Grammy nominated artist Alvin Youngblood Hart will finish his Southeastern tour with a performance in Starkville Saturday night.
The 9:30 performance at the State Theatre and International Bistro is his second to the Bistro and Hart’s third visit to Starkville. Concert-goers can purchase tickets for $10 at the door or listen to WSMV Radio until Saturday afternoon for a chance to win tickets.
“Nobody’s bringing blues musicians through here so it’s a niche I think there’s a demand for,” Bistro owner Dave Hood said.
Hart’s music breaks away from the more classical sounds of blues and incorporates other styles of music like country and rock. “He breaks a lot of the rules,” Hood explained.
The singer, who was born in Oakland, Calif., but spent many childhood summers in rural Mississippi, performed his first show at the Bistro in January. Hart’s initial popularity made him the logical musician to kick off Mississippi State’s fall semester, Hood said.
“He got such a great response the last time he was here that due to popular demand I had to bring him back,” Hood said. “He has a great stage presence. You can tell he sings from his soul. It’s definitely heart felt music.”
Hart, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2003 for his all-acoustic Down the Ally record, is in the process of signing with a major label, Hart’s manager Heidi Loetscher-hart said.
“They are going to go in the studio at the end of September and record a new CD,” Leotscher-hart said. “It’s going to be a mild range of rock music, country, blues and whatever else he has written about.”
The Bistro also has performances by Stock Holm Syndrome and MoFro slated for late September, Hood said.