Unique guitarist coming to GBT

By Kyle Mooty

LPR Editor

Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes of Rach and Rhodes Presents predicts all who attend the Hayden Pedigo with have a finger-picking food time.

The event is set for Friday, March 29, beginning at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.)

Pedigo is Rach and Rhodes first venture, outside of the annual Courthouse Nights series, into bringing premium talent to Lockhart from all over the U.S.

“This is the beginning of us learning after Courthouse Nights bringing in premium talent around the United States,” Rhodes said. “The Baker is allowing us to bring in larger acts.”Gaslight-Baker Theatre provides a smaller venue – between 275 and 300 seats – for more intimate settings with the artists.

Pedigo, who is from Amarillo, is a performance artist, politician, model, and a Mexican Summer recording artist.

Rhodes said those coming to see Pedigo are in for a treat, calling him an acoustic guitarist and soundscape composer.

“(Pedigo) spent his teen years experimenting with sound manipulation,” Rhodes said. “This is one of the first big things with original music at the theatre. He started making records and started getting a very niche audience.”

All instrumental, Pedigo was homeschooled by a truck-stop preacher father in the Texas Panhandle. He has also walked the Gucci runways along Hollywood Boulevard while collaborating with veteran avant-garde luminaries.

Pedigo has sold out multiple shows all across Europe. Rhodes said Pedigo gets his insight from the Texas Panhandle.

“It’s like you’re in a west Texas landscape of a movie,” Rhodes said. “He let’s you know where the songs come from as he talks between the songs.”

Pedigo expects to bring in visitors from as far away as Houston to the show.

“I want Lockhart to come to this because it’s a sit down,” Lingvai said. “You’re gonna be transported to into another land. He’s bringing his own genre. He’s artistic, but he’s real soft music.”

Rhodes got the idea of bringing Pedigo to town when he had him at Lockhart Arts & Craft during the Pandemic and during a Wednesday night people came down from Dallas and over from Houston to see him perform.

Rach and Rhodes Presents will soon be publishing their Courthouse Nights schedule from April to August.

General admission tickets to see Pedigo are $25, with VIP tickets (first two rows) at $45. Those tickets will also receive a signed poster by Pedigo designed by Sara Barr.

“It’s gonna be a really lovely night of gorgeous fingerpicking, songwriting, and stories,” Lingvai said. “He talks all about his stage fright when he started and other anecdotes.”

Rhodes said once people see the type of setting and talent brought into the Gaslight-Baker Theatre, they will be amazed.

“We’re becoming a destination,” Rhodes said. “When we did The Last Waltz, people came in and looked around the theatre and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this place is so cool.’ It’s an old school theatre and it’s like the perfect size for smaller shows.”

This is Rach and Rhodes first push for ticketed events.

Wilco named Pedigo as one of the top 20 albums of the year and NPR noted one of his songs was among the best of the year.

Pedigo will be 30 years old on March 30. He also had a film made after him, Kid Candidate, when he ran for Amarillo City Council in 2018.