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Matt Walsh Brings House Rockin’ Blues Back to Blowing Rock

Acclaimed Guitarist and Singer Plays Canyons August 23

Story by David Brewer

Statesville boogie bluesman Matt Walsh and his band will return to Canyons for a show on Saturday, August 23. It would be hard to determine an exact date without some pretty extensive research or a poll of some sort, but following electric blues music’s brief stint on the charts in the late 1950s and 1960s—a style that blossomed in the jukes of Chicago as party music—it later devolved into something more about overwrought guitar solos than about dancing or meaningful songcraft.

The sounds that made Chicago’s Southside a world-famous locale for music had a profound effect on Statesville’s Walsh, and for the last 10 years, the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter has been honing his skills as a blues artist. His sound has considerably more in common with heroes Robert Nighthawk, T-Bone Walker and Elmore James than the young white guitar virtuosos closer to his age.

Walsh claims that his uncle is chiefly responsible for his love of all kinds of music, including blues. While other kids were getting down to whatever was on the radio, Walsh was soaking up the songs of Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins and other blues masters of decades past during his early teen years.

“[My uncle] gave me a nice outlet that said, ‘hey, you don’t have to like what’s on MTV’,” said Walsh. “I’ve always had a real deep appreciation of music of all kinds.”

Walsh’s philosophy concerning the blues stems largely from what he views as the style’s stagnation in the hands of those content to churn out endless slow blues numbers to bored club patrons everywhere. While he isn’t opposed to playing slow blues, it’s the style’s more upbeat numbers, which get crowds moving and grooving, that pique Walsh’s interest.

“People actually want to be entertained when they go out,” said Walsh. “They want to have a good time. I just like to play house-rocking music. It’s all the same monster—it’s just how you approach it. It’s the same old thing if Howlin Wolf is singing it. It’s the same old thing if Muddy Waters is singing it. It’s just the vibe.”

The vibe that Walsh speaks so highly of is evident in his playing and singing. Instead of spending all his time showboating on guitar, Walsh and his capable cast of cohorts lock in on jumping blues boogie and rockabilly rhythms, working to please those who want to dance and shout.

Aside from his uncle’s guiding musical influence, Walsh has also spent considerable time with blues master and former Muddy Waters sideman “Steady Rollin’” Bob Margolin. A resident of High Point, Margolin appeared on and produced Walsh’s most recent CD, Hard Luck. Released on Raw Tone records in 2007, the disc received accolades from all over the blues universe and has been played on more than 300 blues programs across the United States and abroad.

In addition to Margolin, Walsh has shared the stage and opened for national blues acts and stars like Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Little Ed and the Blues Imperials, Kelly Hunt, Kenny Neal, Homer Henderson and Delbert McClinton.

Recently moving back to North Carolina after living in Kansas for the last several years, Walsh is glad to be back home and making music in the Carolinas.

“When I leave North Carolina and I’m gone for about three days, I’m really ready to come back. The people here are great and there’s a nice blues heritage around here.

The Matt Walsh Band will perform at Canyons on Saturday, August 23. There is no cover charge and the show will start at 10:00 p.m. To hear music from Hard Luck, click to www.myspace.com/mattwalshblues.

Want To Go?

Date: Saturday, August 23
Time: 10:00 p.m.
Location: Canyons
Cost: FREE!

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