Spending Valentine’s Day With B.B. King with Buddy Guy
February 22, 2010 by Editor
Filed under Concert Reviews
B.B. King with Buddy Guy
February 14, 2010
MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
Mashantucket, CT
It had been many years since I’d seen Buddy Guy perform, and I swear he just keeps getting better. His sublime voice and vicious guitar playing, and banter with the crowd combine to make one of the most exciting blues shows you’ll ever see.
Toward the end of the set he brought onstage 10-year-old blues-prodigy Quinn Sullivan. Guy’s Strat may have had a tonal edge of Sullivan’s ES, but when it came to laying out righteous licks, Sullivan and Guy put on one hell of duel. Sullivan reminds me of artists like Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd when they were younger.
Guy’s banter with the crowd helped to turn this performance into an entertaining blues revival. Guy had no problem calling-out the audience for forgetting to sing the words loud-enough; “I just came back from playing a show in Tokyo. They didn’t fuck up the words like you did.” That comment elicited a laugh and ensured the crowd wouldn’t mess up so badly again.
When the set was over, Guy greeted fans, passed out picks, and signed autographs at the front of the stage while his band, including Quinn, played on. Then B.B. King picked up right where Guy left off. King’s band played a couple numbers before King walked onstage to take his throne. Fans rushed up to the stage to give him gifts while he passed out picks and shook hands. Then the real show began.
King, like Guy, blends story-telling with the music. King’s tales of late are more personal, relating to his age and health, including struggles with Diabetes and bad knees. But King doesn’t use these issues to draw sympathy, he uses them to continue telling his story, fortifying his legacy.
The real treat of course is the music. While King’s guitar playing may not be at it’s peak compared to how it once was, it’s still exceptional. His voice is as strong as ever, and the crowd was enthralled with the entire performance. I’m ill-equipped to put words down to describe it properly. A great night was had by all.
For more information:
www.bbking.com
www.buddyguy.net
www.quinnsullivan.me
