The Old Friends Acoustic Tour With Ben Rector Comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall in November

Ruth Eckerd Hall presents The Old Friends Acoustic Tour starring Ben Rector with special guest Jordy Searcy on Saturday, November 18 at 8 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 23 at 10 am.

Fifteen years after starting his career writing songs and touring in his Honda Accord on the weekends, Ben Rector found himself at home and at the piano in March 2020. The alchemy of life's big questions, more downtime than he'd had in a decade, and those now all-too-familiar “unprecedented times” resulted in his career album: The Joy of Music. The project includes a breathtaking short film (featuring seven songs brought to life with stunning cinematography), inviting listeners and viewers to visit a dream world that communicates Rector's creative process and his reckoning with his job as an artist. He is led through the film's chapters by his new friend Joy, a muppet monster he created with Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In this fantastic and dream-like landscape we see and hear Rector overcome a deep-seated fear of failure, dancing and singing his way through the journey of rediscovering the joy of music.

Ben Rector has amassed over a billion streams across all platforms, has performed on numerous late night and morning TV shows including Conan, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Live With Kelly And Ryan, The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and as a celebrity mentor on American Idol alongside alongside Ryan Tedder, Jewel, Brian McKnight, Jason Aldean and more. His records have topped numerous Billboard charts, with his last two records landing at #1 on Billboard's U.S. Folk and #2 on Billboard's U.S. Rock and U.S. Indie charts. Rector has built a dedicated touring base, regularly selling out theaters and amphitheaters across the country, including three consecutive nights at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jordy Searcy grew up playing music with his family, in his church, and on his own – finding his voice in music early on. In 2014, Jordy landed a spot on NBC's The Voice, where he was coached under Pharrell Williams. It was during this time that he shifted his focus from performing onto blazing his own trail as a songwriter and vocalist. After leaving the show, Jordy packed up and moved to Nashville to pursue his career in earnest. His 2018 EP, Dark in The City, was met with critical acclaim, launching him into the Nashville songwriting scene and a touring career of over 150 shows per year nationwide.

Tickets priced at $78.25, $63.25, $48.25 and $38.25 are available at The Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall, by calling 727-791-7400 or visiting www.RuthEckerdHall.com. The Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall is open Tuesday through Thursday, from noon to 6 pm, Friday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and Saturday, from noon to 6 pm. The Ruth Eckerd Hall ticket office opens two hours prior to show time.

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