Braden Gates is often referred to as a ‘troubadour’ or ‘raconteur’. These are old words chosen to distill what makes Gates special. Something to do with time and timelessness. With lineage and dipping one’s feet in the ancient stream of song. With Gates, I get the impression he soaks in that stream, while I’m lucky if I know where to find it off in the woods.
If you are a fan of folk music in its truest sense – music that tells the tale of common folks – then you owe it to yourself to hear Braden Gates.
Gates as storyteller collects fragments from the colourful characters he meets in the ‘dish pit’ where he works. He gathers them up on tours and travels. I recently recorded a podcast episode with Gates for Season Three of Make it Small and was entertained by those stories first-hand.
You’re likely to catch Braden Gates live around town at Bill Bourne’s Thursday night Brick and Whiskey jam, or Harry Gregg’s Tuesday night Big Dreamer Jam at Rocky Mountain Ice House.
You may find Braden Gates on a high level train car or a cozy house-concert living room.
Even easier, you can find him on Spotify right here, or at his online home, bradengates.com