Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

The Blues Society had the honor of hosting its first National Act on Sunday, March 16 at the Thunderbird. Unfortunately, Bubs McKeg, the opening act, had to cancel due to illness. The “Blues Good Neighbor Award” goes to Shari Richards who agreed to step in with only a few hours notice. Despite having to take over for Bubs and having a full head of hair and maybe being a touch cuter than our hometown favorite Bubs, Shari took to the stage with guitar in hand and the spotlight was on her and her alone. The audience was mesmerized with her soulful, energetic offerings. She tantalized everyone with her version of Queen Bee and led them through a meandering and sizzling melody of songs. Her rendition of “I Would Rather Go Blind” brought the crowd to their knees.

E.G. Kight, from Dublin, Georgia, headlined the show in an “Up Close and Personal” performance for the area’s blues fans. Michael Allison (Global Muse) once stated about E.G. Kight, “…a truly impressive vocal range that has a growl of a tiger and the soft seductiveness of a Siron Goddess. The music she performs is done with such a down home gut wrenching feeling. You could swear that she is singing to you. That is real blues!” Cheerful, upbeat, and unique are only a few of the words that could describe her driving performance at the Thunderbird. Engaging and personal were adjectives that often came to mind that evening. Her overwhelming talent was evident with her many, personal musical offerings. Her tunes were wonderful and her guitar work outstanding. Kight’s performance included many selections from her CD, “Live and Naked.” She exceeded the audience’s expectations and proved the reason for her many blues nominations. It was definitely a good night in Pittsburgh!