Talk about the old school meeting the new school...Tuesday night's fantastic display of pure, unfiltered blues was more than enough to please the sold-out crowd who filled the seats at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall. [Text by Gabe, photos by Tracy.]
Opening the show at 7:30 p.m. sharp was 32-year old guitar phenom Jonny Lang. Lang, who has been playing and winning crowds over since the age of 12, has remained true to his craft and continues to hone his impressive and jaw-dropping technique.
Dressed in plain black tee-shirt, faded jeans and high tops, Lang looked more the part of a skateboard rat than a blues guitar whiz. His raspy voice in fine shape, Lang dazzled the more-than-responsive crowd for almost a solid hour as he worked his way through his impressive catalog of rock/blues/gospel tunes. Lang shone the brightest during his superb performance of a standout track from 2003 album Long Time Coming, "Red Light," ping-ponging from slower, more heartfelt moments to more raucous guitar squeals that really showed off his impressive skill set.
Lang and his fantastic four-piece band also found their way around a dirty, blues-soaked rendition of the Stevie Wonder's 1973 classic "Living For The City."
Lang, a headliner in his own right, was a more than appropriate opener to pave the way for the evening's main attraction, though the volume of the crowd's roars of approval during his performance made it very clear that the folks who'd shown up on this night were every bit as excited about seeing him as they were , Buddy Guy.
Not long after Lang wrapped up his warm-up spot, the stage was set for the 77-year-old Louisiana blues legend.
Buddy Guy arrived like a force of nature on the wide-open stage. As his four-piece band started doing their thing in grand fashion, Guy — clad in white slacks, a loud patterned Hawaiian shirt and white cap — moseyed his way to his center-stage microphone, all the while squeezing sparks out of the axe slung over his shoulder.
His unmistakable incendiary roars and hollers filled the hall as the adoring audience greeted him with spontaneous standing ovations. Whether he was mugging for cameras, clowning or engaging in exaggerated pelvic thrusts, the always playful Guy made obvious the single most important reason why he was there: to show everyone a good time and make them forget about their troubles for a little while. And that he did.
As he launched into his signature tune "Damn Right I've Got the Blues," the capacity crowd howled along with him, expressing their own unique form of praise. "Play the blues, Buddy!" was shouted by more than one overzealous concertgoer as Guy frantically made his way from side to side of the stage while bashing out loud, tasty blues licks.
As he lamented about the lack of rhythm and blues on radio playlists these days, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer did more than deliver his own fair share of blues magic for the hungry crowd. "I'm gonna play you something so funky, you can smell it!" he warned as he plowed through his entertaining and lively set.
Guy, who doesn't feel the need to create or stick to a setlist, literally winged it all night long. Telling humorous stories and engaging the audience in funny anecdotes, Buy made his song selection process perfectly clear. "I come out here and play what I think y'all are gonna wanna hear," he announced. And, with that, he proceeded to improvise and literally play whatever seemed to come to mind.
As he's known for, Guy didn't pass up the opportunity to make his way into the crowd while continuing to melt faces with his stupendous guitar work. Making his way from the edge of the stage on the far left side of the hall, Guy proceeded to climb up the the very back of the theater and play and sing for those in the upper-most wings of the building. A rare chance to be up close and personal with a real legend indeed, and an experience those in close proximity won't soon forget.
To the delight of the approving fans, Guy paid tribute to some of his contemporaries and musical mentors by visiting their catalogs. Delivering his own renditions of songs made popular by fellow blues legends Albert Collins and John Lee Hooker, Guy also delivered cuts by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Ray Charles throughout the course of the night.
As his whirlwind 90-minute set drew to a fiery close, Guy ended with sincere thanks and appreciation for those who came out to see him. "Damn, I'm feeling good tonight!" Buddy Guy announced more than once on Tuesday night, a feeling that was undoubtedly shared by each and every person in the room.
