Two Way Street Coffee House – Presents John Derado
WELCOME TO THE TWO WAY STREET COFFEE HOUSE FRIDAY NIGHT SERIES!
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). 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, October 23, 2026 Two Way Street Coffee House Friday Night Concert Series presents John Derado.
FEATURED ARTIST
John Derado brings the kind of deep musical roots that feel right at home in a listening room. Grounded in pre-war blues and shaped by decades of performing, traveling, and sharing music with audiences across North America, John pairs fingerstyle guitar and bottleneck slide with the storytelling spirit of Americana. His years as both a performer and co-founder of Valparaiso’s Front Porch Music give him a rare perspective on the community that grows around live acoustic music—something Two Way Street understands very well.
ARTIST BIO
Originally from East of Gary, John Derado plays fingerstyle guitar and bottleneck slide. His roots are firmly planted in traditional pre-war blues with a strong inclination towards the Americana singer/songwriter. He has played throughout the contiguous 48 states, Canada and Mexico. In 1991 along with Paul Schriener he took time out to open Front Porch Music in Valparaiso, a retail and performance venue that has hosted such acts as John Hartford, Paul Geremia, Donovan, James Lee Stanley and Jim Post to name but a few. John has opened for many internationally touring acts including Little Feat, Duke Tumatoe, Rodney Crowell, Leon Redbone and Corky Siegel. After performing a few numbers on his own, Mr. Siegel called John back on stage to play out the rest of the evening with him, according to John, “One of the highlights of my career indeed.” Another highlight was being selected by Pinetop Perkins himself to open a star studded 88th birthday party for him in his then hometown of LaPorte, Indiana.