This Aussie one man band, with the occasional accompaniment of a second drummer, puts on, hands down, one of the best live shows I have ever seen. After doing close to a year long stint in Australia working for a concert ticketing and promotion company in Sydney, I definitely heard the name, “Xavier” more than once. As a result of his Australian performances stemming from small beach town venues to large musical festivals such as Big Day Out, Xavier Rudd has become a HUGE musical product of the smallest continent in the world.

After winding up his White Moth Tour of North America this year, I would say Mr. Rudd is making quite an impression on the world of music. Selling out shows in Chicago, Denver, San Diego and packing the El Rey Theatre in L dot A, which I was lucky enough to witness – people are continually catching on. His shows attest to his diverse musical range. He will start with a mellow reggae song, possibly even a “No Woman, No Cry” cover and follow that up with an upbeat mix of guitar, drums and the didgeridoo that almost resonates some form of acoustic house music. The crowd will go from swaying with lighters lit to jumping and singing within a matter of minutes. Its an experience.

He described his newest album, White Moth (2007) as “…my proudest work, it’s a reflection of my journey during the last year.” Xavier is putting on killer shows, putting out great albums and all the while campaigning for human rights through his “Better People Campaign” and preaching the importance of the environment. When you witness a musician who is able to play the Weissenborn (lap-slide guitar) like Ben Harper, the didgeridoo like a true Indigenous Australian and create catchy drum-beats all at the same time, you are experiencing Xavier Rudd.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Xavier Rudd – Conceal Me

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Xavier Rudd – The 12th of September

Buy Xavier Rudd’s Solace at Amazon.com