Thom Chacon: voice, guitar, harmonica
Paolo Ercoli: dobro, pedal steel, mandolin
Rino Garzia: doublebass
Thom Chacon is currently considered one of the most interesting singer-songwriters of the new American generation and has also begun a successful acting career, earning critical acclaim (“The 5 Outlaws”, “Frontieres”, “Wild West Chronicles” e “Ghost Town”). Musically, he is a descendant of Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Bruce Springsteen, but his personal history and experiences have allowed him to develop a unique style that has earned him the title of ‘frontier songwriter.’ The frontier Thom often sings about in his songs is the one between the United States and Mexico, between the future and memory, hope and roots. Thom sings about the contradictions and drama of the great American dream, telling intense stories with real or fictional characters that come to life through his music. Thom himself could be the subject of one of his evocative songs. Born in Southern California but raised in Sacramento, Chacon is the son of a Hispanic journalist father and a Lebanese kindergarten teacher mother, with five sisters. Seeing Kris Kristofferson perform live left a lasting impression on him when he was still a teenager. After moving to Los Angeles at the start of the century, Thom sought fame and fortune but soon realized he wanted something more authentic. He took a job at a ranch near Los Angeles, learning to ride and care for horses. He then moved to Durango, Colorado, seeking outdoor adventures and focusing on his songwriting. Thom became a guide and, when not on tour, leads people on horseback through the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico on long wilderness treks (Kevin Costner is among his clients). The cinematic nature of his songs comes not only from spending considerable time as an authentic outdoorsman but also from a deep love for western films, with a particular affection for those by John Ford and John Wayne, his mother’s favorite. Thom’s narrative style is evidently influenced by Kris Kristofferson and Steve Earle, among others, as well as by the history of his extraordinary family. His cousin, Bobby Chacon, was a two-time world boxing champion in the 1970s and '80s and is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. “Bobby taught me that no matter how hard it gets, if you’ve been knocked down, you have to get up and keep fighting.” His grandfather was a deputy sheriff in Silver City, New Mexico, and was part of the posse sent to capture Billy the Kid. Chacon has toured literally all over the world, opening for diverse artists such as Los Lonely Boys and Jason Mraz, and played a memorable concert on July 4, 2004, at Folsom Prison, shortly after the death of another of his idols, Johnny Cash: “An experience that changed my life" says Thom, who is now hailed by the press as an ‘original Americana’ and “one of the most important singer-songwriters of our time.”
He returns to Italy on tour to present “Lonely Songs for Wounded Souls,” a 16-track album recorded live in Italy together with Tony Garnier, Bob Dylan’s bassist, and Paolo Ercoli, a local virtuoso of dobro and pedal steel. This splendid live album is a tribute to Italy, where Thom is deeply loved, thanks in part to the two cover stories dedicated to him over the years by the prestigious magazine Buscadero. On our stage, along with Thom, we’ll find the faithful Paolo Ercoli on dobro and pedal steel, and bassist Rino Garzia.
