98 honest Midwestern songcraft that blends a handful of traditional American music styles into something fitting for a guy from Michigan in this day and age.

12 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Folk Pop, FOLK: Folk-Rock



Details:
Dave Boutetteâs Midwest is full of passion, humor and shakey grace. Influenced by songwriters that span from Chuck Berry to John Prine, he documents the trips and triumphs of life between the coasts. With a full band or solo acoustic, Boutette easily reveals a Midwest experience worthy of a second look with performances that are engaging, exhilarating, and often peppered with stories culled from his times on the road and his years growing up in the shadow of Detroit.


âThere's an honesty in his voice that's genuinely comforting; he finishes each line with an exclamation point that's confident without coming off as smug, putting him somewhere in between Alex Chilton and Elvis Costello. Boutette's a songwriter that relieves the Midwest of its tendency to spew forth an endless sea of singer/songwriter banality, replacing its tired clichés with protagonists that are as mischievous as they are heartfelt.â All Music Guide

âBoutetteâs genial temperament and taste make each song durable, and he baits his hooks like a Zen trout fishing master.â Ann Arbor News


Latest Release

The Piccolo Heart is out now on the Embassy Hotel Records label. It is a fully realized twelve song testament to Boutetteâs commitment to writing and songcraft, blending many schools of American roots and popular music into a unique and accessible statement on love and all that comes with it. Recorded and produced by Adam Druckman.

A Little History

In 1994 Dave came to the Ann Arbor area to finish some unfinished school. Soon Boutette found himself playing open mics and farm markets for tips. The gifted Ann Arbor acoustic music scene provided an ideal environment for Dave to test his songwriter legs.

With bigger bookings requiring greater sonic support, Boutette assembled The Old Dogs in late 1999. The bandâs roster draws on a well of friends and great players that Dave has known for many years.

Before stepping out on his own, Boutette spent ten years with the Detroit-based alterna-rock bar kings The Junk Monkeys. The band toured the nation relentlessly, supporting acts such as the Goo Goo Dolls and Hootie and the Blowfish, while recording under the Warner Bros./Metal Blade label from 1990-93.

In recent years Boutette has performed at many Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio venues including the Acoustic Avenue Cafe Series, the Ark, the Barking Spider, the Crazy Wisdom Tea Room, the Blind Pig, Borders Books and Music stores, the Cadieux Cafe, Kejaraâs Bridge, MAMAâs Coffehouse, Memphis Smoke, The BOB-Grand Rapids, the Wealthy Theatre, the Trinity House Theatre, Uncommon Ground, and Xhedoâs Cafe. Music and community festivals Dave has performed at include the Ann Arbor Art Fair, Ann Arborâs Top of the Park Series, the Dearborn Homecoming Festival, the Grand Marais Songwriters Festival, Milford Memories, and the Muskegon Summer Celebration. In addition to live radio performances on WDET and WCSX, Dave has also been a featured artist on the Detroit Underground television series.