Ellis Paul will perform at 6 on the Square in Oxford at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 11. (Submitted photo)

OXFORD - 6 On The Square in Oxford celebrates the start of the new year with two events.

After a long hiatus, Open Mic Night returns on Thursday, Jan. 9 with emcee Ray Stark. Sign-in begins at 6:45 p.m. with performances at 7 p.m. Musicians and poets are encouraged to share their talents.

Performers will use our professional sound equipment, and we'll provide a sound tech. There is no charge to perform or be in the audience - but we'll gratefully take donations.

Starting in February, Open Mic Night will be on the first Thursday of each month.

Fan favorite Ellis Paul will be back on our stage to perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11.

The singer/songwriter is hailed as a troubadour, folky, and a storyteller, and the tattoo of Woody Guthrie on his arm says a lot about his approach to music. The Maine native also lists Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and James Taylor among the influences for his intimate, provocative, and romantic tales of everyday lives.

Paul has been called the quintessential Boston songwriter and has garnered the recognition and awards to back up that claim, including a shelf full of Boston Music Awards. Since coming onto the scene in 1993 with his independent debut, “Say Something,” he hasn't slowed as a performer or a writer.

His 1994 album “Stories” secured him a deal with Rounder Records and a national following. He started spending about two-thirds of the year on the road, a pace that continues today.

Over the years and albums, his songs have gotten more personal. He turned the looking glass onto his own life for 1998's “Translucent Soul,” as he worked through the pain of his divorce.

Following hot on the heels of 1999's double-CD “Live,” the new millennium saw Paul's song "The World Ain't Slowing Down" featured in the film “Me, Myself and Irene” starring Jim Carrey.

His eighth studio release, a collection of previously unreleased tracks called “Sweet Mistakes,” arrived in 2001, followed by “Speed of Trees” (2002), a two-disc career retrospective (2006), a children’s record inspired by the birth of his second daughter called “The Dragonfly Races” (2008), and a new studio album, “The Day After Everything Changed,” in 2010.

In 2012, Paul released his second children's record, “The Hero in You,” which featured songs about Benjamin Franklin, Georgia O' Keefe, Rosa Parks, Thomas Edison, and other notable Americans that Paul deemed heroic. “Chasing Beauty” followed in 2014 and “The Storyteller’s Suitcase” in 2019.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he started regular webcasts he called the “Traveling Medicine Show,” filled with originals and cover songs, and he release a “best of” album of these performances in 2020. His latest release, “55,” is the third album on Paul’s Rosella Records label. The title of the album reflects him turning 55 at the beginning of the pandemic. Its songs reflect on the need for gratitude in a difficult era of the pandemic and divided political stances.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door; purchase at www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/an-evening-with-ellis-paul or call 607-843-OTS6 (6876) to make a reservation. Doors open one hour before the start of performances. The concert also will be streamed live online for $10; more information at 6onthesquare.org.

Coming up this winter/spring at 6OTS: Cold Chocolate (March 28), Rupert Wates (April 5), Abby Posner (April 12), Joe Crookston (May 11), Laurie MacAllister of Red Molly (June 7) and our 18th Anniversary Show with Vance Gilbert (June 21).

6 On The Square, Inc. is an intimate, not-for-profit, volunteer-based acoustic music listening room and arts venue located at 6 Lafayette Park in downtown Oxford.

-Information provided by 6OTS