Woodstock concert to benefit folk festival

Woodstock Folk Festival will host its second annual Earth Day Celebration Spring Benefit Open Stage Performance featuring special guest Lil' Rev.

The festival presents the best in local music from 1 to 6 p.m. April 20, celebrating Earth Day at the Stage Left Café in Woodstock.

Admission to this benefit event is a suggested donation of $5 -- more if you can, less if you can't.

Funds raised will be used to fund the 23rd annual Woodstock Folk Festival, which takes place July 20 on the Woodstock Square.

Lil' Rev is the featured performer at this event. He'll take the stage at 4 p.m.

Lil' Rev, aptly dubbed a "Ukulele & Harmonica Wizard" by Elderly Instruments, is a purveyor of good-time music, performs original and traditional music from the Midwest that spans the styles of blues, rags, Tin Pan Alley, folk songs, old-time country and novelty numbers.

Dave Humphreys -- Two Way Street Coffee House director and past president, Folk Alliance -- describes Lil' Rev as "an immensely talented and entertaining performer whose fast-paced shows cover a broad range of musical landscape. His concise, eloquent and witty introductions add to the fun. This man knows music, instruments, history, cultures, and most of all, how to engage and captivate an audience."

For information about Lil' Rev, visit his Web site at www.lilrev.com. Local performers are invited to sign up and share their talent at this event.

Performance timeslots are two to three songs or 15 minutes. For information or to sign up, contact Annemarie Serra at (815) 479-9933 or woodstockfolkfest@sbcglobal.net.

Or, visit the Web site at www.woodstockfolkmusic. com.

The Stage Left Cafe is on the Woodstock Square next to the Woodstock Opera House. The Woodstock Square is a few blocks West of Illinois Route 47, and is easily accessible from routes I-90, 14 and 120. There is parking around the perimeter of the Square.

Woodstock Folk Festival Inc. is a nonprofit organization. Its purpose is to bring quality folk music, local and national, to the McHenry County area. The festival began as a one-time event in 1986. It quickly became an annual tradition, held on the third Sunday in July on the Woodstock Square. In 1991 the festival was incorporated as an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, with a board of directors of local residents.

In addition to the annual festival, the organization presents spring and fall concerts featuring artists such as Tricia Alexander, Amy Beth & Tom Bradfish, Congress of Starlings, Eric Hanke, Brent Hoodenpyle & the Loners, Tom and Chris Kastle, Erika Luckett, David Massengill, Lee Murdock, Patricia Pettinga, Rick Pickren, Justin Roberts, The Santa Cruz River Band, Danny Santos, Michael Smith and Sweet Harmony.

This year's Woodstock Folk Festival is funded by donations and is partially sponsored by a Special Assistance Grant from the Illinois Arts Council as well as a Target Community Giving Grant.