On October 23rd, West Art welcomes two amazing artists: Headlining is Ric Robertson, a genre-bending songwriter whose soulful voice and adventurous blend of folk and Americana has won fans across the nation. Opening the night is Lancaster’s own Tuck Ryan, bringing his smooth blend of soul, jazz, and his signature sound. Don’t miss an evening of amazing original music in The Sanctuary!

What to expect at the show:

>> Doors will open at 7:00. The show will start at 7:30.

>> Tickets are $20 in advance, and $25 at the door if not sold out. As always, we’re proud to present an all-ages show!

>> Parking may be available in the small lot across the street. Beyond that, there’s parking available around Buchanan Park and F&M College in the blocks surrounding West Art.

>> Format: This will be a seated show in The Sanctuary. Seating is first-come, first-served. Our space is ADA accessible, and we will do our best to accommodate any specific needs.

>> If you haven't yet discovered the magic of the West Art Coffee⚡Bar, now's your chance! We're open from 7 am-10 pm daily, with a full and delicious espresso bar menu, along with a lovely selection of beer, wine, and cocktails, plenty of N/A options, and some tasty bites from our favorite local bakeries. Something for everyone, all day long! Come hang out before the show and experience it for yourself!

>> Please note that all ticket sales are final. Thank you for supporting great music!

Band Bios

Ric Robertson crafts songs that are as colorful and unpredictable as life itself, the kind of music that doesn’t ask for your attention — it quietly earns it. One note, one image, one breath at a time. Robertson builds little worlds — lit by neon honky-tonk signs or candlelight in the back of an old Airstream — and then invites you to come live in them for a while. His music is a playful and honest reflection of a life devoted to art — a space of vivid imagination, raw emotion, and the freedom that comes from keeping the door always open. He’s a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist — but mostly, he’s just trying to make sense of the absurd beauty in being alive.

These days, Robertson is mostly out on the road solo, hauling a real upright piano from town to town — a heavy, creaky companion that makes every show a little less predictable and a lot more alive. It’s an old-school, seat-of-the-pants kind of operation: no playback, no safety net, just songs, stories, and a whole-hearted belief that the good stuff doesn’t need a middleman. Robertson is carving out his own odd little orbit. No playback, no polish, no gimmicks. Just wood, wire, and a voice that cuts through the noise.

Born in the American South but never easy to pin down, his sound floats somewhere between timeless folk wisdom and psychedelic backroom vaudeville. A strange, beautiful blend , steeped in the traditions of Prine and Nilsson, but spiked with something stranger — like Sly Stone hitchhiking with Randy Newman through a cosmic truck stop, or Dr. John getting lost in a dream and waking up in Nashville with a steel guitar in his lap. Robertson has a gift for turning personal detours into universal truths, and turning heartbreak, hilarity, and hallucination into something you can hum along to.

Robertson has lent his voice, songs, and musical curiosity to projects with artists like Lucius, The Wood Brothers, Sierra Ferrell, and Donna the Buffalo — but it’s in his solo work where his vision comes fully alive and his voice shines most true. His latest album, Choices and Chains, is a crooked little odyssey of transformation — the kind of record that doesn’t shout but somehow says everything — with guest appearances from Sarah Jarosz, Sierra Ferrell, and a rotating cast of friends and fellow travelers. It follows his breakout Carolina Child, a wild, Technicolor trip produced by Dan Molad of Lucius and featuring an all-star gang including Jess Wolfe & Holly Laessig, Oliver Wood, Eddie Barbash, and more.

In an era when unhinged capitalism has turned the music industry into a maze of pay-to-play gatekeepers — Ticketmaster monopolies, algorithm-choked platforms, award shows rigged for commerce — Robertson is taking the long way around — quietly radical, grassroots, and fiercely human. He’ll probably be somewhere past the edge of the map — a small stage, an upright piano, a spellbound crowd, and a kind of music that cuts through the noise and reminds you why any of this matters at all. There’s a tenderness here, and a little madness too. But mostly there’s honesty — the kind you don’t come across every day, and the kind that sticks with you long after the music fades out.

Take a listen. Go deep. Enjoy!

Tuck Ryan is a Lancaster based artist whose sound is reminiscent of the classic soul and pop that defined the 70s, while also blending modern production sensibilities and the Americana songwriters of his childhood.

His music seeks to spirit you away to a timeless mindset, where attention to production detail equally meets spirited songwriting and saturated grooves.

His first 2 EPs, Fade Away & Moving Towards The Light, are now available everywhere.

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