Tom Russell
2013
PM
MEL LEHAN HALL AT ST. JAMES i
3214 West 10th Ave, Kitsilano
Accessible 
All ages
This event has already taken place.
One of America's very best songwriters, Tom Russell lives near the Texas border town of Juarez (close to El Paso). He has performed 15 times at The Rogue and has released a string of amazing albums over the past few decades. He cut his teeth in the bars of Vancouver's skid road in the 1970s, quit performing for a while, and was famously convinced to resume his career when Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter was a passenger in his NYC taxi cab.
Tom's 1999 album, The Man From God Knows Where, traced his family roots to Norway and Ireland and tells of his ancestors' troubles during the pioneer days in America. From that point onwards he has released some of the very best lyrical work this side of Bob Dylan. His songs and stories tell the tales of the victims and vagabonds living on the soft underbelly of America's forgotten towns; the down and outs with the most poignant epic experiences.
On Blood & Candle Smoke (2009) some of Tom's own stories came to light: working for the USO in Nigeria during the Biafran war of 1970, being threatened by guerrillas there and in Prince George BC a few years later. Threatened with lethal weapons, that is. All sorts of harrowing tales are told by this great American songwriter, and his performances are consistently stunning.
His latest album, Mesabi, continues his fabulous discography, and this will be his first Vancouver concert in over two years - and only his second in the past five years. Book early to avoid disappointment. His shows always sell out, and the capacity of St. James Hall has been capped at just over 200. So, again, we stress: Book Now!!