October 31, 2024
Viral country singer Sam Barber brings his ‘Restless Mind’ tour to Happy Valley Nov. 7
Opener Logan Halstead will perform soul-searching songs of Appalachia
His new album ”Restless Mind” ”sums up my whole music career and everything I’ve done,” singer-songwriter Sam Barber said.
Credit: Jerrin UeckerUNIVERSITY PARK (Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024)—Viral country singer-songwriter and former reality-star contestant Sam Barber will bring his “Restless Mind” tour to Happy Valley at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in Eisenhower Auditorium. Logan Halstead, a folk singer from Appalachia, will open the concert.
Tickets are $60 for an adult and a person 18 and younger, and $45 for a University Park student, and are available for purchase online. The Arts Ticket Center is the only authorized outlet for individual tickets for events presented by the Center for the Performing Arts.
Avoid the $4-per-ticket online service fee by calling 814-863-0255; or buying in person from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at Eisenhower Auditorium.
Visit Sam Barber online for more information about the event and a free reception at 6:30 p.m. hosted by Penn Highlands Healthcare in the Conference Room. Drinks and appetizers will be provided by Barrel 21.
Since 2021, Barber has been performing straightforward covers of country-roots hits for a growing fanbase on TikTok. His following inspired him to write and release original music, including “Straight and Narrow,” his first single “Drowning” and “Run Away High.”
Despite being eliminated during auditions for the 20th season of “American Idol” in 2022, he’s performed at major venues and events, including the Grand Ole Opry, Stagecoach Festival. He also has opened concerts for international stars such as Bruce Springsteen and Ed Sheeran.
“Playing live is one of the coolest things” Barber said. “And I’m getting better every show. So that means that every person who comes to a show right now, is going to get my best show.”
Watch Sam Barber perform “Save Me.”
Thanks to the success of Appalachian artists like Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, regional artists are “not so looked down on anymore,” said Logan Halstead.
Credit: Copyright 2023. All rights reservedLogan Halstead
At 19 years old, the country-folk-Americana singer-songwriter pulls most of the inspiration for his music from the struggle and hardship of his own life and of those around him. Small-town living isn’t intensely stimulating, socially or economically, but spiritually, there is always a yearning for something more.
Born in Kentucky and raised in West Virginia, it’s no surprise that Halstead draws influence from Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Nicholas Jamerson and Cole Chaney.
“All these folks mentioned have laid a path and shown that it’s okay to be from these parts,” Halstead said.