BUTCH WALKER IN CONCERT:
Veteran rocker Butch Walker has penned hits for everyone from Weezer and Avril Lavigne to Dashboard Confessional and Fall Out Boy, but lately his stellar solo work is his main claim to fame. Walker's last three albums have all peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, and rightfully so – his celebratory blend of power pop and heartland rock is pure fire. In concert Walker kicks out vintage-hued jams like "Bed On Fire" and "East Coast Girl" with a rootsy twang and an all-American attitude that puts him right up there with greats like Springsteen and Mellencamp. His voice is warm and world-wise, and his guitar playing crackles with the energy and adrenaline of the best arena rock. Walker's 2016 album Stay Gold managed to sound both timeless and fresh, and fans won't want to miss him as he breaks in the new tunes on tour, bringing crowds at venues like the Varsity Theater to capacity.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Georgia-born Butch Walker cut his teeth playing guitar in various rock groups in the late '80s before his band Byte the Bullet signed to Virgin Records in 1988. After changing their name to SouthGang, the group released two early-'90s albums and toured extensively before a dispute with the label led them to part ways. Walker picked back up in the mid-'90s with Marvelous 3, a power-pop trio that scored a minor hit in 1999 with "Freak of the Week". The project failed to gain much momentum after that, and in 2002 Walker released his solo debut Left of Self-Centered. He continued to release albums in the mid-'00s while also writing and producing songs for other artists, and in 2005 Rolling Stone named him Producer of the Year. He suffered a setback in 2007 when a wildfire destroyed his Malibu home – and all his recording masters – but he picked right back up, releasing his fourth album Sycamore Meadows to critical acclaim just a year later. Since then Walker has topped Billboard's Heatseekers chart with three consecutive albums including 2015's Afraid of Ghosts, which was produced by Ryan Adams. With his eighth album Stay Golden generating big buzz in 2016, Walker has fans eagerly awaiting his next round on the road, where he'll once again fill venues like Saint Andrew's Hall to capacity.
