Gary Clark Jr., Fiona Silver

GARY CLARK JR. is a peerless guitar virtuoso and one of today’s great ambassadors of classic American blues. Dubbed “The Chosen One” for his effortless facility from a young age, he rose through the Texas music scene as a teenager and shared the stage with such rock legends as Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and the Rolling Stones. Over four studio albums he has developed from Hendrix-esque prodigy into a genre-warping songwriter defiant of categorization—is it psychedelia? Soul? Hip hop? Yes. And whatever you want to call it, his “fiery technique is a thrill to witness.” (The New York Times)

According to Clark, “I listen to everything…so I want to play everything.” And luckily, the blues has left its fingerprint on nearly every thread of modern American music, so his explorations through hip hop and country are both authentic and satisfying. He recently earned his first GRAMMY Award, for Best Traditional R&B Performance, and it’s safe to assume it will be the first of many.

The “brash and beguiling” (Paste) chanteuse FIONA SILVER kicks things off with her delightful blend of Lady Day-era jazz, indie rock, and ’60s girl group playfulness.