Ana Popovic has announced the initial sixty confirmed appearances she’ll make this year across The United States and Europe as she celebrates her 20th anniversary. There will be dozens of additional performances announced as they are confirmed in the coming weeks. Popovic begins the run on February 19 in Atlanta, GA and wraps the leg on March 28 in Everett, WA. She’ll then make European appearances from April 23 in to Early May. A complete itinerary of shows now on-sale follows below.
This year marks the milestone 20th anniversary of Ana Popovic travelling the globe as a touring musician. She shares, “It’s really hard to believe that twenty years ago, I gave up a career in graphic design, formed the Ana Popovic Band, and decided to be a full-time musician. Soon after, I traveled to Memphis to record my debut HUSH! I had big dreams back then, and I still dream big today. I can proudly look back at a career of thousands of shows over five continents. I’ve successfully merged musical styles and inspired a new generation of guitar players male and female to start pursuing their dreams, regardless of where they were born. Sometimes, the clichés about (music) business are right. If you work hard enough and want it bad enough, you can make anything happen.”
Looking back at the beginning, Popovic reflects, “It feels like just yesterday, I started this project in a garage in Belgrade. Friends and family where supportive, a try-out show at a local bar became a steady gig, and through perseverance and hard work, here we are now. To celebrate the occasion, my six-piece band is walking down memory lane playing music of all of my albums. I’m excited to play older tunes I haven’t played in a while, giving ‘fans of the first hour’ that sweet ‘a-ha feel’. We’re also re-recording tunes on a special 20th-anniversary studio album – one track for every year.” Additionally, there will be a live CD / DVD release in the coming months, captured in France late last year.
Despite having to juggle work with family, Popovic claims she has the best job in the world offering, “The feeling of freedom. The energy you get from a fantastic show. The people you meet during tours, the friendships built. And the best part – losing yourself in music. Performing with a fabulous band that musically connects to every move and every idea you bring to the stage, while sparking their own musical background to bring out the best in all of us.”
Today, you’ll find Popovic in a select group of excellent modern blues guitar players. One reason could be the fact that she’s always willing to work a little harder and travel a little further to hone her craft. That dedication has resulted in 12 albums, two DVDs, six nationwide Experience Hendrix tours, six Blues Music Awards nominations and sharing the stage with legends B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Gary Clark, Joe Bonamassa and many others. Her latest studio album, Like It On Top, focuses on empowered, successful, inspiring female role models. The release opened at #2 as the iTunes most downloaded US blues albums, as well as peaking at #2 on the Billboard Top Selling Blues albums chart. Recorded in Nashville, TN and produced by four-time Grammy winner Keb’ Mo’, the blues influenced album features guest appearances from Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Robben Ford and Keb’ Mo’.
Twenty years in to her professional career, Ana Popovic has travelled countless miles since she stepped forward from Belgrade, Serbia (ex-Yugoslavia). After attending study at The Conservatory of Jazz and World Music in the Netherlands, she lived in Amsterdam for a decade. With single-minded pursuit of her art and career, she then relocated to Memphis, TN to record and work with Southern musicians. Two years ago, she and her family relocated to Los Angeles, California where she now lives.
Called “one helluva a guitar-player” by Bruce Springsteen, and nominated for six Blues Music Awards, Ana has appeared on the covers of Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player magazine. Her albums Can You Stand The Heat and Unconditionalwere USA Today Picks-Of-The-Week and featured on NPR Weekend Edition, who praised her “Fiery technique on the Stratocaster”. Nearly all of Ana’s albums reached the top of the Billboard Blues Charts. She and her six-piece band have toured tirelessly, sharing stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa and many others.
Confirmed appearances include:
2/19 Atlanta, GA Terminal West
2/20 Chattanooga, TN Songbirds North Stage
2/21 Shelby, NC The Don Gibson Theatre
2/22 Durham, NC Blue Note
2/23 Annapolis, MD Ram’s Head On Stage
2/24 New York, NY Iridium
2/25 New York, NY Iridium
2/26 Warrendale, PA Jergel’s
2/27 Buffalo, NY The Tralf
2/28 Jim Thorpe, PA Mauch Chunk Opera House
2/29 Pawtucket, RI The Met
3/01 Pawling, NY Daryl’s House
3/10 Chicago, IL City Winery
3/11 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
3/12 Bloomington, IL Castle Theatre
3/13 Fond Du Lac, WI Thelma Sadoff Center
3/14 Rothschild, WI 21st Annual Blues Café at Rothschild Pav.
3/15 Minneapolis, MN Dakota
3/17 Colorado Springs, CO Stargazer’s Theatre
3/18 Golden, CO Buffalo Rose
3/19 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room
3/20 Boise, ID The Olympic
3/21 Coeur D’Alene, ID Coeur D’Alene Blues Fest
3/25 Portland, OR Jack London Revue
3/27 Tacoma, WA Alma Mater
3/28 Everett, WA Historic Everett Theatre
4/23 Goes, NL Podium ‘T Beest
4/24 Esslingen, DE Diesselstrasse
4/25 Maastricht, NL Muziekgieterij
4/29 Dortmund, DE Musiktheater Piano
4/30 Homburg, DE Musikpark Homburg
5/01 Oss, NL Groene Engel
5/02 Groningen, NL Rhythm & Blues Fest Oosterpoort
5/15 Hutchinson, KS Historic Fox Theatre
5/16 Springfield, MO Stomp The Blues Fest
6/20 Dudelange, LUX Fete De La Musique Fest
6/25 Leffinge, BE De Zwerver
7/03 Ville De Clichy, FR Autour De La Guitare
7/04 Cabannes, FR Nuit de Blues De Cabannes
7/09 Norwich, NY Chenango Summer Concert Series
7/10 Nescopeck, PA Briggs Farm Blues Fest
7/11 Natick, MA TCAN Center For The Arts
7/12 Rockland, MA North Atlantic Blues Fest
7/13 Mystic, CT Blue Mondays Concert Series
7/14 Barcelona, SP Keeping The Blues Alive Cruise
10/15 Verviers, BE Spirit of 66
10/16 Beaufort, LUX Flying Dutchman
10/17 Worpswede, DE Music Hall Worpswede
10/18 Lubeck, DE Rider’s Music Club
10/20 Aschaffenburg, DE Colos-Saal
10/21 Torgau, DE Kulturbastion
10/22 Erfurt, DE Museumkeller
10/23 Reichenbach, DE Die Halle
10/24 Zurich, CH Moods
10/25 Rubigen, CH Muhle Hunziken
12/04 Unna, DE Lindencrauerei
