In 1998, the major labels passed on Pavlo’s debut album as “too ethnic” — a miscalculation the Canadian-born guitarist answered by founding his own label and spending the next quarter-century proving that nylon-string acoustic guitar, channeling Greek, flamenco, Latin, and Balkan influences, could fill concert halls across North America. On Friday, October 16, he brings that guitar, and his full band, to Asbury Hall at Babeville in Buffalo.
About the Show
Pavlo performs at Asbury Hall at Babeville on Friday, October 16, with his world-class band and guests. The concert centers on what he calls “Mediterranean music,” a blend of Spanish, Greek, Rumba, and Flamenco that the Babeville event page frames as an invitation to “imagine you’re on the island of Santorini for a few hours” — a reference both to the music and to Pavlo’s most recent PBS television special, filmed on Santorini, which made him the first artist to bring a concert film from the island to North American television.
Born in Toronto to Greek immigrants from Kastoria, Greece, Pavlo started playing guitar at age 10 and composed his first song at 12, shaped in part by his father’s guiding principle: “Have the courage to do what you love, and the drive to do it well.” He has since released more than 15 albums, earned two Juno Award nominations (for Fantasia in 2000 and the collaborative Trifecta in 2010, with Oscar Lopez and Rik Emmett of Triumph), and holds two gold albums. He has performed for Prince Charles, collaborated with José Feliciano, Jon Secada, and Olivia Newton-John, and logged more than 3,000 headlining concerts since 1998, touring roughly 10 countries each year. “It’s about just putting out positive energy and making everybody feel good,” he has said of his approach; live reviews describe concerts built on exactly that, from a performer one reviewer called a “consummate showman” with “incredible happy energy.” No named opening act appears in advance materials; Babeville lists the evening as Pavlo with his full band and guests.
Venue & Logistics
Asbury Hall at Babeville is a historic music hall at 341 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, part of the western New York concert calendar. The room suits acoustic-forward programming, a natural fit for an artist whose work centers on the character of the nylon-string guitar. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show begins at 8 p.m.
Tickets
General Admission Seated tickets are $50; Limited Reserved Gold Circle Seating is $66. Tickets are available through TixR or in person at the Babeville Box Office. Buy tickets