Gareth Pearson - Late Show

Gareth Pearson plays McGonigel's Mucky Duck on Saturday, October 10, with the show starting at 8:00 PM. He's an acoustic guitarist who goes by the nickname 'The Welsh Tornado,' and that gives you a fair idea of what to expect: fingerstyle pyrotechnics paired with explosive lead runs. He doesn't stick to one lane, either. His sets pull from country, folk, classical, pop, rock, jazz, swing, and bluegrass, and he mixes in his own original compositions alongside the covers.

Pearson's style draws from a deep well of fingerstyle guitar. He started with Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, and Tommy Emmanuel, and that lineage has shaped how he plays. In 2005, he opened for Emmanuel on his UK tour, and it was during a stop in Cardiff that Emmanuel invited him to play at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

The venue is McGonigel's Mucky Duck, an Irish pub at 2425 Norfolk Street that's been open since 1990. It's known for its intimate room and stellar acoustics, and it's a 21-and-over spot. The menu blends American and Irish-inspired dishes, and the club livestreams every show to its LiveFromNorfolkStreet YouTube channel, so if you can't make it in person, you can still catch the set online.

Pearson takes the stage on Saturday, October 10, at 8:00 PM. The show is 21+.