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"ridiculously talented, genre-bending guitarist...a jaw-dropper.”- Blues Matters Magazine (UK)
Gary Cain is a Canadian-born, Austin-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter with one foot planted firmly in the blues, and the other foot planted in seemingly everything else. His debut album led one reviewer to exclaim “Oh my God, can this guy play a guitar!”
The foundation of his virtuosic style was laid via marathon practice sessions as a youngster in his parents’ basement. “Back then it’s all I would do some days – often 13, 14 hours a day. I’d have to be reminded to eat.” says Cain. “For as long as I can remember, it’s been a huge part of who I am.”
Long days poring over the musical styles of blues legends gave him a deep respect for the music, but he’s not beholden to it. “I’m not a purist.” he says, “What made those players so great was what they brought to the music to make it their own. Albert King was the best Albert King there’ll ever be. You gotta do your own thing with it.”
Cain’s music career eventually led him from the blues clubs in Canada, to a 6-nights a week gig in Dubai in the house band of the largest nightclub in the emirate at the time. After returning to Canada he concentrated on making a name for himself with his own original material, culminating in his debut album, “Twangadelic Bluesophunk”. Following several international tours, a semifinalist finish at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and an opening gig for George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Cain moved Southwest to music mecca Austin, TX.
The shut-downs and tour cancellations of COVID made way for marathon days of practice and writing, culminating in Cain's critically acclaimed second album, “Next Stop” which saw him continue to step away from the well-worn path of traditional blues.
“It’s a tricky thing, because I tend to go over really well with blues audiences, but a lot of the gatekeepers of the blues world won’t accept what you’re doing unless it falls within a very narrow traditional sound. I think everything I do has blues in it to some degree - I just don’t want to do exactly what’s been done before.”
Faced with pressure to conform to a more traditional blues aesthetic, 2024 instead sees Cain double-down on going his own way with the release of his 3rd full-length album “Keep On Walking”, further staking out his own style and artistic voice.
"a fearless lyricist, a ripping guitarist, and a creator with his own ideas about how to play this game of ours, which means you need to be listening."
- Rock and Blues Muse (USA)
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Fire Street Pizza, 10310 FM 439,Belton,TX,United States
