Though he’s just in his mid-20s, Robert Francis sings like somebody who has lived a full life and has experienced hardships along the way. When he was in town a few years ago opening for Fanfarlo, I mentioned that he brought to mind Bad Blake (Jeff Bridge’s character from Crazy Heart) had Blake been a rock club singer rather than a broken-hearted country crooner. On Strangers in the First Place, released in May by Vanguard Records, Francis hasn’t strayed from the style of music found on his previous releases, 2007’s One by One and 2009’s Before Nightfall.
Francis will be performing at The Basement on Monday night and we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky winner. You don’t need to do anything fancy, just send an email to contestdonewaiting@gmail.com. We’ll pick a winner on Sunday afternoon and notify you – if you win – via email. Good luck!