Carrie Rodriguez returns to the Victoria Hotel, Menai Bridge

Oct 20 2011 by Linda Roberts, Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald

THE gifted Texan singer/songwriter/fiddler Carrie Rodriguez returns to the Victoria Hotel, Menai Bridge.

Carrie has built up a large loyal following locally both with her solo appearances in the last few years and also with her previous collaborations with legendary songwriter Chip Taylor.

Since her last appearance just over a year ago, Carrie has been extremely busy touring and promoting two new albums Love and Circumstance – an album of classy and personal covers – and a duet album with Ben Kyle entitled We Still Love our Country.

Both albums were very well received with We Still Love Our Country being number one for four weeks on US Roots airplay chart and If I Needed You, her cover of the Townes Van Zandt classic, reaching number one on the Folk airplay chart. Love & Circumstance also reached number two on the US Folk chart, and number three on the US Americana chart.

Alongside this, Carrie toured Europe earlier this year as part of vituoso guitarist Bill Frisell's band and recently she was recruited for a string of dates in the US with Oscar winning actor Jeff Bridges who has embarked on a musical career following his success in the film Crazy Heart.

Neither Bill nor Jeff will be at the Vic but you can nontheless expect a performance of star quality on this exclusive Welsh date by a young musician who has forged a sound that’s unapologetically tough yet intriguingly sensual and who has packed more change into her career than someone twice her age.

Rodriguez’ journey from teenage violin student to touring the world with the likes of Chip Taylor (famed songwriter of Wild Thing), Lucinda Williams and John Prine, has resulted in a prodigious output of recordings – eight albums in as many years for the young musician.

Despite her prolific recordings, Rodriguez is always at her best in front of a live audience so don't miss her in the intimate surroundings of the Vic accompanied by guitarist Luke Jacobs.

See her at the Vic on Saturday, October 29. Tickets available from Cob Records in Bangor and Palas Print in Caernarfon.