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Gary Clark Jr. at the Palace Theatre, St. Paul (04 August 2017)
Gary Clark Jr Setlist
Catfish Blues (Robert Petway cover)
Next Door Neighbor Blues
Ain't Messin 'Round
When My Train Pulls In
Things Are Changin'
Down to Ride
Jackie Venson Setlist
Nice and Warm
Rollin' On
What I Need
Destruct (?)
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09/13/2017 Inglewood, CA Forum
09/20/2017 Fairfax, VA EagleBank Arena
09/23/2017 Franklin, TN Harlinsdale Farm Pilgrimage
09/24/2017 Louisville, KY Champions Park
09/26/2017 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live
09/27/2017 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre
09/29/2017 Columbia, MO Roots N Blues N BBQ
09/30/2017 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
Gary Clark Jr.'s latest Live North America 2016 came out March 17th, 2017, via Warner Bros. Records. Jackie Venson to open. Tour Dates: 08/04/2017 Palace Theatre St. Paul, MN …
"They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen ..."
Our esteemed commander-in-chief recently spoke those words as international tensions are escalating; but in terms of music, and guitar blues in particular, Gary Clark Jr. comes to mind when thinking of that quote and the Austin, TX guitar slinger displayed both, on his recent second sold-out night at The Palace Theater in St. Paul.
Opening the evening was fellow Austin native and Berklee School of Music graduate Jackie Venson with an energetic and generous forty-five minute set, in support of her latest, the self-released Live at Strange Brew and who has a new single, 'Flying', recently out.
Venson beamed with an infectious smile for her set and the joy she and her bassist and drummer showed in playing live, translated to the audience in the most positive way and they responded accordingly. Most songs were rhythmic and uptempo, but earmarked with honey sweet vocals and a blistering guitar solo, amazing enough in their dexterity, that Clark Jr. should either be worried about the competition, or just glad he has a friend in Venson.
'Lost in Time' was a set highlight, stretched out enough to breathe, with Venson getting the audience involved in call-and-response and those wanting an encore performance, or are curious enough, are more than encouraged to see Venson when she plays the nearby Turf Club, on Sept. 28.
Gary Clark Jr. and band then unassumingly took to the stage for their two-hour headlining set, in support of his second live full-length Live North America 2016 (Warner Bros Records), released this March. Starting with a simmering ten-minute cover of 1941's 'Catfish Blues', his band seemingly hid from the light standing a couple steps back amidst the dry ice haze with Clark himself tucked under the wide brim of his hat and dark suit.
Classic met current with 'Next Door Neighbor Blues', an old-fashioned stomp punctuated with an modern Clark solo, that looked back and forward at the same time. "What's up", he said simply after over the capacity crowd's roars, "Thanks for coming out". 'When My Train Pulls In' from 2012's Blak and Blu was about the nuances in Clark's guitar work, more so than any flashy chords and the song's theme is a timeless one in blues music.
Clark is fortunate to not only have the original blues masters to look up to (Leadbelly, Robert Johnson), but the next generation (Hooker, BB King), the UK slingers that adopted it as their own (Clapton, Page, Beck) and the more recent generation of North American artists (Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Healey) that had taken the art form back, in their own ways. Sharing the stage with the likes of Clapton and B.B. King has no doubt refined Clark's playing subtleties and showed that the spaces in between, are as important as the notes played.
Clark and band seemed to freely let the songs unravel on their own, without heed to any time limits with the setlist devolving as the night went, more as possible suggestions (i.e. 'The Healing' not played either night), rather than any strict track listing, with Clark's falsetto emerging several times, notably early on, with 'Our Love'.
Guitarist Eric (King) Zapata, dressed in a lemon yellow Buddha-like shawl with his hair wrapped and tied up, shone on his turn during 'Bright Lights', more than ably keeping up with Clark all night (no easy task), as did the "Rhythm Johnnys" - bassist Johnny Bradley and drummer Johnny Radelat.
'Travis County' rock-and-rolled like Clark picked it up where maybe Chuck Berry might have put it down, keeping his promise of "let's celebrate" for a couple in the crowd marking their wedding anniversary by going to the show. A fierce 'You Saved Me' gave way to a gentle 'Things are Changin' and an amp'd up 'Shake' to end the main set.
The encore was more controlled flame than outright fire, with two selections from 2015's The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, 'Church' and the slower, album-ending 'Down to Ride', " I think that's all the time we got" Clark said, before he and the band called it a night, leaving little doubt on why many have dubbed him "The Chosen One".
Some spark, some flame, some fire and some fury, Gary Clark Jr. showed all of that and more, one of the modern torch holders of the blues and making listening exciting again, to this distinctively American art form.
Jackie Venson at The Palace Theatre, St. Paul (04 August 2017)
Jackie Venson
Gary Clark Jr (Zapata)
Gary Clark Jr
Posted by W♥M on Sunday, 13 August 2017 at 08:32 AM in Gary Clark Jr., Jackie Venson, John, St Paul | Permalink