The music produced by the members of the Lake County Folk Club is as diverse and individual as the folks who make it. The group`s monthly open stage at the Mers Restaurant is a showcase for performers who represent a variety of folk music traditions.
Musicians who rely on amplifiers, synthesizers and other modern electronic wizardry need not apply, however. This music is strictly acoustic. As many as a dozen groups or individuals sign up for each open stage, held on the third Sunday of the month.
On a recent Sunday, solo singer/guitarist Chuck VanderVennet, a resident of Mundelein and a lawyer by profession, performed a trio of songs, including the English anti-war ballad, ”Christmas in the Trenches” and Roger Miller`s ”Old Toy Trains.”
”Sometimes, the best songs are the simple ones,” he said to the audience. VanderVennet is the club`s vice president and has become a regular performer although, he said, before joining the group, he`d never sung and accompanied himself on guitar in public.
”I`ve learned a lot from the other performers,” he said. ”Every time you hear somebody play here, you pick something up.”