FAYETTEVILLE – Critically acclaimed American singer-songwriter Martin Sexton has been added to Walton Arts Center‘s 2017-18 music season. Sexton will perform Wednesday, April 4 at 7:30 pm; tickets start at $20 and go on sale this Thursday, Oct. 26 at 10 am. Tickets are for sale online, in person at the Walton Arts Center Box Office or by calling 479-443-5600.
Martin Sexton is touring in support of his ninth studio release Mixtape of the Open Road. The Wall Street Journal and CMT premiered tracks from the album that has since garnered much critical acclaim, including a session on NPR’s Folk Alley (video clip from that session below).
Sexton got his start singing in the streets and subways of Boston in the early ’90s. An upstate New Yorker, he left home with $75 and a Stratocaster to chase his musical dreams singing in the streets of Harvard Square, gradually and independently working his way to the premier venues of North America inspiring fans and musicians along the way. The activity and touring supporting his records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today, headlining everywhere from The Filmore to Carnegie Hall.
Since launching his own label, Kitchen Table Records, the fiercely independent Sexton has infiltrated many musical worlds, performing at concerts, ranging from pop (collaborating with John Mayer) to the Jam scene to classic rock (collaborating with Peter Frampton); from the Newport Folk Fest to Bonnaroo to New Orleans Jazz Fest to now shows around the world. Regardless of his reputation as a musician’s musician, Sexton can’t keep Hollywood away. His songs can be heard in feature films and television including Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” and “Brotherhood,” NBC’s “Scrubs” and “Parenthood,” and the IFC film “Lucky Them.”
Sometimes, an artist is in charge of the direction and sound of an album; but in Sexton’s case, the songs on his 2015 album, Mixtape of the Open Road, were clearly driving the bus. As much as he wanted to create a theme record (like bluegrass or ’70s rock), the songs in his collection each represent its own place in space and time. The resulting collection gathers together favorites that make for a memorable listening experience.
Rolling Stone says of Sexton: “Outstanding taste in songwriting as well as a soul-marinated voice.”