First UK shows from Canadian bluesman
Making his debut UK tour, award-nominated Bluesman Chris Antonik is a rising star of the Canadian Blues scene. During his UK tour, he will be performing songs from his respected back catalogue as well as songs from his forthcoming new album, due for release in 2017.
Blending innovative, thoughtful songwriting with stunning blues guitar work, some music critics have drawn comparisons between Chris and Eric Clapton. In its 2010 year-end review, Chris was named the “future of the blues” by Canada’s Blues Underground Network. Chris was then nominated for Best New Artist in 2011 at Canada’s Maple Blues Awards.
In 2013, Chris’ second album Better For You was hailed by critics as “a masterpiece,” “the best Canadian blues-rock album of 2013,” and “the sound of someone taking the blues to a new place.” The album spent three weeks at #1 on Canada’s only all blues/rock FM station (DAWG FM), attained significant airplay across Canada, the US and Europe, including on Sirius XM Bluesville, and was nominated for Best Blues Album by the German Record Critics’ Association. Oregon’s Cascade Blues Association called it “one of the finest releases from the Great White North in many a year.”
Guests on Better For You included two-time Grammy award-winner Mike Mattison (The Derek Trucks Band, The Tedeschi-Trucks Band), American Blues Music award-nominee Shakura S’Aida, Juno award-winners Steve Marriner (MonkeyJunk) and Julian Fauth, as well as Canadian music luminaries Suzie Vinnick and Richard Underhill.
Chris has performed at major blues festivals across Canada, and has toured the US extensively, including performances at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago (for the 2015 Buddy Guy’s Legends Blues Festival), and Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco.
Chris’s four-piece touring band comprises Chris on lead guitar and vocals, with the second guitarist, Ben Fisher, and the drummer, Marc Wotherspoon, hailing from Essex, and they are joined by Chris’ regular bassist from Canada, Guenther Kapelle.
Chris would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
Website: www.chrisantonik.com
Tour dates:
14 – The Iron Road, Evesham, United Kingdom
15 – Upton Blues Festival, Upton, United Kingdom
16 – The Bear Club, Luton, United Kingdom
18 – The Bull’s Head, London, United Kingdom
19 – The Running Horse, Nottingham, United Kingdom
20 – The White Hart, Lydgate, United Kingdom
21 – The Musician, Leicester, United Kingdom
22 July, Duck & Drake, Leeds
Photo: Pierre Menard