RECOVERY ROOTS: Acoustic maestro Casey Wickstrom performs songs of addiction and recovery at Santana Row

Judging solely by the music, one doesn’t immediately get the impression that Casey Wickstrom has just found his way through a long, dark night of the soul. Wickstrom’s bouncy guitar work and light, breathy vocals recall the work of other acoustic noodlers, like Dave Matthews and Ben Harper. However, as his fingers leap quickly from jazzy chords to trilling arpeggios, Wickstrom’s lyrics paint a darker picture. On his new album, Bleed Out, the San Jose native grapples with getting sober in the wake of several years of depression, drugs and alcohol. The balance of bright notes and cautious optimism evokes sunshine at the end of a pitch-black tunnel. (NV)

Casey Wickstrom
Sat, 5pm, Free
Santana Row, San Jose