Selwyn Birchwood - Rising Blues Musician

517 Main Street,Jasper IN 47546

08 April, 2023

Description

Rising blues musician, Selwyn Birchwood, takes the stage at the historic Astra Theatre on Saturday, April 8, 2023! The evening will kick off at 7:30 pm EST with a 35 minute opening act. Birchwood will take the stage around 8:30 pm EST. Tickets are on sale now at www.TheNextAct.org.  Reserved seating tickets on the main floor and balcony are $20 with a $35 VIP option. The VIP ticket includes preferred parking in the Matrix parking lot, a $5 concession voucher, and an exclusive pre-show acoustic set starting at 6 pm EST. Doors open for all other ticket holders at 6:30 pm EST. Artist Bio: “A remarkable, contemporary bluesman...a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist. A major player...highly recommended” –Rolling Stone “Rising blues star Selwyn Birchwood is the real deal. Birchwood puts his own fresh spin on the blues, taking the tradition and making it into something new.” –Guitar World “A skilled, energetic and original artist...His songwriting is observant, clever and pointed. His voice is smooth; his singing on target. His guitar fluency generates new licks and rhythmic surprises. Expectations have been high for Mr. Birchwood—and he lives up to them.” –Wall Street Journal “With my music,” says groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood, “I tell my stories in my own way, with my own voice. You won’t ever hear me on stage telling someone else’s stories. Muddy Waters, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker all told their own stories. That’s what I’m doing.” The young guitar and lap steel player calls his original music “electric swamp funkin’ blues,” defined by raw and soulful musicianship played with fire-and-brimstone fervor. His soulful vocals draw his audience deep inside his unforgettable tales of love, passion, pain and pleasure. Living Blues says, “Selwyn Birchwood is a master storyteller—both lyrically and musically. He’s an impressive, hard-crunching, modern blues guitarist. His fretwork is high-energy, raw and vivid...knife-edged leads and roadhouse-rattling grooves. He is graced with a depth and maturity that would be impressive in a grizzled veteran, let alone a fresh-faced young man.” No other band on the current blues scene is built quite like Birchwood’s. In addition to Selwyn’s electrifying guitar and lap-steel playing, the other featured instrument is Regi Oliver’s baritone sax. The group is rounded out by bass, drums and newly added keyboards. “With the keyboards,” Birchwood says, “it’s like we’re a whole new band with a bigger footprint—I can really stretch out on guitar while still featuring the baritone.” With his band feeding off his energy, the 6’3” musician with his trademark Afro roams the stage (often barefoot), ripping out memorable guitar licks with ease, his soulful, rocks-and-gravel vocals firing up the crowd, making them feel as if they were in his living room. His ability to win over an audience—any audience—is proven night after night on the bandstand. With his warm, magnetic personality, Birchwood is as down-to-earth as his music is thought-provoking and vital. Now, with two previous Alligator Records releases and countless performances under his belt, Birchwood is riding high. Wanting to capture the power of the larger band, Birchwood brought in Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) to produce his new album, Living In A Burning House. Recorded in Birchwood’s home state of Florida, the album features 13 songs written and arranged by Birchwood. From the rocking opener I’d Climb Mountains to the sweet soul of She’s A Dime and One More Time to the hair-raising Revelation, Living In A Burning House features some of the most striking and original writing on today’s blues scene. Birchwood’s voice and vision are clear, his sound is edgy and compelling, and his stories are memorable and timeless. bn The historic Astra Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Jasper, Indiana. Newly renovated with 357 seats, the Astra has main level and balcony seating with a concessions stand offering snacks, local craft and domestic beer, and wine that are available for purchase. For more information about the historic Astra Theatre and answers to FAQ, please visit: http://astratheater.com/venueinfo/