Event
(Doors: 6:30 pm) SHOW: 7:30 pm PDT
Notes on Seating: Jack London provides two options. Reserved Seating is purchased on a table-by-table basis in the central part of the venue and is only available for select shows. Seating in the General Admission section is limited, first come first served, and may be standing room only.
“Inspirational guitarist for Waits, Costello et al steps forward as a dusky singer-songwriter dispensing gnarled 2am wisdom in a variety of genres from desert blues to drum ‘n’ bass.”
— Uncut Magazine
Marc Ribot will release Map of a Blue City on May 23, 2025, via New West Records. Produced and mixed by Ben Greenberg, and built from original sessions with the late Hal Willner alongside intimate home recordings, the nine-song album is Ribot’s most personal work to date. Best known as a fiercely original guitarist who’s collaborated with artists like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, John Zorn, Caetano Veloso, and Marianne Faithfull, Ribot now brings his distinctive voice—both literally and musically—to the forefront.
While not a traditional singer-songwriter album, Map of a Blue City marks the first time Ribot’s vocals take center stage, channeling raw emotion, reflection, and wry insight. His original compositions sit alongside a powerful rendition of the Carter Family’s “When the World’s on Fire” and a haunting interpretation of Allen Ginsberg’s 1949 poem “Sometime Jailhouse Blues.” The album traverses a genre-spanning landscape: roots, bossa nova, no wave, free jazz, noise, and undefinable sounds collide in surprising, soulful harmony.
Ribot began writing Map of a Blue City in the 1990s, recording lo-fi demos between other projects. Though decades passed, the songs never left him. “I just had an affection for them,” he says. “Every once in a while I would take another lunge at finishing them.” Now fully realized, the album reflects on what it means to be lost—emotionally, spiritually, creatively—and the beauty and uncertainty that come with it.
Built over nearly 30 years, the record is its own map: one filled with false starts, blind alleys, and newly illuminated paths. “Working on this album for so long, I’ve seen the world change dramatically—and not really change at all,” Ribot reflects. “Some issues are the same as when I started; others I couldn’t have dreamt of. That’s why I was so focused on the production. It all boils down to what kind of room the listener feels they’re in. I wanted it to be small enough that you couldn’t turn away—but warm enough to feel like you’re hearing it from a friend.”
