Blake Guthrie
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Music
Press
“A renowned Atlanta artist still awaiting national acclaim...
Guthrie seems poised to gain
far wider notice.”
--PASTE magazine,
recommended DIY artist,
Oct. 2005
"Mr. Guthrie will brighten your day in a way that's probably more than you deserve...He sounds like Lou Reed playing some Jonathan Richman songs and I think he's either a psychopath or some kind of genius. You decide."
-- FLAGPOLE magazine, Athens, GA
"Apparently born with a built-in bullshit detector (and a lifetime supply of batteries), Guthrie looks at the world with such refreshingly offbeat humor-with such a uniquely uncluttered view-that he provides a great example for other acts to go by."
--PERFORMER magazine, editor's column
"...the brightest of the local lights, Guthrie strolled on stage with only a battered accoustic guitar, instructed the soundman to turn the monitors completely off and boldly sang his stinging, comedic satires with only the house volume to guide him...Guthrie displayed an incisive wit and an offbeat charm which surely lingered in the minds of the audience."
--PERFORMER magazine, show review
"Always worth seeing, Guthrie has made his mark with unconventional singer/songwriter performances."
--CREATIVE LOAFING newsweekly, Atlanta, GA.
(From the "Critics Choice, Best Acoustic Artist in Atlanta" write up.)
"A hipper, more likeable Todd Snider."
--STOMP & STAMMER magazine, GA
- a sampling
Discography
Songs About Chicks (Live)--Solo/acoustic CD recorded at the legendary Eddie's Attic nightclub.
Til I Reach the Light--studio CD recorded with Getaway Car.
A Drop In the Waterfall--working title for the next CD, currently in production.
Photos
Bio
When he's not raving about himself in the third person for Artist Bios, Blake Guthrie lives in Atlanta, GA and travels the region as a solo performing songwriter. He also has a rock band--Getaway Car--that he plays with in the Atlanta area, or whenever Blake can convince them to hit the road with offers of free beer, good times and a buck or two.
A native of Birmingham, AL, Guthrie has been playing professionally since the late 90's. One of his first gigs was at the famed 40 Watt club in Athens, GA, opening for alt-rock legend Frank Black. It was an odd match, the singer/songwriter with his quirky and romantic songs standing in front of Black's wall of amps, singing to an initially indifferent audience, but it worked. Guthrie won them over with his honest approach, sense of humor and rough-hewn style, like some unexpected mix of Jonathan Richman meets Bruce Springsteen--and he's been doing it under-the-radar like that ever since.
When he was still wet-behind-the-ears as a newcomer on the Atlanta scene, Guthrie won the Critics Choice award for Best Singer/Songwriter in Atlanta from Creative Loafing, the largest newsweekly in the Southeast. A year later he won the award again--a two-peat. Guthrie was then asked to write for the paper, thus being disqualified from ever winning the award again. There would be no three-peat.
He also shared the stage at this time with another up-and-comer in Atlanta, John Mayer. The two young songwriters worked the door together at the famed Eddies Attic nightclub, where they staged the infamous all-male singer/songwriter night "Willis Fair" in response to the estrogen-fest Lillith Fair. Guthrie will gladly share his VHS tape of this legendary evening (which also included Kristian Bush from Sugarland) if you are nice to him and still have a VCR. It's quite fun viewing.
Since those early days Guthrie has fine tuned his craft, becoming a respected professional on the local scene and continuing to spread out regionally and nationally. For some reason people in Australia, Canada and Belgium keep downloading songs from his latest CD--Til I Reach The Light--which Guthrie finds odd because he's never been to these countries and doesn't know anyone there. Such is the power of the internet.
Guthrie is currently at work on a new CD, due early next year.
Links
