As part of his "Soul-o" tour, East Coast songwriter Chris Kirby, from St John's, NL, will be at Lane's Privateer Inn on Sunday, April 3.
He will be traveling around the Maritimes playing acoustically on his way to the East Coast Music Awards, where he has been nominated for Songwriter of the Year and will be playing several times. His second stop after debarking the boat from Newfoundland will be at Lane's.
With his new record, Vampire Hotel, Chris Kirby gets down to business playing funky piano, saucy guitar, and singing as if the fate of his own mother hangs on every word. Uniquely described as a cross between Stevie Wonder’s soul and Jamiroquai’s funk, Chris Kirby and his band The Marquee deliver a fun, high-energy live performance every night, and his funky grooves spread throughout crowds like wildfire.
Kirby has captivated the ears of CBC producers, who recently selected him to be the 2010 CBC Song Quest artist for Newfoundland and Labrador. Thrilled by the honour, Kirby wrote the NL CBC Road Song “Free Man” about Newfoundland’s Viking Trail, which has seen huge exposure all over CBC Radio across Canada.
Released in July 2009, Vampire Hotel is Kirby's highly anticipated sophomore recording. Produced by Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Gov't Mule, Taj Mahal), production of the record was split between Fat Tracks Studios in St. John's, NL, and Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studios in Austin, TX. Heavily influenced by New Orleans Rhythm & Blues and Motown Soul, while rooted in the rich Newfoundland tradition of storytelling, Vampire Hotel offers a unique and refreshing brand of music from a truly original artist.
Nominated for four East Coast Music Awards in 2010 and one in 2011, and winner of the MUSICNL Jazz/Blues Album of the Year in 2010,Vampire Hotel has spawned several Canadian tours, along with performances at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and JUNOFest 2010. 2011 promises to be busy for Kirby, who will be hitting the road hard this spring, both solo and with his band, The Marquee.
