EARLVILLE – The Earlville Opera House welcomes Canadian singer-songwriter, Fred Eaglesmith, on Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Arts Café. Fred Eaglesmith has earned comparisons to John Prine, Woody Guthrie, Neil Young, and Merle Haggard while mixing country, rock and folk in his stunning narrative songs. Onstage his tales and observations are as keen and compelling as his songs and frequently as hilarious as the best stand-up comedians.

The Ontario-based singer-songwriter has recorded 17 albums and written more than 1000 songs since the early 1980s. This solo performance without his full band the Flying Squirrels presents an intimate evening with the country-folk singer with razor-sharp lyrics.

If you can imagine “Tom Waits meets Pink Floyd meets Hank Williams,” (Calgary Herald) you may understand why this artist has such devoted fans. He inspires devotees called Fred-heads to follow him from one show to another delighting in what one reviewer calls the “fury and fun” of his concerts. His releases consistently hit the upper reaches of the Americana charts, and he’s the only Canadian to ever write a No. 1 bluegrass hit. His songs have even become part of the course curriculum at two colleges. Eaglesmith is creating a body of stunning contemporary roots music that is all its own.