Chris Pureka will perform Sunday, Oct. 29, at Churchill School in Baker City.

BAKER CITY — Chris Pureka has toured the country in a 20-year music career, but hasn’t ever been to Baker City.

That changes this month.

Pureka, who grew up in Connecticut and now lives in Portland, will perform Sunday, Oct. 29, at Churchill School, 3451 Broadway St. (enter through the 16th Street parking lot). Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 6:45 p.m.

Tickets are $18 in advance at churchillbaker.com or $25 at the door.

Pureka, who plays acoustic and electric guitar, will be joined on stage by Andy Alseri, who also plays electric guitar and sings harmonies.

Pureka started playing music and writing songs in high school and joined a tour with a spoken word artist after graduating from college in 2001.

“We did a huge tour of the whole country,” Pureka said.

After working in a microbiology lab for four years at Smith College in Massachusetts, Pureka decided to pursue music full-time.

There was a break a few years ago.

“Obviously, I took a break for a couple years,” Pureka said with a smile, referencing the pandemic that halted performances around the world.

Getting back to the music did happen, though, and Pureka opened 50 shows for Damien Jurado in 2022, then again in the spring of 2023.

Pureka has released four full-length albums, plus several EPs and a mini album in 2021.

“I’m very picky about what I release, and I take a long time to write,” Pureka said.

To learn more about Pureka, visit chrispureka.com.

Comedian Monica Nevi will perform Thursday, Oct. 19, at Churchill School in Baker City. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance at churchillbaker.com, or $22 at the door. For updates on Churchill shows, visit the website and click on “Events.”