SAM PACE AND THE GILDED GRIT
3.30 6PM
Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit is an American Rock n’ Roll band from Austin, TX. Influenced by blues, soul, roots, rock and reggae- the music grounds itself in groove, tenacity and feel.
Sam’s voice and guitar playing are the signatures of the sound. His booming baritone and soulful growl give the music a robust edge; while his heavy, swinging guitar has been described as “a marriage between Peter Green, early Clapton, and early Hendrix.”
With the release of the band’s third album Judgment Eve in 2018– Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit embarked on a North American Tour comprised of over 60 dates from coast-to-coast. They also opened for such internationally acclaimed artists as Everlast and Larkin Poe. In 2019 and 2020, Sam joined Triumph Motorcycles as an Artist in Residence for a three month solo tour which spanned the entire U.S. coast to coast and back again. The 45-city tour included crowds ranging from 300-500 people per show.
In years past, Sam has been peppered throughout the Austin Music Awards annual Top-10 lists. He has placed Top-10 for Musician of the Year, Best Song, Best Album, Best Album Art, Best Rock Band, Best Blues/Soul/Funk Band and two years in a row for Best Guitar Player and Best Male Vocals.
“The songwriting and originality of sound is of paramount importance to the band,” says Pace. Rock n’ roll roots and bluesy, soulful influences are always present- but their variations of theme, groove and emotion encapsulate an entire world of sonic dexterity. “Their three studio albums – The Feelin’ (2012), Rapture (2014), and Judgment Eve (2018) display the growth of the band in full force.”
After three full length albums- the band now focuses on regular single and shorter length EP releases. 2020 has seen the release of “Gone Gone Gone”, “Made It All The Way To San Francisco” and “Tacky & Mediocre”- three vastly different tracks, all embodied with the same foundation and spirit always present in the band’s original material.
Between the 2020 and 2022 Pace released a handful of singles and a full, self-titled LP. In 2023, Pace will release three live acoustic EP’s and return to the road for the first time since before the pandemic.
RUTHIE CRAFT
3.30 8PM
When eleven-year-old Ruthie Craft began struggling with her newly diagnosed Tourette’s syndrome, not even her close family had any idea that five years later, she’d be onstage belting out a duet with an international superstar. A decade later beset by new challenges and heartbreak, the powerhouse singer-songwriter would release her own EP in the spring of 2024.
“Tourette’s was my reason to sing,” said Ruthie. “When I sang, my tics went away. And I felt normal, for a moment.”
Soon, the discovery of Adele’s first album, 19, hooked Ruthie on singing for more than just its therapeutic quality. She began teaching herself the basics of singing and songwriting. “One morning I looked over at the lyrics I had written on the big whiteboard in my room, and I thought, ‘this is my purpose.’” But having no mentors or guidance on “how to do music,” she sang at open mics and talent shows, eventually winning a contest to sing with country star Keith Urban. With limited resources as a part-time barista, her onstage outfit was a combination of hand-me-downs and thrifted items.
Shortly after, at the tender age of 19, Ruthie’s whirlwind marriage led her from her home state of Washington to North Carolina, far away from her family and friends. As the marriage collapsed over the next two years, she found comfort in music. Exploring new genres, namely rap and hip hop, she began to find her voice again. “The mixture of inspiring lyrics and bold productions made me feel alive.”
At age 23, divorced and determined, Ruthie made it to all three rounds of Hollywood Week on American Idol in 2019. “The insecurity I felt from watching a hundred talented singers perform their original songs pushed me to learn how to write my own. The experience taught me the difference between singers, performers, and what it means to be both: an artist.”
“Today,” says Ruthie, “I want to make music that makes people feel alive, comforted, and helps connect them to their own joy and pain, where the rhythms and melodies are a flotation device for heavier themes.” Every performance is an opportunity to “let my emotional filters down, and invite the audience to do the same.” Listeners might laugh, cry, or both; but whether accompanying herself or joined by her high-caliber band, Ruthie’s show is always an entertaining and inspiring experience.
Ruthie Craft’s cinematic pop-soul features powerful vocals, moody, soulful tones and slick lyrics evocative of Imagine Dragons, early Maroon 5, Amy Winehouse, and Dua Lipa. Honest emotions, vivid lyrics, and pop rhythms seamlessly blend into impassioned, relatable music.
Ruthie’s latest single, Nineteen, pays homage to the singer and the album that ignited her passion, Adele’s 19. “Adele’s music gave me permission to write about my most difficult feelings. It only seems fitting that this song should be dedicated to her.”
In order to hone her craft and immerse herself in the music scene, Ruthie now resides in Austin, TX,. Her debut EP, Sound of Blue, is set to release in Spring 2024.