:bug
That smilie pretty much sums up the concert!
I headed down to Atlantic City tonight to the House of Blues in the Showboat casino to watch an amazing performance by both Robert Cray and Buddy Guy. I must admit that prior to this concert I was never a big fan of either (not because I didn't like them, simply because I'm only 19 and never really found myself exposed to them before I started taking up guitar). First, I'll describe Robert's set and then move on to Buddy's.
Robert was outstanding. He was very personable and you could tell that he honestly enjoyed performing (which was a bit refreshing after a couple of shows I've been to). I'm sure I'm missing some guitars as it's been a long, hectic night, but to the best of my memory he used a two Telecasters and two Strats for his set. The two Strats were his sunburst Strat and his Inca silver Strat. I believe one of the Teles he used was a blonde with black pickguard (I'm not positive about this), and the other one was a metallic Telecaster (very, very cool), which unfortunately I cannot offer much information on. His set lasted approximately an hour and a half and he literally played none-stop with the exception of taking small breaks to talk to the audience. After his set my friend and I were both in agreement that he was by far the best guitar-player either of us have ever had the privilege to see. Un/fortunately (depending on who's perspective you chose, I suppose) this "title" was short-lived...
While Robert Cray was a 9 on a scale of 10, Buddy guy was an 11. The man was absolutely AMAZING. Between playing his guitar with drumsticks, his setlist, his teeth, and venturing into the crowd to play for about half an hour, I was awe-struck the entire set. I've been to a couple of concerts and none of them had me as taken aback as Buddy Guy's. For being close to 70 years old, the man is un-freaking-believable. Hell, even if he was 20 years old, I'd say the same thing!
He played for about an hour and a half, hardly ever resting. He used a blue polka-dot Telecaster, a natural-finish Telecaster, and his polka-dot Strat. It's also worth mentioning that his other guitar player who's name I unfortunately cannot remember, was awesome as well. He and Buddy had a little guitar dual in the beginning of the set, which was very cool to watch.
At one point in the concert I was "singled" out if you will. I was lucky enough to have a spot in the front row. As he started one song he looked at me, laughed, and said something to the effect of "I can tell this guy doesn't like this song so we're gonna stop it and play something else!" The entire band stopped playing and for a brief moment it was silent. At that point I wanted to jump out of my shoes but I was so taken aback that I could only smile at the man. While I cannot say with 100 percent certainty that he was talking to me, it sure as hell felt that way. :rofl
Again, I'm not knowledgeable enough about Buddy to name songs that he played, but I definitely recognized many of them. Most notable was his rendition of "Voodoo Chile". He played this very Hendrix-esque if you will, using his teeth, playing behind his back, etc. This was the last song that he played and he definitely did not disappoint.
One of the coolest parts of the concert for me was at the end. His manager gave him a bunch of picks to hand out to fans and I was lucky enough to get one! I know it may not seem like a lot, but I was literally excited beyond words. I realize that it may seem comical from your point of view, but for me it was "life-changing" as far as my guitar playing goes. It’s currently resting safely in my bedroom and I can’t wait to show it to my kids someday.
Reply With Quote
Someday....
