Prepare for guitar wizardry as Guy Buttery and barn-storming blues man Dan Patlansky share the stage.
■ Setting a South African musical milestone this week is the seminal collaboration of two of the country’s most exciting guitar prodigies, avant-folk experimentalist Guy Buttery and barn-storming blues man Dan Patlansky. Buttery has been astonishing the world with both his singular technical mastery and his radically experimental approach to finger-style guitar playing, and his adventures on the sitar are a sight to behold. Patlansky’s masterful appropriation of the raw, visceral tradition of Delta Blues has led to him being signed to the prestigious Blue Note label, through which he has released several internationally acclaimed albums.
Catalina Theatre, Wilson’s Wharf, Durban harbour. Shows take place from Thursday June 9 to Saturday June 11 at 8pm, and on Sunday June 12 at 6pm. Entrance is R80 and booking is essential. Tel: 031 305 6889. Email: [email protected]. Visit www.guybuttery.co.za.
■ Capetonian singer-songwriter Nate Maingard creates the kind of rock-influenced unsentimental folk associated with a host of prominent artists and bands, from Jeff Buckley to Bon Iver. Maingard makes his first foray to the East Coast with a show this weekend at one of Durban’s hippest live-music joints and indie bars to promote his debut album, The Wild Land. You can also have a listen to it online and download the digital version for free.
Amsterdam, 143 Davenport Road, June 10 at 8pm. Tel: 071 507 3181. Email: [email protected]. Visit http://natemaingard.com.
■ One of Durban’s most atmospheric live-music venues is a sprawling estate in the southern suburbs that features gorgeous gardens, roaring braai fires, a convivial pub ambience and great acoustics. On the eve of this year’s Youth Day celebrations, Highfield House in Hillary hosts two of Durban’s most exciting singer-songwriters, Shannon Hope and Shannon Connolly, for a quality double bill. Hope’s powerful piano-based rock ballads evoke Tori Amos and Evanescence and have been slowly expanding her national footprint — she will perform nine shows at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown this year. Singer-songwriter and acoustic folk guitarist Connolly has become a fixture on the Durban music scene and has gained a solid following through shows at major festivals and her debut EP, Little Seed.
Highfield House, 11 Kinmount Crescent, Hillary, Wednesday June 15. Doors open at 6pm. Entrance R40. Bring braai goodies. Tel: 083 787 5388 Visit www.shannonhope.co.za.