Win Tickers ($112): Leo Kottke @ Aladdin Theater | Blues, Jazz, Folk
We are giving away a pair of tickets to Leo Kottke @ Aladdin Theater on July 11. To win, comment below on this post why you’d like to attend. Winner will be drawn and emailed July 7.
———————————————
From our sponsors:
Leo Kottke
July 11, 2025
7pm doors, 8pm show | $56.30 | All Ages
Purchase Tickets: etix.com
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR 97202
Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.
After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.
Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. “The trip was not something I enjoyed,” he has said, “I was broke and met too many interesting people.
Discharged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar’s tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)
After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey’s Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.
Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, “Mudlark,” positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s “Greenhouse” and 1973’s live “My Feet Are Smiling” and “Ice Water” found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.
With 1975’s Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time; he also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.
His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, “Clone,” caught audiences’ attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called “Sixty Six Steps,” produced by Leo’s old friend and Prince producer David Z.
Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.
Categories
Tags
35 Comments
Leave a Comment
Keep in Touch!
Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates
Oh Leo!!! Would love to go to this concert at Aladdin!!
I haven’t seen Leo play in years. Would love a pair of tickets!
Oh my goodness! I would love to take my husband to see him! He has enjoyed his music for years.
I love Leo and would love to be considered!!
An absolute Master. It would be fantastic to see him live!
I saw him more than 20 years ago and his show is amazing. So glad he’s still touring and making music.
What Leo wants…Leo gets! And what Dave wants, is to go see Leo!
Haven’t seen him since Scottsdale Center for the Arts in late 90s. Would love to attend at The Aladdin
would love to go to this and boogie down!
Oh wow. Haven’t heard Leo for years.
A friend of mine is coming from Arkansas to go to the Oregon country Fair,he will be here July 11th which just happens to be his birthday,he is turning 76,be great to see Leo,love to surprise him if possible,thanks for giving tickets to concerts and other things that they can see due to you making it possible,you rock
I grew up listening to Leo Kottke! His music was one of the gifts my father, who passed earlier this year, had on a wild rotation of albums ranging from Kottke to Stones, Dylan to Switched-On Bach, slack key guitar to Beach Boys. It’d be a honor, and a great remembrance of Dad, to see Leo.
Vaseline Machine Gun. No words needed.
(and why free tix would be amazing).
Amazing song writing. Should be a special night
awake at 2 AM, thinking about the wondeful feeling of experiencing live music from a soul who can communicate with it.
Love blues.
i want to see him live!
Sweet show it will be
Saw Leo in San Diego ages ago. Would love to see him here in Portland as well. What a great guitarist.
I saw Leo Kottke around 1982 when I was attending the University of Minnesota. He was playing a lunchtime concert in the St. Paul student center. Always remembered him after that and he’s an icon now. Would love to see him in person again.
Leo’s back for his annual July stop at the Aladdin. Maybe this year I’ll be a lucky son-of-a-(Vaseline machine) gun?
I would love to see Leo. He is fantastic.
I would love to experience Leo Kottke live on stage! What a blessing!
Down for some Leo!
Leo is the best! That’s gonna be so so good!
Seeing Leo K again would be a highlight!
Why not?
I wanna take my dad to this!
I’m a huge fan! I’d love to win tickets to Kottke before he – ya know – finishes.
I tried for these tickets last year and was u successful ☹️
Maybe this year? Would love to see Leo!!
time for some tix!
I would like to go to this concert! Thank you!
My father introduced me to Leo, and this show is on my father’s birthday. It would be a fitting tribute.
Love me some LEO!!!!
Love blues