February 15, 2025
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McHenry street musician known as ‘Mr. Lawrence the Aldi guy’ gets paid gig at The Vixen Friday

Facebook post led to offer for a show

By Janelle Walker
Lawrence Easley singing in December 2024 outside Fast Eddie's Car Wash in McHenry. He will have his first gig at The Vixen in McHenry on Valentine's Day, 2025.

Lawrence Easley singing in December 2024 outside Fast Eddie's Car Wash in McHenry. He will have his first gig at The Vixen in McHenry on Valentine's Day, 2025. (Photo provided by Lisa Crawford)

A Facebook post in early February gave Aaron Dullum, manager of The Vixen, an idea.

In that post, a resident asked if busking – performing in a public area for voluntary passersby donations – was legal in McHenry. While saying “the Aldi guy is good,” the post suggested that maybe the singer shouldn’t be there.

“The Aldi guy” is Lawrence Easley. A former McHenry resident – he moved to Wheeling a few months ago with his wife, Lisa Crawford – Easley likes to sing.

Lawrence from Aldi, a well-known local street performer, is set to play his first show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at The Vixen, 1208 Green Street, McHenry.

Lawrence from Aldi, a well-known local street performer, is set to play his first show at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at The Vixen, 1208 Green Street, McHenry. (Janelle Walker)

Since moving from Chicago to the northwest suburbs seven years ago, Easley has set up near stores in McHenry, Crystal Lake, Mundelein, Fox Lake and elsewhere, Crawford said.

Dullum has seen Easley singing outside stores a number of times. The Facebook post and its 400 responses – mostly in favor of allowing “Mr. Lawrence” to sing his heart out – gave Dullum the idea to give Easley a stage.

Dullum asked Facebook if anyone had a contact for the singer, and was put in touch with Crawford.

Instead of The Vixen having its regular monthly singing bingo event, “Lawrence from Aldi” is playing at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Valentine’s Day, at The Vixen’s Castle Autoplex Main Stage at 1208 Green St. in McHenry.

Dullum hopes to have 200 people or more at the all-ages show. Plans are for a two-hour set with a break, and Easley will get a percentage of the $10 cover charge.

Easley has sung at private events, Crawford said. She’s acting as his manager since she works from home and Lawrence, 68, has a day job.

“This is his first to be on this type of stage,” Crawford said. “This is his passion. ... He just went out there and continued [singing] like he did when we were in the city.”

The city is where Easley started busking, she said. He was humming along on a bus when another passenger told him he should do it out on the street instead. Easley never really sang for money, however.

“He sometimes kept a little cloth square out there, but not a traditional bucket” for donations, Crawford said. “He never thought to get a bucket – he couldn’t believe people would give him money.”

For reference, the city of McHenry does not have a busking ordinance, City Manager Suzanne Ostrovsky said, so, technically, it’s completely legal.

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