A fresh Che import from the longed-for greenery of the far north, Calvin Johnson’s naturally unfussy presence has a way of turning any hipster-hater on to the soothing, uncomplicated draw of the dark side. Happening upon campfires and creaky shacks like our own alternative cafe while on tour, Johnson is a sort of modern-day traveling storyteller, his song blessed with the kind of impromptu soul you can see right through – and, as do most enviably gruff voiceboxes, Calvin’s renders everything he chooses to tell us into a godfatherly piece of wisdom.

While Johnson spread his roots blasting the Pistols at a punky little college-kid radio station in the early ’80s, fellow Che performer Julie Doiron jumped silently from one indie outfit to the next over the peaceful Canada countryside, hanging around Eric’s Tip and the Wooden Stars a bit longer than the rest. Her pipes – which have lent their charms to everyone from the Tragically Hip to modern country twisters Okkervil River – strain Feist through a self-conscious near-panic, still somehow managing to never rise above comfort level.

The Che doesn’t frequent big names too often these days, so Johnson – an active member of the large-scale scene, behind such indie storms as the Go! Team and Beat Happening (he’s even worked with Beck and Modest Mouse) – and the lovely Doiron are a rare flash of star power not to be missed, just round campus loop bend.

Calvin Johnson and Julie Doiron will perform live at the Che Cafe on Wednesday, June 13.