Rupert Wates performs at White Horse Black Mountain, Feb. 8

Award-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter Rupert Wates returns to White Horse Black Mountain on Sunday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. He’s currently on tour in support of The Rank Outsiders Ball.

Press release from Dave Turner Creative:

Award-winning guitarist and singer-songwriter Rupert Wates, touring nationally to support his latest album The Rank Outsiders Ball, will perform at 7pm Sunday, February 8, at White Horse Black Mountain (105 Montreat Road, Black Mountain, NC 28711 828-669-0816, www.whitehorseblackmountain.com).

Based in New York, Wates in his latest release continues the themes of his earlier CDs “Joe’s Café” (2010) and “At The Losers’ Motel” (2012), envisaging a place where people come together, and where music is the force that binds them. On this disc, Wates’ sound is more consistent and unified than ever be- fore. A single chord gave rise to all 14 songs. Moving away from folk, Wates gets closer to vaudeville and even theater. He depicts the world itself as a stage, a circus in which we are all performers. At The Rank Outsiders Ball, the more outrageous your role, the better you’ll fit in.

The album was recorded live in the studio, and mixed, in four days. It features contributions from virtuoso musicians Bartosz Hadala (keyboards), Trifon Dmitrov (bass) and Chris Howard (percussion). Stand-out tracks are “The Rank Outsiders Ball,” “Drowned,” “Time,” “Travelling Circus” and “The Lost Ones.”

Rupert Wates welcomes us all to the ball, in the voice of a born outsider: uniquely his own.

Reviews
“A performer of the highest calibre…His guitar work was phenomenal. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such beautiful work – his fingers are full of magic” (D. Provencher, Alamogordo Area House Concerts NM)

” I was overwhelmed by how good he was, both lyrically and vocally. His guitar work was truly unbelievable” (K. Perrin, Circle Entertainment, Southport NC)

“Lyrically articulate and literate…he’s been compared to Brecht, Gordon Lightfoot and Brian Protheroe…Despite the variety of musical colours, [the CD] doesn’t stray too far from the path of its chosen genre…But then why would you want a glass of Riesling when you have a whole case of champagne?” (Mike Davies, Folk Radio UK on Rupert Wates’ latest album The Rank Outsiders Ball. Read the full review at www.folkradio.co.uk.)

More reviews: http://rupertwatesmusic.com/reviews

Extensive U.S. touring, warm receptions and numerous awards
Wates averages 170 live shows per year, and he has performed in every state in America to critical acclaim.

“[Wates] made us all sit up pop-eyed at what he could do with six strings,” wrote Keith Harrelson, founder of Moonlight on the Mountain in Birmingham, Ala. In Concerts In Your Home reviews, C. Murphy wrote, “Our audience was spellbound for the duration of his performance.” And Kitchen Sink House Concerts in Arizona said he is “a ridiculously talented musician.”

He has been a full-time songwriter since 1992 when he signed an exclusive deal with Eaton Music Publishing. He has written songs in all kinds of styles for all kinds of artists. During the 1990s he worked with jazz singer Liz Fletcher, recording the albums Mellowmania and Live in the Park, both released on the Sanctuary label, and Blue Afternoons on Mainstem.

Wayne Slater-Lunsford, writing in Concerts In Your Home reviews, said Rupert is “one of those rare artists who leaves an audience better than he found them.” And Ryan Moore of AMP The Magazine wrote that he is “more compelling, more sympathetic and more emotionally accessible than many other modern performers.”

Moving to Paris in 2001, Rupert developed his skills as a singer and performer and formed his own group. In 2005 he recorded the album Sweet or Bitter Wine, his first as a solo artist. The album was released on the Mainstem label in autumn 2005.

Wates’ music has found a warm reception in America. The Forwardian Arts Society, in describing a recent performance, wrote, “It was as if Mr. Wates was standing at the well of humanity and drawing up the emotions and experiences of mankind to the surface where they could nourish those who partook of them from his vocal and musical instruments.”

Since coming to the US, Wates has won over 30 songwriting awards.

All six of his solo discs have gained outstanding reviews and continue to be aired on college and mainstream radio all over the world.

In 2010 Wates released Joe’s Café, an album of 15 original songs based on true stories, each interpreted by a different vocalist, retelling the stories of ordinary American people. Through them we trace the story of America itself: through two world wars, the Dust Bowl depression, Vietnam and the struggle for Civil Rights, all the way to the present day. Recorded live in the studio in a single weekend, the album’s warm sound evokes the welcoming atmosphere of an all-night café, where friends gather to share their stories. Featured virtuoso musicians on the recording include Darol Anger on violin and Michael Manring on bass.

Joe’s Café has been presented very successfully at the Fringe Festivals throughout North America including Hamilton (Ontario), Kansas City, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Victoria (British Columbia) and San Francisco, and in other venues from New York City to the Southeastern United States. The show won Best Music Revue in the San Francisco Fringe Festival.

Audiences everywhere respond to Rupert Wates’ brand of melodic art/folk—haunting songs that ring true. More information, audio and video is available online at www.rupertwatesmusic.com.