In a time when many students find musical solace on the dance floor of a house party while grinding against their favorite “hottie” to Outkast, the soulful, sexy depth and simple eloquence of pure blues can get lost in the mix. Indeed, the April 8 show at Luther’s Blues featuring blues legend Bobby “Blue” Bland had a packed house — but probably fewer than a dozen of those listeners were under the age of 30.
Fortunately, those student-age concert-goers were not left disappointed. Bland, a 74-year-old blues god whose hits include more than 30 top-20 R & B singles like “Turn On Your Lovelight” and “I Pity the Fool,” sang Thursday night with all the elegance of his hit-making youth. Backed up by four horns, rhythm and bass guitars and two sets, Bland’s voice was occasionally drowned out by his supporting cast — causing him to interrupt the show at a few points to complain, via open mic as if a standup comic, to the “sound man” for poor mixing.
Nevertheless, Bland delivered. As one of the best artists arising from the Beale Street days of blues clubs in Memphis, he showed why the small venue is the best venue for hearing real blues. With crowd interaction, a trademark of many great blues artists like Buddy Guy and Robert Cray, Bland encouraged one especially enthusiastic female listener to come up to the stage. He then sang his own mix of ballad lyrics, causing her to kick off her shoes in enthusiasm. When the concert came to an end, he walked through the crowd, shaking hands and hugging many delighted — even if middle-aged — fans.
But the students who attended the show were also impressed by his talent. Nick Goeser, a UW student who won free tickets through the Onion, said, “I’ve seen B.B. King and other blues guys like that, and he played just like them. A lot of blues singers can lose their voice at his age, but he sounded great. It was a very good show.” Indeed, Bland laid out for the listener just the right blend of smooth vocals with raw growls that characterize the lyrical bluesy style he helped create. Goeser added, “I was really impressed with how he got the crowd involved.”
The small student turnout in the packed house meant many missed out on a great performance. Bland sang several blues classics, including “Ain’t No Sunshine,” with all the vigor and velvet of his early recordings. In “Stormy Monday Blues,” a T-Bone Walker song covered by nearly every blues artist in the past 40 years but first made popular by Bland in 1962, he proved Thursday how he remains one of the few to endure so many years on the concert circuit: by singing with a voice that characterizes the gospel-like depth and rasping longing for love of true blues.
Born outside Memphis in 1930, Bland was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. He has been called “second in stature only to B.B. King as a product of Memphis’ Beale Street blues scene.” As one of the founding members of the Beale Streeters, Bland worked not only with King but also blues legend Johnny Ace. Their influences were not lost on listeners Thursday night.
It is just a shame more students did not attend the concert. They missed out on hearing a living legend at work in just the right venue for doing so.
