The Oswego Music Hall welcomes Scott Cook, Pamela Mae and show opener John McConnell to its Main Stage! The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 30 at the McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake St., Oswego.

In 2007, Albertan songwriter Scott Cook quit his job teaching kindergarten in Taiwan and moved into a minivan. He’s made his living as a troubadour ever since, touring almost incessantly across Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. During this time, he has averaged 150 shows and a dozen summer festivals a year and released seven albums of plainspoken, keenly observant verse along the way.

His latest collection, “Tangle of Souls,” comes packaged in a cloth-bound, 240-page hardcover book of road stories and ruminations, equal parts introspection and insurrection. The album spent two weeks at number one on Alberta's province-wide community radio network CKUA and earned Scott his third Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for English Songwriter of the Year. Its second single, “Say Can You See,” was the second most-played song of 2020 on Folk Alliance International’s folk radio charts and took top honors for the folk category in both the 2020 U.K. Songwriting Competition and the 2020 Great American Song Contest. 

Cook been touring the album around North America this year with his sweetheart Pamela Mae on upright bass, banjo and vocals, believing more than ever that songs can change your life and your life can change the world. For more information on Scott Cook, visit his website at https://scottcook.net/.

John McConnell is an Oswego, N.Y. based singer/songwriter, whose own brand of “Solo Indie Lounge” blends elements of blues, jazz, soul, folk and beyond. Brandishing an untrained finger-style approach to the guitar, McConnell’s sound and feel is unique, identifiable and will likely find you head-bobbing or toe-tapping in your seat. McConnel has been in the trenches of the CNY music scene for nearly two decades and, since 2003, has played thousands of gigs from Upstate N.Y. to NYC to LA and other spots along the way. For more information about John McConnell, visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JohnnyMcTunes/.

The Oswego Music Hall’s season continues on Saturday, Oct. 21 with Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Leslie Mendelson.

Oswego Music Hall shows start at 7:30 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. for all National Stage concerts. For a complete performance schedule and ticket information, visit the Oswego Music Hall website at https://www.oswegomusichall.org/ or stop at the river’s end bookstore, 19 W. Bridge St., Oswego. 

Ticket prices for the National Stage range from $15 to $20 at the door. Admission is half-price for children aged 6 to 16 and free for those aged 5 and younger. Tickets can be purchased at any concert, online, or at the river’s end bookstore in Oswego.

Located in the McCrobie Building, the wheelchair accessible venue is adjacent to Breitbeck Park and overlooking Lake Ontario and the Oswego Harbor. The atmosphere is intimate with candle-lit tables surrounding a small stage. Light refreshments will be available.  

The Oswego Music Hall is a family-friendly, non-profit organization that has been run entirely by volunteers from its inception over 40 years ago. Volunteers can earn admission to shows through various tasks, from running the sound board to making popcorn. Students can also earn credit for community service. To volunteer, email Volunteer Coordinator Michael Moss at ocpaoswego@gmail.com.

The Oswego Music Hall pays close attention to federal, state and local COVID-19 guidelines to do what’s best for performers and patrons. Should conditions warrant, precautions may be put in place without notice. Masks are available at the door. Please check https://www.oswegomusichall.org/ for updated information.

For more information about the Oswego Music Hall, visit https://www.oswegomusichall.org/ or email ocpaoswego@gmail.com.

Oswego Music Hall concerts are made possible in part with funding by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the governor and New York Legislature. Other major supporters are the City of Oswego and Shineman Foundation. 

SCOTT COOK AND PAMELA MAE TAKE THE STAGE AT OSWEGO MUSIC HALL – Scott Cook, Pamela Mae and opener John McConnell take the Main Stage at Oswego Music Hall on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Pictured are Pamela Mae and Scott Cook performing.