Fred Eaglesmith, who regularly packs venues throughout Canada and the United States with countryfied wit set to music, will bring his welltravelled road show to the Grace Tipling Hall on Saturday of next week, June 24.

The Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter plays more than 250 shows per year, from the dusty plains of Texas to the far reaches of Iqaluit. But while the Port Dover native is busy traveling worldwide, he often dreams of playing the places he knows, loves, and has sung about on 16 CDs - the small towns of southern Ontario and the local halls that are their heart and soul.

Grace Tipling Hall, housed in Shelburne's town hall, is the perfect place to make this dream a reality. Like performers of old, in his independent style Eaglesmith is selfproducing this show as part of his never-ending tour. Halls like the Grace Tipling are at the centre of what Eaglesmith writes about - rural communities, the land that sustains them and the tractors, trucks and people that make them so interesting.

Joining Eaglesmith on stage will be The Flying Squirrels, a backup band featuring legend-in-hisown right Willie P. Bennett, drummer Kori Hepner and bassist Luke Stackhouse. Reviews of Eaglesmith's work never fail to mention how hard it is to pigeonhole his style or the rapport he is able to create with his audience. With songs that have been covered by the likes of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Dar Williams and a special brand of onstage banter that's both funny and insightful, the stage is set for a memorable evening.

Tickets are $25, available at the Shelburne Town Hall, 203 Main Street, and online at www.fredeaglesmith.com.