Aussie Guitar Ninja Blake Noble to Highlight Final Downtown Summer Nights Event In Yakima This Thursday
There's an old adage in show business that goes something like this: "Leave the crowd wanting more."
This Thursday night, those who attend the final installment of the city of Yakima and Townsquare Media's "Downtown Summer Nights" street concert series -- powered in part by Washington Broadband -- will most definitely be clamoring for it to never end.
The show will be headlined by a Yakima favorite, self-described "Guitar Ninja" Blake Noble. Noble has wowed audiences here in the States for a number of years now after migrating to the Pacific Northwest from his home in Byron Bay, Australia.
A multifaceted musician, the Aussie not only can pick a 12-string guitar with amazing speed and fluidity, he will also make you wonder why you've never considered the didgeridoo more seriously.
Noble, who will also be performing with his side band Rust On The Rails at this year's fourth annual Chinook Fest, has been on the road in support of his second album and the positive reviews are pouring in. To whit:
"Some artists push boundaries with edgy lyrics, some with orchestras of myriad instruments, others with dark personal content. Noble pushes boundaries alright, but his are physical as well as psychological. How fast can one play a 12-string? How many instruments can one play at the same time? How much emotion can one wring out of a single chord? He hammers against these walls, letting the music speak for itself - good-humoredly, wonderingly, rambunctiously - without forcing ego into the equation. It's a delicate talent, and like Noble's fleet fingers and grounded energy, it shines throughout Those Who Know." -- Brandon Taylor/Seattle Music Insider
In support will be Ellensburg four-piece bluegrass ensemble, Uphill Both Ways as well as the ironic and thoughtful lyrics of Englishman Jez Slowe and his outfit These Guitars Say Sorry.
The event is free to the public and while there is a 21-and-older beer and wine garden, the concert is open to all ages. Pets are also welcomed. Music begins at 5:20 p.m. and ends by by 9, and it can be heard emanating from Fourth Street and Yakima Avenue, which will be closed to traffic for the duration of the show.