On the rebound, Damien Escobar coming to Edmonds
Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 16, 2018
For many years, Damien Escobar didn’t know the man behind the violin.
It took poverty, depression and homelessness to change that.
Escobar, a world-touring violinist from New York who is known for fusing soul, R&B, jazz and classical music, is set to perform Aug. 22 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. Joined by a band on stage, he’ll play originals from his latest album, “Boundless,” and covers of songs such as Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Alicia Keys’ “Un-thinkable.”
“My show is all about passion and having a good time,” Escobar, 32, said. “I never know which direction it’s going to go musically.”
Escobar started playing the violin when he was 8. Two years later, he became the youngest student ever accepted to Julliard School of Music in New York City.
“It’s so organic,” Escobar said. “It must be in my blood.”
Escobar and his older brother, Tourie, who was also classically trained, performed in New York’s subways in the early 2000s under the name Nuttin’ But Stringz.
Their innovative mesh between hip-hop, R&B and classical music helped them win a talent competition at the Apollo Theatre in New York City in 2005, which led to television and movie exposure. They even performed in front of President George W. Bush in 2006.
After finishing third on “America’s Got Talent” in 2008, the brothers won two Emmys, sold millions of albums and toured the world. But they disbanded over creative differences in 2012.
Then things fell apart for Escobar.
Thinking he couldn’t perform without his brother, he gave up music. Without the steady income, he went broke, suffered through a bout of depression, and worse yet, became homeless.
In a sad twist of irony, he resorted to sleeping on the same subway trains on which he and his brother performed years earlier.
“It was everything you’d think it would be,” Escobar said.
His mother eventually helped him get back on his feet. He tried being a real-estate broker to support his family, but his heart wasn’t in it.
So, Escobar went back to what he knows best — playing the violin. He released his first solo album, “Sensual Melodies,” in 2014. It garnered 200,000 downloads and cracked the iTunes Top 100 chart. Momentum from the positive reception launched a national tour the following year.
He’s been on the road ever since. When he’s not touring the country, he performs around the world in places such as Ukraine, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
His 2018 tour is promoting “Boundless,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart following its release.
With his career back on track, Escobar sees life from a different perspective.
“It’s the greatest moment of my life,” Escobar said. “Not because of the financial rewards from being a successful musician, but from a state of happiness, a state of completion as a human being. Music definitely makes me happy, but there’s a whole life outside of music.
“I didn’t know the man behind the instrument. Now I’ve taken the time to get know myself. It goes back into the music. It’s been a really good evolution.”
Evan Thompson: 360-544-2999, ethompson@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @evanthompson_1.
If you go
What: Damien Escobar
Where: Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Ave. N., Edmonds
When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22
Tickets: starting at $19, $15 for youth/student, 10 percent discount for seniors and military
More: Call 425-275-9595 or www.ec4arts.org
