Scene and Heard

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF GARY CLARK JR.

ABC’S JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! CONFIRMED FOR FEBRUARY 6^TH

CLARK & BAND TO SUPPORT ERIC CLAPTON IN THE UK THIS MAY

CLARK JOINS JIMMY PAGE FOR VARVATOS SPRING 2013 CAMPAIGN

Since releasing his debut EP The Bright Lights at the end of 2010, Clark has enjoyed a steady drumbeat of critical acclaim and been embraced by music fans for his fiery blend of rock & soul and blues & hip-hop with a self-styled, innate cool that Rolling Stone said (in its lead review) owes “as much to Kurt Cobain and the Ramones as Buddy Guy and John Lee Hooker,” going on to add that Clark’s “shape-shifting calling card EP is grounded in tradition while standing on the brink of change.”

The 28-year-old Austin native has become a legitimate break-out phenomenon across the globe, and the best part is that it has all occurred in the most organic way imaginable: through hard touring and a commitment to giving his all night after night with enthralling, sweat-soaked live performances and powerful music that presents Clark’s unique interpretation of styles both old and new delivered in his own inimitable way.

Throughout the year, Clark was heavily in-demand as a live performer, the only one who made the rounds of nearly every major American music festival, including Bonnaroo, Coachella, Sasquatch, NOLA Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jay-Z’s Made in America, Metallica’s Orion Festival, Dave Matthews Band Caravan, Osheaga, and the Austin City Limits Festival, where Clark and his band set a new day-time attendance record. He was also invited to perform on Good Morning America, The Late Show With David Letterman (twice), The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon(twice), Conan, and Austin City Limits (an episode that will air Feb 16^th).

In October, Clark released his album Blak And Blu, which debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at No. 6 and received raves from many major music outlets, including Rolling Stone (in yet another lead review), The New York Times, which called Clark “a guitarist of deep magnetism and tremendous feel,” and Spin, which declared: “There truly is nobody else like him around.” The accolades have kept coming. Since the release of Blak And Blu,

Clark has appeared in the pages of Rolling Stone (numerous times), Spin, Guitar World, Vanity Fair,Vibe, People, Entertainment Weekly, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Esquire, Guitar Player(Clark was the first emerging artist to grace their cover in over 15 years), and countless others. High profile and influential media and news outlets also praised the artist and his album including, CNN, MSN, NPR, Huffington Post, AOL, MTV, Grantland, Life+Times, ESPN, Reuters, WireImage, Dial Global, and many others covering music and culture. As 2012 drew to a close, Blak And Blu found its way onto Year End “Best Of” critics lists around the world.

A myriad of song placements in TV and film throughout the year have played an integral part in introducing the music of Gary Clark Jr. to diverse audiences. Blak and Blu tracks “Don’t Owe You A Thang,” “Bright Lights,” “Ain’t Messin’ Round,” and “Glitter Ain’t Gold” have been featured in such TV shows as The CW’s Vampire Diaries, USA’s Suits, ABC’s Nashville, and A&E’s Longmire, as well as such films as Think Like A Man, Trouble With The Curve, and the upcoming Stand Up Guys. Clark was also ESPN’s Artist of the Month in October. Having discovered Clark through word-of-mouth, music supervisors featured his music consistently throughout 2012, which left an impression on TV viewers and film-goers who may not have been aware of him otherwise.

After wrapping up tours of the U.K. and Australia, Clark made a triumphant return to the U.S. in November to perform a string of instantly sold-out tour dates on both coasts including three nights at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and three nights at the Troubadour in L.A., each of which sold out within an hour. Clark also performed as part of the 35^th Annual Kennedy Center Honors – a star-studded event attended by President and Mrs. Obama, and honoring Buddy Guy, Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman, Natalia Makarova, and Led Zeppelin.

To cap off the year, Clark joined rock icons The Rolling Stones for the band’s first U.S. “50 and Counting” concert at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, in early December. The Stones were so taken with Clark that they invited him back to join them for their global pay-per-view concert that blew the roof off New Jersey’s Prudential Center on December 15^th.

Clark is wrapping up a on tour in New Zealand and Australia with plans to return to Australia in February where he will perform at the annual Big Day Out Festival. Clark and his band will return to Los Angeles to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday, February 6^th, on the outdoor stage performing “Ain’t Messin’ Round” and “Numb” from Blak and Blu. Fans can also expect some exclusive online performances as well.

Tours of Europe in February and March, plus a major tour of the U.S. in April, are planned with details to be revealed soon. We can confirm at this time that Clark and the band have accepted an offer to support dear friend Eric Clapton for a string of dates in April and May that include:

May 13                                        Birmingham, UK            LG Arena

May 14                                        Manchester, UK            Manchester Arena

May 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24 & 26     London, UK                  Royal Albert Hall
Apr 12, 13                                    NYC / Crossroads         Madison Square Garden

Finally, the latest campaign for the John Varvatos brand brings together music legend Jimmy Page, guitarist for “the greatest rock and roll band of all time” Led Zeppelin, paired with the 28-year-old emerging American music talent Gary Clark Jr. The images were shot in London by Danny Clinch, against a textured backdrop at the historic Rivoli Ballroom, where the two sharply dressed subjects stand out in an iconic black and white portrait.

GARY CLARK JR. WRAPS UP INCREDIBLE YEAR BY JOINING THE ROLLING STONES ONSTAGE IN BROOKLYN THIS SATURDAY

December 6, 2012 – (Burbank, CA) –  Rock and soul phenomenon Gary Clark Jr. has had an incredible 2012, which he caps off this weekend by joining rock icons The Rolling Stones for the band’s first U.S. “50 and Counting” concert at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on Saturday, December 8^th.  Both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met and performed with Clark at various events this year and have become ardent fans, which led to their asking Clark to sit in with the Stones at some point during this show on Saturday night.

The honor comes on the heels of a string of high points in Clark’s year, including the No. 6 Billboard chart debut of his critically acclaimed album Blak And Blu, which received raves from virtually every major music outlet, including The New York Times, which calls Clark “a guitarist of deep magnetism and tremendous feel,” and Spin who declared: “There truly is nobody else like him around. A thrilling live performer.”  NPR enthused, “One of the most highly praised young guitarists in recent times…dexterity and authenticity,” while Rolling Stone awarded Clark his second lead review in the magazine (his first appeared in 2011 following the release of The Bright Lights EP), calling him: “A full-fledged guitar hero of the classic school.”

Clark was heavily in-demand all summer long as he made the rounds of nearly every major American music festival, including Bonnaroo, Coachella, Austin City Limits Festival, Sasquatch, NOLA Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jay-Z’s Made in America, Canada’s Osheaga festival, and most recently, invited to perform at this year’s prestigious Bridge School Benefit Concerts by Neil Young who introduced Clark by saying, “Today, we’ve saved the best for first – this guy is fantastic.”  Other like-minded formidable fans have stepped up to be counted such as Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, Jimmy Page, Alicia Keys (whose new album includes Clark as a contributor), The Roots, Dave Matthews, David Lynch, Nicole Kidman, President Obama, the afore-mentioned Rolling Stones and so many more.

The Austin-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist extraordinaire was also invited to perform on Good Morning America, The Late Show With David Letterman (twice in the last year), The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (twice in the last year), and Austin City Limits for an episode that will air in February 2013.

After wrapping up tours of the U.K. and Australia, Clark made a triumphant return to the U.S. to perform a string of instantly sold-out tour dates on both coasts last month, including three nights at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC and three nights at the Troubadour in L.A.

Don’t miss Clark performing as part of the 35^th Annual Kennedy Center Honors – a star-studded event attended by President and Mrs. Obama and honoring Buddy Guy, Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman, Natalia Makarova, and Led Zeppelin. The Honors Gala, which took place on December 2^ndat the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., will air as a two-hour primetime special on Wednesday, December 26 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT).