There are other songwriters who populate their creations with small-time crooks, small-town loners, and working-class heroes. But Fred Eaglesmith's songs stand out for their edge of desperation and their raucous yet bemused humor--and for the incredible energy of his live shows. Circulating on tour from his Ontario farm, Fred harks back to an earlier era of roots music with his raw, driving country soul. "I think the bottom of the barrel is where the answers are," Fred says. His latest album, "Tinderbox," is filled with music he calls "alternative gospel (gospel for non- believers)--it's full of backsliders and people living on the margins." Fred is coming to town to do a rare solo show -- a format that only tends to amplify his already outrageous sense of humor.