EARLVILLE – Hailing from Philadelphia, singer/songwriter Jeffrey Gaines brings his unique urban pop sound to the Earlville Opera House at 8 p.m. on Saturday. Prior to the show, Gaines will conduct a “Meet & Greet” in the intimate Barge Canal Coffee Company with a question-and-answer session from 5 to 6 pm.  The Barge is on 37 Lebanon St. in Hamilton. 

Rolling Stone magazine says Gaines “takes his lyrical cues from English songwriters such as Elvis Costello, Ray Davies, and Peter Gabriel.  His songs fuse personal, introspective lyrics with shimmering pop/rock melodies.”  The Boston Globe declared that “Gaines’ soulful, wounded vocals make a case for his being one of pop’s finest singers ... an artist that deserves far more attention than some of his more hyped, yet less talented peers.”

Gaines most enjoys playing live performances and interacting with his fans, which he does on the road 150 nights a year.  Gaines will even let his audience pick the songs he performs in concert. “When it’s just me playing, I only know the first song I’m going to play, but from there the energy and the vibe tell me what the next song is going to be. Someone may yell a song, and I’m like, ‘Exactly!  Good call.’ That’s so fun to me, keeping it really exciting and spontaneous. I don’t even know what’s around the corner, and the crowd doesn’t either.”