Benefit Concert to be Held for Local Music Agent and Activist

July 8, 2026Karuga Koinange

Terry Irons (left) is shown here with her wife of nearly two decades, Baltimore-based musician Sonia Rutstein of the band disappear fear. (Provided photo)

Attorney, music agent and activist Terry Irons has spent decades fighting for people with disabilities, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and helping strangers in need.

But since receiving a diagnosis of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, nearly two years ago, Irons, who lives in Northwest Baltimore, has been forced to step away from the work that largely defined her life.

On Saturday night, July 18, friends, family and musicians will come together for a benefit concert to celebrate and support Irons at The Recher music venue in Towson.

“Concert 4 Terry” will feature more than a dozen performers, from longtime collaborators and nationally recognized acts to emerging artists spanning the rock, folk, blues, reggae and hip-hop genres.

The concert — organized by Irons’ wife, Baltimore-based singer/songwriter Sonia Rutstein — aims to help cover Irons’ medical and living expenses while honoring her decades of activism and service.

“She’s kind of like a fireman, but not with fires,” said Rutstein, 67, a Pikesville native who goes by the stage name of SONiA. “Just a very good Samaritan, and somebody that you want on your team.”

A 65-year-old Hawaii native, Irons became a nationally recognized advocate whose commitment to disability rights grew out of personal experience.

After moving to North Carolina, she competed in beauty pageants throughout high school to earn scholarship money for college. One summer, she received a major scholarship and was poised to pursue a modeling career. However, a car accident put her in a wheelchair for an extended period of time.

Rather than dwelling on missed opportunities, Irons started holding demonstrations to call attention to the everyday obstacles faced by people with disabilities.

“Her thing was, it’s not fair that people who are differently abled or disabled don’t get to move around and get respect,” said Rutstein.

Terry Irons (Provided photo)

After earning her law degree, Irons dedicated her life and career to changing that reality. She helped draft portions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, advocated for legislation expanding mental health insurance coverage, and was arrested 37 times while protesting for accessible public transportation and other disability rights.

While Irons was building a reputation as an advocate, she also found another avenue for creating change — music.

In 1989, Rutstein and her band, disappear fear, released their second album, “Deep Soul Diver.” A glowing review of the album in the Knoxville News Sentinel caught the attention of Irons, who was living in Atlanta at the time. She attended one of the band’s shows and quickly became a devoted fan.

After the performance, Irons purchased an entire box of the band’s albums and introduced Rutstein’s music to her friends throughout Atlanta.

“I instantly fell in love with her,” said Rutstein, whose 2008 wedding to Irons was officiated by Rabbi Elizabeth Bolton, who at that time as the spiritual leader of Congregation Beit Tikvah of North Roland Park.

Eventually, Irons became disappear fear’s manager, handling many of the band’s administrative responsibilities and finding opportunities for the group to perform in places where their message of equality and acceptance could make an impact.

As Rutstein’s career grew and her touring schedule expanded around the world, so did Irons’ activism. She helped organize Pride events across the country, bringing her same focus on accessibility and inclusion to the LGBTQ+ community. At one point, she helped coordinate 27 Pride events in a single summer, using each event as an opportunity to push for greater accessibility and inclusion.

Irons ensured that stages included ramps for wheelchair accessibility, and she became one of the first concert organizers to bring American Sign Language interpreters onto Pride stages. She also incorporated recycling programs into events.

In addition, Irons served as an ambassador for gay rights during President Bill Clinton’s administration and helped organize the first Lesbian Inaugural Ball.

When Rutstein’s sister, Cindy, stepped away from the band, Irons became an even more important part of the disappear fear enterprise.

“I was like a lost puppy,” said Rutstein about her sister’s departure. Irons helped guide her forward, she said.

But in March of 2024, Irons began experiencing severe headaches. She and Rutstein initially believed they were connected to a previous head injury.

But the headaches persisted, and her symptoms were misdiagnosed as long-term COVID, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

The couple scheduled further testing, but the process was complicated by an insurance matter. The insurance company did not approve a full scan that included her head that summer, instead approving a procedure stopping at her neck. Had a full cranial scan been permitted, doctors could have detected the tumor three months sooner, said Rutstein.

That October, Irons was rushed to an emergency room, where doctors performed an MRI and discovered a golf ball-sized tumor in the right frontal lobe of her brain. Within days, she was transferred to the University of Maryland Medical Center, where she underwent her first brain surgery.

Since her diagnosis of glioblastoma, she has undergone two brain surgeries, 30 rounds of photon radiation and 42 rounds of oral chemotherapy.

Still, more than 18 months after doctors first told her she would be lucky to survive beyond a year, Irons is still here fighting.

For Rutstein, “Concert 4 Terry” is about celebrating a woman whose impact can be measured by the people now rallying around her.

Friends and family from North Carolina plan to attend, while others are traveling from Texas, New York and California. Others are even making the journey from Germany, where Rutstein tours each spring.

The evening will also feature a silent auction, including a guitar signed by the Indigo Girls and a bottle of wine donated by Pink, with proceeds going toward Irons’ care.

Sonia Rutstein (left) and her wife, Terry Irons, first met in 1989. (Provided photo)

“It’s a win-win,” Rutstein said. “You get the cool thing, and you also get to contribute to Terry’s well-being, and indirectly mine as well.”

Rutstein said the outpouring of love and support reflects the life Irons built – not just as an advocate or a manager, but as someone who never stopped looking for ways to help others.

No matter what comes next, Rutstein said she hopes people remember Irons not for her illness but for the countless lives she touched.

“Terry would want us to think of her as someone that brought the whole world a little closer together,” she said.

The Recher is located at 512 York Road in Towson. For information , visit concert4terry.org/.

Karuga Koinange is a local freelance writer.

Jmore

Baltimore-Based Singer/Songwriter SONiA to Perform at Beth El on Dec. 14

December 9, 2024 Alan Feiler, Editor-in-Chief

SONiA: "This concert isn’t just a show. It’s a full-circle moment for me." (Photo by Steven Tabor)

SONiA — aka, the independent singer/songwriter Sonia Rutstein — once compared her musical stylings to “a bird jumping off a window ledge. It’s in that split second of trust and light and talent and God.”

For nearly four decades, Baltimore area music lovers and fans around the world have relished “that split second” and the eclectic sounds of SONiA and disappear fear. On Saturday night, Dec. 14, she and the band will come together once again and perform at Pikesville’s Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Avenue.

Writing and performing in genres ranging from the Blues and Folk to World Music, SONiA has appeared at concerts around the globe and performed with such luminaries as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, the Indigo Girls, Sheryl Crow, Arlo Guthrie, and Peter Paul and Mary. Her latest recording is “Album 23.”

Jmore recently caught up with the Baltimore-born-and-bred SONiA to talk about her upcoming concert, music and the state of the world.

Jmore: How did this concert at Beth El come about?

SONiA: This is where it all began. I first decided to pursue music as a career right in the very spot where I’m performing now. Andrew Braun, who was the synagogue administrator at Beth El (and later became my stepfather), booked me and my sister Cindy [Frank] to perform at the Purim party in the Offit Auditorium. We were introduced as ‘The Rutstein Sisters.’

We were slated to play for 30 minutes. But as things often go when you’re just starting out, no one was paying attention. We ended up only playing for about 10 minutes.

I was working at the Beef Inn on Smith Avenue at the time, earning $1.40 an hour (while the guys were making $1.65), and we got paid $50 for that short set. I did the math in my head: $1.40 for an hour of work or $50 for 10 minutes of playing music. It was clear: making music was way more profitable than filling ketchup bottles and burning pizzas!

So this concert isn’t just a show. It’s a full-circle moment for me. I’m so grateful to be coming home to Beth El and have the opportunity to perform with my incredible band, including Cindy, Pete [Strobl], Marc [Lawrence], Howard [Markman], Brian Simms, Tobias [Hurwitz] and the rest of the talented musicians who will be joining us.

I’m just so excited to share this moment with my hometown audience. We’ll have beer, snacks and extra security — because we’re going big!

What should your local fans and others expect at the show?

You can expect an absolutely epic show, folks! For those who have been with me from the start, they know this is going to be a reunion of sorts. Not only will I have my amazing band with me — including Seth Kibel, the klezmer virtuoso, on sax and flute — but my sister Cindy, co-founder of disappear fear, will be joining us onstage to sing her heart out!

We’ll be playing a mix of our classic disappear fear hits with newer tracks that showcase how our sound has evolved. It’s going to be a high-energy, deeply emotional and joyous celebration of music, family and community.

How do you characterize your music?

I’ve found the best way to answer that question is to ask people what kind of music they like, and then I pull from my catalog to find something that resonates with that. For example, my latest album is a smorgasbord of sounds. The title track ‘23’ is a mix of Joni Mitchell, Yes and ELP, while ‘Ride This Ride’ is much more Garth Brooks. ‘Me Too’ brings to mind John Prine, and ‘Box of Tissue’” is very Mavis Staples.

Some songs have a soulful, folk-rock feel like the Indigo Girls (‘Deep Soul Diver’), and others are very much in the Bob Dylan or Bruce Springsteen tradition, like ‘Washington Work Song’ and ‘Moment of Glory.’ It’s a bit of everything, depending on the song and where the muse takes me.

What direction do you see popular music going in?

There’s a lot of amazing indie music out there right now — so much variety and creativity. Platforms like Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon give us access to incredible artists, but there’s always that big fish/little fish dynamic, right?

SONiA: “Music has always been a tool for healing, especially in times of crisis.” (File photo)

Back in the ‘90s, when disappear fear was hitting our stride, we were selling out venues in D.C. and Baltimore, but we didn’t have the tools to broadcast that success to a wider audience. Today, an indie artist can get their music out there faster than ever, but the major labels still hold a lot of sway. And it’s still a pyramid pay scale where the biggest names get the most money.

I do believe real music made with heart and soul will continue to survive and thrive. People need it. It’s how we breathe, like swimming or playing sports — it’s something we do intentionally, with purpose. That will never go out of style.

You’re a longtime activist for human rights and LGBTQ+ issues. How are you feeling in the wake of the recent elections?

I’m deeply disheartened by the direction our country is heading. I’ve always believed in the idealism of America — the hope that we can make things better — but it’s hard to keep that faith when I see people I love voting for policies that go against the values I hold dear. The fight for LGBTQ+ rights feels like it’s being undone, and the freedoms we’ve fought for over the last 50 years are under attack. It’s a frightening time, especially for the younger generation.

But as a boomer, I know I have a responsibility to keep fighting, keep speaking out and keep using music to bring people together.

You’ve spent a lot of time in the Middle East. Do you still believe in a two-state solution and peace?

I do believe peace is possible, but I have some ideas on how it could be achieved that go beyond the traditional two-state solution. We need to consider a more inclusive, democratic approach, one that allows all people living in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank to have a voice. I’ve worked with organizations like HungryforMusic.org to bring music and instruments to children in the region, and I’ve seen firsthand the power of art to bridge divides.

If we can unite the global Jewish community to have a voice in Israel’s leadership, we could create a democracy that serves everyone equally. Basically, this means that all Jewish adults could vote in Israeli national elections. The entire diaspora would, for the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple, be included and united in one voice having our choice heard in our ancestral homeland.

Can music help heal at a time many Americans are concerned about our country and the planet?

Absolutely. Music has always been a tool for healing, especially in times of crisis. As kids, Cindy and I found comfort in the songs of the ‘60s, like Crosby, Stills & Nash’s ‘Teach Your Children,’ and that belief in change became the foundation for disappear fear.

In the wake of this recent election, I believe we need music more than ever. Art helps us stay grounded and keeps our spirits alive in the face of fear. Music gives us hope and reminds us that change is possible.

You’ve performed with a lot of musical luminaries over the years. Anyone you were terrified to play with?

The first time I sang ‘Closer to Fine’ with the Indigo Girls at Lilith Fair was scary. Amy [Ray of the Indigo Girls] asked if we could do my song called ‘Who’s So Scared ‘ because she loved it. I was completely prepared to do it, but at the last minute they changed it to their song ‘Closer to Fine,’ and I was the one lesbian guitar player in America that didn’t already know the chords. So I was thinking, ‘Ugh, I’m gonna mess it up!’ But it is an easy great song, and in the end it was “close to fine.’

Then there was the time I was backstage at a festival in Asbury Park, and Bruce Springsteen was there. I had the chance to join the jam session at 3 a.m., but I chickened out. Call it stage fright, call it total exhaustion, but I walked away that night.

But guess what? I’m coming back to Asbury Park this January for the Light of Day Festival, and this time there’s no turning back. I’ll be ready to step into that circle, no hesitation.

Upcoming projects?

The past couple of months have brought an unexpected and deeply emotional shift in my life. My wife, Terry, has been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. Being her full-time caregiver is an all-consuming responsibility, and it often feels like a 40-hour-a-day commitment. The emotional toll is profound, and it has reshaped my perspective on so many things.

Amidst this personal journey, I continue to write and create music, though I’ve found myself doing so in quieter, more reflective ways. New songs and ideas are taking shape in my mind being dragged around by my heart. I’m also working on my autobiography, which is something I’ve been meaning to share for a long time.

In the midst of this, there is also a glimmer of hope for my musical endeavors. My musical, ‘Small House No Secrets,’ has gained some exciting traction and is likely to be performed in Germany soon. The script will be adapted into German, though the songs will remain in English, which is a wonderful bridge between cultures.

Additionally, the Baltimore-Washington area remains rich with musical talent, and I’m eager to collaborate with new musicians here. I’m looking forward to exploring what creative possibilities emerge in the coming months.

If you could perform with any legendary musicians from the past or present, who would you pick?

Ah, Hendrix — what can I say? He was pure electricity. If I had the chance to share the stage with him, I think I’d just stand there, utterly mesmerized, completely speechless. I’d be too busy soaking in the genius of it all to play a note.

Janis, on the other hand, was a force of nature. I don’t think my sound would have added anything to her raw, soulful power. She was an entity unto herself, a rock ‘n’ roll tempest.

As for Phil Ochs — well, he was my hero. His ‘Pleasures of the Harbor’ album? Brilliant.

But if I could have just one magical performance with anyone, it would be Louis Armstrong. The man was pure gold. Imagine standing next to him, feeling the warmth of his brass and the joy in every note he played. Just the thought of sharing a stage with Satchmo — riffing on a melody, exchanging a few musical winks — would be enough for me.

Now I know all those legends are no longer with us, but if the universe gives me even half a chance to stand next to Bruce or Elvis or Pink — I’d hit the road, Jack!

Doors at Beth El open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8. Tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets, visit https://bethelbalto.shulcloud.com/form/Sonia-DF-Concert.

Metro Weekly Cover Story August 2023

“Quirky and smart, a poet with a guitar, SONiA is a master of crafting songs that make you simultaneously want to dance, sing and change the world.”
Georgia Voice, USA

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Editor’s Pick: SONiA Disappear Fear at JxJ

The DCJCC's multidisciplinary arts series JxJ will present
SONiA disappear fear in concert this Sunday at 5 p.m.

By Doug Rule on October 19, 2022

SONiA disappear fear — Photo: Steve Tabor

“When you disappear fear between people, what you have is love,” says the progressive Baltimore-based singer-songwriter Sonia Rutstein, who has made the whole notion of “disappear fear” her life’s motto.

She long ago adapted the expression to serve as the name of her music act and identity, which she stylizes as SONiA disappear fear.

This past February, the veteran lesbian indie-folk artist marked the 34th Annual International Disappear Fear Day, which just so happens to be her birthday, and then reunited with the original five-piece disappear fear backing band — Howard Markman on guitar, Brian Simms on keys, Chris Sellman on bass, and Marc Lawrence on drums.

Along with special guest Tony Correlli, the band performed a one-night-only concert outside Baltimore that included many of the standout songs from her 30-plus year career. Yet the focus was on debuting songs from the next SONiA disappear fear album, which will also be the first recorded set featuring the five-piece since 1996’s Seed in the Sahara.

That set, which will be titled 23 to signify her 23rd release, is very much still on track, although an exact release date hasn’t yet been announced. After spending the spring on her 14th tour across Germany followed by an unfortunate summer bout with COVID, SONiA has recently shifted her focus to the album, including recording sessions in the studio with the band. Earlier this week SONiA released the album’s first single, “Teaching Vincent.”

SONiA disappear fear — Photo: Steve Tabor

SONiA has also been working to finish her autobiography, expected to coincide with the release of new music, which will recap her remarkable journey as a trailblazing lesbian artist over the past 35 years, having helped play a part in contributing to the improved cultural climate for LGBTQ-identifying Americans.

At the top of the pandemic in 2020, the GLAAD Award-winning artist collected the many songs exploring LGBTQ themes from her repertoire for the compilation Love Out Loud.

A number of those songs should factor into a concert next weekend in D.C., when she’ll also likely give Washingtonians a sneak peek of her new music.

Intended as a showcase of SONiA’s progressive and affirming music, the concert will be presented by JxJ, the multidisciplinary arts series of the Edlavitch DCJCC encompassing the Washington Jewish Film and Music Festivals.

Kalyna, Ukrainian anthem and peace songs
The Idstein bookstore and the city of Oestrich-Winkel invited to a benefit concert

Winkel. (sf) - She looks small and petite like a child when she comes on stage in skinny jeans and brown leather boots. But with a bright smile and a voice that gives you goosebumps, Sonia Rutstein has a stage presence that rivals her famous cousin Bob Dylan. At least that's what the guests of honor at the benefit concert in the Brentano barn felt: the singer sang and played for more than 100 women and children who had fled from the Ukraine, their caregivers in their new home country and supporters of the war refugees, and also made music with the refugees and guests.
Sonia Rutstein has just made a guest appearance in Oestrich as part of a bookshop session: the Idstein bookstore is in close contact with the artist and has had her as a guest for the fifth time. When she learned from Conny Prinz and Markus Idstein that the couple was committed to taking in Ukrainian refugees and providing children with Ukrainian and bilingual storybooks, she was immediately "on fire" to support the cause. Initially, the singer planned to collect crayons and coloring books in order to bring them to Oestrich-Winkel for the children after the end of her Germany tour in mid-May. "I was thinking of playing a few songs for the Ukrainian kids to cheer them up" - but then the idea evolved into a full, free concert for Ukrainian refugees and the Rheingau families who are currently hosting them.
The commitment is no coincidence: Sonia Rutstein has family roots in Eastern Europe and so she collects donations through livestream performances and the sale of merchandise items to support the work of "Voices of Children" and "Doctors Without Borders." "We are all challenged to find what we can give to our brothers and sisters whose lives are being torn apart by this senseless Russian invasion. My music has carried myself and many others over the years as a beacon of hope even in the darkest of moments. It is my natural desire to sing face to face with my Ukrainian brothers and sisters," says Sonia Rutstein.
This invitation was meant literally: together with the Ukrainian women Julia, Olga, Olja, Svitlana, Diana, Iwana, Sofia and Nataliya, she sang the Ukrainian peace song "Kalyna." "The song is more than 100 years old and was already the secret peace anthem in the Ukrainians' struggle for independence against Russia back then. It's about the snowberries that grow in our homeland and from whose fruits the women make wreaths," explains Nataliya Statzner. The Ukrainian, who had brought together the small choir for "Kalyna," came to the Rheingau many years ago and feels at home here. In her adopted country, too, she has a large network of Ukrainian friends who live in the region and have been campaigning for their homeland and the refugees since the outbreak of the war. Many supporters came from Nataliya's "network" and sold Ukrainian jewelry and scented hand-sewn stuffed animals during the benefit concert to support the refugees.
And there were many more helpers: Winegrowers from Oestrich-Winkel had donated wines and grape juice so that the concert guests could buy drinks for little money. The proceeds of 200 euros also benefit the refugees. The city of Oestrich-Winkel also supported the concert and not only made the Brentano barn available - as the official organizer, it was also the cooperation partner of the Idstein bookstore. The head of the city council, Aylin Sinß, and the parliamentary group leaders also came to the concert to show their solidarity. In addition, the First City Councilor Björn Sommer had asked for donations for the refugees at the Aldi supermarket and received them: 50 full bags worth 1,000 euros were handed over on the evening of the concert.
Conny Idstein herself had brought numerous books for the children, which were sponsored by her customers in a campaign. For each book purchased, the bookseller also made a contribution to a piggy bank for further children's projects.
So the benefit concert had become a special event. Not least because of the touching music by Sonia Rutstein: In addition to the highlight "Kalyna," she sang the Ukrainian national anthem at the beginning of the evening.

Artist guest
"SONiA disappear fear" in Jägersruh
Frank Mertel 05/01/2022 - 08:19 am

On Saturday evening, the Folkclub Isaar invited to a concert in the Schützenhaus in Jägersruh. The guest was the artist "SONiA disappear fear" aka Sonia Rutstein.

The multiple award-winning singer and songwriter presented songs in various languages and styles. As part of this concert, students from the vocational high school in Hof presented their projects for International Disappear Fear Day to the 60 guests.

A highlight of the evening was the "Song for Nûdem", which was sung in nine languages by Sonia Rutstein together with students of the FOS/BOS Hof and Ukrainian refugee children. Background: This song was created as part of a petition for the Turkish singer Nûrem Durak, who was arrested in Turkey in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison because she sang her songs in Kurdish.

Jmore

Editor’s Pick: SONiA Disappear Fear at JxJ

The DCJCC's multidisciplinary arts series JxJ will presentSONiA disappear fear in concert this Sunday at 5 p.m.

The DCJCC's multidisciplinary arts series JxJ will present
SONiA disappear fear in concert this Sunday at 5 p.m.