March 17: Blues Artist Tab Benoit

Sunday, March 17, 2019
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Hooligan's

MANKATO, Minn. – Perennial Mankato fan favorite Tab Benoit returns to perform in his natural habitat March 17 at Hooligan’s Neighborhood Pub, 1400 East Madison Ave. (Madison East Center), Mankato. The Tab Benoit concert is co-sponsored by KMSU The Maverick and Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Performance Series.

The show hits at 7 p.m. with Whiskey Bayou Revue featuring Eric Johanson and Eric McFadden with bassist Corey Duplechin and Tab Benoit on drums. Johanson and McFadden each released CDs recently on Tab Benoit's Whiskey Bayou Records. Johanson has played guitar and toured with Cyril Neville and Terrence Simeon. He's learned first-hand from those two musical legends about rhythm through the many unique styles of Louisiana music. McFadden is a virtuoso of the six-string. He has toured the world both as a solo artist as well as traveling with funk legend George Clinton (Parliament/Funkadelic) and rock legend Eric Burdon (The Animals). Benoit follows Whiskey Bayou Revue and will take the stage at 8 p.m.

Benoit brings his swamp-pop classics, gritty blues, and rootsy jams to Hooligan’s to support his latest Telarc CD, “Medicine”, which was chosen by USA Today’s music critic Jerry Shriver as one of USA Today’s Top Five Best CDs. Grammy Nominated Benoit, Louisiana's #1 Roots Music Export, was recently honored with four Blues Music Award Nominations: Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Male Artist and Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Benoit isn’t one who's easily led into playing rock ‘n’ roll in favor of his down-home blend of swamp blues and east Texas guitar-driven blues. With screaming guitar licks coaxed from his Fender Telecaster and his powerful songwriting and singing abilities, Benoit's laid-back, down-to-earth personality off-stage is the exact opposite of his live shows.

One of the most impressive guitarists to emerge from the rich bayous of southern Louisiana in recent years, bluesman Benoit serves as an inspiration to other aspiring players of the region. A guitarist who progressed naturally from classic rock and country to the blues, Benoit holds the belief that the next generation of guitarists will likewise discover the style that motivated him to pursue a musical career.

"The blues are the roots of all American music," he expressed to Billboard magazine's Steve Graybow. "As people grow older and form their own opinions, they go back to what's real--and the blues is as real as it gets."

Benoit makes his home near New Orleans and is one of a handful of bright rising stars on the modern blues scene. He is an enthusiastic wetland activist and is part of a documentary “Hurricane on the Bayou” which is narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep. This film explores the electrifying culture of New Orleans, recounts heart-wrenching, personal stories of Katrina and brings attention to the rapidly disappearing wetlands that are New Orleans' first line of defense against deadly storms.

Concert admission is $22.00 in advance; $25 day of show. Advance purchase is strongly encouraged. Tickets are available at Hooligan's. Those who wish to purchase tickets online should go to www.mnsu.edu/music/. For more information, call the Performance Series office, (507)-389-5549.