New Jersey Stage logo
New Jersey Stage Menu



Leo Kottke

Sunday, November 17, 2024 @ 7:00pm



The Vogel
99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701

Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.

After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.

Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. “The trip was not something I enjoyed,” he has said, “I was broke and met too many interesting people.”

Discharged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar’s tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)

After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey’s Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.

Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, “Mudlark,” positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s “Greenhouse” and 1973’s live “My Feet Are Smiling” and “Ice Water” found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.

With 1975’s Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time; he also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.

His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, “Clone,” caught audiences’ attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called “Sixty Six Steps,” produced by Leo’s old friend and Prince producer David Z.

Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.




For information on how your event can be listed, click here



 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info

FEATURED EVENTS

To narrow results by date range, categories,
or region of New Jersey
click here for our advanced search.


John

John McEuen

Thursday, June 12, 2025 @ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 E. Main Street, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

David

David Foster & Chris Botti featuring Katharine McPhee

Thursday, June 12, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

Mike

Mike Kovacs Audio-Visual Concert

Friday, June 13, 2025 @ 7:00pm
NJ Film Festival
71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

NJ

NJ 101.5 presents The Rascals

Friday, June 13, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts Center
46 Washington Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

RAEL-

RAEL- A Genesis and Peter Gabriel Experience

Friday, June 13, 2025 @ 8:00pm
Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC)
30 North Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
category: music

Click here for full event listing

 

More events

Event Listings are available for $10 and included with our banner ad packages




 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info


 

EVENT PREVIEWS

2025

2025 Rock, Ribs, and Ridges Festival to Take Place in Augusta June 27-29

(AUGUSTA, NJ) -- The Rock, Ribs, and Ridges Festival, a weekend of the best in southern/classic rock bands and finger-licking barbecue and fixin's, will take place June 27-29, 2025 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. Headliners include Orleans (Friday night), Grand Funk Railroad (Saturday night), and George Thorogood and the Destroyers (Sunday night).



The

The Newton Theatre presents Hollywood Nights - The Bob Seger Experience

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Hollywood Nights - The Bob Seger Experience comes to The Newton Theatre on Friday, September 26, 2025. This is the ultimate tribute to Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Doors are at 7:00pm, showtime is 8:00pm.



2025

2025 Bayzara Music Festival to Bring Top Artists to Keansburg

(KEANSBURG, NJ) -- The Bayzara Music Festival will debut September 6-7, 2025 on the beach in Keansburg. Headlined by Vertical Horizon, Better Than Ezra and The Ataris, the festival also includes popular Jersey acts like Williams Honor and Dentist.



The

The Newton Theatre presents Shaun Cassidy

(NEWTON, NJ) -- Shaun Cassidy will bring his The Road to Us tour to The Newton Theatre on Friday, October 24, 2025. Cassidy is an American writer, producer, actor and singer. Doors are at 7:00pm; showtime is 8:00pm.



Middlesex

Middlesex County's Free Concert Series Returns for 2025

Spend your summer evenings with us and enjoy free live music in one of the beautiful parks in Middlesex County during their annual Music-in-the-Park Series. All you need is your favorite lawn chair and your love of the arts. Concerts take place at Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy; Thompson Park in Jamesburg; Spring Lake Park in South Plainfield; and Medwick Park in Carteret.




 

Advertise with NJ Stage for $50-$100 per month,
click here for info