matisyahu 9/3

Another great night outdoors at Boarding House Park in Lowell; tonight it's to see Matisyahu. If this is a new name for you, check out this video of One Day on YouTube. It's one of those ear worm songs that I think everyone has heard by now. He performed it as the closer at tonight's show, inviting all the kids in the audience to come up on stage to sing along. We all felt good. If we'd all had lighters, we'd have had them lit.

As far as audience participation goes, in terms of singing, that was the most user-friendly song by far. The rest of the night was all about mosh pit participation - the climax of that being when Matisyahu jumps off the stage into the pit and the moshers roll him around some, then he manages to stand up on someone's shoulders to heaps of applause, then he jumps back on stage to finish the song. We'd done well to sit way back near the sound board, where everyone was rocking, but in a more sedate way.

We had shown up at the park a few hours early, just as the band (minus Matisyahu) was about to start their sound check. We found excellent seats, up near the front, dead center, and plunked ourselves down. Then the band began to play. In the middle of the first song I yelled to Dennis, "This is too loud, I've got to move back." "I can't hear you," he says, "tell me when the song's finished." Which I did, and he concurred, so back we moved. Much better. Because they are loud - very good, but loud.

This guy can definitely sing, and the band, well, it can definitely play. Where to start? We've got reggae, we've got hip hop, reggae rock, rap and scat - wrapped around, as the handbill says, "his religious devotion" (he is a Hasidic Jew from New York). You know me, I couldn't hear half of what he was singing, but in this case, it was because I was so caught up in the music. A lot of the night I just sat back in my chair, closed my eyes and fell into the music. Between the reggae romps, the band played these great noise-filled instrumentals, one sound leading to another and I found it rather hypnotic. Matisyahu's singing was just as masterful, effortlessly shifting from hip hop to soulful reggae, then powering it up for rap, and forgive me for not knowing the name of the song, but there's one where he scatted the whole thing using some serious vocal calisthenics.

His set included a rap with guest artist, Nelson, a Jewish gospel singer, who came back to sing one song solo as the first song of the encore. When he left the stage, Matisyahu came on and got us all up, swaying to the music, with our arms held high, each with their index finger signifying "one," punching at the air on "One Day." Peace and a lot of harmony.

The opener tonight was iLa Mawana, billed as a reggae band out of Boston. And indeed, they do play reggae. The only thing is, the lead singer sings pop. An unusual combination that was new to me.

great big sea 8/26

What an absolute hoot! I had no idea a Great Big Sea concert was a dancing party. But that's what they do and that's what their fans do. They're so good that the fans are up dancing before the guys have even plugged in. And here I thought there'd be me and a couple hundred fans to see a band that most people never heard of. Boy was I wrong. It was the biggest crowd of the season for the Lowell Music Series at Boarding House Park. I have no idea how many people can fit in the park, but let's say it's 500; tonight it looked like a thousand, to a body standing, dancing, singing, and just general all-around grooving the band from The Rock - Newfoundland, Canada. Dedicated fans - the kind who know every lyric of every song and can sing them loud. I got the distinct feeling that Great Big Sea fans go home happy after every show. I don't see how it could be any different.

I've got a bit of a soft ear for the music out of Atlantic Canada - the Acadian/Celtic sound - and when that music moves farther east to Newfoundland, it takes on a huge maritime flavor. I am reminded some of Stan Rogers, another Canadian singer who defined maritime folk for me. But Stan sure didn't have harmonies going for him like these guys do. One of the most beautiful sounds on earth is a capella voices in four-part harmony. And when they weren't doing harmonies, the one with the pretty voice, Sean McCann, leads the ballad love songs, and pretty much all the rest are led by the hearty voiced Alan Doyle - it's these ones that tend to get raucous and have the crowd in wild delight. They did two sets, the first leaning on the Celtic side, the second more folk-rock, with accordion, guitars, flute, drums, fiddle, bohran in and out of every song as needed; the real show stopper was Bob Hallet playing the violin in "Merrimack," with the kind of fervor that puts me in mind of Neil Young on a crazy night.

These guys emanate happy, and it's infectious. You can't help but smile big.

I couldn't get any pictures of the band - they were in constant motion and my little camera is never going to get that night shot. I turned my camera on the audience, and this one survived the delete bin, strictly for the arty red shadings in it.

bob dylan 8/21

It took Bob to get me down to the House of Blues in Boston, the former Avalon, just behind Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox. I never much liked the Avalon - tight security, difficult sight lines - so it seems much improved in its new incarnation, with three levels, the third level being stadium seating, which is where I sat with my eyes glued on Bob all night. I read reviews of some of the previous shows on the tour and people are always talking about this being their 25th show or 76th show, or some other big number, and it puts me in my place - I'm a take it or leave it fan, tonight's show is only my seventh, the last time being in 2006, a time when Bob stood behind the keyboard all night. I'd heard that he was varying that up a bit this tour, and the change was welcome. He opened with Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat and Don't Think Twice, both on keyboard, then switched to harp (I don't know if I'd call it blistering, but it was real) for Things Have Changed and Tangled Up In Blue. But it was Beyond Here Lies Nothing, with Bob playing his Fender for the first time tonight that got the night moving for me - terrific solo from Bob, and he and Charlie Sexton were in some sort of groove. From keyboard to harp to guitar, Bob traveled all night. He seemed to be in a jocular mood, particularly evident when he moved to center stage and did a little play acting for the benefit of the crowd. I thought he was going to break into a two-step at one point. Perhaps it was on account of it being the last night of the tour. As one would have expected, he encored with Like A Rolling Stone and All Along The Watchtower, and having been to seven shows, I've probably heard both of them seven times now; but things have changed, at least for Watchtower - a different arrangement, and it's given it a whole new life. Rather than ending the show there, they moved into Blowin In The Wind, an unexpected but welcome surprise. I think I even sang along, quite an unusual event for me at a Bob show, when mostly I haven't got a clue what he's singing. There's no question, if you want to be a Bob fan, you've got to pay attention.

Here's the setlist:
Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat, Don't Think Twice, Things Have Changed, Tangled Up In Blue, Beyond Here Lies Nothin, Mississippi, Summer Days, Tryin To Get To Heaven, High Water (for Charlie Patton), Simple Twist Of Fate, Highway 61 Revisted, Blind Willie McTell, Thunder On The Mountain, Ballad Of A Thin Man, Like A Rolling Stone, All Along The Watchtower, Blowin In The Wind

mavis staples 8/19

Mavis is still belting it out, good and strong. A night of soul and gospel. My knowledge of Mavis is limited to say the least - her brilliant performance with the Staples Singers on The Weight with The Band for The Last Waltz, and not again until listening to her 2007 album, "We'll Never Turn Back," which I'd picked up on the strength of its producer, Ry Cooder. That was enough of a taste to get me down to the Lowell Summer Music Series to catch her set at Boarding House Park. The backup singers, which include her sister, Yvonne, pull off some great harmonies, opening with an a capella song, and continuing strong for the rest of the night. Mavis' gospel is heavily mixed with her civil rights activism, and in a rather trendy fashion, she's all PC. I'm not a big fan of politics, especially not in music, so she kind of lost me there. There was one grand moment in the show, and I can't even remember the song - it might have been "I'll Take You There" - Mavis had left the stage at that point, and the band just carried on, driving the music faster, almost in a catatonic fit; all I remember now is the non-Yvonne female back-up singer incredulously playing the tambourine, matching the guitar and its barreling pace that was sustained long past what you'd think possible. With everyone else on the stage contributing to the barrelhouse, it felt like a moment of true grit. Quite awesome.

Opening for Mavis Staples tonight was Jen Kearney & The Lost Onion, local to the area, playing a fusion of Latin and R&B with a nice brass sound.

rickie lee jones 8/12

They've got another top-notch line-up at the Lowell Summer Music Series this summer, and it's hard to pick and choose among them, spreading my music dollar thin. Tonight was definitely a no-miss - Rickie Lee Jones in town for the evening to perform on the Boarding House Park stage.

Occidental Gypsy - a blend of gypsy jazz and modern pop - opened the night. A superb group of musicians, with a special nod to Brett Feldman on lead guitar and violinist Jakub Trasak, who put me in mind of Stephan Grapelli. Exquisite. Check them out on YouTube playing "Gypsy Blues."

It's got to be going on 20 years since I've seen Rickie Lee in concert and I'd lost touch with her music during that time, so this was an excellent opportunity to see what she's up to now. Her voice is still that incredible machine that goes to all the right places. She hasn't lost a beat; in fact, her mature voice is as compelling as it's ever been, only richer.

And what a band. Lead and bass guitars, B3 Hammond organ, drums and three-member brass section, with Rickie Lee alternating between guitar and piano, it's a big sound, doing extreme justice to the songs, most of which were from her early albums, including favorites like "Chuck E's In Love," "Easy Money," "Coolsville" and "Last Chance." It's as though the 20 years in between simply faded away. I love how she effortlessly moves through jazz and blues and folk, and probably a little country and pop in there too, giving them all her sultry-voiced stamp.

Ace singer and ace band. A must-see if you can.

lowell folk festival 7/29 - 7/31

Hard to believe another year has gone by. But it's time for the Lowell Folk Festival again, this year marking their 25th anniversary. Full of a solid lineup of acts on seven stages and an even more solid lineup of food vendors, the festival claims to be the oldest free festival in the United States. Of course it's not really free (if you know what I mean), but you don't have to pay an entrance fee on the day of. I got down to the festival on Friday night and again on Sunday (was going to a roller derby marathon in Manchester on Saturday), and caught just about everybody I wanted to see. It's always an eclectic international lineup, representing musical styles from Quebecois, bluegrass, Irish, Columbian, Inuit throat singing, boogie-woogie, zydeco, blues, polka, Hawaiian slack-key guitar, Rajastyhani, Ethiopian azmari funk, Argentinian tango, honkey tonk and gospel. And I'm sure I've forgotten a few. Yes, I did - the Trinidadian steel drums out on the street - too much music to confine to a stage!

Friday night's line-up was all on the Boarding House Park stage, three acts, starting with the Quebe Sisters, doing western swing and Texas fiddling. Great harmonies and great fiddling! Followed by the highlight of my weekend - Dervish, from county Sligo, playing traditional Irish music with a whole lot of gusto. Lead singer Cathy Jordan, with the voice of an angel, also played bodhran and clappers to keep time with her feet. Fiddle, piccolo, accordion and two bouzoukis rounded out the band. Highlight of the set had to be her cover of Bob Dylan's "Boots of Spanish Leather," absolutely spellbinding. The rain began to fall in the open-air venue during Dervish's set (the irony of it did not escape Cathy, especially as the rain left at the end of their set). The headliner for the night was Shemekia Copeland, with a good set of lungs and huge audience appeal. They put Shemekia at the Dance Stage for Saturday night, and I'm sure she rocked the night away.

Sunday was more food and drink and much more music. I was really pleased to see Leward Ka'apana from Hawaii, playing guitar and ukelele, and I also caught a bit of polka from Stanky & The Coal Miners (making me miss Yosh and Stan Schmenge, the fabulous Schmenge Brothers). I caught the tail end of Eden Brent, from Greenville, Mississipi, who plays boogie-woogie on the keyboard, reminiscent of Marcia Ball. I caught Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, good dancing music for sure, at the expense of missing Nukariik, the Inuit throat singers - it was a tough call, but you can't see them all. I am enthralled by throat singing, but I love zydeco dancing. Lots of downtown to wander around in, catching bits of music here and there, more food, more drink, but got back to JFK Plaza in time for Dervish's Sunday performance and another great set. Followed by Le Vent du Nord, from Quebec, mining the same Celtic vein as the Irish band. Very talented and vibrant band, and much to my delight, in an absolute no-brainer, Le Vent du Nord extended their set, bringing Dervish on to accompany them for three numbers to close out the set and the festival.

taj mahal 7/27

Back to Portsmouth, this time to Prescott Park to see Taj Mahal, who was playing as part of the park's Arts Festival. Lovely little park on the harbor, and with the show starting at 7:30, it was ideal for family picnics and a laid-back evening in the setting sun. Joining Taj onstage were Bill Rich on bass and Kester Smith on drums, for an evening that started with "Fever" and just went with the 12-bar blues pretty much all night long. Such that, nearing the end of the show, he introduced "Sitting on Top of the World" with "We'll take it down a notch," at which point there was a round of boos. "OK, then, if that's what you want, as Frank Zappa said, 'Commence to bleed, commence to bleed, commence to bleed.' " It was pretty funny, especially since it wasn't close to a Frank bleed, but nonetheless, it had everyone up dancing. He squeezed his show into 90 minutes, ending with everybody's favorite, "Corinna." Terrific to see him. He hasn't changed much over the years, just keeps doing his thing.

k.d. lang 7/12

It was off to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to catch k.d. lang at the Music Hall. It's a nice venue, almost intimate, with no bad seat in the house. I've been enjoying k.d's voice and music since she arrived on the music scene in the late 1980s. I think I first saw her in a tribute concert with Johnny Cash that was filmed in black and white and aired on TV. In k.d's duet with Cash, they sang "Crying," and I was hooked. You can still see a lot of Cash in her mannerisms and style today. In '92 she came out with the album Ingenue, a collection of pop tunes that veered away from anything country, and she's continued to explore different musical veins ever since.

Her show tonight was a cornucopia of all her styles, dipping into the backlist frequently, but with a huge dollop from her new album with her band Siss Boom Bang - the album's called Sing It Loud and she does. I was glad to hear the old ones, too, "Miss Chatelaine," "Constant Craving" and "Hallelujah" - it was like Singalong Jubilee in the room on all of the old tunes, plus a lot of respect for the newer songs.

A big nod to Lucy Wainwright, sister to Rufus, daughter of Loudon, who opened the show. Very charming, very personable, and a delightful performer. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

manzarek rogers band - 5/6

Kudos once again to the folks at Tupelo Music Hall for continually booking the place with great acts, like Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers. It was a four piece band, with Kevin Hayes on drums and Steve Evans on bass (the latter two having one song where only they played an instrumental - tremendous musicianship, and you can see why they're in the band). Manzarek Rogers pretty much rocked the place, playing a lot from their most recent album, Translucent Blues - it was the blues all night long, swamp blues, 12-bar blues, even "Greenhouse Blues." Glad I got to see them, especially Roy Rogers, who first came to my attention with the album he did with Shana Morrison - Everybody's Angel. He plays a mean guitar. It was thoroughly enjoyable to get the chance to see him play this night. I see they've got a couple of dates at the end of October - worthwhile checking them out. You can check out their website, and listen to a few clips from the new album here: http://manzarek-rogersband.com/

neil young 4/20

To think I almost didn't go to the show. I was going to skip it, not because I didn't want to see Neil - but last time I saw Neil, in December 2006, I got permanent tinnitus in one ear from all his thrashing around, and I don't think an hour and a half of Le Noise is quite what the doctor ordered. But when Dennis mentioned he wanted to go, it all seemed so silly to miss it. If my other ear was going to go, what better way to go out?

We got tickets for the Wednesday night show - the second of two shows he did at the Wang Theater in Boston - April 19 and 20. What's not to like? Neil's shows are always a piece of art - he's always doing something different, and no matter what it is, it's always got his enthusiasm. And it's infectious.

But first - Bert Jansch. A case of better late than never for me. All I can say is what a delight; what an honor, really, to listen to him play guitar for 45 minutes. A master craftsman - technically superb, with the ability to play two guitar parts simultaneously, picking out bass and rhythm or rhythm and lead like people do this all the time; stylistically reminiscent of Doc Watson; and artistically, he puts the notes together in a continuum of beauty. I felt humbled. A Scottish treasure.

Neil's show was a treasure too. The whole package, from the stage setup to the lighting to the song choices and their order, it was another brilliantly executed piece of Neil art. The stage was glorious - an upright piano stage right, a baby grand on the left, and back center, up a few steps, a pipe organ. The two pianos were lit by hanging Tiffany lamps and the organ by a spotlight, islands of light lending a softness to the dark. It was somber, but it was gentle, home-like. Kudos to the person doing the lights. The back wall had four vertical panels that would adjust for color and texture for each song, very evocative.

And there comes Neil walking out on stage, with his harmonica apparatus strapped on, white jacket that gets progressively more crinkled as the night goes on, his somewhat disheveled hair under a white fedora, and he wanders over near the Indian, straps on his acoustic, takes a seat, dips his harmonica in the cup of water, and we're off into "My, My, Hey, Hey" followed by "Tell Me Why" and "Helpless." Simple little "Tell Me Why" from After The Goldrush - taking me back 40 years to high school days. And "Helpless," gently taking me back to Canada more than any song can.

He moved it up a level for the next three songs, playing a black acoustic with a pickup. The first of them was new, "You Never Call," with its in-and-out burgers, and the other two giving us our first taste of Le Noise distorted live. As the set unfolded, it was the songs from Le Noise that so captured my attention. Probably the newness factor has a lot to do with it - it's always fun to see what Neil is up to next. In Le Noise, it's the same Neil, singing the same songs about life and love, the human condition, reflections from the road of life. All of them are told through what is virtually one long guitar solo after another - he had three electric guitars and he used all three for the Le Noise songs - two songs on the black acoustic with pickup, two on Old Black, and two on the Gretsch white falcon. While Neil was working distortion tricks on the guitar at hand, he was also distorting his voice in echo. It wasn't all about distortion, but that was the telltale mark. Sometimes making it sound like a cry in the dark in "Love and War," sometimes just pounding noise in "Rumblin," and sometimes a soaring anthem, like in the closer for the night, the seriously good "Walk With Me" - think Jimi Hendrix at Monterey.

Throw in "Down By The River," "Ohio," "After The Goldrush," "I Believe In You,""Cortez The Killer" and "Cinnamon Girl," and once again, it's Neil at his ever-loving best.

peter wolf

Peter Wolf fans are getting a treat this month, with Peter on the road for eight shows in 12 days. Dennis and I caught him at the Blue Ocean Music Hall in Salisbury on Sunday night. Last time we saw him was in May last year up in Portland, Maine, and I suppose that was the last time I gave him a listen. So it was good to dust off Midnight Souvenirs and Sleepless last week and squeeze them into the Van rotation, getting prepped for the show. Tonight I've got a Peter Wolf mix going on YouTube. You've gotta love YouTube. I think for my next vacation, I am going to take a week off and just watch YouTube. Some of the Peter Wolf videos they have up there are classics. Check out "Come As You Are"for starters, then "Lights Out"-- you'll get an idea of the energy this guy has.

And he brings it all to the stage. A dancing fool, with all the right moves, across the stage and down into the audience for a couple of songs for the ladies. He's got some seriously dedicated fans and they are in full participation mode all night long. Most of them go back to the J Geils days and could sing you every word coming out of Peter's mouth. Too funny ... about halfway through the show, Peter's in locomotion with "Wastin' Time" when all of a sudden, a transformer blows and everything goes dead up on stage. No problem; he turns to the audience and they sing the song through to the end. These guys know their stuff.

It took about half an hour, but they got the band hooked up to auxilliary power and away we went for the second half of the show. I don't know the song, I wish I did, but early in the second set, there was an instrumental featuring the pedal steel and double bass - a nice tribute to both of them. Great band - with Duke Levine on guitar, and on piano, Kenny White, who was also the opening act. Stellar pianist - his hands were a blur in the flourishes - and a captivating song stylist. White produced Peter's last three records, and when they're playing together up on stage, it's easy to see why it works. A big recommend for Kenny White.

As for Peter, he was his typical charged self. From "Must Have Got Lost" and "Love Stinks" to"Riverside Drive," "Nothing But The Wheel" and last year's "Tragedy,"he touched down on points throughout his career. It was an especially nice treat to hear "Women Are Lonely" from 1990's Up To No Good. Altogether, a superb show. Wish you were there!

tab benoit

I've got to thank Robbie for this one. I think he might have seen Tab at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Tab's from New Orleans, just another local, as he joked to us on Sunday night. Once again, kudos to Tupelo Music Hall for doing it right one more time.

Tab was in top form - it was like the young Bob Dylan, who would regale his audience with tales between songs. Stories about Buddy Guy ("isn't it cool that he's got two names that mean the same thing - hey, buddy, hey, guy") and courvoisier, crappy fish, and moose horns. We got it all. I don't suppose we came for the stories, but they went down so well, followed by huge swaths of blues guitar. It was a great night of music.

Three member band - Corey Duplechin on bass, Doug Gay on drums, and Tab Benoit on three different guitars. I think all of them were Fender Stratocasters. Maybe a thinline. But I'm out of my league here. All I know is they produced some great bayou blues all night long. All that was missing was a harp. The first song in was an RnB number, and it seemed like these guys were picking up where James Hunter left off a couple of weeks ago in the same room, taking it a few notches higher.

His guitar reminds me of Albert King and his voice is like Otis Redding. Or at least it was tonight. He even sang "These Arms of Mine," and it was a bit uncanny really. That was well into the set, though. The table had been well set.

Before tonight, I didn't know a thing about Tab Benoit except for a one night crash course on YouTube last week. Fat lot of good it did me ... when he called out for requests, do you think I could remember the one song I'd had on repeat - it had New Orleans or Louisiana in the title, but I drew a blank, and basically hoped he'd sing it anyways, without any prompts from me. (No such luck.)

He's got real style on the guitar - very tasty - no gimmicks, just straight away. Born and bred, his songs are set deep in the bayou - I was going to say very earthy, but I guess the term in Cajun country is "swampy." He was definitely swampy. "Sac au Lait Fishing" and "We Make A Good Gumbo" - how more swampy can you get? He traveled up through the delta and beyond in "The Blues Is Here To Stay," where he namechecks just about everybody from Elmore James and Bobby Blue Bland to Stevie Ray and T Bone Walker. In the end, it was just straight blues all night long.

One thing is sure, I'll be timing my visit to New Orleans when Tab Benoit is there.

The song I couldn't remember? "New Orleans Ladies," just for the ladies.

james hunter

Kudos to the folks at Tupelo Music Hall for booking James Hunter on Saturday night. There was a time back in 2006 when I saw a lot of him - when he was touring People Gonna Talk. That summer I was going to more James Hunter shows than Van Morrison shows. The energy coming from the stage was simply immense. And unless absolutely forbidden by law, I was up there dancing from the first note every night. I like my R'n'B Sam Cooke style.

I knew all that going in on Saturday night and intentionally bought general admission tickets, which would put me firm up against the back wall with an open aisle in front of me. But when Celeste and I got there, it turned out they'd upgraded us to seats in the second to last row. It was good for the opening act, Jesse Dee, who hails from south of Boston. He put on a good set, crafting these stories in definitely what was a unique voice. But he was a sit-down kind of guy.

As soon as James came on - with a band consisting of a B3, an upright bass, James on guitar, and a tenor and a baritone sax (yum) - and started in on "She's Got A Way," I was up and at 'em, but did have the courtesy to exit my seat and go stand at the back of the room. (Thanks, to Dave, who offered me a barstool during my dancing intermissions.)

You don't want to blow the roof off in a place like the Tupelo - it's a small room - but even so, it was a bit of a toned-down affair. Perhaps more from necessity than anything else - James' voice was this side of shot, and really, the only songs he sounded comfortable on were on the slower, more poppy tunes he referred to as "new songs." I think one was called "Your Love Is Like A Gold Mine" and another "Minute By Minute." A couple of others that might have been called "One More" Time" and "I'm Going Nowhere" and the requisite 12-bar blues, "Think." And if there's going to be a hit single, it'll be "One Way Love." Add a handful of songs from People Gonna Talk and another handful from The Hard Way and throw in the "5" Royales' "Baby Don't Do It" and you've got yourself a whole lot of brass. Altogether a solid night of good-time rhythm and blues. To start the encore, the band got to stretch it out in a nice long jazz instrumental, which featured the two brass at the end blowing those familiar notes from "All Through Crying," as James hustled up the aisle toward the stage. He closed with "Talking 'Bout My Love," and I swear on my mother's grave, I am certain someone threw a pair of pink panties at James at the end of the show. Those R'n'B singers will get them every time.

That's a picture I got taken with James in 2008, when Dan H and I caught him out back of the Casino Ballroom on his smoke break.

I was checking out James' website, and I'll leave you with a goodie ... if you go to the Music page, you'll get a list of his three albums, and beneath that, Bonus Tracks. That's the one to click on. It's an eclectic mix of James at his, well, most eclectic.

johnny winter

It was a full house at the Tupelo Music Hall on Friday night to see Johnny Winter. And among the crowd were some adoring fans. He's the kind of guy who gets introduced as "the legendary..." and I wanted to check him out at least once in my life. Dennis and I arrived as the first song was under way, so I missed his entrance. He was sat in his chair, where he remained all night, just playing the blues. My brother Scott saw him about five years ago, and he'd mentioned that Johnny's guitar playing was a shadow of its former self and he'd had a virtuoso guitarist on stage who carried the load. Whomever the virtuoso was, he's gone now - nowadays the band consists of rhythm, bass, drums, and Johnny on guitar, and while there was no blowing the roof off the hall, it was a good, solid performance, short on the flourishes and long on the memories.

Not that I have any Johnny Winter memories to speak of, but judging from the response of the people in the audience, he was playing to theirs, with their favorites from over the years. Among them were "Red House," "Maybelline," Johnny B. Goode," "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," "Got My Mojo Working," and two Dylan tunes - "It's All Over Now" and "Highway 61 Revisited."

While sixth row seats are good seats most nights, for a Johnny Winter show, it meant spending the night mostly staring at the black hat on his head. But whenever the sea of heads parted and I could see his face, he always had the same bemused look on it, eyes straight ahead, not registering on anything or anyone, just looking straight out in from of him, while his guitar did all the talking. It wasn't a long set, maybe 80 minutes. Not a lot of talking, just playing. They took about a 30-second on-stage break - as the drummer said - consider this the intermission, where we'd go out and have a pee, but it's so damn cold outside, we're staying in. And then on into the last two songs of the night. He stood up and took a bow before walking off under his own steam.

I'm glad I got to see him - there are so many artists that I've neglected over the years, and it's fun playing catch-up. Here's a recent video of him - with the same band as Friday night - playing "Highway 61 Revisited." Get your mojo working.