<blockquote>It begins with a dramatic
a cappella vocal, followed by a crisp and concise interlude of flatpicked guitar. Then the warm and supple tenor voice settles in to work, delivering literate and cinematic vignettes of rural Americans and their struggles in memorable melodies and compelling twists of phrase. The between song banter is as much of the show as the music, with humorous anecdotes and a theatrical flair for storytelling weaving the music and words into a memorable performance. Such is a typical
ANDREW McKNIGHT concert experience.</blockquote>
Since permanently leaving his corporate environmental engineering career in 1996, the award-winning folk and Americana artist's musical journey has traced nearly half a million miles of blue highways nationwide, and earned him a wealth of critical acclaim and enthusiastic fans for his captivating performances and five CDs on the independent Falling Mountain Music label.
The Shenandoah Valley-based performer often shares his talents for worthy causes, such as recent benefit performances for a community radio station in Massachusetts, an at-risk youth mentoring program in California, a food bank in suburban Seattle, and for the Sierra Club's "Inner City Outings" program in several cities.
While Andrew has toured as a solo singer/songwriter and guitarist for the past 15 years, he is a musician first and foremost, in the mold of John Mayer or Darrell Scott. Putting himself through Connecticut College and graduate school at UMass/Amherst by moonlighting in rock and blues trios shaped his musical sensibilities, and his 2008 CD Something Worth Standing For showcases the full maturation of his musical artisanship.
With songs collectively arranged with four trusted and talented friends, Something is a coherent and compelling musical portrait of contemporary America, heavily inspired by Andrew's recent foray into fatherhood. Spanning haunting blues, feisty anthems, rustic folk, and a bit of swing while drawing inspiration from music legends like The Carter Family, Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie, paints many colors with his supple tenor and acoustic and electric guitars.
In addition to his thriving solo career and occasional tours with virtuoso upright bassist Sean Kelly (Annie Gallup, Boulder Philharmonic), Andrew is once again part of a collective creative entity with Beyond Borders, formed in the afterglow of the final CD release concert at the John F. Kennedy Center in March 2008. Together with original Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member and longtime collaborator Les Thompson on upright bass, banjo and mandolin, Stephanie Thompson on harmony vocals, bass, percussion and guitar, and WAMMIE-winning singer and songwriter Lisa Taylor skillfully handling drums and harmony vocals, the quartet blur the lines between electric and acoustic, folk with blues and rock, traditional with contemporary.
Whether solo, duo or with Beyond Borders, the foundation is always McKnight’s stellar songcraft and captivating storytelling. His previous CD of the same name was a 2005 Americana Album of the Year Finalist in the Independent Music Awards, and includes "Good Things Matter", Winner of the Great American Song Contest (Acoustic/Folk). His songwriting also encompasses his passion for community and causes such as preserving American landscapes and heritage, like the haunting Civil War ballad "The Road to Appomattox" and "Company Town", which opens the acclaimed CD Moving Mountains: Voices of Appalachia Rise Up Against Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining.
Those passions, and the thoughtful ways he expresses them, have drawn legions of fans who sustain his independent career. In the early 90s Andrew grasped the power of the internet to grow and connect with a loyal listenership, and his career has blossomed largely through their "efangelism" instead of the traditional elements of the music business. Many friends and fans even host concerts in their homes for 30 to 50 listeners, venues Andrew refers to as “safe houses on the folk underground railroad”.
In addition to those house concerts and several performances at the Kennedy Center, his musical resume includes a wealth of small theaters, music festivals, and some of the nation's premiere intimate listening rooms. Highlights include the Mountain Stage NewSong Festival, South Florida and Boston Folk Festivals, Chattanooga Riverbend Festival, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His music is heard on hundreds of broadcast and internet radio shows worldwide including National Public Radio affiliates, XM Satellite, and the nationally syndicated "River City Folk" and "The Midnight Special". He is a frequent guest musical presenter at Unitarian church services across the U.S..
Andrew has produced or performed on recordings by many different artists, been a contributing writer for Blue Ridge Country and Americana Rhythm magazines, and is a sought-after clinician for songwriting and music business workshops. He enjoys an artist endorsement with Elixir Strings.
*A FEW CHOICE PAST PERFORMANCES
1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games
Americana Tonight, Nashville
Appalshop Theater, Whitesburg KY
Baltimore Artscape Festival
BB&T Performing Arts Center, Luray VA
The Birchmere, Washington DC
Boston Folk Festival
Brewery Arts Center, Carson City NV
Chattanooga Riverbend Festival
Chesapeake Maritime Museum, St. Michaels MD
The Fret House, Los Angeles
International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough TN
John F. Kennedy Center, Washington DC
Mountain Stage NewSongFestival, WV
Museum of Shenandoah Valley, Winchester VA
Music from the Mountains, WV Public Radio
Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River MA
The National Theatre, Washington DC
Off Square Music Festival, Woodstock IL
Palace Theatre, Canton OH
River City Folk (NPR)
South Florida folk Festival
Swallow Hill Music Association, Denver
Toadstone Theater, Helena MT
Virginia Highlands Festival
Westhaven Center for the Arts, Trinidad CA
Andrew also was selected for the 2008 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase, 2000 Kerrville New Folk competition, and 1999 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival New Artist Showcase.
DISCOGRAPHY
Something Worth Standing For, 2008
Beyond Borders, 2005 - Americana Album of the Year Finalist, 2005 Independent Music Awards; Nominee, Best Contemporary Folk Recording, Washington Area Music Awards
Turning Pages, 2001
Where This River Runs, 1998
Traveler, 1995
all on Falling Mountain Music (www.fallingmountain.com)
