In addition to being severely overplayed on local radio, Gotye’s Grammy-winning ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ was covered on numerous occasions as well. Between ‘Glee’s angst-ridden rendition and regrettable ‘American Idol’ versions, Mike Dawes’s delicate acoustic fingerstyle guitar take on the mega hit stood out. The 23-year-old’s YouTube video of that particular arrangement went viral when it was posted last June, garnering more than 1.8 million views to date, widespread acclaim and even praise from Gotye himself.
Joining Dawes onstage in a one-night-only showcase this month is our very own Az Samad, who like the Londoner has made a name for himself in the global fingerstyle guitar circuit. The well-travelled composer, who graduated from and taught at Berklee College of Music, impressed during Singapore’s Mosaic Music Festival in March and recently launched his debut solo electric fingerstyle guitar album, which was recorded during his maiden European tour with California’s Tara Linda & The Tortilla Western Trio last year. Wong Boon Ken