Kids & Family
Lincoln-Way Teen Plays Hopstring Fest on Saturday
15-year-old singer-songwriter Chase Walsh, of Frankfort, has recorded his first EP, too, "Your Friend the Robber."
Caption: Singer-songwriter-musician Chase Walsh, 15, of Frankfort
A 15-year-old singer songwriter from Frankfort will take the stage at Saturday’s Hopstring Fest at Joliet’s Silver Cross Field.
The Lincoln-Way East High School student will play from 2:45 p.m. to 3:05 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 23, on the Deschutes Brewery Stage.
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Chase’s six-song debut studio EP, “Your Friend the Robber,” was recorded with the help of Kev Wright, of New Lenox, guitarist for the Righteous Hillbillies, and is available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
His interest in music began a decade ago, when his uncle began teaching the 5-year-old how to play guitar. Five years later, Walsh would write his first song upon the death of his uncle, Kevin Walsh.
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“While my life is full of positive influences, inspiring teachers, good friends and family, this was the first loss of someone so close and the emotions I experienced at that point of my life encouraged me to create a lasting melody in his honor,” Chase told Ted Slowik, a local journalist and musician who’s profiling the acts at Hopstring Fest on his blog Blues Musings. “From that point on, I used everyday life experiences to craft my ideas for my lyrics and music.”
You can learn more about Chase and purchase his music at chasepatrickwalsh.com.
Chase draws inspiration from Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. He plays guitar, mandolin, ukulele, banjo, piano and drums.
He also performs with the Lincoln-Way East Strings Orchestra and is learning to play violin, cello and string bass.
“Training with the orchestra has opened my eyes to the fascinating world of classical music and now I try to find ways to adopt those unique sounds into my more core contemporary melodies,” Chase told Slowik.
If you’d like to hear Chase play on Saturday — and see the great lineup of bands assembled for the 12-hour Hopstring Fest — tickets are $20 in advance through hopstringfest.com. Tickets will be $30 at the door.
The band Cracker is the evening headliner.
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