CAMDEN — Mike Zito, along with the Jimmy Carpenter Band, will perform at The Waldo on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

Mike Zito performs in the contemporary blues arena and is touring in support of his latest Gulf Coast Records release, Life Is Hard, which was recorded in September 2023 at SunsetSound Studios in Hollywood, California with Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith producing.

Zito began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. Pearl River, the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Neville, with whom he’d later work in the Royal Southern Brotherhood. A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011’s Greyhound, which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year’s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis.

From 2010 to 2014, Zito also played an integral role in the Royal Southern Brotherhood, according to a news release. The group released two albums and a DVD, Songs from the Road - Live in Germany, winner of the year’s Blues Music Award for Best DVD. He also made his mark behind the boards by producing albums for Samantha Fish, Albert Castiglia, Ally Venable, Jeremiah Johnson, Jimmy Carpenter, and many others.

The even-dozen tracks on his latest release, Life Is Hard include not only several Mike Zito originals, but also his takes on a wide variety of blues songs written by such contemporaries as Tinsley Ellis, Walter Trout, Tab Benoit and Fred James. Sprinkled in are covers from a diverse assortment of blues/roots music icons, including Little Milton (“Lonely Man”), Stevie Wonder (“Have a Talk with God”) and Reverend Gary Davis (“Death Don’t Have No Mercy”), plus the outside-the-box blues-worthy rendering of the Guess Who classic, “These Eyes.”

Opening the evening will be the Jimmy Carpenter Band. Las Vegas-based Jimmy Carpenter saxophonist/singer/songwriter is a perennial favorite at the annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis, according to a news release, having been voted in the “Best Instrumentalist/Horn” category with seven nominations and two wins. Now, he proves he’s ‘Just Got Started’, with the upcoming release of his new album on September 13.

A limited number of Premium Seats are available; General admission tickets are available for $35 in advance, $40 the day of the event. If this show has not sold out, a limited number of tickets may be available at the box office starting at 6 p.m. To purchase tickets and for more information about The Waldo, parking and other upcoming events, please visit: thewaldotheatre.org.