INDEPENDENCE—Closing out the Arts Council's 2024 Winter Concert Series is audience favorite, Andrew McKnight! If you missed his appearance at the 1908 Courthouse last year, you missed an amazing afternoon of Folk/Americana music and storytelling by a true Virginia Treasure.
Andrew returns to the Twin Counties on Sunday, May 5th at 3pm. at the Historic 1908 Courthouse. Last year's concert packed the Courthouse and a very long and enthusiastic standing ovation almost blew the roof off! As always, admission is free of charge with donations gratefully accepted at the door. A reception will follow his performance. Award-winning singer, songwriter, guitarist and storyteller Andrew McKnight’s solo performances are powerful and entertaining one-man theatre, delivered with the warmth and down-home comfort native to his northern Virginia Blue Ridge home.
He weaves his finely-crafted songs and nimble flatpicking together with humorous stories and poetic drama, while the musical soundscape traverses influences from Appalachia, spooky slide and jazzy blues, feisty anthems, and rustic folk. His shows are as likely to include humorous songs written with kindergarteners as some of his powerful collaborations with combat veterans coping with PTSD.
McKnight brings dynamic elements to his show from his album and book Treasures in My Chest; a cast of spellbinding songs and stories drawn from his own recent journeys into family history. Accompanied by three guitars, a dobro, Native American flute and an African hand drum (some with their own remarkable stories), the stage comes alive with intimate detail and vibrant lyricism.
From placing you in the footsteps of his doomed Civil War ancestor Aretas Culver, to finding sparks of hope in the long winter nights on the shores of mid-1800s County Down, his vision, voice and pen have created a mesmerizing sweet spot deeply familiar to anyone who's wondered, "who am I and where did I come from?" The resulting performance is a delightful welcome into the diverse aspects of his unique life, ranging from family DNA tests, time spent with Appalachian miners, guitars made of local native wood, and much more. As McKnight says, "I couldn't make these stories up, and it would be a shame not to share them!"
"The skillful songwriter's interest in history is revealed in songs such as the Civil War ballad "The Road to Appomattox" and the soldier's elegy "Wind Whispers Your Name." ... He also works in true folkie tradition, updating lyrics to classic material such as "Worried Man Blues" or reworking Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" to place himself mano-a-devil." (The Washington Post). Andrew is part of the prestigious Virginia Commission for the Arts Touring Artist Program, and an Endorsing Artist for Fairbuilt Guitars and Elixir Strings.
For more about McKnight including concert videos, music downloads and more, visit www.andrewmcknight.net
Most Popular
Comments / 0