Two Great Shows Coming to Fogartyville in Sarasota
Roots Musician Seth Walker to Play Fogartyvile
Over the past 10 years, Seth Walker has become recognized as one of the most revered modern roots artists in the United States; a three-dimensional talent who combines a gift for melody and lyric alongside a rich, Gospel-drenched, Southern-inflected voice with a true blue knack for getting around on the guitar. Walker will perform at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center on Friday, January 21 at 8pm. Tickets are $15 for members and $18 for nonmembers. Advance tickets are available at the website or by calling 941-894-6469.
Growing up on a commune in rural North Carolina, the son of classically trained musicians, Seth Walker played cello long before discovering the six-string in his 20s. When his introduction to the blues came via his Uncle Landon Walker, who was both a musician and disc jockey, his fate was forever sealed. Instantaneously, Seth was looking to artists like T-Bone Walker, Snooks Eaglin, and B.B. King as a wellspring of endless inspiration. The rest is history. He’s released seven albums between 1997 and 2015; breaking into the Top 20 of the Americana charts and receiving praise from NPR, American Songwriter, No Depression and Blues Revue, among others.
In addition to extensive recording and songwriting pursuits, Seth is consistently touring and performing at venues and festivals around the world. Along with headline shows, he’s been invited to open for The Mavericks, The Wood Brothers, Raul Malo, Paul Thorn and Ruthie Foster, among others.
Seth Walker is currently splitting his time between New Orleans and New York City after previously residing in Austin and Nashville. He’s used those experiences wisely, soaking up the sounds and absorbing the musical lineage of these varied places. With a bluesman’s respect for roots and tradition, coupled with an appreciation for—and successful melding of—contemporary songwriting, Seth sublimely incorporates a range of styles with warmth and grace. Perhaps Country Standard Time said it best: “If you subscribe to the Big Tent theory of Americana, then Seth Walker –with his blend of blues, gospel, pop, R&B, rock, and a dash country—just might be your poster boy.”
“Seth Walker swings, rocks, boogies, and plays low down blues all in one set, all on one record. He’s a great singer, and authentic performer of real American music, and he’s writing new classics. Don’t miss a chance to hear Seth. In person or on record, he’s the real deal.”
–Marcia Ball
Connect with the Adam Ezra Group at Fogartyville
Reminiscent of Springsteen for their muscle and passion, U2 for their do-right attitude, and Dave Matthews for their well-earned reputation for energetic live-shows, the Adam Ezra Group’s grassroots approach to alternative folk rock has won them a dedicated fanbase. Sonically, their music ranges from blues rock stompers laced with searing electric fiddle and frantic percussion, to lush folk ballads that spotlight frontman Adam Ezra’s gritty, soulful voice. They’ve won three New England Music Awards: best song in 2016, album of the year in 2012, and band of the year in 2013. The Adam Ezra Group will perform at the Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center on Saturday, January 22 at 8pm. Tickets are $18 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Advance tickets are available at the website or by calling 941-894-6469.
Working outside the confines of the traditional music industry, Adam Ezra and his bandmates – Corinna Smith (fiddle), Alex Martin (drums), Poche Ponce (bass) – built a community of fans through sheer grit and determination, regularly performing hundreds of shows a year for the past two decades without any major label or mainstream radio support. Fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm, the Adam Ezra Group first emerged from Boston in the early 2000s and quickly garnered widespread acclaim for their bold, insightful songwriting and interactive, euphoric performances. From hole in the wall bars and house concerts to sold-out headline shows and dates with the likes of Little Big Town, The Wallflowers, Gavin DeGraw, Train, and The Wailers, Ezra and his bandmates treated every single gig like their last, attracting a die-hard following that believed not just in the music, but in their commitment to activism and social change, as well.
Photos from Fogartyville