Review of Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Pittsburgh Blues Festival - July 25, 2010.
There are 2 things that Pittsburgh Concert goers (and especially Pittsburgh blues fans) love. The first is a female vocalist who can belt out the blues soulful and sassy. The other is the guitar god who can stand cocksure on the stage and bring lightning from the sky with each wailing note that he plays. Well, those who attended the Pittsburgh Blues Festival on its final night got none of the first, but plenty of the last from Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his excellent band.
Kenny and his band, featuring superb vocalist, Noah Hunt, got things off to a roaring start with the bluesy, shuffling, “Somehow, Somewhere, Some Way.” The crowd was on its feet from the first note and stayed that way throughout. Next up was a great rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Everything is Broken” which has become a favorite among Shepherd’s fans. Kenny knew what the Pittsburgh crowd came to hear and he didn’t let them down. He stuck with songs that have been highlights of his career. The sweet ballad, “Last Goodbye,” provided a great showcase for Hunt’s vocal prowess. Kenny and the gang ripped through “Come On” and the crowd was wowed by the sheer power and passion of his playing. Although Shepherd’s style definitely leans more to the blues/rock side of things, songs like: “Shame, Shame, Shame,” “Shotgun Blues,” “Kings Highway” and the soaring instrumental, “Ledbetter Heights” reminded people that this was still indeed a blues festival performance and that this band could play it as well as anyone. Shepherd then closed out his set with the huge hit, “Blue on Black,” that gave the crowd a moment to sing back and show some of the love that they had seen expressing throughout his performance. Although they had been onstage for 90 minutes already, Kenny and the gang were far from done. An absolutely superb encore of “King Bee” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” which included some absolutely stellar moments of showmanship and skill by Shepherd as he worked the stage from end to end wowing the crowd closed out the night.
This may have been the finest headlining performance that I have ever witnessed at a Pittsburgh Blues Festival. Shepherd and Hunt have great stage chemistry together onstage that helps the crowd feel the passion that they put into their music. The other members of the band include a driving rhythm section of bassist, Scott Nelson, and drummer, Chris “Whipper” Layton (formerly of Double Trouble). Keyboardist, Riley Osbourn, had some standout moments during the performance, particularly during the bluesier numbers. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd band absolutely rocked Hartwood Acres and the crowd roared its approval at the close of the night! This was truly one memorable show and let’s hope that Kenny brings his fine band back to our area very soon.
~Jim Franciscus
