Live Show Review By: Jordan Chapman

“Hey, it seems like I’ve got an extra ticket for a gig next Tuesday at Off Broadway. It’s a guitarist, Hayden Pedigo. He’s pretty awesome if you’re free.” I had never heard of Hayden Pedigo before but having no plans and a free ticket, I figured there was no better place to be on a freezing December night than Off Broadway, the iconic independent venue in St. Louis, MO.

Opening for Pedigo was a local solo act called Two Hands | One Engine. Using only his guitar, various effects pedals, and a loop pedal, Justin Mank is able to craft magnificent soundscapes, layering ambient, distorted, droning lows with whaling, shifting, and seemingly aimless melodic highs. I found myself drawing comparisons to the legendary Explosions in the Sky. In a room of thirty or so people, you could almost hear the wind outside as each piece faded to silence. It felt like everyone was holding their breath. Very impressive was his craftsmanship and ability to build each song from scratch without the help of a synth, laptop, or backing track, often dropping to his knees to dial in his pedals by hand to get the tone JUST right for each track as he added more and more. The live performance was as captivating as his studio work is impressive.

Check out Two Hands | One Engine’s song Mirren

Hayden Pedigo took the stage in similar fashion, just a man and his guitar. I should say guitars since he used several over the course of the night. Two acoustics, a six string and a twelve string, and a very slick Epiphone Thunderbird electric guitar. I purposefully abstained from his music leading up to the show, thinking that approaching his live show with zero expectation would be a more engaging experience. I obviously cannot sit here and tell you whether it was better or worse, but it really doesn’t matter because it would have been a beautiful experience either way.

Pedigo’s show was equal parts performance and dialogue with the audience. His warm demeanor and dry humor paired with the refreshingly honest experiences he shared about his struggles with stage fright, unconventional tunings, and lack of formal musical training made for a very personal and authentic experience. Pedigo even went so far as to open up the floor to the audience to ask questions for several minutes. A very down-to-earth human being with a knack for beautiful, lyricless musical storytelling.

All I can say about Pedigo’s music is that it’s perfect for any state of mind. It can cheer you up when you're feeling down and calm your nerves when you’re feeling frustrated. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning and even better with a glass of wine in the evening. His sound has a very familiar western guitar flavor, which is likely an influence of his native Texas if not an homage to it, but feels more elegant and emotional, inciting feelings of melancholy, yearning, and hopefulness sometimes all in the same piece.

Hayden Pedigo is releasing a new record next year but I can’t tell you the name of it yet because he swore the audience to secrecy. Be on the lookout in 2025 because this young man is serving up yet another round of savory comfort music that anyone is sure to enjoy.

Check out Hayden Pedigo’s song The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored