Chicago live music

Country Shows in Chicago

Live country events across Chicago-area venues on RUE. Listings come from venue calendars — open a show for tickets and details.

Upcoming events

Carol’s Pub·Rogers Park

Greylan James Presents: "Wedding Season" The Tour

21+ / www.carolspub.comABOUT GREYLAN JAMES: From the moment his Papaw gifted him his first guitar at the age of 5, one of Nashville'smost exciting young breakout country stars Greylan James knew he was meant to be amusician. The Knoxville-raised artist-on-the-rise has been manifesting his vision of countrymusic stardom since his earliest days: from those cleats and cowboy hats he wore toschool to playing every sort of live show imaginable from tailgates to patios and dive bars tofunerals around his hometown. Since arriving in Music City, Greylan has become a, "rdquo" -> celebrated songwriter" (Country Now) earning cuts from some of country music's mostnotable artists including Kenny Chesney, Morgan Wallen, Cole Swindell, Darius Rucker,Blake Shelton, Bailey Zimmerman, BRELAND and more. The singer-songwriter earned hisfirst ACM Awardfor Song of the Year, co-writing Jordan Davis' No. 1 smash hit , "rdquo" -> Next ThingYou Know." The song also earned Greylan a BMI Award and his first CMA Award nominationfor Song of the Year. To date, Greylan's songbook has landed two No. 1 hits and amassedover 1B streams. And while Greylan has undoubtedly been incredibly successful penninghits for others in the writer's room, he's ready to strike out on his own. His growing catalogof songs -- including his buzzy Top 20 single , "rdquo" -> Water At A Wedding" -- highlight why SiriusXMdubbed him , "rdquo" -> a superstar just beginning to hit his stride" with his , "rdquo" -> impeccable songwritingand artistry." Greylan has toured with artists like Old Dominion, Scotty McCreery andwrapped 2025 on Cole Swindell's Happy Hour Sad Tour. He will soon embark on hisheadlining Wedding Season: The Tour this fall before joining Kenny Chesney's 2027Stadium Original Vibe Room Tour. For a full list of tour datesand more, visit GreylanJames.com. This event is 21 and over. Any ticket holder unable to present valid identification indicating that they are at least 21 years of age will not be admitted to this event, and will not be eligible for a refund. GA Tickets do not include seating. Reserved Table purchase includes entrance to the show and a reserved table for the designated number of people. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to showtime to claim your table. If your party has not arrived by that time, your table may be subject to be given away to another group and we will do our best to facilitate your group upon your arrival, however a table is no longer guaranteed.

Folk / Roots
Dec 17
8:00 PM
Salt Shed·Bucktown

93XRT Winter Jam Presents - Ratboys w/ special guests Friko and Florry

Despite its title, Ratboys? new album Singin? to an Empty Chair is not defined by what?s missing. Rather, it?s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band?s sixth studio album ? its first for New West Records ? fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers ? twangy, effervescent, as confident as they?ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023?s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini?s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois.

Folk / RootsRockPop
Dec 19
7:30 PM
Price TBADetails →
SPACE·Evanston

Ben Kweller w. Case Oats

BK is back and he's not the same. Who could be after the heartbreak he's endured since the sudden passing of his 16-year old son. Instead of hiding away, the beloved indie-rocker is walking through the fire of grief with intention and purpose. This unimaginable journey has led him to his seventh album, Cover The Mirrors, and the accompanying tour which begins on April 15th. , "rdquo" -> Music has been my savior throughout my life but never before has it saved me as much as ithas this past year. My upcoming album, Cover The Mirrors, is a deep dive into my new reality. It's a collage of my good days and my bad days, my highest highs and my lowest of lows. It's the most personal, emotionally raw project I've ever worked on." Kweller has been an open book throughout his illustrious career. His songs hold a nostalgic quality that takes you to a time and a place, happy or sad. He's also one of the rare few who can translate his recordings into captivating concerts that keep his fans coming back again and again. If you've never seen BK live before, the Cover The Mirrors Tour is sure to be his most heartfelt and joyous live show yet. This is a chance for old and new fans to come together and witness one of the great songwriters at his creative peak.

FreePopRock
Dec 30
7:30 PM
SPACE·Evanston

Ben Kweller w. Case Oats - NYE Show

BK is back and he's not the same. Who could be after the heartbreak he's endured since the sudden passing of his 16-year old son. Instead of hiding away, the beloved indie-rocker is walking through the fire of grief with intention and purpose. This unimaginable journey has led him to his seventh album, Cover The Mirrors, and the accompanying tour which begins on April 15th. , "rdquo" -> Music has been my savior throughout my life but never before has it saved me as much as ithas this past year. My upcoming album, Cover The Mirrors, is a deep dive into my new reality. It's a collage of my good days and my bad days, my highest highs and my lowest of lows. It's the most personal, emotionally raw project I've ever worked on." Kweller has been an open book throughout his illustrious career. His songs hold a nostalgic quality that takes you to a time and a place, happy or sad. He's also one of the rare few who can translate his recordings into captivating concerts that keep his fans coming back again and again. If you've never seen BK live before, the Cover The Mirrors Tour is sure to be his most heartfelt and joyous live show yet. This is a chance for old and new fans to come together and witness one of the great songwriters at his creative peak.

FreePopRock
Dec 31
9:30 PM
FitzGerald's·Berwyn

Happy Hour in the SIDEBAR w/ HILLBILLY FROLIC!

FITZGERALDS PRESENTS A HAPPY HOUR CONCERT WITH: HILLBILLY FROLIC FREE SHOW! Click , "rdquo" -> Book Now" to reserve a table. Enjoy dinner from BABYGOLD BARBECUE **PARKING*** There is rather limited street parking in the area, we recommend arriving by rideshare, bicycle, or rickshaw.

FreeFolk / Roots
Jan 8
5:30 PM
Joe's Live Rosemont·Lincoln Park

Braxton Keith – Told You Once Tour

All Ages Show. About Braxton Keith: Choosing that straight-talking declaration for the name of his debut album, the Midland, Texas, native joins a wave of new artists both schooled on the classics, and built for the moment. But with the wind firmly at his back, Keith hits a target many aim for, and few reach. Making classic country sound fresh once more. "Traditional is cool," the singer-songwriter says, matching his mustachioed, self-assured bearing with the talented hustle to back it up. "I like the vibes this album brings back. It's just a big flashing reminder that country music's cool. All the rappers are in on it. All the rock and roll guys are, too. It can be anything right now, so why not take country back to what it was?" Featuring 15 songs which trace a circle around the whole of country tradition, Real Damn Deal finds Keith in the midst of a steep, exponential career climb. He was raised on classic icons like Porter Wagoner, Ronnie Milsap and George Strait, then built a Texas-sized reputation as a must-see live act out of college. But since then he's busted out of the Lone Star circuit completely, signing a major label record deal with Warner Records Nashville, traveling the country in a fleet of buses and accumulating 400 million streams across the globe. A constant schedule in 2025 included over 130 shows, a headline tour powered by a ravenous social media following and his Grand Ole Opry debut. Last year also saw Keith's first RIAA GOLD certification for his deceptively chilly hit, "Cozy," plus a series of attention-grabbing singles and acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard, American Songwriter and more. All hailed his throwback twang and Keith's 2026 This Ain't My First Tour Tour continued, keeping his road-dog credentials current. More U.S. dates and a run of Australian shows are on tap for this spring, but a full-length album debut, proudly rooted in the swagger, sway and stylistic stretch of a Texas dancehall? That will only fuel his rise. To that end, Real Damn Deal was assembled over Keith's last two years of growth, with the young star carving out time to write and record between lengthy trips on tour. He co-penned 10 of 15 songs, showcasing a little of every classic country flavor found under the neon. Hot Texas honky tonk and joyful Western swing. Epic midnight balladry, and two-step anthems lost in head-spinning romance. The ache of a cowboy with a full glass, but an empty barstool beside him. Each is delivered with Keith's crisp, high-and-lonesome vocal twang, as he glides from one dancehall theme to the next. Whether it's the reckless abandon of young love, or the reflective pain of a good thing gone to waste, his passion for pure-country expression is boundless. "It's all over the place, and as country as we could make it in every way, shape and form," Keith explains. "I think a lot of that comes from us being on the road 24/7 – I want to put out every form of country music you possibly can, from campfire to as Western as it can get. I want to do all of it." Featuring a rush of confidence (and a swaggering hook best described as deliciously rebellious), "Real Damn Deal" sets the tone, opening the set with a shuffling trad-country beat and twinkling honky-tonk keys. A tribute to his nothing-to-hide style, Keith co-wrote the tune with Brice Long and Paul Sikes – and says it captures a revelation he felt on his first day in Nashville, way back in 2021. Strutting through the capitol of country music, Keith looked around and suddenly realized how much he stuck out. "There's definitely a lot of country music in Nashville," he says. "But there wasn't as many cowboy hats and boots and jeans as I thought there was going to be." He aims to keep it alive, and see it thrive once more. No matter what you call it. "It's like a pair of jeans that come back in style – it's just good old country music, and I feel like it's time for that to come back around," he says. "This is just a beginning. I want to explore all avenues of country music.

Folk / Roots
Jan 15
8:00 PM
Price TBADetails →

Graham Barham

Graham Barham is a rising country artist from rural northwest Louisiana who blends traditional country storytelling with trap, R&B, and pop influences, a sound he calls "Club Country." After leaving six generations of family farming to pursue songwriting in Nashville, Barham found his breakthrough with "WHISKEY WHISKEY," followed by Gold-selling "OIL MONEY" and "WHISKEY RAIN" with Tyler Hubbard. His upcoming debut album, CLUB COUNTRY, embraces his genre-fluid approach, combining honky-tonk roots and country songwriting with early-2000s R&B, pop melodies, and trap-driven production. The project's lead single, "BREAKUP (DOWN)," reimagines Jay Sean and Lil Wayne's "Down" and reflects Barham's nostalgic, high-energy aesthetic. Beyond performing, Barham is an accomplished songwriter, with credits including Wyatt Flores' "Milwaukee," Blake Shelton's "Stay Country or Die Tryin'," and cuts with Dierks Bentley and Tyler Braden. With recognition from the Grand Ole Opry and MusicRow, Barham is positioning himself as part of country music's next generation—building a sound designed to connect rural, country, pop, and urban audiences without being confined to traditional genre boundaries.

Folk / Roots
Jan 16
8:00 PM
SPACE·Evanston

S.G. Goodman Presents: Visiting Hours, An Evening of Songs and Stories

S.G. Goodman returns from the Western Kentucky bottomland with her latest full-length album, Planting by the Signs, Available June 20, 2025 on her very own Slough Water Records via Thirty Tigers. Composed of songs inspired by love, loss, reconciliation, and the aforementioned ancient practice. Eleven tracks highlighted by the critically-acclaimed and award-winning artist's singular voice and her penchant for juxtaposing vulnerable folk music with punchy rock 'n roll, replete with chiming guitars, ethereal atmospherics, and her DIY ethos. Goodman provides a timely reminder that the only way forward is together, and that we must always take into account humanity's dependence on and responsibility to the natural world. Back in the early hours of 2023, Goodman told her late friend Mike Harmon and his wife Therese that she wanted to base her next album around the concept of planting by the signs, which she had heard about growing up, and recently rediscovered while reading a volume of Foxfire. She remembered general points from her rural southern childhood - how planting a garden, or weaning a baby, or getting a haircut are best timed in accordance with the cycle of the moon. A concept diametrically opposed to the tech-obsessed, profit margin-driven mania swirling around her. Through exploring themes related to planting by the signs, Goodman hoped to help herself and others reconcile this jarring disconnect, as well to pass along the story of the practice to her nieces and nephews - the latter being a role she took very seriously. But it wasn't an easy path to writing Planting by the Signs or to the recording studio. 2023 saw the passing of her beloved dog, Howard, as well as the tragic death of Harmon, a father figure and mentor. Mike was mentioned in Goodman's song, , "rdquo" -> Red Bird Morning" on Old Time Feeling, her debut. Her band used to practice in the quonset hut behind his house. He would check on her house while she toured. Often, Goodman would call him for advice from the road. A few days before he died, he advised her about putting chains on her van during a snow storm. He once drove that same van from Boston to Chicago so the band could play a one-off in the middle of a tour. He was a rock for Goodman, and a rock star in his own right. Harmon's death led to Goodman reconciling with her longtime collaborator and guitarist, Matthew Rowan, who had become estranged from her following a year of grueling live shows in 2021. Rowan and Goodman had met in their early 20s while at college in the Murray, KY, indie rock scene, and eventually began playing music together. His idiosyncratic guitar work became an essential part of her production. He wrote most of the guitar parts on her first two records, and their creative relationship stretched for nearly 10 years. But life on the road isn't for all, one thing led to another, and Rowan decided to step away. After Harmon passed, Matt was one of the first people Goodman called. From there they began to mend their relationship, and eventually, once she started working on her new album, S.G. asked Rowan to be her co-producer. The album would not exist in its current form without their reconciliation.

Folk / RootsRock
Jan 23
8:00 PM
$113.37+Details →
Empty Bottle·Ukrainian Village

Willi Carlisle

Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM / 21+ The Golden Dragon Buffet Tour With a heavy-duty catalog of new material for a career first double album, The Universal Bubba marks a half dozen releases for folksinger Willi Carlisle and reaches new heights with the added accelerant of first time producer Tyler Childers. In an all-time DIY effort, Childers and his band convened to a makeshift home studio nestled in the Bywater District of New Orleans for two weeks to cut 17 tracks that expand Carlisle's sonic scrapbook and capture the off-kilter characters living in his songs. , "rdquo" -> I think this one goes to outer space," says Carlisle. , "rdquo" -> I think this is the widest range of influences that I've ever had. It touches on funk, it touches on Americana, Cajun, oldtime, and experimental music." With Childers' band behind him, Carlisle embraced the freedom to wander across genres both familiar and new, testing out instrumentation and toying with the surreality of traditions being turned on their head. , "rdquo" -> It feels like getting drunk at the Civil War reenactment, or cruising at the cattle auction, or doing molly at the square dance," says Carlisle. , "rdquo" -> It's the first time I've ever used synthesizers and double electric guitars. There's also more fretless 19th century style banjo on it than any record I've ever made." Exploration aside, Carlisle's mission as a folksinger largely remains the same - documenting the stories and struggles of the people and balancing the humor and hope of existence. , "rdquo" -> I want to make a universal folk music. Songs for all kinds of weirdos," says Carlisle. , "rdquo" -> With the idea that there is nobody that doesn't have folk songs and everyone deserves folk songs. I want to write songs that prove the old weird America didn't go anywhere, that we are living and dying for it everyday. I believe there's noble work to do in that context. That if we feel despair, we don't need to because there's so much good work to do."

FreeFolk / RootsRock
Jan 23
9:00 PM
FitzGerald's·Berwyn

LIVE BAND KARAOKE! w/ your host: IAN LEITH & Friends

FITZGERALDS NIGHTCLUB PRESENTS: LIVE BAND KARAOKE ft. Ian Leith & Friends $10 General Admission C'mon y'all... y'know ya wanna :) Have you ever eyed the nightclub stage and thought to yourself, "One day I'd like to be up there beltin' out!"??! NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. Join Ian Leith and Friends and their deep repertoire of hits to choose from. OK, of course you have questions... here are the answers : YES, there will is a list of available songs, click this link: HERE'S THE SONG LIST NO, you do not have to be a "great singer" ;) YES, EVERY SINGLE person who gets up to sing will be awarded a complimentary BABYGOLD COLDBEER (or reasonable alternative) NO, you cannot sign up ahead of time... sign up begins when doors open at 6pm, all first come first served YES, you can suggest songs for the band to prepare via the google form linked HERE NO, Hard No: NO EAGLES YES, this will be a night you will never forget! Grab dinner before the show at BABYGOLD BARBECUE Or enjoy full service dining inside the club when doors open. ***PARKING*** There is rather limited street parking in the area, we recommend arriving by rideshare, bicycle, or rickshaw. ***AGE RESTRICTIONS*** 21+, minors admitted with guardian

Folk / Roots
Jan 26
7:00 PM
Thalia Hall·Pilsen

The War And Treaty

Please Note: There is a delivery delay on all orders until approximately one week prior to the show. For the past decade, soulful duo The War And Treaty---the husband-and-wife team of Michael and Tanya Trotter---have released music that continues to elevate them beyond beloved industry favorites, as well as award-season and touring staples, capable of performing on stages worldwide with widespread acclaim and standing ovations. Every aspect of their new project exemplifies the pinnacle of the group's ever-creative growth within these mentioned ideas. Twelve years after their founding, The War And Treaty have redefined themselves beyond Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and GRAMMY nominations. Moreover, being lauded by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association, which named them Duo/Group of the Year for two consecutive years, cannot contain them as a group greater than the sum of their most successful parts.Immediately upon listening to their latest album, it's clear that a more vibrant energy now guides a duo confidently shaping their own destiny. Album collaborators include titans of the arts who are as much friends, mentors, and trusted confidants as they are legends across multiple industries: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner Whoopi Goldberg (who provides the spoken word intro for , "rdquo" -> Litty"), Songwriters Hall of Famer Kenneth , "rdquo" -> Babyface" Edmonds (writer of , "rdquo" -> You Can't Hurt Me Anymore"), Country Music Hall of Famer Wynonna Judd, and Grammy-nominated performer Valerie June (both on , "rdquo" -> Reclaim All Of Your Time") all contribute as guest artists. Hall of Fame-caliber mentors and influential friends, now serving as relaxed collaborators, shape how powerhouse country-soul vocalists like Valerie June and Wynonna Judd influence The War And Treaty's latest sound. The duo's pairing is less unlikely than it appears at first glance: both grew up listening to classic country and Memphis soul records, among many other genres. As a result, on the song , "rdquo" -> Reclaim All of Your Time," their styles blend seamlessly with Tanya Trotter's veteran gospel-soul stylings. For nearly five years after writing the folksy, female-empowerment ballad, Michael Trotter, its creator, believed it should be presented as a conversational piece with layered harmonies. He was right. The song, both in its composition and vocal delivery, combines warmth and strength to forge a rare genre bridge. Beyond collaborations, The War And Treaty's latest work also thoughtfully seeks to expand Ray Charles' 50-year-old idea that the best music exists in the tension between sacred sounds and secular desires. Given that Michael and Tanya Trotter are a married couple, their ability to explore that space is obvious. Yet, their decade-long efforts to meet industry expectations in folk, Americana, and country music left significant raw and romantic potential in their sound untapped. We're finally performing material that shows people how, beyond being mature and intentional, how sanctified and sexual we can be," says Tanya Trotter. , "rdquo" -> For Michael and me, it's important to show the combination of rawness and sweetness that underlies our soulful sound."

Folk / RootsR&b / SoulJazz / Blues
Jan 27
7:30 PM
FitzGerald's·Berwyn

Country Brunch in the NIGHTCLUB w/ DIAMONDBACK!

COUNTRY BRUNCH in the NIGHTCLUB! featuring: Diamondback FREE SHOW! Click , "rdquo" -> Book Now" to reserve a table. We always leave room for walk-ins so if you can't find a reservation, don't sweat it, c'mon over! Diamondback has been a staple in the Chicago Music scene for many years, specializing in Country music, Country Rock, Americana, and Old Rock and Roll. Our extensive song list is truly a history of Country and, for that matter, American pop music. Female fronted, tight vocal harmonies and multi-instrumentalists (guitar, fiddle, mandolin) add texture and excitement to our sound. We guarantee to have folks singing along and partying from the first song! Enjoy BRUNCH from BABYGOLD BARBECUE ***PARKING*** There is rather limited street parking in the area, we recommend arriving by rideshare, bicycle, or rickshaw.

FreeMetalRock
Jan 31
12:00 PM
Thalia Hall·Pilsen

Rayland Baxter: The True Violet Tour with Dylan LeBlanc

Rayland Baxter has spent much of his career chasing clarity, but his newest record, True Violet, feels like the first time he's truly found it. His 2022 album If I Were A Butterfly evoked transformation, but in Baxter's own view, True Violet is the record where the true metamorphosis has unfolded. Catalyzed less by a sudden realization than by hard-earned understanding, True Violet is a record about the slow, steady process of becoming someone new. It's about looking in the mirror, taking responsibility for your own life, and sitting with difficult emotions instead of trying to outrun them. "I sat in my chair alone for a year and wrote a bunch of songs, and what started off as an attempt to write a record got sideswiped by mediocre attempts I wouldn't even sing to my dog," Baxter recalls. "Then, like many times over the last three years, I called my sister. We talked about life and family and love and heartache, and our individual experiences with all of that. She simply encouraged me to write about what I was feeling, something I was avoiding in the early stages of writing." Rayland took his sister's advice and began writing with a newfound vulnerability. He'd sit alone each evening with his guitar for hours, excavating experiences and emotions. If a lyric or melody didn't click, he'd stop, walk around, dig up an old tour voice memo, and return to the guitar. Movies like Dances With Wolves and The Sandlot played in the background, their colors and landscapes bleeding into his creative psyche. By the time he entered the studio, he'd amassed nearly seventy songs. True Violet is the first Rayland Baxter record made without the presence of his father, Bucky Baxter, a multi-instrumentalist best known for his work with Bob Dylan and as a member of Steve Earle and The Dukes, whose musicianship and encouragement had shaped every previous chapter of his career. "He used to be my phone call, my confidant, my teacher, and my musical guide," Baxter says. "He still is today, but he exists more in the invisible realm now, where feeling and intuition are how I experience his wisdom." In the wake of that loss, Baxter's sister became an essential presence in both his life and creative process. "Honestly, it was her encouragement that brought these songs to life," he says. "She was actually bringing me back to life." These days, Baxter has a steadier hand on the sails of his life, and you can hear it in his voice as he sings about living inside a feeling for too long and the hard-won relief of finally moving beyond it. "I was just letting it go," Baxter says. "The right people were in the room bringing the songs to life. I was observing. Feeling for the first time really steady in the process." True Violet is about what remains after the storm passes: the lessons, the scars, the gratitude, and the possibility of beginning again. The medicine of the record lies in the contrast between the hardship that inspired it and the clarity, patience, and community that finally brought it into focus.

RockFolk / Roots
Feb 1
8:00 PM
FitzGerald's·Berwyn

Happy Hour in the Sidebar w/ THE MENARDS!!!

HAPPY HOUR IN THE SIDEBAR FEATURING: The Menards FREE SHOW! Band namesake Tim Menard is a Chicago veteran. Tim's hand-picked a coterie of his favorite players -- his wonderful, fiddle-playing bride, Cathie Van Wert Menard, drum legend Paul Bivans, veteran bass ace Michael Krayniak, guitar master Jim O'Donnell, and pedal steel guru Gabriel Stutz. Featuring Tim's indelible original tunes mixed with some carefully curated covers, the Menards spin aspects of folk, rock, blues and country into a rich web of Americana. Enjoy dinner from BABYGOLD BARBECUE ***PARKING*** There is rather limited street parking in the area, we recommend arriving by rideshare, bicycle, or rickshaw.

FreeFolk / Roots
Feb 5
5:30 PM

Randy Rogers Band

Fronted by singer-songwriter Randy Rogers and featuring Geoffrey Hill (guitar), Jon Richardson aka Johnny Chops (bass guitar), Brady Black (fiddle), Les Lawless (drums), and Todd Stewart (guitar, fiddle, mandolin, keyboards), the Randy Rogers Band was founded in San Marcos, Texas, and has spent the last 20+ years bringing the Texas Country tradition to dedicated fans around the nation and beyond. With nine studio albums behind them, global streaming numbers in the hundreds of millions and a reputation for must-see Country-Rock performances, the band has charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, five Top 10 albums on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and numerous Texas Country Radio chart No. 1s, securing its place in the pantheon of Texas musical giants. Following their 2019 album Hellbent (produced by Grammy-winner Dave Cobb), 2022's Homecoming received critical acclaim and brought the band back to where it all started with their original producer Radney Foster, culminating in a project that nods to the past with its roots planted firmly in the present. American Songwriter hails "Homecoming shines a light on where they've been and how far they've come," while Hook & Barrel give nods of approval to "that classic sound, brawny and melodic," apparent throughout. The group's sophomore album – also produced by Foster – Rollercoaster turns 20, with a year full of anniversary celebrations.

Folk / Roots
Feb 5
7:00 PM
SPACE·Evanston

Lydia Loveless

Lydia Loveless is an acclaimed singer and songwriter from Columbus, OH who has earned high praise from Pitchfork, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Bandcamp Daily, Brooklyn Vegan, Paste, American Songwriter, No Depression, and more. Her new single, Accolades, is available now at https://lydialoveless.lnk.to/accolades as is the video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJeuSRg1LEs. Lydia's upcoming EP, also entitled Accolades, will be released October 30, 2026 on Bloodshot Records.

FreeFolk / Roots
Feb 6
8:00 PM
SPACE·Evanston

American Patchwork Quartet

American Patchwork Quartet (APQ), led by multi-GRAMMY® award-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross, binds timeless American folk songs with jazz sophistication, country twang, West African hypnotics, and East Asian ornamentation. APQ's sound is a masterful confluence of tradition and innovation, transcending culture, politics, and ideology. Their debut was recently nominated for , "rdquo" -> Best Folk Album" at the 67th GRAMMY® Awards. A southern-born roots music aficionado, Ross is also the founder of the world-renowned Gullah group Ranky Tanky. In APQ, Ross intertwines with other Grammy-winning artists: Falguni Shah, an eleventh-generation Hindustani classical vocalist, Moto Fukushima, an internationally acclaimed Issei jazz bassist, and Rudy Royston, a renowned jazz drummer whose fibers were honed by African American church traditions. APQ resonates as a potent symbol of unity in diversity. It stands testament to the notion that, from a collage of varied backgrounds, a coherent and beautiful whole can be fashioned. Mirroring America's cultural mosaic, APQ stitches together a story that's both intricate and resilient. The fabric of their music is genuine---it neither feigns tolerance nor presents an overly-embellished image of unity. Instead, each carefully chosen piece dives deep into America's patchwork soul and shares the joys, sorrows, and unwavering hope of a nation crafted by shared dreams and diverse histories. Far from being a haphazard collection of musical scraps, APQ is a deliberately designed homage to America's past and a showcase of its dynamic present. It beckons listeners to meditate upon our shared identity and relish in the musical threads that bind us. Just as an intricately designed quilt becomes a cherished family heirloom, when the distinct patterns of APQ's music align in perfect harmony, the result is both a blanket of warmth and a timeless treasure.

FreeFolk / Roots
Feb 10
7:30 PM
FitzGerald's·Berwyn

Happy Hour in the SIDEBAR w/ HILLBILLY FROLIC!

FITZGERALDS PRESENTS A HAPPY HOUR CONCERT WITH: HILLBILLY FROLIC FREE SHOW! Click , "rdquo" -> Book Now" to reserve a table. Enjoy dinner from BABYGOLD BARBECUE **PARKING*** There is rather limited street parking in the area, we recommend arriving by rideshare, bicycle, or rickshaw.

FreeFolk / Roots
Feb 12
5:30 PM