Selwyn Birchwood: “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues Tour” @ Wildey Theatre

Live, Birchwood is a true force of nature.  A favorite among blues fans and jam band fans alike, his ability to win over an audience—any audience—is proven night after night.

With his warm, magnetic personality, Birchwood is as down-to-earth as his music is electrifyingly jaw-dropping.  With his band feeding off his energy, the 6’3” musician roams the stage barefoot, ripping out memorable guitar licks with ease, his soulful, rocks-and-gravel vocals impossible to ignore.  When he sits down to play his signature model Caladesi lap steel, he magically lifts the crowd into a sweat-soaked state of blissful elation.

Birchwood’s career took off when he was introduced to veteran blues musician Sonny Rhodes at the age of 19. Rhodes invited him to join his touring band, where Birchwood honed his skills in performance and band leadership. He formed his own band, the Selwyn Birchwood Band, in 2010, and quickly gained recognition in the blues community.  In 2013, Birchwood achieved significant acclaim by winning the International Blues Challenge, where he outperformed 125 other bands, and also received the Albert King Guitarist of the Year Award.