By Randi Bjornstad

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase I Walk the Line, the title of The Shedd’s new show that will be on stage Jan. 21-23? Whether you prefer listening to country or classical, it might well be the mental image of Johnny Cash belting out the country classic of the same name.

There’s going to be a lot of that happening in this concert at The Shedd, with vocal performances by Shedd regulars Lynnea Barry (who also is directing the show), Marisa Frantz, and Bill Hulings, backed up by band members Steve Arriola, Keri Davis, Theo Halpert, Scoop McGuire, Jon Neher, and Julia Frantz.

Here’s how The Shedd sums it up:

Like an old truck with a new engine, country music really started to rev-up in the late 1950s and good traction into the ‘60s. During a time when Rock and Roll was all the rage, Country Music paved its own way setting a strong foundation with deep roots in folk, blues, Appalachian, Cajun, and corrido, transforming into its own style from ballads that tell stories, to Honky Tonk, Bakersfield, and Rock-a-Billy. Ordinary people with everyday problems making songs about real life that are relatable. The Golden Age of Country music continues to shine on like a sweet summer sunset.

Making that happen means hearing some of the best-known songs in the genre: Walkin’ After Midnight; Stand By Your Man; Help Me Make It Through the Night; Hey Good Lookin’; and Coal Miner’s Daughter, to name just a few.

Here’s the chronological line-up for the show at The Shedd:

  • You Are My Sunshine  (1940)
  • Walking The Floor Over You  (1941)
  • I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry  (1949)
  • It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels  (1952)
  • Hey, Good Lookin’  (1951)
  • Folsom Prison Blues  (1955)
  • He Don’t Love Me Anymore  (1955)
  • I Walk The Line  (1956)
  • Big Iron  (1959)
  • All The Time  (1959)
  • Walkin’ After Midnight
  • I Fall To Pieces (1961)
  • She’s Got You  (1962)
  • Jackson  (1963)
  • Break My Mind  (1967)
  • Stand By Your Man  (1968)
  • Help Me Make It Through The Night  (1970)
  • Help Me Make It Through The Night  (1970)

I Walk the Line: Classic Country

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21 and 22; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23

Where: Jaqua Concert Hall, The Shedd Institute, 868 High St., Eugene

Tickets: $22, $26, $30, available at the ticket office, by telephone at 541-434-7000, or online at theshedd.org

Pre- or post- performance meals: 6 p.m., available by reservation; adult $24.75, child $18.75

Covid protocols: Masks required to be worn indoors, as stipulated by the state of Oregon; for patrons 15 years and older, proof of full Covid-19 vaccination or a certified negative test result within three days of the performance; distancing not required

Information: 541-434-7000 or theshedd.org