Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Folk, rock, country and the entire psychedelic era owe a gigantic debt of gratitude to Roger McGuinn, who got started right here at Chicago’s Old Town School Of Folk Music before taking flight in The Byrds, crossing the differing styles of The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Though the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer hasn’t penned an autobiography or been one of the many who’ve incorporated their songs into a Broadway show, the “Stories And Songs” Tour through the capacity and acoustically pristine North Shore Center For Performing Arts in Skokie could’ve been considered a bit of both.

The scripted show was split into two acts and found the singer/songwriter introducing many of the iconic originals or covers, plus a few obscure selections, all completely solo, but with an arsenal of stringed instruments.

Even at 82-years-old, McGuinn sounded like his familiar and fantastic self, tackling Dylan’s “My Back Pages,” a bit of Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and fellow formative influence “Be-Bop-A-Lula” from Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps.

He of course popularized the Pete Seeger-penned “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season),” which remains as relevant as the day it was written, while the personally penned “Gate Of Horn” and “Ballad Of Easy Rider” came at various points of an acclaimed solo career.

The Byrds’ “So You Want To Be A Rock ’N’ Roll Star” welcomed everyone back after intermission foreshadowing what longtime friend Tom Petty would become, followed by the group’s “Lover Of The Bayou,” later remade by Mudcrutch, alongside Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and Joni Mitchell’s “Dreamland.”

McGuinn ended the main portion of the two-hour night recalling how “Mr. Tambourine Man” put his band on the map, practically laying the ground work for any act to ever incorporated a jangle into its repertoire.

An encore of The Byrds’ “Eight Miles High” and the Irish blessing “May The Road Rise To Meet You” brought additional perspective to the intimate overview and some extra assurance that McGuinn’s vast body of work will stand the test of time, not only here at home but all the world over.

For additional information on RogerMcGuinn, visit McGuinn.com.

Upcoming concerts at the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts include Nick Carter (Sept. 28); Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus (Oct. 5); “Charlotte’s Web” (Oct. 6-7); Joan Osborne and Joshua Radin (Oct. 8); Lewis Black (Oct. 9); “What The Heck Knows!” (Oct. 13); Blind Boys Of Alabama (Oct. 18); “The Pout-Pout Fish” (Oct. 21); Andres Gutierrez (Oct. 22); “Little Shop Of Horrors” (Oct. 24); Steep Canyon Rangers (Oct. 24); “Mizantrop” (Oct. 26); Music Of The Baroque (Oct. 27); The Ozark Mountain Daredevils (Oct. 31); “Napoleon Dynamite” Live! (Nov. 8); Ryan Hamilton (Nov. 9); Modi (Nov. 13); Max Jobrani (Nov. 16); “National Geographic” Live (Nov. 17); Elon Gold (Nov. 17); “National Geographic” Live (Nov. 18); “Swan Lake” (Nov. 20); “The Last Waltz” Tribute (Nov. 23); Music Of The Baroque (Nov. 24); “Caesar’s Circus” (Nov. 27); “Little Women” (Nov. 29); “The Nutcracker” (Dec. 6) and “Legally Blonde” (Dec. 19). For additional details, visit NorthShoreCenter.org.

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