JON LANGFORD (Musician/Artist) Welsh-born Jon Langford, the original drummer for the punk band the Mekons, stands as a leader in the movement to incorporate folk and country music into punk rock. Langford has released numerous recordings as a solo artist and with other bands, most notably the Waco Brothers, Skull Orchard, Four Lost Souls, The Three Johns, Men of Gwent and The Pine Valley Cosmonauts.
Langford, who lives in Chicago , is also a prolific and respected visual artist best known for his striking portraits of country music icons. In 2015 Jon was the artist in residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville TN. Langford also illustrated the comic strip Great Pop Things under the pseudonym Chuck Death. From 2005 to 2013 Langford was a host of a weekly radio program, "The Eclectic Company," on Chicago’s WXRT 93.1 FM and has been a contributor to NPR’s This American Life.
This year Jon will be touring Europe and America with the Mekons, taking a musical train ride through Alaska with Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Dave Alvin, working with Marty Stuart on his new museum in Philadelphia Mississippi and lurking backstage at performances of Strawdog’s Take Me, for which he wrote a bunch of songs.
Directly following Jon’s Art opening at 317, two of his bands, The Waco Brothers and Skull Orchard will be performing live just down the street at Mary’s Place.
Music for art viewing will be provided between 6-9 by Jesus Correa and Gavin Epperson.
Libations will be provided by Prairie St. Brewhouse.
Admission is free at 317.