House of Blues Chicago presents Michael Kiwanuka with special guest Sammy Brue for a SOLD OUT show!

Doors at 6:30 PM // Performance at 8:00 PM // 17+ // **SOLD OUT**

ABOUT MICHAEL KIWANUKA

With his acoustic sound and timelessly soulful voice, British singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka emerged to acclaim in 2011 combining folk, indie rock, and R&B with traditions borrowed from his Ugandan heritage. Drawing favorable comparisons to Curtis Mayfield, Terry Callier, and Van Morrison, Kiwanuka earned a Mercury Prize nomination for his debut album, 2012's Home Again, and won the BBC's Sound of 2012. He further cemented his reputation as a gifted and rootsy performer with his sophomore album, 2016's Love & Hate, which went gold, landing at number one in the U.K.

Kiwanuka was born in Muswell Hill, London in 1987, to Ugandan parents who had fled Idi Amin's regime in the '70s. He initially developed a love of rock music -- in particular, Radiohead and Nirvana -- and he performed in various cover bands while briefly studying jazz at the Royal Academy of Music and pop music at Westminster University. An outtake of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" inspired him to take a more stripped-back approach. After performing as a session musician for former Bill Withers drummer James Gadson and Tinie Tempah producer Labrinth, he played on the capitol's live circuit, where he was discovered by the Bees' Paul Butler, who invited him to record material at his Isle of Wight studio. After signing to Mumford & Sons' Communion label in 2011, he released two EPs, Tell Me a Tale and I'm Getting Ready, before supporting Adele on her U.K. tour.

In 2012, he finished third behind Emeli Sandé and Maverick Sabre on the Brits Critics Choice short list. He also followed in the footsteps of Jessie J, Florence + the Machine, and Ellie Goulding winning the prestigious BBC Sound of 2012 poll. Shortly thereafter, he released his debut single and album, both titled Home Again. A critical and commercial success, the album peaked at number four in the U.K. and reached number 23 on the U.S. folk chart. It also earned a Mercury Prize nomination.

After an extensive tour, Kiwanuka returned to the studio in 2015. Produced in part by Danger Mouse, his more experimental sophomore album, Love & Hate, was released by Polydor in the summer of 2016. Also well-received, it garnered Kiwanuka his first number one album in Britain. In 2019, he issued the single "Money" with Tom Misch, followed by three advance tracks ("Hero," "You Ain't the Problem," and "Piano Joint") for the October issue of the full-length Kiwanuka, co-produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo. ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi

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ABOUT SAMMY BRUE

Since Sammy Brue released his debut album I Am Nice in 2017 (produced by Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes and John Paul White of the Civil Wars), the now-18-year-old Utah singer-songwriter has been hailed as an “Americana prodigy” by Rolling Stone, as a “wunderkind” by American Songwriter, been labeled one of the “teenagers shaping pop” by The New Yorker; and performed at the Newport Folk Festival and played shows with the likes of Lucinda Williams, Lukas Nelson and Hayes Carll.

Sammy Brue has been writing songs since the age of 10. After receiving an acoustic guitar from his father for Christmas, he quickly embraced the instrument and began learning the songs of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. Since writing his first song (a fingerpicked, autobiographical tune titled “The Woody Guthrie Song”) at the age of 11, Brue has released three homespun EPs, his New West full-length debut, I Am Nice and a 2018 EP, Down with Desperation. His sophomore record will be released in the Spring of 2020, on New West Records.

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*All support acts are subject to change without notice.*