An Evening with Bill Staines

We've been concerned about Bill Staines ever since he reported seeing a kangaroo bounding alongside his car one winter night as he sped along a snow-driven highway in Nebraska. But he tells us he's OK. And he's coming back to Evanston to prove it. Bill Staines is a perennial favorite of folk music audiences everywhere. There's just something about a Bill Staines lyric and melody that talks to all of us, regardless of our backgrounds. As a storyteller, Bill engages his audience with amusing, modest anecdotes that lead smoothly into charming story/songs. His homespun sincerity seems to be the key to his success with his audience. A dewy mountain morning, a drunken cowboy's lament, a trucker's grueling haul on the interstateBill invigorates these familiar themes by personalizing them, frequently introducing his songs with vignettes about his travels as a guitar troubadour. Staines the storyteller gives breadth and credibility to Staines the singer/songwriter. We could go on and on (as we have been known to do), but we rest on Bill's reputation and his universal appeal. Looking for a singer/songwriter whose music is relevant without preaching? You've found him in Bill Staines. February 18. Let us share this with you in the parlor at the Lake Street Church. $15.