Folk musician Ben Proctor to play Bop Shop virtual concert on Friday 

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Rochester musician Ben Proctor is best known as the vocalist and banjo player for the tuneful Americana band The Crooked North. Proctor is a consummate student and practitioner of folk music, and it comes out in every fluid banjo lick he plays and every cozy melody he sings. But on Friday, he’ll perform a rare solo gig as part of the virtual concert series Front Row at Bop Shop Records.

The hour-long concert is also unusual because it won’t feature pared-down takes of The Crooked North’s songs or traditional folk tunes. Instead the multi-instrumentalist will play an entirely improvised set, taking fan-submitted lyric ideas as inspiration for the impromptu songs that will emerge.

Ben Proctor will perform via livestream from Bop Shop Records at bopshop.com/live on Friday, Nov. 20, at 8 p.m. The concert is free of charge, but tips are recommended via Venmo, @banjohood63. benproctor.com.

Daniel J. Kushner is CITY’s music editor. He can be reached at [email protected].