Chris Vallillo will bring his Hickory Ridge Concert Series to Macomb, Illinois, this June 20th at 7:00 pm at the Vallillo/Holtz performance space at WIUM FM in Macomb. “Our usual venue, the Ellisville Opera House, accidentally booked our show date for a play rehearsal, and we needed to find an alternative space,” said Vallillo. “WIUM has been our media partner for years, so they were the first place that came to mind.” The show will feature Lyal Strickland, an Americana singer-songwriter, whose music is as authentic as the Ozark hills from which it hails. With a background deeply embedded in the rural landscapes of Missouri, his lyrics resonate with the experiences of small-town life, weaving tales of struggle, resilience, and the unyielding human spirit.

Strickland is a singer, songwriter, and farmer whose songs are a reflection of his upbringing in a small town, where the values and hardships of rural life imbue every note and word.  “An old house and barn/ Some good solid oak/ A roof clad with tin/ Blowin’ in the wind/ On some old Missouri backroad/ Is where I call my home…” 

Strickland's journey is not just about music. It's about conveying a way of life that honors tradition while embracing the challenges of the present. With each performance, Strickland champions a sound that is both timeless and refreshingly genuine.