The Sunday Morning "Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway-Concert-Review" - B.B. King

(or, Why I Will Never Be A Professional Concert Reviewer...)

[Note: This should have been The Saturday Morning "Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway Concert Review", but it was pre-empted by that abrasive rubberized piece of weekend poultry...]

So, Friday night, Mrs. That Dan Guy and I finally had the chance to see B.B. King, in concert. Why in God's name haven't I ever seen him live before?? Holy Toledo, what a show!!

We had heard from others that at 81, he was past his prime, over the hill. Well, considering that he has skyrocketed up to the top of our "favorite concerts" list after that show, I don't think I could have handled seeing him in his prime!!

MTDG was smack-dab in the middle of a brutal cold, which she is currently in the process of passing on to me. We had to ply her with more over-the-counter medications than they typically inject into turkeys before Thanksgiving, but it was worth it - she absolutely loved the show!!!

At any rate - the show...

There was no warm-up act, save for the crackerjack B.B. King Blues Band, which did two extended blues jams (highlighting each individual member), before Mr. King arrived, onstage.

And the only other time I've seen a crowd go that crazy before, when the artist just comes onstage, there was a tall guy dressed in black, who simply said: "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash..."

Mr. King has to sit down to perform now, but that didn't diminish one second of his skills, or his voice (that still sounds like it did 30 or 40 years ago - clear, growly, and stronger than most singers 1/3 of his age).

He played for over 2 hours, so there's not much chance of mentioning all the songs. And by the way, for a blues giant, he's also a very charming comedian, telling story after story about growing up, and working in the cotton fields of Mississippi. He had that crowd in the palm of his hands all night long. When he did sing-a-long songs, he didn't proceed until the audience was damn-well singing along, like on U2's "When Love Comes To Town", which he was quite proud to inform us had been written for HIM!!

B.B. King is a diabetic, like myself. That's about the only similarity I could find. To say we both play the guitar would be like saying we both breathe, but I'm the asthmatic kid from down the block. Not even close...

The biggest reaction? "The Thrill Is Gone", given a crazy, extended workover.

We are extremely grateful we decided to sit in on this one...

Chow for now!!