Tyler Gregory spreads good vibes – and stories – wherever he performs.

A couple years ago, singer-songwriter Tyler Gregory was busking on a street corner in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, as he does on days he doesn’t have a gig.

Someone started filming with their camera phone, and the clip they shot went viral. The two-minute YouTube short, simply titled “Jacob and the Guitar Man,” opens with Gregory performing Leadbelly’s folk blues classic, “Midnight Special.”

Gregory, now 26, looks like a reincarnation of Duane Allman. His beard, which flows down his chest like wild moss, seems to enjoy a life of its own. His sun-kissed brown Stetson helps guide his long hair down his back. An open guitar case catches dollar bills in front of Gregory’s stomping boots.

A small boy occupies the corner of the frame with his mom. His head is facing down as he gently rocks to the rhythm, edging closer to Gregory until he makes contact with his guitar. Gregory continues playing, even when the boy places his hand on the strings of the guitar neck.

“I lost myself completely in a wild way – everything stopped around me,” Gregory says. “The energy from this kid was extremely powerful. I imagine he did as well. We shared that.”

The video, which is closing in on 900,000 views, is more touching when you learn the 8-year-old kid is both blind and autistic. The video inspires viewers to check out more of Gregory’s work, which is influenced by artists like Son House, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

The singer-songwriter’s recent record Roots Below features both old and new material – half solo, half with a full backing band, and all with what Gregory calls a lingering “darkness.” Gregory likens the album’s overall experience to a rollercoaster ride. “Kansas Girl” is a throwback to minimal, no-frills folk music – beneath the sheen of a simple chord progression, hypnotic baritone vocals and a chorus of cicadas, a guitar capo is his only trick.

His one-man shows are thoroughly engaging, whether he’s on guitar or banjo or tapping out a rhythm with his feet on a wooden box. “[The box] is something simple that goes with the heartbeat of the crowd,” Gregory says.

Seemingly all of his songs have a story.

“I write a lot about traveling and the people I meet along the way,” Gregory says. He plays two shows this weekend at Maiden Pub and Barmel. Jordan Smart opens the latter performance.

TYLER GREGORY 9pm Friday, Nov. 28. Maiden Pub, Big Sur. Free. 7pm Saturday, Nov. 29. Barmel, Seventh and Ocean, Carmel. Free. 626-3400.