Kelsea Ballerini has joined the lineup for the upcoming edition of the Soho Sessions on Wednesday, June 5. The intimate benefit concert in New York City is co-presented by Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner and will support Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country.
Produced by RWE Partners, the team behind the annual Love Rocks NYC concerts, the next installment of Soho Sessions will be hosted by Academy Award-winning actress and Everytown Creative Council founding chair Julianne Moore, along with singer, songwriter, and supermodel Karen Elson and also feature a performance by British rockers The Struts.
“Gun violence is a preventable epidemic, and an organization like Everytown for Gun Safety is bringing crucial education and awareness to communities nationwide,” said Wenner in a statement. “I am very pleased to be partnering with The Soho Sessions for this special event to help put an end to the urgent issue of gun violence.”
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Every day, more than 120 Americans are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded, according to a report by Everytown for Gun Safety. Gun violence is also the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. To date, Everytown for Gun Safety has gained more than 10 million supporters and more than 700,000 donors, who are fighting for stricter and “common-sense gun safety measures that can help save lives,” according to the organization descriptor. “Whether it’s electing gun sense champions at every level of office, demanding action from our elected officials, working to pass common-sense gun laws, educating the public about secure firearm storage, and more.”
“Gun violence has been an important cause to me and my family for as long as I can remember,” said Greg Williamson, who co-founded RWE Partners alongside Nicole Rechter. “This is an ongoing crisis, and we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the solution alongside Everytown for Gun Safety and Gus Wenner. As we come together to enjoy some great music, let’s help to ensure no more lives are lost to gun violence.”
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, added, “To stop the shooting, we don’t just need to change the laws. We also need to change the culture, which is why Everytown is so grateful to Gus Wenner and RWE Partners for pulling together this group of creative heavyweights. Right now, gunfire is part of the daily soundtrack in too many American communities, and artists like Kelsea Ballerini, The Struts, Karen Elson, and Julianne Moore are harnessing their talents to raise an alarm and rally support.”
In March 2024, Soho Sessions welcomed Gary Clark Jr., who performed his new album JPEG Raw in its entirety. His performance benefited Music Will, the non-profit music program that provides music teacher training, curriculum, and instruments to more than 6,000 schools across all 50 states. Lukas Nelson and Emily King were joined by Yola, Joe Bonamassa, Susan Tedeschi of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Leslie Mendelson, Chrissi Poland, Paul Shaffer, and more during the September 2023 Soho Sessions, which supported the National Alliance on Mental Health Hawaii following the devastation of the wildfires in Maui.
Past Soho Sessions have featured performances by Marcus King, Ricky Lee Jones, Taj Mahal, Larkin Poe, Lisa Fischer, Tash Neal, and Marc Cohn, among others.
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A limited number of tickets are available to the public for the June 5 Soho Sessions with net proceeds going to Everytown for Gun Safety. To purchase tickets, contact Charlie Johnson at cjohnson@everytown.org.
Photo: Kelsea Ballerini by John Russo / Courtesy of Press House PR
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