Songwriter Jim Bianco Appears at Silo's

Ryan Johnson didn’t set out to be in the concert business, and he says he’ll never do it again. So Thursday evening’s Jim Bianco show at will be both debut and swan song for Johnson, a well-regarded , musician and guitar builder who convinced Bianco to play in town.

“I wanted to see a good show in Napa,” said Johnson, a fan who approached Bianco on Facebook to see what it would take to book the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter-bandleader, who has been compared to Elvis Costello.

After Johnson “hammered out the details” with Bianco’s manager Sarah Simon, he pitched his idea to Silo’s and secured a booking for Thursday night.

“I like storytellers: not just somebody who performs a song, but somebody who becomes the character of the song,” explained Johnson, who likens Bianco to another favorite artist, Tom Waits.

“They write a song and they express it,” Johnson said.

But, he added, while both Waits and Bianco write “great lyrics” on serious topics, they also have their playful sides, as you’ll hear in Bianco’s video “Sinners.” (WARNING: The video includes some adult language.)

“My friends and I are sinners, each and every one.

I hope we’ll be forgiven for the damage that we’ve done.

But if we’re not forgiven, at least we had some fun …”

"Having fun with music is paramount to me,” Johnson said.

“It’s the most important thing.”

Jim Bianco performs in a duo setting with a pianist at Silo’s, April 7; show time is 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10, with advance purchase suggested: silosjazzclub.com, 530 Main St., (707) 251-5833. Bianco will also be appearing on radio station KRSH in Santa Rosa at noon Thursday. To preview his new album Loudmouth on iTunes, visit http://www.bit.ly/gRK9Ci.