(LAKEWOOD, NJ) -- The Strand Theater presents "Shaking Off The Cobwebs" Concert Series as they clear away the snarl and tangle after a year’s absence and rock life back into The Strand!  For one of the first shows, Rod Picott will celebrate the 20th anniversary of his first show at The Strand on Friday, August 6th at 8:00pm. Opening the night will be Ocean County artist George Wirth.  

Rod Picott will play a selection of songs from his catalog, including many from his latest release, Wood, Steel, Dust And Dreams, a collection of songs he penned with good friend Slaid Cleaves, including their breakthrough hit “Broke Down”.

Wood, Steel, Dust & Dreams is a double CD of all the co-writes Slaid Cleaves and I have written together over 32 years. These are all new recordings of the songs. Many are reimagined and have special guests such as Slaid himself as well as Matt Mauch, Will Kimbrough, Lex Price and Nielson Hubbard. 

Tickets are $25 and available for purchase online. Doors open at 7:00pm.

Rod Picott is the songs he sings. Since before Woody Guthrie songwriters have soaked their public image in sepia tones singing about the working life but Picott bears the scars of actually living that bluecollar life. Rod Picott's songs are inhabited by sheetrock hangers, drinkers, circus hands, boxers and working girls and he sings about his characters with intimacy. Listening to a Rod Picott album you can smell the gasoline on a mechanic’s hands and the perfume of lovers in dark corners.

The son of a welder and former Marine, Picott grew up in the small mill town of South Berwick, Maine. His father's record collection spanned Ray Charles to John Philip Sousa and James Brown. His is older brother introduced him to the punk poetry of Lou Reed and Patti Smith. The tall, wiry framed Picott worked as a sheetrock worker out of high school until he released his first cd, Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues in 2000.

George Wirth is a singer/songwriter with a gift for telling human stories shaped by imagery and narrative. His unaffected, lived-in vocal style and guitar arrangements suit his songs perfectly, with images and melodies that resonate long after the music fades. Never one to grab a cheap cliche’, George’s lyrics capture moments from the lives of friends and strangers alike and make them real in their honesty. We know these people, even though we’ve never met, and while the songs are personal to George they become personal to the listener as well. Live, his songs are often interspersed with humorous stories, observations and rambles that take on a life of their own, resulting in further narrowing the gap between performer and audience.

Join the Strand as they start breathing life back into the theater in anticipation of its 100th Anniversary in 2022!

The Strand Center for the Arts is located at 400 Clifton Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey.