About
My name is Joe Nolan, I am a full time touring and professional musician and entertainer based in Edmonton, AB. I have toured and played many major festivals all over Canada, US, and Europe.
Virtuoso guitarist, elusive poet, musical chameleon—Joe Nolan can be a hard one to pin
down. Known for his scrappy solo shows and his arresting stage charm, his songs are at
times fragile and fractured, yet winningly wistful. The next moment, he'll throw on his
weathered newsboy cap and crank out a grit-soaked howl, nodding his hat and howl to the
ancestors of the Delta Blues.
His career has not been one of the straight and narrow, and he's got the scars to prove it.
Notes of battered rejoice reveal themselves through his music. Nolan has always lived on
the outskirts, breaking genres and defying labels, defining his sound as "These are my
caravan diaries," claiming to go "wherever the muse takes me." He's also garnered many
accolades upon his shelf, though he'd rather see those collect dust than shine in the
limelight.
Praised by The Globe & Mail as "An Americana wunderkind to look out for," Nolan has cut
his teeth for many years along the road less traveled, walking in the footsteps of the
troubadours who paved the way before him. Wearing the highway on his sleeve, he's a
student of the road. Searcher of a deeper understanding, trotting in and out of uncharted
territory without a compass or roadmap. Drawing a harrow over the human condition and
penning lyrics that prove to be timeless yet current.
Audiences are Nolan's lifeblood — and he continues to dazzle fans across North America
and Europe, logging around 150 shows a year. And wherever he goes, you'll likely find him
accompanied by his 2003 Dodge Caravan named Rocco and his trusty parlor guitar—small
in size but mighty in sound, just like the heart-rending songwriting and lyrics that
accompany it.
Now, Nolan embarks on his most ambitious project yet: "Love in the New World," produced
by Grammy Award winner Tyler Chester. This highly anticipated album is set for release in
fall 2024.
Highlights
Art type: Live Music
Music type: Original Music
What this Artist plays most of the time
Genre: AmericanaBluesFolk
Home base: Edmonton
Appeals most (but not limited) to: 18+
Top Venues Performed/Exhibited *
Edmonton Folk Festival
2022/08
Winnipeg Folk Festival
2022/07
Americana Festival Nashville
2020/10
* Unverified
Activity
Events booked with Stagehand
89
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events
Availability
Available for Alberta Spotlight and all other gigs from now until the unforseen future
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