Fri 09 Oct 2026, Bristol Beacon, Bristol

Renowned storyteller James McMurtry returns with songs drawn from the vivid, restless world of his acclaimed album ‘The Black Dog & the Wandering Boy’. One of Americana’s most incisive writers, McMurtry has a rare gift for sketching entire lives from small, telling details - characters who are funny, haunted, and heartbreakingly human, often all at once. Set against rolling guitars, loose rhythms, and barroom harmonies, his songs feel lived-in yet sharply observed, sidestepping easy genre labels with sly intelligence. Cited as a formative influence by artists including Jason Isbell and Sarah Jarosz, McMurtry continues a late-career resurgence marked by renewed creative fire. Live, his performances are gripping and unvarnished - stories unfolding in real time from one of America’s most enduring songwriting voices. Presented by Bristol Beacon. 14+ (Under 18s accompanied by an adult)