Article Contributed on: 7/24/2008 2:02:33 PM
Chris Smither, who the Associated Press calls "an American original" and "one of the absolute best singer-songwriters in the world," performs at Swallow Hill's Daniels Hall on Saturday, August 9 at 8 p.m. Smither was originally scheduled to appear at Swallow Hill earlier this year but had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. This rescheduled appearance is highly anticipated by his fans and Swallow Hill is pleased to host him.
After coming on the radar in 1970 with the well-received debut album
I'm a Stranger Too! and the similarly lauded 1972 follow-up,
Don't It Drag On, Chris Smither didn't release another record for more than a decade. "Everybody has good patches and bad patches," he says. "I was basically drunk for 12 years, and somehow I managed to climb out of it; I don't know why. Why did I get well when so many other people don't? It had nothing to do with any virtue on my part; if I were Christian, I'd call it grace. I just got lucky."
His latest release,
Leave the Light On, stands as the quintessence of his life's work while throwing in some new wrinkles that reflect where he's been and what he's encountered since the last time around. The work finds him once again in a contemplative mood, examining his thought processes from struggling to distinguish between self-deception and truth to seeking the most fundamental kind of closure. One of the songs on the album, "Origin of the Species," was named #42 of the 100 Best Songs of the Year 2006 by
Rolling Stone. Smither was also named as 2007's Outstanding Folk Act by the Boston Music Awards, and also took home the 2007 Folk Alliance Awards for both Song of the Year ("Seems So Real") and Contemporary Artist of the Year.
Brad Colerick, who has had the pleasure of writing and producing for a long list of musical icons including the late Johnny Cash, and who has in recent years been a successful traveling performer, will open for Smither.
For tickets visit
www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003 x2. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members. Buy in advance and save! Swallow Hill Music Association is located at 71 East Yale Avenue (just off Broadway) in Denver.