Can something be wry, aching, hysterical, evocative, provocative, fun, beautifully sung, and consummately played all at once? That would be Vance Gilbert.
An integral part of the national folk scene, Gilbert’s approach to the acoustic singer-songwriter idiom is significant. Gilbert’s compositions, while frequently employing sophisticated melodies and harmonies that attest to his jazz roots, remain sublime attestations to the storyteller’s craft. Many know Vance’s signature song, “Unfamiliar Moon,” which landed him in the second round of auditions of TV’s America’s Got Talent. Like all great artists, Vance truly happens live. In fact he developed his reputation with his jaw-dropping, diverse, funny, devastating, and gorgeous live performances.
Vance exploded onto the scene in the early ’90s, with buzz spreading quickly. Who was this multicultural arts teacher knocking them dead at open mics? After opening Shawn Colvin’s 1992 Fat City tour, he took much of America by storm. “The voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god,” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Vance has released 16 albums, including Somerville (Live), and Side of the Road with Ellis Paul. His latest album, The Mother of Trouble, was released in May.
(Please note, our ticketing system only allows us to sell tickets one show at a time. Tickets for our Vance Gilbert show will go on sale after our March show! Visit our website at http://www.hancockchurch.org/coffeehouse)