When a 6-foot-3 blues musician takes the stage barefoot, you know something’s about to get real. That’s Selwyn Birchwood—and he’s bringing his raw, unapologetic new sound to Fogartyville this weekend.
Birchwood isn’t your grandpa’s blues guy. Sure, he respects the tradition (Rolling Stone calls him “a remarkable, contemporary bluesman,” and NPR Music has praised him as one of the strongest innovators in contemporary blues), but he’s not content playing the same old licks. His music weaves together funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia with the grit and soul of classic blues—and he layers it all with sharp storytelling about real life: algorithms, parenthood, resilience, relationships, the whole messy human experience. That’s exactly what you’ll hear on his new Alligator Records release, Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues, a 10-track album he self-produced right here in Florida. Songs like “All Hail The Algorithm” and “The Struggle Is Real” feel like they were written for this moment, this chaos, this need to make sense of everything.
What makes Birchwood’s live shows legendary isn’t just his guitar work—though his lap steel playing is genuinely explosive. It’s his presence. He commands a room with the kind of authenticity that turns skeptics into believers before the first set ends. He’s the kind of artist who doesn’t just perform at you; he performs with you. First-timers walk out as fans.
Fogartyville, tucked into 525 Kumquat Court in Sarasota, is the perfect venue for this kind of music. It’s intimate, roots-focused, and built for artists who have something to say. Two nights, July 17 and 18, both at 8:00 p.m. Tickets run $17–$35. If you’ve been sleeping on contemporary blues, this is your wake-up call. If you love guitar-driven music, original songwriting, or anything with genuine heat—mark your calendar.
What kind of artist stays relevant by honoring where blues came from while refusing to be trapped there? One like Selwyn Birchwood.
