Two Way Street Coffee House is Chicagoland’s most beloved folk and acoustic music venue, presenting weekly concerts and community events for over 50 years!  The show starts at 8pm (CT) and the doors open at 7:30pm. (Suggested donation $10, cash or Paypal at the door).  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, December 26, 2025 Two Way Street Coffee House Friday Night Concert Series together with Music & Potlucks presents a special evening of music with Jim Gary, Patty Peace, Ashley & Simpson and Mark Dvorak.

Every Music & Potlucks event features an opportunity to give to neighbors in need. Music & Potlucks has gathered and forwarded thousands of pounds of food, toiletries, gift cards, and other items, plus financial donations to local social services agencies including Beyond Hunger, Housing Forward, Build Chicago, A House In Austin, Peace Corner Youth Center, and Intonation. 

This special evening will include music with local folk favorites Jim Gary, Patty Peace Ashley & Simpson and Mark Dvorak.  Bring your canned goods to donate!  100% of all donations collected will be used to help support both the West Suburban Community Pantry and all the great things Music & Potlucks is doing to help support our neighbors in need.  

JIM GARY

From the Kerrville Folk Festival “New Folk” stage to Nashville’s Bluebird Café’s Sunday Writers’ Night to the here and now, Jim Gary has been delighting audiences with his charming wit, “very solid” songwriting (Kevin’s Celtic & Folk Music CD Reviews) and “one of the warmest and richest voices on the local scene” (Maple Street Chapel Concert Series). Jim Gary lives in the Chicago area, has recorded a CD of Michael Smith songs (“I Wanna Be Like Mike”) and continues to write and perform. Jim released a 2nd CD of original music, Big Door… Little Wonder in 2014, and that same year placed 3rd in the Great River Folk Festival’s Songwriting and Performance Contest in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

PATTY PEACE

If you like Joan Baez, Janis Ian, or Buffy St. Marie, you’ll probably like Chicago-based singer/songwriter Patty Peace.  At any given time, she may be covering artists like Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, or Paul Simon. She may be performing an original song, drawn from decades of human service and peace labors. Or she might be sharing her versions of ancient folk songs. Her engaging acoustic style has been compared to Judy Collins.  Her inspiration is drawn from love – of peace, nature, and family. Her subject matters range from philosophy to physics, lamentation to love, ravages to remedies.

ASHLEY & SIMPSON

Comprised of Jennifer Ashley and Joel Simpson, Ashley & Simpson are quickly becoming folk scene favorites. This folk duo blends traditional songs and instrumentation along with beautiful vocal harmonies reminiscent of famous duos such as Ian & Silvia and The Everly Brothers. With their sophomore release “Off To Here Land,” they have pushed the art of folk to a new sound with an all-traditional track list that will delight fans new and old.  Both bringing a classical perspective to their duo, Jennifer Ashley & Joel Simpson have reached a new level by incorporating elements of jazz, popular music, and other modern styles in their arrangements.  

MARK DVORAK

Mark Dvorak is a modern day troubadour who has never stopped performing, writing and recording. He has been called “a folk singer’s folk singer” with “an encyclopedic knowledge of traditional songs.” His original songs “wondrous” and “profound.”

Though Mark often appears in theaters and on festival stages, he is also at home in a more intimate setting. His concerts are a mix of the familiar and the new, traditional folk and standards from the Great American Songbook. He plays authentic country blues guitar and picks great old-time banjo. Mark enjoys involving his audiences in sing-along songs, just like The Weavers used to do, and mixes in his own infectious and well-crafted originals.

Mark has a refreshing, down-to-earth stage presence and is a very engaging performer. He sings with a clear, signature voice and he likes to joke around with the folks who attend his shows. Throughout the program he’ll interject personal anecdotes and add a touch of history and social context to the performance.

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