Stuart Ferguson and Lyn O’Conor-Ferguson and Phil Punch to perform at Main Streets

One of Stuart Ferguson's most important goals as a musician is to make sure "people walk away from our show feeling like they've had an emotional experience," he said. "That something they hear during the show will generate a response in them that goes beyond thought."

Ferguson, who has been writing songs since the mid 80's, will be performing at Main Streets Market and Café Friday evening along with Lyn O'Conor-Ferguson and Phil Punch.

Coming in second place in the 2009 Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Competition,  Ferguson "has been featured at a number of New England venues including: Club Passim, The Center for the Arts Natick (TCAN), and The Amazing Things Art Center," according to his biography.

Ferguson, O'Conor-Ferguson and Punch's music can be described as a "mixture of folk, rock, celtic, pop and traditional music," according to Ferguson.

"We play a lot of original music at our shows as well as cover songs by artists including Paul Simon, The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, and The Everly Brothers," Ferguson said.

Music has always been a part of Ferguson's life.

"I started playing piano at age 5," he said. "My aunt was my piano teacher. I studied the flute for 10 years from grade school through high school and I learned to play the guitar in college."

Asked what musicians inspire his music, Ferguson said he has always been a huge fan of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and Joe Strummer (The Clash). He added that O'Conor-Ferguson counts "Joni Mitchell and Bonnie Raitt among her influences and (Punch) will follow anyone who lets him bang on a few pots and pans."

In performing a wide variety of tunes, Ferguson explained that the band goes through "periods where we play different songs really well and that is always fun. You really look forward to playing those songs when things are clicking."

When it comes to Ferguson's favorite tunes to perform, he said: "Often, the songs that I most enjoy performing are songs that I've just written since they are in the process of finding their form."

The group plays about 60 shows a year, according to Ferguson, who emphasized that it is a lot when "you have a full-time job as well."
Currently the band is nearing completion on their new album and it will be released later this fall.

For more information on Stuart Ferguson, visit the Web site: www.reverbnation.com/stuartgferguson.