MTF first introduced you to Nick Adamo in 2021, and we now shine our spotlight on him once again
Nick Adamo is an Austin-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. His voice is warm and clear, and it carries a folk-rock ache. A weightlifting accident nearly ended his guitar playing. Surgery with the help of the Musician Treatment Foundation put him back onstage in two weeks.
Nick grew up an only child, raised by a single mother with a beautiful singing voice. He hummed along to her melodies as a boy, quietly, to himself. He kept that voice private for years. In college he tried singing out loud and taught himself to play guitar and sing at the same time.
He found his own voice on I-35. Stuck in traffic during his daily commute, Nick sang along to OK Computer by Radiohead. He started writing songs as an exercise to face his fear of embarrassment. The experiment turned into a lifelong source of solace.
His influences run wide. Harry Nilsson. Thom Yorke. Jeff Buckley. Neil Young. Karen Carpenter. Curtis Mayfield. Elvis Costello. Bonnie Raitt. Nick Drake. Dozens more.
In the summer of 2021, Nick ruptured his pectoralis tendon during a heavy barbell bench press. The muscle retracted into his chest. It left a cosmetic deformity and a painful limit on his range of motion. He could no longer move his left arm enough to play guitar.
The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians referred Nick to the Musician Treatment Foundation. Dr. Alton Barron, the orthopedic surgeon who founded MTF in 2017, called him less than 30 minutes later. Barron told Nick he had performed the procedure thousands of times, and that Nick would play guitar again a week or two after surgery.
“He was right. I played my first live show two weeks after post-operation.”
-Nick Adamo
Nick came back to a full career. One of his first shows after surgery was an MTF benefit concert with his Grateful Dead tribute band, Mostly Dead. He later joined MTF as a freelance social media manager and graphic designer. In December 2022, he released the single “Lie to Me,” produced by Charlie Magnone with vocalist Aubrey Hays and a string arrangement from Austin Symphony players. He has since played the Saxon Pub, The Belmont, Stubb’s, and stages across Texas.
You can hear Nick on Spotify and Apple Music. Visit nickadamo.com for upcoming shows and to keep up with Nick. You can also see him at the MTF Elvis Costello Tribute Show in early September!