Folk singer to stage annual Hometown concert

The gymnasium at the Kaneville Community Center isn't exactly Carnegie Hall, but it will be the site for one of the hottest tickets in town as local folk singer Lee Murdock hosts his annual Hometown Concert Saturday.

Murdock, known as the "Great Lakes Balladeer," will welcome mandolin player Don Stiernberg of Skokie as his special guest this year.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the community center at Main Street and Harter Road in Kaneville. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Murdock, 54, of Kaneville has been a folk musician for about 30 years, a path he chose after earning a degree in geology in college.

"I followed my passion," he said. "I didn't want to work for an oil or mining company."

Several years into his career as a folk musician, Murdock discovered a collection of old Great Lakes sailors' songs recorded by University of Michigan Professor Ivan Walton during the 1930s.

From that point on much of his music, performances and recordings have focused on the life of the Great Lakes.

"I always felt you need to sing songs from where you are from," said Murdock, who grew up in Barrington. "Here was this maritime tradition 1,000 miles from any salt water."

Just this fall, Murdock wrote a song about the sinking of The Phoenix off the coast of Sheboygan, Wis., Nov. 19, 1847. There were survivors, but many Dutch immigrants lost their lives in the cold waters of Lake Michigan that day.

"Remember the Night of the Phoenix" is written from the perspective of the survivors and rescuers, and he performed it to an audience that included many of the survivors' descendants shortly after he finished writing it.

"I'm fascinated by the people behind the stories," he said. "There are just as many stories as there are people. It never gets old."

Murdock has been telling those stories since 1991 when he released "Cold Winds," a compilation of songs about the Great Lakes and sailing. Stiernberg appears on "Cold Winds" and has occasionally played concerts with Murdock over the years.

On Saturday, both Murdock and Stiernberg will play sets before returning to the stage together for a "free for all," Murdock said.

"Don Stiernberg is one of the masters," he said.

Murdock said the format of the concert has developed for more than 15 years since the first concert was performed as a benefit for Kaneville's new community center, which is actually an old school.

Each year a special guest performs with Murdock, and the second set of the show is opened up for jamming, improvisation and requests from the audience.

"You never know what's going to happen," Murdock said.

More information and directions to the Kaneville Community Center are available online at www.leemurdock.com.

If you go

What: Lee Murdock's annual Hometown Concert

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Kaneville Community Center, Main Street and Harter Road

Tickets: $10 at the door