May 25, 2007

Buddy Guy at the House of Blues - Dallas 5/24/2007

As I was driving over to the House of Blues in the pouring rain, I wondered how many times I have seen Buddy Guy and I quit counting at about 15 and that is just in the last 10 years. To say that I am a huge fan of his would be an understatement as he is not only one of the top guitars players around but I admire the quality that puts him over the top….. he is a showman. I have taken numerous cohorts, dates and now ex-wives to his shows over the years, most of them had never seen or heard of Buddy Guy and not one has left without being admired by his endless energy and talent.

The night started out with Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets as the appetizer, as Watermelon Slim was due to open but was nowhere to be found. No problem as Anson playing his guitar was a fitting way to get the crowd in the groove, but the feel is just not the same without his friend Sam Myers no longer around after passing away unexpectedly last year.

After a short break, the patchwork quilt curtain flew back and out comes the piece de’ resistance in a polka-dotted shirt, white pants, floppy denim hat and a Stratocaster ready to light up the night. He headed toward Muddy Waters territory with “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Got My Mojo Working” to get the late-arriving people in the mood as they were finding their seats.

That famous polka-dotted guitar made an appearance with Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” before leaving the stage for the floor to jam with the flock and then heading to balcony ( gotta love wireless) . As he walked past the aisle next to me and prodded a couple of ladies to sing along ( they should keep their day jobs) he lit it with “Rock Me Baby” and continued to play with one hand as he sipped a beer behind the bar with cellphones surrounding him taking pics.

After he got back on stage, he let out more than a few expletives as he is still incensed at an article written by a local journalist a few years back after the Crossroads Guitar Festival at the Cotton Bowl. The journalist claimed that Buddy got in Eric Clapton’s way as they were trading licks with Jimmie Vaughan and BB King. I was front and center to that great quartet performance and the only thing in the way was the sweaty guy in front of me. Basically he told the writer to “F**k himself” if he happened to be present tonight as he has the last 3 times I have seen him play in the area since Crossroads. …. Touche’. Never piss off a guitar player.

He headed back a few years with “Boom, Boom” from John Lee Hooker and a bit of Clapton influence with Cream’s “Strange Brew” before getting closer to present with “Damn, Right I Got the Blues”. He entertained the crowd playing behind his back, through his legs and with a drumstick, a trick I am sure Jimi Hendrix picked up from him. Jimi was a huge fan of Buddy as he once canceled one of his own concerts just to see the master perform his craft on a London stage.

As he ended the evening with few verses from “On A Saturday Night” and Buddy throwing out guitar picks to awaiting hands ( hmmm, always seems to throw to the pretty ladies), I am anticipating my next sighting of him in Chicago at the next Crossroads Festival in July and watch he and Hubert Sumlin get together with their students once again.