This Sunday afternoon, the heat outside won’t be the only thing sizzling as Laurie Morvan takes the stage at Powerhouse Pub in Historic Folsom for this week’s Powerhouse of Blues. The blues artist and her band are set to perform a guitar-driven set known for its high energy and musicianship, offering a great way to beat the heat with some of the finest blues around.
Morvan is no stranger to blues fans throughout Northern California. A two-time crowd favorite at Coloma Blues Live!, she’s known for high-energy sets backed by blazing Stratocaster solos and a fearless command of the stage. A seasoned performer with years of road-tested chemistry alongside her band, she leads with the finesse and intuition of a musical ringmaster—one who knows how to keep the audience engaged from the first chord to the final encore.
Her path to the blues spotlight has been anything but ordinary. Raised as a high-achieving student-athlete in Illinois, Morvan earned 12 varsity letters, graduated salutatorian, and was later inducted into her high school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She played flute and drums before picking up a friend’s acoustic guitar and discovering a deep love for songwriting that would shape her life.
After earning a degree in electrical engineering and multiple pilot licenses from the University of Illinois, Morvan moved to Los Angeles for a job in aerospace. But it wasn’t long before music took over. She joined a local rock band, bought her first electric guitar—a white Les Paul Custom—and later discovered her true musical match in a red Fender Stratocaster. Inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan’s explosive blues style, she redirected her focus to original blues-based music.
By 1997, Morvan was recording independently, teaching college math by day and recording at night to fund her work. Her 2007 release, Cures What Ails Ya, drew praise from Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar magazines. Two years later, Fire It Up!, co-produced with Steve Savage, took home the Blues Foundation Award for Best Self‑Produced CD.
Since then, the Laurie Morvan Band has toured extensively across the U.S. and Canada, with additional performances in Mexico and Europe. The group has lit up main stages at renowned festivals including King Biscuit Blues Festival, Calgary Bluesfest, Magic City Blues Fest, Budweiser Illinois Blues Festival, Thunder Bay Blues Festival, and many others. Known for tight musicianship, spirited stage banter, and a powerful sense of audience connection, their live shows are as engaging as they are musically assured.
Her most recent album, Gravity, produced by Grammy- and Blues‑Music‑Award–winning drummer Tony Braunagel, features 12 original tracks that shake, shimmy, and sizzle with her signature playing and soulful, effervescent style. The release spent nearly a year on the Top 50 Blues‑Rock Radio Chart, made the first‑round Grammy ballot for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and earned a nomination for Best Blues Album in the DownBeat Reader’s Poll.
Morvan continues to earn acclaim not only for her songwriting but for her remarkable guitar work—recognized repeatedly in national guitar magazines for breaking barriers in a genre historically dominated by men. But what truly sets her apart is the personal connection she creates with each audience member.
“Music is the most healing force in the universe,” Morvan says. “And we, as musicians, have a sacred calling to get out there and share that love and healing with the good folks in this world.”
Laurie Morvan will perform at Powerhouse Pub on Sunday, July 13, with the show starting at 3:00 p.m. All shows at Powerhouse are 21 and over. For tickets and more details, visit the official website at powerhousepub.com.
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