A capacity amphitheater crowd reveled in the iconic blues guitarist’s farewell performance in Grand Rapids on Friday. The review and photos.
The Blues and the Stories that Go With Them: Buddy Guy on stage Friday at Meijer Gardens. (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
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It’s only apropos that blues legend Buddy Guy would kick off shows on his farewell tour with “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues.”
Because at 86 — after a career spanning an incredible six decades — the blues have pumped through the influential, Grammy Award winner’s veins for a very long time, on many stages, in many studios and with many renowned collaborators.
So for his sold-out return to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Friday night, the capacity crowd rightly cheered every note they heard, aiming to keep memories of this Chicago icon in their hearts for many more years.
Starting right off with powerful blues riffs and unmatched showmanship, sending laughs and getting applause from the get-go, Guy unfurled his licks from unusual stances, hip thrusting with the notes, and lifting the guitar up to play with his teeth.
Opener: Ally Venable (Photo/Chelsea Whitaker)
“Am I playing too loud?” Guy asked at one point, to the crowd’s roars. “Just let me know … I get carried away.”
Guy carried away with an evening of renowned favorites, frequently giving recognition to the other blues players who helped teach and influence him along the way, from B.B. King and Muddy Waters to Howlin’ Wolf and Eric Clapton.
He had the crowd cheering again during a rendition of the classic, “Hoochie Coochie Man,” when he got to the end of a particular famous line, went quiet and the line went mostly unsaid. He stopped, and jokingly scolded the crowd for not singing it back along with him.
“OK, I didn’t come all this way to [mess] this song up,” Guy said to cheers. “Try again, sing it with me! It’s no fun if I do this up here by myself.”
Fans were up and dancing, reveling in every note and screaming for the next beloved favorite from this revered bluesman, in what seems likely to be his last stop in Grand Rapids.
The audience also enthusiastically welcomed Texas blues guitarist Ally Venable, who opened the night while promoting her new album, “Real Gone,” which topped the Billboard Blues chart.
Her lively set featured powerful, blazing guitar licks backed by a top-notch band, earning a standing ovation in the process.
And like the crowed, she, too, hailed the legendary Guy, not only expressing excitement to be touring with the guitarist who joined her in the studio for the title track of her new recording, but noting that Guy was the one who told her she should record the album in the first place.
Next Up at Meijer Gardens: Greensky Bluegrass plays Meijer Gardens at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The show is sold out.
PHOTO GALLERY: Buddy Guy, Ally Venable at Meijer Gardens
Photos by Chelsea Whitaker
