An evening of the blues - Buddy Guy in concert
Just wanted to take a moment to share some thoughts about the opportunity I had to see Buddy Guy in concert late last month and spend an evening enjoying some great music. Electric blues on a mild Greensboro, NC evening at the Tanger Center for the Arts.
Let me start of by saying a little something about the young gentleman he brought with him, the opening act, Kingfish. I wasn't familiar with Kingfish (Christone "Kingfish" Ingram) before this show . . . but I am now. Those of you who have seen him or listened to his music before already know how good he is. The rest are gonna find out soon enough. Only 22 years old, this guy is only scratching the surface of how great he is gonna be . . . and he's already a Grammy award winner (Best Contemporary Blues Artist - 64th Grammy Awards). His music is great evidence that rock and roll owes a debt to the blues, because Kingfish has one helluva rock-based blues sound, going from the mellow, laid-back blues to the gritty punch of rock and rhythm. The biography section on his site has a quote from Rolling Stone magazine, saying “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.” I agree. He's got those influences and more. Even has a little "country flavor" thrown in for a little sumthin' extra. Kingfish is gonna be a big part of the blues' future. Check out his site at https://www.christonekingfishingram.com/kingfish-home/ to listen to his music and check out the latest tour dates.
Now when it comes to Buddy Guy, what can I say? I got to see him back in October 2015 in Chapel Hill, NC and loved it! No doubt I was looking forward to this show. Buddy starts of the set with some blues classics, "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Just Want to Make Love to You", then moves through a nice mix of blues standards and originals. He brought some "friends" along in his set, too, playing a medley of B. B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Muddy Waters among others. Just like in 2015, he comes out into the crowd while playing a blistering guitar solo. Didn't miss a note and does all of this like he could play in his sleep.
The highlight of the night for me was Buddy's performance of his song "Skin Deep", from his 2008 album by the same name. It's a beautiful, soulful story about how we're all the same underneath "skin deep" and how we need to be careful about how we treat each other and live by the rule to treat others how you want them to treat you. Beautiful delivery of a message that's as timely today as it ever was.
So this is Buddy's "Damn Right, Farewell" tour. Last chance to see a living legend entertain us like he's done for decades. Visit Buddy's site at https://www.buddyguy.net/ to find out where you can catch a show on this tour. If you have a chance, go see the show. You'll be glad you did.