Fans of classic ’60s music turn, turn, turn to Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre this Friday, May 1, 2026 for an intimate evening of Songs and Stories by singer/songwriter, Roger McGuinn, a founding member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band, The Byrds.
The lights dim and McGuinn, 83, enters singing Bob Dylan’s “My Back Pages.” The audience joyfully joins him on the song’s thought-provoking “Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now” refrain as McGuinn strums his famous Rickenbacker 12-string guitar, its swirly sound filling the auditorium with crystal clear vibrations.
Taking a seat, McGuinn picks up an acoustic 6-string as he talks about his early experiences growing up in Chicago and listening to music on his transistor radio. Here, he performs a snippet of Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel,” a song which helped inspire him to purchase a guitar. He follows up with Bob Gibson’s “Well, Well, Well,” a minor-key folk song which McGuinn taught himself how to play as a youngster.
Attending Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, McGuinn developed a love for traditional music. In tribute to Leadbelly, “the king of 12-string guitar,” McGuinn plays an acoustic 12-string on an energetic rendition of Leadbelly’s folk/blues classic, “Rock Island Line,” which has audience members clapping along.
While talking about Pete Seeger, McGuinn switches back to electric and invites the audience to join him in performing Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!” His Rickenbacker jangles as the crowd sings, “To everything/Turn turn turn/There is a season/Turn turn turn,” on this folk-rock classic.
Music lovers cheer and McGuinn follows up by playing his 6-string on “Rolling Down to Old Maui,” a sea chanty with a folksy feel. Then, McGuinn describes getting one of his first jobs playing at the Gate of Horn, a Chicago folk club, and commemorates the experience by performing his bluesy folk tune, “Gate of Horn.”
McGuinn recalls meeting Joan Baez before performing “The Virgin Mary Had One Son,” a minor-key folk song Baez composed with Bob Gibson. After talking about working with a folk group down in Guatemala, he follows up with “Chestnut Mare” where he deftly fingerpicks his acoustic as he sings, “I’m gonna catch that horse if I can/And when I do I’ll give her my brand/And we’ll be friends for life.”
Upon returning from Guatemala, McGuinn spent time playing on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood where he met Peter Fonda who asked him to create an original song for his 1969 film, Easy Rider. According to McGuinn, the song was based on a lyric refrain which had been scribbled on a napkin by Bob Dylan. Here, McGuinn performs his country-rocker, “The Ballad of Easy Rider.”
McGuinn acknowledges how much he loved watching the recent Artemis II space mission prior to concluding Act I by singing and playing his Rickenbacker on “Hey, Mr. Spaceman.” The audience sings along with McGuinn on the playful “Hey, Mr. Spaceman/Won’t you please take me along/I won’t do anything wrong” chorus of this pop-rock hit he created for The Byrds.
Following a short intermission, McGuinn returns to the stage where he strums his Rickenbacker on a sprightly version of “So You Wanna Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” Following the energetic “So you want to be a rock and roll star?/Then listen now to what I say/Just get an electric guitar/Then take some time and learn how to play” chorus, the audience joins him in singing the “la-la-la” coda of this 1967 psychedelic pop tune which was later covered by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
McGuinn talks about joining Dylan and Baez in the mid-1970s for the Rolling Thunder Revue where he and Jacques Levy wrote “Jolly Roger,” a pirate song which has McGuinn sitting and tapping both feet as he accompanies his voice with his 6-string acoustic.
McGuinn recalls asking Joni Mitchell on the tour for a song he could record and she gave him “Dreamland” which he performs with an upbeat rhythmic arrangement.
McGuinn also describes meeting Tom Petty in the mid-1980s and reveals that after reading Papa John — a book about John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas — he and Petty composed the pop-rock tune, “King of the Hill,” where he sings, “And when Monday comes ‘round, there’s a high, lonesome sound/And she follows you down for the kill/And a white, blinding light makes it all seem so right/And you feel like the king of the hill.”
After talking about going on tour with Petty and Dylan in Europe in the ‘80s, McGuinn invites the audience to join him on one of his favorite Dylan songs. With a unique syncopated accent in the guitar accompaniment, McGuinn renders the verses and the audience sweetly handles the repeated chorus of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”
McGuinn divulges that he was once asked to play the part of a banjo player in a Hollywood movie but declined, yet goes on to impress the audience with his banjo strumming skills on the traditional spiritual, “This Little Light of Mine.”
He follows up with a humorous story song entitled “The Preacher and the Bear” where he fingerpicks the banjo while crying, “Preacher went out a-huntin’, ‘twas on one Sunday morn/It was against his religion, but he took his rifle along/He shot himself three mighty fine quail and one little measly hare/And on his way returning home he met a great big grizzly bear.”
McGuinn talks about moving to New York City in the ‘60s where he wrote pop songs in the Brill Building for Bobby Darin. Here, he performs “Beach Ball,” a Beach Boys-influenced tune he composed which was recorded by The City Surfers in 1963.
McGuinn explains that his job at the Brill Building was to listen to the radio and create songs based on hits he liked. After performing a snippet of The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” McGuinn describes how he added the famous “Beatle beat” to a folk song he already knew, “The Water is Wide,” which he performs with a rock arrangement.
According to McGuinn, when his version of that song “didn’t go over so well” in Greenwich Village, he decided to try it out at The Troubadour in L.A. When the arrangement didn’t get the reaction he’d hoped for there either, he and songwriter Gene Clark sat down and created McGuinn’s next selection, “You Showed Me,” which became a Top 10 pop hit for The Turtles.
McGuinn reveals that it was at The Troubadour where David Crosby asked him if he could be a member of McGuinn’s band. Here, McGuinn gives a detailed account of the genesis of The Byrds recalling that McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby — along with Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke — purchased the same instruments The Beatles played in the movie, A Hard Day’s Night. Practicing at their manager’s house, the executive’s 14-year-old daughter heard them and thought they were The Beatles, leading jazz legend Miles Davis — who happened to be visiting the home at the time — to call Columbia Records in New York and recommend The Byrds who were offered a recording contact.
Needing a hit single, McGuinn recalls how the group came upon the original folk version of Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which he performs for the audience. Then, McGuinn — who had been practicing Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring” — demonstrates how he created an introduction and ending for the song based on the Bach piece on his 12-string Rickenbacker. McGuinn goes on to play The Byrds’ folk-rock version of the tune and the audience happily joins in singing on the famous “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man/Play a song for me” chorus.
Following avid applause, McGuinn tells another tale from the 1960s when he and The Byrds went to London and, after the trip, he decided to write a song about the airplane ride. Here, McGuinn plays an incredible unplugged arrangement of “Eight Miles High” which he says was “influenced by the work of John Coltrane, Ravi Shankar, and Andres Segovia.” His flamenco-inspired acoustic guitar work rocks the house on this impressive performance and McGuinn takes a well-deserved bow after the crowd responds with a rousing standing ovation.
McGuinn leaves the stage but soon returns for an encore. Standing in the spotlight with his Rickenbacker, he performs a compelling version of the Dylan protest song, “Chimes of Freedom.” Taking a seat with his acoustic guitar, he ends tonight’s show with a heartfelt rendition of “May the Road Rise to Meet You” where he gently croons, “Until we meet again/May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”
As concertgoers make their way out of the theater, several comment on this evening’s performance by Roger McGuinn. Remarks Bill from Edison, “I thought Roger was great tonight! I loved the stories — they really made the show — plus he did everything from memory with no teleprompter, which was really impressive.” Maureen from Edison agrees, adding, “I thought his vocal range was very impressive and his guitar playing was incredible, too, especially on ‘Eight Miles High.’”
Dave from Freehold explains, “I enjoyed the show because I’m a record geek who also does radio. I enjoyed all the history Roger talked about, which made it so enjoyable. Also, I’m glad he did some songs that some people might not be so familiar with. For example, he did The City Surfers’ ‘Beach Ball,’ which I play on the radio. I never expected he would go that deep tonight, but he did, and it was great experiencing that from someone who’s been so iconic in the music business.”
Dennis from Barnegat exclaims, “I thought it was a fantastic show — very vintage! I saw Roger 50 years ago with The Byrds. He’s still got it at 83, and I enjoyed all his songs and stories.” Dennis’ wife, Susan, concurs, noting, “I thought he sounded great tonight, and seeing him here in this intimate venue was like enjoying a concert in your living room.”
Declares Nacho from Howell, “To hear that Rickenbacker guitar live was priceless! It’s the true sound of an American musician that has gone all over the world. His stories were great, too, but it all comes back to the music — you can’t beat it — and it was great seeing him here at the Pollak Theatre. I’ve been coming here for 20 years now, and it just gets better every single time.”
Lastly, Paul from West Long Branch contends, “Roger McGuinn is what you call a troubadour — a traveling musician. Singing his songs and telling his stories brought back a lot of memories for me,” prior to concluding, “It was a wonderful show and an extraordinary evening!”
For more information on Roger McGuinn’s music and upcoming tour dates, please see ibiblio.org. For further information on upcoming performances at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre — including Candlelight Concerts Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and More on May 15 — please go to monmouth.edu/mca/pollak-theatre/.
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