Library hosts virtual ragtime event

DeKalb public library in DeKalb, IL

DeKALB – Pop music comes and goes, but some songs from over 100 years ago are just as fresh in the mind as the day they were written. “The Entertainer,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “St. Louis Blues” and “Ballin’ the Jack” are still familiar, but even when they first hit the scene, these songs were recognized as having something special.

Join the DeKalb Public Library at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 26, for a virtual event on hits of the Ragtime Era presented by Cherry & Jerry.

They’ll look at some of the songs that captivated the public and how their popularity continued into the present, and they’ll also share some songs and rags that were hits back in their day.

Cherry & Jerry is Isaac Cherry on percussion and Jerry Rabushka on piano. Based in St. Louis, the duo is also part of the larger Ragged Blade Band, and has toured music of the ragtime era throughout several states. They’ve appeared in the Big River Steampunk Festival in Hannibal, Missouri, the Oddities and Curiosities Expo in Chicago and Tulsa, the RAGBRAI bicycle event in Iowa, and the St. Louis World’s Fare in their hometown. A typical performance includes some well-known songs of the early 20th century as well breathing life back into as some rarely played tunes.

Register for this Zoom event at dkpl.org. The event will also be livestreamed to the library’s Facebook page.

For more information or help with registration, contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or 815-756-9568, ext. 1701.