Rupert Wates Fingerstyle Guitar
November 15 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
London-born songwriter’s recent Father To The Man explores childhood and fatherhood
A songwriter who found inspiration in both American history and his own experience of fatherhood, Rupert Wates returns to Bishop Hill Creative Commons on Sunday, November 15, 2026. Presented by Crossroads Cultural Connections, the concert begins at 7 p.m. at 309 N. Bishop Hill Street. An optional potluck and social hour starts at 6 p.m.
Wates pairs acoustic folk songwriting with fingerstyle guitar, bringing elements of jazz, vaudeville and cabaret into his music. His career began in London, where a publishing agreement with Eaton Music enabled him to write full time. He later lived and performed in Paris before moving to the United States in 2006.
His 2025 recording Father To The Man turns toward family. Wates wrote the songs for or about his son, following the passage from childhood through young adulthood to becoming a parent. It offers a personal entry point for listeners who know the discovery and responsibility of raising a child.
An earlier project, Joe’s Café, approaches history through individual lives. The 2010 concept album assembled 15 original songs based on true stories of everyday Americans, with different vocalists telling stories reaching across the world wars, the Dust Bowl and the civil rights era. Its stage production received the Best Music Revue honor at the San Francisco Fringe Festival. The project illustrates Wates’ interest in finding a human story inside a larger subject.
Wates was also a 2018 Kerrville New Folk finalist and a Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist. Yet his own stated preference is for intimate listening rooms, where an audience can give its attention to the words and the guitar. That makes the Commons a particularly suitable place to encounter his music, whether this will be a return visit for the listener or a first introduction.
The evening offers time to meet neighbors over a shared meal before settling in for the concert. Guests are welcome at either the 6 p.m. potluck or the 7 p.m. performance; anyone participating in the meal is invited to bring a dish to share. All times are Central.
The event welcomes all ages, with a suggested donation of $20–30. Reservations: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rupert-wates-bishop-hill-il-tickets-1999710706554
Presented by Crossroads Cultural Connections, this concert continues the organization’s mission of bringing meaningful, high-quality live music experiences to Henry County and surrounding communities.
Contact:
John Taylor
john.r.taylor@gmail.com
(309) 299-4999
