The Cultural Arts Theatre Series will start a little earlier than normal for the 2012/13 season, with renowned blues guitarist Matt Andersen taking to the stage this Friday.
The New Brunswick native said although Westlock is a smaller venue than some of the other shows he plays, the audience can expect the same type of performance as audiences in big cities or at big festivals.
“What the folks in Westlock will hear is pretty much what they heard at Glastonbury in the U.K. last year, and I couldn't count how many people heard that show,” he said in an e-mail from France, where he was touring last week.
Although blues guitar was not Andersen’s first musical style, it’s what has garnered him critical acclaim.
He got his start with music from a very early age, as his family has always been quite musical, according to his website biography. He started playing music early on, and joined the school band. He eventually picked up a guitar at age 14.
At first he played in some rock and top-40 bands, but once he discovered the blues he quickly fell into that style.
“I loved hard rock and the Eric Claptons and Stevie Rays of the world,” he said. “Once I knew I was getting passably good, I began to realize that I could take it farther.”
That exposure to blues-influenced musicians led him to delve further into the style, and he soon garnered a deep appreciation for artists like B.B. King and other blues greats from Chicago to the Mississippi Delta.
Andersen began his performing career in earnest in 2002, and since that time has amassed an impressive record of awards and accolades. Within just a few years he was invited to perform at the East Coast Music Association Awards in 2004.
Hundreds, if not thousands of shows later, he has racked up an impressive list of awards, including blues recording of the year and male solo recording of the year at the 2011 ECMA awards. He also was the first Canadian to win the top prize at the 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn.
Despite an impressive list of achievements, Andersen has a refreshingly humble approach to his craft — he just wants to play.
“I just take my music to the people, wherever they are,” he said. “It sounds kind of simplistic, but that’s the way I do it.”
Andersen said he never expected when he got into this business that he would find himself responding to interview requests via e-mail from France, but after a quick listen to his work it’s not surprising he has garnered international attention.
Tickets for CATS shows have a tendency to sell out, especially for big-name performers like Andersen, but there are often last-minute cancellations and some tickets available at the door.
To inquire about tickets, contact The Flower Shoppe in Westlock. For more about Andersen visit www.stubbyfingers.ca.
