MORGAN PARK — Patsy Cline never had an opportunity to play at the Beverly Arts Center, but the Weepin' Willows hope to give an audience on the South Side a true taste of her work nonetheless.
Weepin' Willows, a Cline cover band, will play at 8 p.m. Saturday at the 400-seat theater at 2407 W. 111th St. in Morgan Park. Tickets cost $25 or $23 for center members.
"I feel like country music is back in fashion — kind of funky, kind of hip," said Natalie Jose, the lead singer of the five-member band.
Jose, a Logan Square resident, also works as a stand-up comedian and opened for John Oliver of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" ahead of his four Chicago performances Dec. 30 and 31.
That said, Jose said her band's upcoming performance will stick to the work of the artist best known for hits such as "Crazy" and "Walking After Midnight."
"I am actually amazed at the number of people that come up to me and have a personal connection with Patsy Cline," she said, referencing young fans who remember their parents dancing to Cline's music in the living room.
Cline died in a a plane crash in 1963 in Camden, Tenn. at age 30. The Nashville singer is often credited for breaking the gender barrier in country music.
As for the Weepin' Willows, this is actually the second performance at the arts center. The group also played a near sold-out show in July 2014, said Jose, who believes Patsy Cline's music attracts a unique audience of fans young and old.
The cover band came together in 2009 with the idea of bringing Cline's music to audiences who never had the chance to hear her live. Plus, Cline left behind a tremendous catalog of songs, which are often categorized as country but includes blues, jazz and other tunes.
"The idea of starting a cover band of a group that you can go out there and see seemed so odd to me," said Jose, adding that she's drawn to the music of the late 1950s.
Weepin' Willows is also taking requests on its Facebook page for songs that concertgoers in Beverly will want to hear. Thus, Jose expects an enthusiastic crowd and called the arts center, "a really great space."
"We just want to present the music in an authentic manor," she said.
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