Name: Mike Zito
Start: 2024-05-30T20:00:00-06:00
Location: The State Room

Utah Blues Society Presents
MIKE ZITO
THU, 30 MAY 2024 at 08:00PM MDT
Ages: 21 & Over
Doors Open: 07:00PM
OnSale: Fri, 5 Apr 2024 at 10:00AM MDT
Announcement: Tue, 2 Apr 2024 at 10:00AM MDT
Mike Zito is one of the most lauded artists in the contemporary blues arena today and
rightfully so, but for him, the thing that counts the most is maintaining his honesty,
authenticity and integrity. Those are the qualities that have steered Zito’s career since the
beginning and continue to define every effort he’s offered since.
“I have nothing to hide; it seems my honesty is what people relate to most,” he once told
Vintage Guitar
magazine. “Anders (Osborne) told me early on, ‘If you don’t believe what
you’re singing, you’ll never be a good singer.’ I try not to write fluff; I try to make every word
count.”
Naturally, patience and perseverance have been Zito’s stock and trade since the beginning.
He began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was
already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music
independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. "Pearl River," the title
track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and
marked his first collaboration with Cyril Neville, with whom he’d later work in the Royal
Southern Brotherhood. A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed,
culminating in 2011’s
Greyhound
, which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that
year’s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records
and released
Gone to Texas
, the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional
homage to the state that left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut
of his band, The Wheel.
From 2010 to 2014, Zito also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal
Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD,
Songs from the Road -
Live in Germany
, winner of the year’s Blues Music Award for Best DVD. He also made his mark
behind the boards by producing albums for Samantha Fish, Albert Castiglia, Ally Venable,
Jeremiah Johnson, Jimmy Carpenter, and many others.
Meanwhile, the accolades kept coming. His album,
Make Blues Not War
, debuted on the
Billboard
Blues Album Chart at number one and garnered him recognition as the 2018 Rock
Blues Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards.
First Class Life
followed suit, also entering
the charts at number one.
Alternate Root
magazine insisted that “The First Class Life that
Mike Zito titles his upcoming album can be heard in the sweet sound of Blue Soul rising like
heat waves from his guitar and his vocal.”
American Blues Scene
said, “Mike Zito’s return to
the blues is, in a word, triumphant!”
No Depression
declared, “Once again, Zito has
delivered the goods, a first class package with no postage due.”
With numerous Blues Music Award honors under his belt, Mike Zito is also the co-owner of
Texas-based Gulf Coast Records (which has birthed a number of critically-acclaimed blues/
rock albums since its 2018 inception.