Local events

Songwriter and storyteller Paul Thorn will perform at 8 p.m. June 5 at Stuart's Opera House in Athens County.

Thorn credits his gift of gab to being the son of a Pentecostal preacher.

In addition to being a well-known songwriter, he boxed Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran on national television, made chairs for a living, skydives for fun, and had his first singing gig when he was 3.

Thorn has opened for Sting and has toured with Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Robert Cray, Marianne Faithfull and John Prine.

Everywhere he performs, he draws an immediate, enthusiastic response and a lineup of fans wanting to meet him and to get a piece of Thornás gutsy music for themselves, said Brian Koscho of Stuartás Opera House. Thorn writes and performs songs taken from life, including the good times, bad times and everything in between.

Koscho said Thorn's songs are often constructed on the universal themes of love, loss and yearning. Thorn weaves in a âslightly loopyã Southern sense of the unexpected that draws in the listener, he said.

Opening the show will be singer/songwriter Steve Poltz.

Poltz co-wrote the longest-running song on the Billboard Top 100, Jewel's "You Were Meant for Me," had a debut solo album that earned three and a half stars in Rolling Stone and was awarded the title of âSan Diegoás Most Influential Artist of the Decadeã at the San Diego Music Awards.

Tickets are still available and are $15 in advance or $18 at the door. For more information call (740) 753-1924 or visit www.stuartsoperahouse.org.