Kenny Wayne Shepherd | Photo: Martine Ehrenclou

Unlike most, I attended this concert to see Kenny Wayne Shepherd play live again. I’d always liked ZZ Top but they hadn’t been on my radar for many years. I figured that seeing them live would be a great opportunity to discover what they were up to, and of course, catch KWS and his band.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, with their own brand of hot blues-rock, opened the show with one of their hits, “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway,” off of their Trouble Is.. album. KWS is a powerhouse guitar player whose skills and tone are reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan. In fact, KWS was a disciple of Stevie Ray Vaughan back in the day. Add in Chris Layton on drums, Scott Nelson on guitar and Riley Osbourn on keys, and you’ve got rhythm that’s cinched tight. As a musician and songwriter who came on the scene in the 1990s, KWS is very much a contemporary blues-rock artist. He has received five Grammy nominations and two Billboard awards.

Noah Hunt, the vocalist for the band, has a rich, powerful voice, whose tone and clarity blends seamlessly with KWS’ guitar licks and the band’s rocking style.

Having seen KWS live before, it still amazes me that the band’s vocalist doesn’t overshadow KWS himself. That’s not an easy dance as singers are usually the main focus of attention in bands. Not with this one. KWS and Noah Hunt shared the stage, often performing side by side. Until KWS kicked in with one of his awe-inspiring guitar solos. He then owned the stage. Shepherd threw himself into performing with a unique passion. It’s thrilling to watch a musician give in so much to the music he’s playing. As if it was just him and his Strat alone on the stage.

That is star power if you ask me. I suspect we’ll be hearing a lot more about Shepherd. His command of the guitar is stunning, his vibrato distinct. His guitar solos are unique in tone and feel.

KWS band followed their first song with tunes from their 2014 album, Goin’ Home. One of my favorites they did was the BB King tune, “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now.” Shepherd and Hunt collaborated beautifully together on this number with Hunt belting in all the right places. But it is Kenny Wayne Shepherd who took command of that stage with solos to die for throughout the song.

If you want to see what I’m talking about, check out the video.

 
KWS Band closed the show with “Voodoo Child” (Hendrix cover), which drew raves from the crowd. I suspect a good portion of the people around us hadn’t heard of Kenny Wayne Shepherd before. After that performance, my guess is that they raced home to check out more of his music.

 

ZZ Top | Photo: Martine Ehrenclou

ZZ Top | Photo: Martine Ehrenclou

ZZ Top, with their trademark beards, hats and sunglasses, opened their high-energy show with the hard driving tune, “Under Pressure.” The audience roared with delight. The crowd was there to see this band of four decades and to hear their hits. They got what they came for.

At the beginning of the concert, Billy Gibbons, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, said to the audience, “Same three guys, four decades,” referring to co-vocalist and bassist, Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard as the band that has stayed together for over forty years. A testament to their staying power for sure. The fact that they are as popular as they are, speaks to the trio’s true musicianship, sense of humor and string of hit songs.

ZZ Top played many of their commercial hits that night, leaving out some heavier numbers such as “Blue Jeans Blues,” which is a tune I recently discovered. Billy Gibbons’ plays some of the best guitar solos I’ve heard on that song. If you haven’t heard it, I encourage you to check it out on their album, Fandango.

If you’ve wondered if Gibbons plays guitar as well as he used to, you are in for a nice surprise if you see ZZ Top in concert. “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide,” showcased Gibbons crazy guitar skills as did the song, “Sixteen Tons.”

The band infused humor into their concert as they have with their music over the years. They weren’t playing guitars covered in fur this time around but it was obvious they don’t take themselves too seriously. Understated? Yes. Cool? Absolutely.

ZZ Top closed the show with a commercial favorite hit, “Tush.” Who can resist that recognizable riff? That song played live is every bit as solid as on the studio and live recorded album, Fandango. For the encore, ZZ Top played the Hendrix hit, “Foxy Lady.” It didn’t take much for the crowd to leap to its feet and sing along. Gibbons cleaned up on this song with his guitar chops. It’s no wonder that Jimmy Hendrix named Gibbons his favorite guitar player during his appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

ZZ Top are music icons. Their talent as musicians is remarkable. They put on a fun show, pleased their fans, and had a good time themselves. Everybody walked away happy.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Trouble Is… is available on:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kS0BmF

iTunes: goo.gl/osUAxx