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Concert Review
Buddy Guy
January 17, 2010 @ Buddy Guy's Legends
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By Dave Miller
XZo
The annual pilgrimmage to see Buddy Guy during his Legends stand has always produced thrills. The quality of the shows varied, but you knew you were receiving a treat regardless. It's hard to beat watching one of the best guitarists in the world playing in the intimate confines of his club.
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However, Sunday was something else entirely. Put Jan. 17 down as an early contender for the show of the year.
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I heard the positive buzz going into the show. People have been saying it's the best they've seen Guy, 73, play in years. I didn't get the feeling it was hyperbole either. While battling gout, he's been advised to stop drinking and Guy has taken the advice seriously for the past four months. The result is that he's in better shape physically and mentally to give his best in concert.
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That became quickly apparent. Guy came out smokin' on guitar and was clearly focused. He invested himself into the entire song more so than I've seen in the past. Sure, he took his customary stroll through the crowd and out the back door of the club, continuing to play the Willie Dixon-penned "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" on the street as his band carried on onstage, but he returned in time to keep the show's momentum going. His voice, which has always been underrated to me, sounded a tad worn by the fourth show in as many nights, but that wear was trumped by how much effort and emotion Guy poured into his vocals, most notably on "Skin Deep." He stayed attentive to the songs, which hasn't always been the case in the past. Guy has regularly played snippets of songs, stopping them when he's become bored or sensed the audience has. We still received some snippets, most notably "Boom Boom" and "Strange Brew" back to back in mid-show, but even then, those received longer treatments than I remember from in the past and, thanks to Guy's comments about them, became a fun, designed portion of the show. The regular set included "Mustang Sally" and "Fever."
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The quality of the regular set made this show the best of the half dozen Guy concerts I've seen, but then a couple things lifted this show into the special category. Wild ol' blues and soul man Syl Johnson, 73, joined Guy for "Big Fat Woman." It was cool to see their friendship play out onstage. Johnson played his harmonica and egged on the crowd to sing while Guy played his guitar in the backround before stepping into the spotlight. Eventually, Johnson blew his harp while face-to-face with the guitar hero. It was a moment when the show moved into anything-can-happen territory.
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After Johnson's guest appearance, I overheard a blues aficionado next to me tell his buddy, "Ten more minutes," as in this show's got 10 more minutes. Guy's shows typically run 75-90 minutes, and I even heard a member of the club's staff tell that to a customer earlier in the night. But then just when you sensed the show might be ending, Guy asked for his acoustic guitar. He grabbed it, sat down on a stool in front of the microphone and sang four more songs, beginning with "In The Mood" as he would up stretching the show to 100 minutes.
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Guy saved the best for last with two choice covers. He sang Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" in a beautifully high, soft voice before turning it back up for Ray Charles' "What I'd Say." I've always enjoyed a Buddy Guy show, but now I feel I can say I saw the master blues man at his best. When he left the stage, he immediately headed to the merchandise counter by the club's entrance. There he stood and signed items for a long line of people, looking this time as happy as he was making his fans.
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