A Spectacular Night of Blues featuring Hometown Blues Queen Joanna Connor plus special performance by Blues Legend JC Smith joined by Worcester’s own The Metrons
Mechanics Hall is excited to welcome internationally acclaimed guitarist and vocalist Joanna Connor for a powerful night of blues in The Great Hall. Known for her explosive slide guitar work and high-energy performances, Connor brings a bold, modern edge to traditional blues—delivering a live show that feels every bit as intense and electrifying as a rock concert.
With early roots in Worcester, this performance feels especially meaningful as Joanna Connor makes her debut on the Mechanics Hall stage.
Joanna Connor – 2026 Nominee for Best Instrumentalist-Guitar at the 47th Blues Music Awards
“Joanna Connor is the queen of slide guitar.” -Blues Blast Magazine
Seating is Reserved and can be selected on the seating chart below. Accessible seating is marked on the map. Tier 1: $48.34 Tier 2: $37.82 Tier 3: $27.31
*Prices above include all fees. Fees apply to all ticket sales – phone, online, and in person. Ticketing fees not only cover processing costs but also help support the maintenance and preservation of Mechanics Hall as a community treasure.* A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Be Like Brit Foundation
Accessible Entrance The barrier-free entrance to the Hall is located on Waldo Street. Elevators are located in the ground-floor lobby and provide access to the second and third floors. There is no elevator access to the Great Hall balcony.
Accessible Halls All of our halls are wheelchair-accessible, where patrons can remain in their wheelchairs or transfer to theater seats. Patrons who cannot or do not wish to transfer from their wheelchairs to a theater seat should request wheelchair-seat locations when ordering tickets. The Great Hall balcony is not wheel-chair accessible.
Artists
Joanna Connor is an internationally acclaimed blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose musical journey began with an early, deeply rooted connection to performance in her childhood homes of Brooklyn and Worcester, Massachusetts. She often recalls trying to sing along with Louis Armstrong’s “Hello, Dolly!” as a toddler and discovering a formative love for music through artists like Taj Mahal, whose album Take a Giant Step / The Old Folks at Home became an early favorite. Raised in Worcester, she was surrounded by a wide range of musical influences, but it was the blues that ultimately became her language. A pivotal moment came at age 10 when she saw Buddy Guy perform, an experience that left a lasting impression and set her on a lifelong path toward the guitar and the blues tradition.
By her late teens, Connor was already performing professionally, but her commitment to the blues led her to Chicago in 1984, where she immersed herself in the city’s legendary music scene. Within weeks she was playing with blues icon Johnny Littlejohn and soon joined Dion Payton and the 43rd Street Blues Band, serving as the house band at Buddy Guy’s Checkerboard Lounge. There she learned directly from some of the genre’s greats, including Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Koko Taylor, and many others—an experience she has described as her true musical education. Over the following decades she built a celebrated international career, releasing acclaimed albums, touring worldwide, and earning recognition for her explosive slide guitar style and powerful live performances. Her 2021 album 4801 South Indiana Avenue, produced by Joe Bonamassa, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, and she continues to tour with her band The Wrecking Crew, delivering high-energy shows that fuse traditional blues with rock intensity.
J. C. Smith is an award-winning guitarist, vocalist, actor, and bandleader from the San Francisco Bay Area known for his high-energy performances, charisma, and deep commitment to keeping the blues alive. A former drummer who stepped forward as a guitarist in 2000, he developed a powerful, expressive style influenced by legends such as T-Bone Walker, Albert King, and Johnny “Guitar” Watson. Smith has earned numerous honors, including the 2024 Bay Area Black Music Awards “Male Blues Performer of the Year” and a 2024 Bay Area Jazz and Blues Lifetime Achievement Award, and has toured internationally across the U.S., Europe, South America, and beyond. He has shared stages with blues greats including B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, and Pinetop Perkins, and his acclaimed recordings—such as Midnight Creeper, That’s What I’m Talkin’ Bout (co-produced by Joanna Connor), and Defining Cool—have received chart recognition and critical praise. Backed by a seasoned band of top Bay Area musicians, Smith continues to deliver a dynamic, soul-driven live show rooted in tradition and driven by modern energy.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Be Like Brit Foundation
