Kenny
Wayne Shepherd Band At The Egg
Opening
Act: Sly Fox And The Hustlers
Albany,
New York
The seating there is terrific, there is not really a bad
seat in the house. Although I was positioned in the center I was in the very
last row. Even though that may seem too far back I was fine with my seats and
could see everything going on without any issue. The sound folks were right
behind us and graciously gave me the set list before leaving.
Sly Fox and The Hustlers warmed up the receptive crowd
before Kenny arrived. They are local to Albany and have their own album out. We
heard some originals and they also did some covers, like most blues bands. I
thought they were exceptional. The crowd did as well and gave them a good send
off before the lights came back on for a short break.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of those young phenom’s I
remember when he first started. Right out the gate his name was stamped into
the souls of all blues rock oriented followers. He has done nothing but gain
notoriety in the passing years and ultimately the respect of his peers. The admiration
from the community you are in is one of stepping stones to being recognized and
a path to stardom. It didn’t take Kenny long to get there.
If you are in the mood for a show that has a band onstage
that knows how to play traditional blues properly with rock mixed in then you
need to get your tickets to see KWS. I mean this band smokes!
I had never been to one of Kenny’s concerts but knew it
would be a must for anyone that loves the blues. By the time the evening was
through I felt like I just saw the Hendrix incarnate! He has one of the tightest bands and one that
includes another legend in his own right, Chris Layton on drums. He held down
the rhythm section for Stevie’s Ray Vaughan’s band and from that point his name
was written in stone.
Noah Hunt handles a lot of lead singing and he switches off
with Kenny depending on what song they are doing. They both have good voices
however Noah’s vocal timbre is deep and just right for this kind of music. Many
times, during the evening he reminded me of Paul Rogers however when I listened
to the CD on the way home I did hear that, which I found interesting. Therein
lies the difference between a live and studio performance. And speaking of that
difference, this band is so good that they nail their studio tracks spot on. And
to the delight of the audience, plenty of improvisation and wailing away is
provided by Mr. Shepherd.
Favorites of the night were “Heat of the Sun,” “Blue on
Black” and an amazing rendition of
“Voodoo Child.”
This was a night to remember for me and I am sure for
everyone in attendance there. KWS has earned his seat amongst the great guitar
heroes of our generation and I would expect to see him continue to gain fans. The
man is only 40 so he has at least another 40 years or more left before hanging
it up, if he ever does. Most blues players play until the cannot anymore or
simply pass away. I know one thing for certain, this six-string bandit will be
entertaining audiences long after I leave this planet.
The music of KWS reaches out to everyone and any barriers
that were in place outside the venue in daily life melt away instantly. It
makes me wonder…if we piped in music on every city street across the world if
it would change the attitudes of people and make it a better place? It’s worth
a try.
Keith
“MuzikMan” Hannaleck
August 11, 2017
Founder of:
Review
Provided By Write A Music Review
Set
List:
Never
Lookin Back
Kings
Highway
True Lies
House Is Rockin’
Hard
Lesson
Baby Got
Gone
Down for
Love
Heat of
the Sun
Talk To
Me Baby
Deja
Voodoo
Born With
A Broken Heart
Diamonds
and Gold
Nothing
But The Night
BB Medley
Shotgun
Blues
Encore:
Blue on
Black
King Bee
Voodoo
Child
