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Willie Nile w/ James Maddock with James Maddock

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Welcoming back one of our favorites: Willie Nile! We are always excited to bring back this incredible guitarist and song writer for a night of several genres of music. Certainly expect some smooth Blues Rock, some Funk, and Fusion Jazz. Grab your tickets now and come enjoy a fun night in NorfolK!

Willie Nile

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willienile.com/

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Artist Bio

Similar Artists:  Peter Wolf / Ian Hunter / Bob Dylan

The New York Times called Willie Nile “one of the most gifted singer-songwriters to emerge from the New York scene in years.” His album Streets Of New York was hailed as “a platter for the ages” by UNCUT magazine. Rolling Stone listed The Innocent Ones as one of the “Top Ten Best Under-The-Radar Albums of 2011” and BBC Radio called it “THE rock ‘n’ roll album of the year.”

Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Lou Reed, Lucinda Williams, Jim Jarmusch, and Little Steven are among those who have sung his praises. His album, American Ride, won “Best Rock Album of the Year” at the Independent Music Awards. It appeared on over one hundred year-end Top Ten lists for 2013 and Bono called it, “One of the great guides to unraveling the mystery that is the troubled beauty of America.” 

In November 2014 he released an album of piano-based songs, If I Was A River, to universal critical acclaim. “One of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of the past thirty years” said The New Yorker. No Depression raved “Willie Nile’s artistic renaissance continues unabated.”

His 2016 album World War Willie appeared on numerous year end top ten lists as did hid his live shows. As American Songwriter said "Nile cranks up the volume and tears into these tunes with the same hunger, passion and exuberance he displays in his legendary sweat-soaked shows." World War Willie was voted “Album Of The Year” by Twangville Magazine and the song Forever Wild was named “Coolest Song In The World” by Little Steven's Underground Garage. In 2017 he released the critically acclaimed album Positively Bob – Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan.

Willie has toured across the U.S. with The Who and has sung with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. As the induction program from the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame says: “His live performances are legendary.” His 12th studio album was just released called Children of Paradise and he is bringing his dynamic live show to 2018 audiences worldwide!

James Maddock

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jamesmaddock.net/home

The best singer-songwriters serve the song. The songwriter’s songwriter, James Maddock, who has earned the respect of masterful writers such as Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nile, has built his acclaimed legacy on humbly honoring purity of expression. Many albums in his beloved catalog are elegantly spare, conveying his songs and sentiments in the most direct possible way. But for his latest album, The Green, the songs guided him into recording the most eclectic, exhilaratingly soulful, and imaginatively produced album in his career.

“This is my best album. It’s an upbeat record with really strong songs and a lot of surprises,” the British transplant reveals. “It all happened really naturally. I just listened to where the songs where going and allowed myself the time to give each one a proper sonic home.”

Since 1999, James Maddock’s boldly vulnerable songwriting, honeyed rasp, and distinct folk and Americana aesthetic have garnered acclaim from icons, peers, and tastemaking outlets like NPR, American Songwriter, Relix Magazine, and CMT Edge. Relix notes: “James Maddock possesses the kind of lived-in, craggy voice that would sound authoritative if he were singing the sports pages. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to do that because his compositional skills are a match for his delivery.” His consistency as a recording artist and a captivating live performer have attracted a devoted fanbase engaged and generous enough to fan fund the last two entries in his six-album oeuvre. He’s performed with Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nile, Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and David Immergluck (Counting Crows), sang on an album with Susan McKeown, and has built a respected international profile through tireless touring from the Northeast US to Europe to Australia.

Previous to his solo career, James was the frontman for the Columbia Records band Wood. It was in this context that he was first introduced to a mainstream audience when songs from the group’s debut, Songs From Stamford Hill, were prominently featured in Dawson’s Creek. In 2003, Maddock relocated from England to New York, and, soon after, launched his solo career. His 2009 solo album Sunrise On Avenue C won a New York Music Award for “Best Americana Album,” while its follow-up, Wake Up And Dream, ranked among the top albums of 2011 in WFUV’s (NYC) Listener Poll.

The Green truly captures NPR’s accolade that “his timeless songwriting style, which seems to draw from great songwriters of every era, conveys quiet confidence and lovely intimacy.”

The album is bookended by “Once There Was A Boy Part 1” and “Once There Was A Boy Part 2.” Version one has a gospel-folk gait recalling Van Morrison and the more pastoral moments of The Pogues, and version two is a fresh rendition with stately strings and dreamy vocals. The track “Speaking For The Man” recalls the silken soul of Jimmy Ruffin (“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”).  The title track finds James revisiting the political commentary songwriting style of his formative days. And the sleek and euphoric “Driving Around With the Win” and the simmering sensuality of “Let’s Get Out Of Here” are revelations in James’s catalog, showcasing the gorgeous patina of James’s vocals within an ultra modern sophisticated pop context.

The Green was produced by Iestyn Polson (David Gray, Patti Smith, and David Bowie) and boasts a more lush production aesthetic and more ambitious arrangements than any previous James Maddock records. The album features rich gospel-tinged backups courtesy of Cindy Mizelle (Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Duran Duran), tasteful drum loops, elegant string arrangements courtesy of Alan Grubner, and contributions from Aaron Comess (The Spin Doctors), Tony Shanahan (Beck, Patti Smith, Suzanne Vega), and Brian Mitchell (Bob Dylan, Al Green, B.B. King).

This summer Maddock will be taking entries from The Green, as well as fan favorites from his back catalog, on the road. Live, Maddock imaginatively reinterprets his oeuvre to keep it fresh for him and his audience. “I love how songs reveal themselves differently in the live setting,” James says. “I’m grateful I have such a large body of work and an audience to share a creative dialogue with. It’s all a luxury and just a really beautiful thing—I feel very lucky.”

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