Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Beth Hart is bringing her gritty blues rock to Cincinnati. Ever since her second album, 1999’s Screamin’ for My Supper, Beth Hart has built a career on her ability to blend soulful vocals and emotive songwriting with hard rock angst and a confident swagger that is clear to anyone who has had the pleasure of witnessing her perform live. A comparison could be made to Janis Joplin, who Hart even performed as in the lead role in the Off-Broadway musical Love, Janis.
Hart resists being pigeonholed to one style only. Her first hit single, “LA Song (Out of This Town),” is a case in point. It has more in common with contemporary singers of that era, like Alanis Morissette, than traditional blues, with soft synths and programmed drums setting the stage for a tale of a wayward woman making her way in the City of Angels.
Hart’s trademark storytelling, much of which contains autobiographical elements, has been present from the start. Hart has been candid in the past about her difficult upbringing and struggles with drugs and alcohol, resulting in her being dropped by her record label, Atlantic Records, in the early 2000s. References to her former drug use can be heard in songs such as “Like You,” where she sings, “Talked to the pain/It’s been here forever/The drugs make me sane/But they don’t make me better.” Thankfully, Hart managed to put her past behind her and rebuild her career with the release of the 2002 album Leave the Light On. This was followed by her critically acclaimed live album Live at Paradiso, a record that secured her a place in the pantheon of powerhouse performers.
These days, Hart stays busy, touring Europe and the States and collaborating with artists such as Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and blues guitarist virtuoso and songwriter Joe Bonnamassa, who said of Hart after performing with her at the Blue Balls Festival in Switzerland: “I was totally knocked out by Beth. Here’s this lady who’s acting like I’m the cool one, and meanwhile I’m thinking, ‘Man, she’s got it all.’ She’s the new Janis Joplin, Tina Turner — the real deal, you know?” Take Joe’s word for it and treat yourself to an unforgettable performance by a singer considered by many of her peers to be one of our very best.
Beth Hart plays the Andrew J Brady Music Center on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. More info: bradymusiccenter.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 16 print edition.
This article appears in Apr 16-29, 2025.