Live Music: Stephen Clair

Tues Night Music @Lefty’s: free live music

Performing Songwriter calls Stephen Clair “the kind of citified troubadour that the roots songwriting world needs these days.” Clair’s released 11 albums over 20 years, but tis past winter, Clair and friends Jordan Shapiro (mandolin) and Nate Allen (upright bass) decided to get together in a recording studio and give Stephen’s catalog the acoustic-trio treatment, and it’s been nothing but fun.

“Where The Wild Things Are meets The Kinks” — Nippertown

A 2024 Relix Magazine “artist to watch,” Stephen Clair is known for his wry humor and guitar stylings. He makes honesty sound catchy. Clair is an instinctive and open-hearted writer who doesn’t stop touring, releasing albums, or winning fans. Rightly, Performing Songwriter says he’s “the kind of citified troubadour the roots songwriting world needs.”

Clair came to prominence when the late Rita Houston added “Jen in Her Underwear” to rotation on WFUV, putting Clair on the map and the road. Nowadays he splits his driving time between shows with his ever-modular band and intimate solo shows, which have been described as “a masterclass in guitar accompaniment.” “Everyman poetry” says Paste Magazine. “Dilute your troubles & dance,” proclaims Americana Highways.