February 23, 2017 6:00PM - 9:00PM at Tanglewood Pizza Company
Matt Walsh is from Statesville, NC. He does around 200 shows a year either under his own name or with drummer Austin Hicks as the other half of the Rock-n-Roll duo, the Low Counts. His sound is influenced by anyone from Prince, Link Wray, Howlin' Wolf, Black Sabbath or Pete Rock among many others. His primary focus is making original music and mixing his roots with new ideas rather than replicating them. The result reflects an exciting blend of many genres of music - early electric and hill country Blues, Rock, old Country, Rockabilly, Soul, Stoner and Garage Rock, Hip-Hop and Psychedelia. His exposure to music came first came from his mother through her love of Motown. In his youth, he was fascinated with various types of music and was always anxious when he heard a sound that was different or foreign to his ear. His real education began in his early teens with his late uncle, who would turn him onto his record collection. It included many kinds of early 50's Rock, 60's Psychedelic and British Rock aside Pre-war, 50's electric and Hill Country Blues. When he introduced Matt to records by Lightnin Hopkins and similar musicians, he was taken by the rawness of the recordings and was inspired to play guitar.
When he was 13, Matt got a knock off electric guitar for $25 at a flea market. Rather than going to the prom or attending football games, he set out to learn how to play the stripped down Blues that his new idols played. At the same time, he was also listening and learning from 50's Rock/Sun Records, Stax Soul, old Country, 60's and 70's Rock or whatever else he could find, as long is it had feeling and and wasn't contrived.
In 2007-2008 while playing guitar/Supero Pocket bass with Bob Margolin, Matt had the privilege of backing up legendary artists early in his career, such as Pinetop Perkins and Hurbert Sumlin. Matt's only solo recording, 'Hard Luck,' was released in 2007. 'Hard Luck' featured all original material with the focus on uncompromising, visceral sounding Blues that reflected Matt's love for guitarists like Willie Johnson (Howlin' Wolf) and Robert Nighthawk.The album enjoyed rave reviews, a ton of independent radio play and a featured spot on XM 74 satellite radio as a 'Pick to Click. In 2013 Matt began working with drummer, Austin Hicks in their Rock drum-guitar duo, the Low Counts. Together, they have released three albums of original material in the three years they been a band (The Low Counts 2014, Unsettled Days 2015, Years Pass BY 2015). They continue to turn heads, make new fans and blow audiences away with their no frills, high energy Rock-n-Roll show.