Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge Hosts: Albert Castiglia / Indigenous – Sponsored by Summit Brewing Co.
Two multiple award-winning headlining acts – Albert Castiglia and Indigenous (featuring Mato Nanji) will be joining forces Under the Canopy for an incredible evening of rockin’ blues.
Miami-raised Albert Castiglia served an apprenticeship while backing legendary blues musician Junior Wells and later went on to work with singer Sandra Hall. Never content to allow himself to be confined to any particular category, he embarked on a solo career that’s yielded many critically-acclaimed albums and consist kudos for his exceptional instrumental prowess, his searing vocals, and live performances that have dazzled audiences from coast to coast.
It’s little wonder that Miami’s New Times lauded him as South Florida’s “Best Blues Guitarist” or that USA Today was inspired to remark “It’s a revelation to discover the thrilling retro-electric blues from this astonishing young guitarist.” M Music & Musicians once noted, “His back-to-basics approach follows in the footsteps of those who fostered the blues in the Mississippi Delta and the smoky late-night haunts of Chicago.”
“It may be a bit premature to crown Albert Castiglia America’s newest King of the Blues, but there’s little doubt that he at least deserves the title of heir apparent.”— Miami New Times
If the last few years are any indication, that comment from the Miami New Times is certainly the case. In 2020, he won a Blues Music Award “Blues Album of the Year” – in 2023, he won both “Blues Rock Artist of the Year” and “Blues Rock Album of the Year.”
Castiglia has never allowed himself to be confined to a musical genre and AllMusic said his style“combines hardcore blues with soul, rock, and country flavors for a sound that will appeal to rockers and purists alike.”
Mato Nanji, longtime front man of Native American band Indigenous, improves his craft with each record. His playing and singing have never been better as he pushes himself to new personal bests. The group’s music is motivated not only by blues and rock greats such as Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and B.B. King, but also by the social issues and cultural bonds of the Mato’s Nakota roots.
They have won Native American Music Awards for “Blues Recordings of the Year” as well as “Artists of the Year” honors. Indigenous’ sophomore release, Circle, was produced and arranged by Stevie Ray Vaughan’s longtime friend and collaborator, the late Doyle Bramhall, Sr.
Born and raised on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, front man Mato dedicates his latest release Time Is Coming to the indigenous youth and all young people on the indigenous reservations.
In addition to his Indigenous ‘day job’, Mato Nanji has been a member of the critically acclaimed Experience Hendrix Tour since 2002. Playing alongside original Jimi Hendrix band members Billy Cox and the late Mitch Mitchell, the tour roster includes some of today’s blues greats including Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Johnson, Dweezil Zappa, Doyle Bramhall II, and Robert Randolph.
Mato and fellow EHT tour mates David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) and Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) collaborated on the hard-driving, psychedelic blues-infused 3 Skulls and the Truth disc. The album’s no-holds barred setting is the ideal foundation for the three veteran axemen to simply ‘let it fly’.
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The Award-Winning* Under the Canopy series at The Hook & Ladder Theater returns with its uniquely seasonal urban footprint to the Longfellow neighborhood of South Minneapolis in 2024. *Voted Best in MN 2021 by Star Tribune readers.
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The Hook has committed to having a food truck Under the Canopy throughout the 2024 season for our guests. Come hungry and enjoy dinner with the show!
