Two Way Street Coffee House is Chicagoland’s most beloved folk and acoustic music venue, presenting weekly concerts and community events for over 55 years!  The show starts at 8pm (CT) and the doors open at 7:30pm. (Suggested donation $10, cash or Paypal).  We will also host this concert virtually.  You may access the livestream on www.twowaystreet.org, on our Facebook page, or on our YouTube channel.

On Friday, April 24, 2026 Two Way Street Coffee House Friday Night Concert Series presents Joe Jencks.

Joe Jencks is a 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and a celebrated vocalist based in Chicago, IL. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit.

Having penned several #1 folk songs, including the ever-relevant “Lady of The Harbor,” Joe was also co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun. From Festivals like Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Joe has enthralled diverse audiences with his approachable style. On the stage, in the studio, or in lecture halls, Joe applies conservatory training to contemporary genres, bridging styles and techniques. Drawing on his Irish heritage, as a dual U.S. and Irish Citizen, Joe uses his lyrical voice to enchant, heal, and inspire.

Joe has won numerous songwriting awards and is also highly regarded as a song interpreter. Joe weaves a diverse web of stories with brilliant musical skill, ensnaring even the most rigid of hearts, inviting them to open. His songs invite us to live inside of our passions and our beliefs. In addition to his performance work, Joe’s skills as a vocal harmony arranger are in demand. With over 40 appearances as a guest vocalist and arranger on various studio recordings, he brings a unique rich sound to the work of other artists.

Joe Jencks is a member of the A.F.M. Local 1000: North American Traveling Musicians Union, NARAS, ASCAP, and the Folk Alliance International. Joe has served as a Cultural Ambassador with the U.S. State Department. In 2020, Jencks worked with The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to produce a “Homegrown at Home” concert for the archives – focusing on songs from the Raiford Prison (FL) recorded by John A. & Ruby T. Lomax in 1939.

Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Joe Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.

If you can’t join us in person, you can still tune in virtually to catch the show!  Make your donation HERE to Joe.  Visit www.twowaystreet.org for more information.