Tampa’s own Selwyn Birchwood is known for his trademark lap steel guitar and a barefoot, high-energy stage presence. Since taking home the top prize at the International Blues Challenge and signing with the legendary Alligator Records, Birchwood has built a devoted following and become known for gritty songwriting and impressive fretwork.
Birchwood will play New World Tampa on Friday in support of his latest album, “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” which released in March. He got on the phone with the Times to discuss some of his favorite slices of Florida culture. His responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity.
Any beach: I’m happiest when I’m by the water. Walking on the beach. Sitting and looking at the ocean. Out there with my fishing pole. For me, that’s that’s Florida, just being out there. People come from all over the world just to see what we get to see every day. That’s my happy place. Anywhere on the west coast. Sunset Beach is great. Turtle Beach and Siesta Key, Bradenton Beach and St. Pete Beach. The sun melting into the ocean at sunset — that’s medicine.
Gatorland: Whenever friends come down, I’m always pointing them to what what I refer to as real Florida. Instead of going to Disney, just rent a kayak and and get down into one of the springs. But if you want to go to a theme park, go to Gatorland. Man, that place is pretty much Jurassic Park. You forget how big and massive those animals get. They let them just get as big as they want to be. They’ve got gator wrestling. They stick their head in a gator’s mouth. And they give you a little stick that has bird seed and peanut butter or something on it, and and all these birds will literally land all over you and be eating the food and stuff. It doesn’t cost nearly as much as Disney.
Florida Man: I took inspiration from the Florida Man meme after people started Googling “Florida Man” and their birthdays to see what crazy thing happened. There was always something. I actually ended up making a song about it called “Florida Man,” and it’s composed of all completely true Florida Man stories in the lyrics. Some Floridians don’t necessarily like that we’re known for that, but, I said, that’s the choice we have: Either hide your head, or lift it up, man. It’s going to be happening either way, so I said, man, might as well embrace it and own it.