Singer and songwriter Phillip-Michael Scales will bring his brand of blues and indie rock to the West Plains Civic Center theater for a 7 p.m. performance Thursday, Jan. 20.
The concert is being hosted by the University/Community Programs (U/CP) Department at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP). Tickets are $10 each and available through the civic center box office, 110 St. Louis St.
Extensive musical repertoire
Scales offers an engaging repertoire of songs, including covers of popular music as well as his own hits, organizers said. His diverse program includes songs from a variety of genres, including folk, soul, blues, jazz, indie, pop and even covers of Beatles hits, performed with just his voice and an acoustic guitar.
Fresh off an international tour with his band, organizers said they are thrilled to host this award-winning, budding legend right here in West Plains.
“Listening to Phillip-Michael’s music, I knew we had to bring him to town,” said U/CP Theater and Events Coordinator Hannah Salvesen. “He’s got a rare talent and magnetic stage presence with a fresh take on soul.”
The music is in his roots
Scales comes by his talent naturally. As the nephew of blues legend B.B. King, Scales was destined to carve his own path in the music industry. Fiercely independent, Scales took his passion for performing and writing songs and began fronting his own indie bands, all the while being encouraged by his uncle to “stay with it.”
He eventually discovered “the blues” on his own terms and, after King’s passing, began incorporating more of the genre into his own music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he said on his website, PhillipMichaelScales.com. “A lot has led me here between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”
“It’s rare to find such a talented artist available to travel,” Salvesen said. “We’ve been waiting to schedule Phillip-Michael for almost a year, as his schedule is packed with performances across the globe.”
Salvesen pointed out Scales’ performance will take place just a few days after Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. “We felt it was important to bring in a soulful and talented Black artist to perform, especially once we found out Scales was available,” she explained.
For more information about Scales and his music, visit PhillipMichaelScales.com.
For more information about the Jan. 20 performance, contact the U/CP office at 417-255-7966 or visit WP.MissouriState.edu/UCP.