Courtesy Photo Pictured, Dr. Tom (Ferguson) plays piano and entertains people at a recent Words and Music lunchtime event held at Alpena County Library. Dr. Tom performs from noon to 1 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month, with proceeds to the library’s READ adult literacy program.

ALPENA — Dr. Tom’s Words and Music lunchtime concert is coming up from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12 at Alpena County Library.

The theme will be “A Tale of 17 Cities.”

The piano player and raconteur known as Dr. Tom (Ferguson) will get a jump on spring by visiting 17 songs with a city in the title. Yes, that includes Alpena.

Dr. Tom, who claims to hold PhD’s in pianology, entertainology, and saloonology, performs a new lunch-hour show the second Wednesday of every month at the Alpena County Library.

His March 12 show can’t cover the entire map, but it will include:

¯ Peoria. Honest.

¯ New Orleans. Not the song you expect.

¯ Chattanooga. Also not the song you expect.

¯ A Canadian song from neither Montreal nor Toronto (or any other city you expect).

¯ A Montana town so small it fits on a branding iron.

Dr. Tom was first invited to join AARP back in the 1980s, so his repertoire includes no rap, hip-hop or metal. He performs songs so old they are olde songs. The show is nonetheless a cross-generational experience ($10 words for “you’ll like it, no matter your age”).

Dr. Tom’s Words and Music at the library is free. All cash dropped into the tip jar goes to the library’s READ adult literacy program.

Bring a friend, bring a lunch if you want, and, even if you come alone, your toes will tap and your ears will smile.