The Suffolk Theater presents world-renowned guitarist Mike Dawes on Sunday, February 19, at 7 p.m. Dawes is an English guitarist known for composing, arranging, and performing multiple parts simultaneously on a single guitar. He is hailed as one of the world’s most creative modern fingerstyle guitarists with a repertoire spanning solo viral videos and popular arrangements, alongside mainstream chart success performing with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues.
Dawes was named “Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World” two years in a row by Total Guitar Magazine/MusicRadar reader polls and simply needs to be seen to be believed. His ability to combine the melody, bass, harmony and percussion all seamlessly together with just one guitar leaves audiences absolutely stunned, both with original music and popular covers.
Dawes recently released an EP, Accomplice Series Vol. 3, with Tommy Emmanuel one of the greatest fingerstyle guitarists of all time. Recently, Dawes also released his first live album, “Shows and Distancing: Live in the USA.” The album features fan favorites such as “Boogie Shred” and “The Impossible” as well as the brand new “William Shatner’s Paints” in its live debut. It also features many of Dawes’s arrangements with unique versions of “One” by Metallica, John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.”
Dawes’s previous solo album, “ERA,” spawned a viral hit with his arrangement of “One” that has over 4.5 million YouTube views and over 100 million more views on various social media sites. His debut record, “What Just Happened?” features a large number of additional video hits with over 12 million YouTube views for two popular versions of “Somebody That I Used To Know.” He is featured on multiple Justin Hayward live releases including “Spirits ... Live,” which debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Chart. Dawes also has a strong reputation as an educator, acting as a columnist for Guitar World and Acoustic Guitar magazines as well as teaching multiple guitar workshops all over the world, creating apps, publishing degree level literature, mentoring on TV shows and more.
In addition to touring with Justin Hayward, Dawes has toured with fingerstyle guitarists such as Andy McKee and the legendary Tommy Emmanuel. He has also been a prominent part of several ‘International Guitar Night’ tours throughout North America, most recently hosting the record breaking 20th Anniversary tour in early 2020.
Tickets for the Mike Dawes performance at Suffolk Theater on Sunday, February 19, at 7 p.m. are $35 at suffolktheater.com. Suffolk Theater is at 118 East Main Street, Riverhead.
Staff Writer on Feb 3, 2023