Bryan Elijah Smith is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter based out of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Smith’s innate songwriting ability and haunting voice leave you with a sense of timeless nostalgia. With over 1,000 songs penned & 11 independent releases since 2009, Smith is creating a self-produced legacy that began with his first song at the age of 18.  Aside from touring the United States for well over a decade, Smith has also toured internationally in both Australia & Honduras.  Crossing a wide array of genres, what gets produced has been compared to the likes of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Kings of Leon to Gregory Alan Isakov.  Smith recently won 2nd place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest 2019 where the title track to his new album, ‘In Through The Dark’, was 1 of 12 songs chosen out of 970 national entries.  Smith has been a CASC finalist 2 years in a row (past finalist include Gillian Welch, Tift Merritt & Lera Lynn).  'In Through The Dark' won 1st place in the Unsigned Only 2019 international songwriting contest where there were 6,000 entries from over 100 countries.  Judges included Aimee Mann, Robert Smith of The Cure, Garth Hudson from The Band and many more.  'In Through The Dark' also appears in a new NETFLIX series called 'Virgin River' which premiered December 2019.

 
Live Show & Album Reviews
2012-2014
 
Select Venue History
 
  • The Hamilton (opened for Yarn) - Washington, DC
  • The State Theatre - Culpeper, VA
  • The Jefferson Theater (opened for Langhorne Slim & David Mayfield Parade) - Charlottesville, VA
  • The Paramount Theatre - Charlottesville, VA
  • WNRN Acoustic Sunrise - Charlottesville, VA
  • FloydFest 10 & 11 (performed on the Dreaming Creek Main Stage both years - opened for Trampled by Turtles & Old Crow Medicine Show at FloydFest X) - Floyd, VA
  • Jam Cruise 9, 11 & 12 - Peformed in Rohatan Hondorous on Jam Cruise 9
  • Fall 2013 Australia Tour - (5 show tour) - Venues include : Bella Union, The Chandelier Room, Yah Yah's & Pause Bar - all located in Melbourne & Victoria, AU area
  • January 2015 Australia Tour - (6 show tour) - Venues include : The Cups Estate, The Retreat Hotel, The Drunken Poet,  St Leonards Vineyard & Morris Jones Bar - all located in the state of Victoria, AU 
  • Red Wing Roots Music Festival 2013, 2014 & 2015 - Mount Solon, VA
  • Deep South the Bar (Sold Out) - Raleigh, NC
  • Rockwood Music Hall (opened for The Barr Brothers) - New York City, NY
  • Performing Arts Of Luray : Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Festival (won 1st place) – Luray, VA 
  • The Purple Fiddle - Thomas, WV 
  • The Southern Music Hall  (opened for Roadkill Ghost Choir in 2014 and HoneyHoney in 2015) - Charlottesville, VA
  • WMRA Acoustic Cafe NPR - Harrisonburg, VA
  • The State Theatre (opened for Hackensaw Boys) - Falls Church, VA
  • Mockingbird Roots Music Hall (“Songwriters in the Round” w/ Nathan Moore & Trent Wagler - Opened for The Steel Wheels & opener for Paul Curreri) – Staunton, VA
  • Wilson Hall at James Madison University (opened for Corey Smith) - Harrisonburg, VA
  • Live on 89.5 FM - WETS - Studio One NPR - Johnson City, TN
  • The Festy Experience 2013 & 2014 (opened for Nicki Bluhm & the Gramblers on the Main Stage) - Roseland, VA
  • Court Square Theater - Harrisonburg, VA
  • Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2013, 2014  - Bristol, TN
  • The Pour House (opened for American Aquarium) - Charleston, SC
  • Border Bash - Bristol, TN
  • Hill Country Live - Washington, DC
  • Hill Country Live - New York City
  • Fridays on the Square - Harrisonburg, VA
  • Vintage Virginia (largest wine festival in Virginia) - Centreville, VA
  • Town Pump Tavern Music Hall (oldest music hall in Western NC) - Black Mountain, NC
  • The Camel (opened for American Aquarium) - Richmond, VA
  • Hideaway Cafe - Saint Petersburg, FL
  • Middle Grounds - Treasure Island, FL
  • Home Team BBQ - Charleston, SC
  • Ocean Front Bar & Grill - Myrtle Beach, SC
  • Valley Fest 2013 - Massanutten Resort - Mcgaheysville, VA
  • Parima (opened up for Nathan Moore) – Burlington, VT
  • Virginia Craft Brewers Fest - Roseland, VA
  • Daylily Food & Wine Festival - Fishersville, VA
  • Stone Church (with Nathan Moore ) - Newmarket, NH
  • Southern Fried Festival (opened for for Shenandoah) - Columbia, TN
  • Langdon Street Cafe (with Nathan Moore) - Montpelier, VT
  • The Note (with Nathan Moore; opened up for Emmitt-Nershi Band) - West Chester, PA
  • CrowBar – Ybor City, FL
  • Dunenin Brewery – Dunenin, FL
  • Clementine – Harrisonburg, VA
  • Devil's Backbone Brewing Company – Roseland, VA
  • Frontier Culture Museum  – Staunton, VA
  • The Hotspot - Waynesboro, VA
  • Oak Grove Folk Festival - Verona, VA
  • Theater at Lime Kiln  - Lexington, VA
  • The Chop Shop (opened for Hot Buttered Rum) - Charlotte, NC
  • Foothills Brewing  - Winston-Salem, NC
  • Carnegie Hall - Lewisburg, WV
  • Camp Barefoot 6  - Bartow, WV
  • Floyd Yoga Jam (opened for Trevor Hall)- Floyd, VA
  • Gnarly Hops & Barley Festival - Culpeper, VA