Singer-Songwriter and Percussionist Christopher Williams to Perform

HOLLAND - Singer-songwriter Christopher Williams will perform with special guest Route 3 on Saturday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theater.

Williams is on tour in support of his recently released "When I Was Everything," his fifth solo release.

A rare performer who excels on the guitar as well as the djembe drum, Williams has created his own unique style. His passion for folk music has put him onstage with musicians such as Bruce Hornsby, Patty Larkin, and Tom Rush.

"[His music] ripples with pop smooth urban romanticism" said "The Boston Globe," while "The Journal News" described his music as "where folk meets funk."

The hard-to-categorize performer is comfortable performing Tom Waits covers or songs which reflect his own Christian commitment, much in the vein of Bruce Cockburn.

Williams placed second in the 2000 and 2001 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubador competition, won the Wildflower Festival Songwriting competition in 1999, was a finalist in the KRCL Songwriting competition in 1998, and was a finalist in the South Florida Folk Festival in 1997.

The current Holland-based band Route 3 will open for Williams. The band has recorded four CDs has and toured throughout the United States. This Kansas-bred band has developed a strong fan base with its acoustic sound.

Waterdeep's Don Chaffer, who has produced the Route 3's work, said the band's CD "'Slightly Certain' is a large leap forward not only in the caliber of writing and playing, but also in the whole band's ability to adopt a corporate identity in the music, an accomplishment few bands have the vision and the humility to do."

Additional information on Christopher Williams can be found at www.christopherw.com and for Route 3 at www.route3.net.

The concert is being supported by the Hope College Arts Coordinator Office in conjunction with Lemonjello's, Holland's downtown coffee shop, which also hosts singer-songwriter concerts.

Tickets are $7 for general admission and $3 for Hope students. They will be on sale at Lemonjello's (corner of 9th and College), and the Hope College DeWitt Center theatre lobby box office beginning Tuesday, Jan. 11. Tickets may be ordered by phone at (616) 395-7890. The box office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

The DeWitt Center is located on Columbia Avenue at 12th Street. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. 8th St.

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