Words by Marco Denzer | Photo by Joe Russo

For Gary Clark Jr. fans attending his concert at The Capitol Theatre, the first sign the evening would be different was the venue staff standing in the lobby requesting everyone to place their cell phones in locked pouches to prevent disruptions during the show. The unusual request seemed awkward at first, but everyone complied with it, and as the crowd continued trickling into the venue the benefits of the restriction quickly materialize. The distractions generated by screens, calls, texting, etc. were gone. Conversations and interactions among those in attendance was clearly evident.

Armed with a left-handed steel resonator guitar and a microphone, Kentucky based blues artist Nat Myers opened the evening with a strong dose of Delta blues that further set the vibe for a very good back to basics show. It didn’t take long for Nat, singing with a deep voice to the steady rhythm of his slide guitar strumming and foot stomping cadence of the songs, to entice the crowd into hooting and hollering and clapping their hands along with his performance.

Following a brief break to finalize technical checks on instruments and microphones, Gary Clark Jr., sharply dressed in a slim fitting suit and classy wide brim fedora, accompanied by Dayne Reliford, JJ Johnson, Alijah Ford, and King Zapata on keyboards, drums, bass and guitar respectively, walked on stage to the delightful cheer of a very enthusiastic crowd.

Highlighted on stage by a visually captivating lighting design, the musicians wasted no time in cutting right into a cover of Albert King’s “Oh, Pretty Woman”. From there they followed with the more up tempo and popular tune “Ain’t Messin ‘Round”, and the audience by this point was completely immersed in a gripping Blues experience delivered unobstructed by the small screens of their cell phones.

Led by the charismatic Gary Clark Jr., the quintet forged ahead with their exceptional performance playing songs like “Feed the Babies”, “I Walk Alone”, and “What About the Children”, the duet he originally recorded with Stevie Wonder and released on his 2024 album JPEG Raw, to name a few. By the fourth song on the setlist, the prolific bluesman removed his suit jacket then cut right into “The Healing”. The slow and steady cadence of the song which meanders effortlessly between its roots in hip-hop, blues and gospel markedly turned up the heat in the room, and the good vibes connecting the audience with the band on stage were absolutely palpable. Many in the crowd swayed rhythmically to the beat and sang along as Gary made his guitar gently weep.

The band’s stellar performance included extremely well-conceived, down tempo and somewhat jazzier, arrangements and extended versions of tunes like “When My Train Pulls In” and “Bright Lights”. A slightly different approach from their initial release interpretations, but very cool sounding. It created space for the musicians, particularly Dayne, JJ, Zapata and Gary, to feature prominently on brief but highly complementary solos on their respective instruments. There was even a moment during the set when Nat Myers joined the band on stage and seamlessly added his particular sound to a rendition of “Don’t Owe You A Thang”.

Another very significant element that substantially deepened the overall mood, emotion, and human connection between the band and its audience was the show’s impressive lighting design. The visual stimulation generated by its perfect combination of subtle tones of amber, yellow, lime, blue, white, and various other colors, coordinated and arranged into shifting, undulating and crisscross patterns that resembled a gentle kaleidoscope. It flawlessly synchronized to the varying dynamics of the music in a very engaging manner. It definitely heightened and elevated the experience to a much higher level, and the crowd’s satisfaction throughout the evening was noticeable.

Gary Clark Jr. and his band will continue touring throughout the U.S. for the next few months, including several shows in his hometown of Austin, TX in late June and early July, before returning to NYC for a show at the Beacon Theatre in September.

Setlist:
Oh, Pretty Woman (Albert King cover)
Ain’t Messin ‘Round
What About the Children
I Walk Alone
The Healing
When My Train Pulls In
Feed the Babies
Our Love
Snowstorm in Fiji
Don’t Owe You Thang (with Nat Myers)
What About Us
Pearl Cadillac
Bright Lights

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