insulating his recording studio, which McGandy famously suggested naming "Little Pink"—a playful nod to "Big Pink," the iconic house and studio in New York where Bob Dylan and The Band recorded The Basement Tapes.
Dinner and cocktails starting at 5:30 pm. Showtime is 7:00 pm. Reservations highly recommended after purchasing tickets.