Walter Trout To Thank Fans And Inspire Hope

WALTER TROUT

WALTER TROUT returns with show at The Coach House Jul 10

After a near-death experience and year-long recovery, blues musician Walter Trout is heading to The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Jul. 10 for a sold-out show that will kick-off his national tour.

The blues man’s gut wrenching guitar style and authentic vocals took on new meaning after undergoing a liver transplant that saved his life. With renewed strength and purpose, he returns to his career of more than 50 years for a musically inspired “thank you” to his fans.

Trout’s 2014 album, “The Blues Came Callin'” reveals a man reflecting on his mortality. In his next album, planned for a fall 2015 release, Trout finds inspiration in his harrowing health experiences and renewal of life. Before taking off on his impressive 40-date tour, Trout took the time to speak with Concert Guide Live about life, music and priorities.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: It seems like from the moment you began your recovery you knew that an epic tour had to be underway. What continues to draw you with such excitement and determination to play and tour?
WALTER TROUT: It’s all I’ve ever done and it’s really what’s given me so much in my life. I mean, when I was a kid and I realized that I could play the guitar, it was the thing that gave me self-respect. When I figured out, “Hey, it’s really easy for me to play the guitar. I can do this,” it gave me a reason to be here. To not be able to play music at this late stage of life was pretty crushing in a way. So now to have it back (and to actually have it back, I think, better than ever) is incredibly joyous. I came through this. I’m back. I want to share this with people and I want to say to them, “Hey, there’s hope. There is hope in this world. It’s not just a forgotten concept. It actually is a tangible thing…hope.”

CGL: What made you decide to make The Coach House your first U.S. stop on this momentous tour?
WT: Years ago when I was having a hard time in America, I always did great in Orange County. I always had a group of people here at home that supported my music. It just seemed like it was the right thing to do to start off my first gig of this national tour playing for my hometown crowd. It seems a way of me saying to the locals here that have been behind me for so many years, “I love you and thank you.” I mean, the gig is sold out and I think I’m going to pretty much know everybody in that crowd by their first name.

CGL: When you were writing 2014’s, “The Blues Came Callin'”, you were nearly at your sickest, yet there is such veracity and intensity in the songs. In “Born in the City” you basically call to the band and tell them to keep up with this force and power that you have. How did you keep that intensity up while your body was beginning to fail you?
WT: That was a difficult record to make. Literally, within a week after I finished the last track I was hospitalized and remained in the hospital for over six months. So I was incredibly sick, I couldn’t walk, but I was determined to finish that thing. I figured it might be my last will and testament. I could only go into the studio and maybe play and sing for about an hour-and-a-half and then I had to quit, but for that hour-and-a-half I would really focus whatever strength I had left in my body. So when we were playing a song like “Born in the City” I knew that we were going to do it once or twice and then that was all I had. So I was screaming at the band like, “Let’s go guys!” you know, “Come on, give it everything you got because this is our one chance to get this right.”

CGL: How has the life-changing year you’ve experienced made you more concrete in your personhood?
WT: I have learned to focus in on what really is much more important. I couldn’t care less about the little things now. Much more than ever before, my wife and my children have an importance and a spot in my life that I can’t even explain. The music is right there, too. I feel now that I have a responsibility to the people that supported me when I was down and sent me well wishes, donations and prayers – the overwhelming support of the blues community. They kept me strong. My wife would come in everyday and read me the messages. I have a responsibility to those people to give back to them now and play the best I can, write the best I can and be up there in front of them saying, “Thank you, you were a part of this and I am here to try and play my very best for you.” My priorities have been set in stone.