By John Atkinson
Iconic blues-rock guitarist Walter Trout will make his long-awaited Victoria bow at the McPherson Playhouse in March, entering the sixth decade of a remarkable career.
American Trout, who’ll have just turned 72 when he performs on March 11, had a major health scare in 2013 requiring a liver transplant. But he showed incredible human spirit to bounce back within two years to resume touring, recording and playing worldwide.
The prolific singer-songwriter began as a sideman for stars including John Lee Hooker, Percy Mayfield and Big Mama Thornton, before becoming the lead guitarist with Canned Heat in the 1980s. He then spent five years touring the globe with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.
Eventually, he branched out to form the Walter Trout Band, rebranded as Walter Trout and the Radicals, and now simply performs around the globe as Walter Trout.
Lauded as “the ultimate, supreme bluesman of the 20th and 21st centuries” by Metal Zone magazine, his 2019 album, Survivor Blues, debuted at No. 1 for two consecutive weeks on the Billboard Blues Chart.
Reverb-cloaked and throbbing with the subtle influence of legends Jimi Hendrix and Chet Baker, Trout’s most recent album, Ride (2022) is a sublime mix of charging momentum and modern energy.
With an extensive discography, array of global music awards and legendary longevity, Trout is respected and revered as a talismanic figure and beating heart of the modern blues rock scene.
Opening for him at McPherson will be one of the many young global talents he’s inspired, Victoria’s rising star Brett Smith-Daniels.
British-Canadian Smith-Daniels is a virtuoso guitarist and singer with remarkable resilience and for well over a decade honed his craft in both Canada and England.
Once described by Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses as “the future of Rock N’ Roll,” Smith-Daniels has also performed with legends such as Mick Taylor of The Rolling Stones, Micky Moody of Whitesnake, and Randy Bachman of BTO/The Guess Who.
Tickets for the show (starting at $45.50 plus order fees) are available at rmts.bc.ca or by calling 250-386-6121.
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