We Are Takoma Series Welcomes former D.C. Music Fixture

Nearing 60 and on a journey of “personal healing,” Jeanne Mackey was told by a shamanic healer that she was cursed, and it could be traced back to her Irish lineage. The healer said that to eradicate the curse Mackey would have to go to Ireland and literally bury a hatchet.

So she did.

That story, and others, form the basis of “Drop the Knife: A Memoir-in-Song,” a musical story told by Mackey that chronicles her coming to terms with her age and place in the world. Mackey will perform “Drop the Knife” as part of the We Are Takoma series Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the community center auditorium.

This performance of “Drop the Knife” will be her third, after showings in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Oxford, Ohio. According to Sara Daines, director of housing and community development for Takoma Park, Mackey approached the town herself, wanting to play a show there.

“I knew D.C. was next because so much of who I am was formed in D.C. and Takoma Park,” Mackey said.

In the ‘70s, Mackey, a former Takoma Park resident, began her music career in the area, focusing on social issues and feminist values. Now, she works three days a week as an instructional designer at the University of Michigan, but when she had trouble with the transition into her 60s, she once again turned to music.

“I needed to write some songs to take me through that threshold,” she said, “because it’s kind of a big one.”

Although the show is free, larger performances like Mackey’s come with a $10-$15 suggested donation. And as for what ended up happening with that hatchet?

“You have to come to the show to find out,” Mackey said.