Great to see this recent write-up about Buddy Guy’s impressive headline show at the Aurora IL blues festival held earlier this year…not only is he making his 74-years look like a 40-year old, one could argue that Buddy’s brand of Chicago blues gets better with age. 

3 Things You Are Guaranteed At Any Buddy Guy show:

1. You’ll never hear a song done the same.  I remember 2-years ago here at the Ottawa Blues Festival when he launched into a rendition of “Damn Write I Got The Blues” that he kept so low down and dirty and then rocked out in the last few lines…completely different than I had heard him done at other shows and on his same titled CD.  That’s what keeps us going to see Guy again and again is that we know when his genius and passion for the guitar meld with his creativity and fearlessness we get to witness greatness…you never know what to expect and that is amazing after 50+ years at it

2. His sense of humor – Guy is serious about his music, serious as a heart-attack about his guitar, but doesn’t take himself too serious.  I remember running in to him nearly a dozen years ago at his Legends Club in Chicago, nicest, most down to earth guy you will ever want to meet.  That comes through on stage too, he has fun up there – that must account for at least part of his longevity

3. Spirit of the blues…every Buddy Guy I’ve ever seen he pays tribute to his mentors (Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, BB King to name a few) as well as those that have clearly learned a ton from Buddy including Eric Clapton and the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan.  It was the special relationship between Stevie and Buddy that provided the link for me to becoming a huge Buddy Guy fan. 

Thankful we still have him sharing his roots and continuing to bridge Blues and Rock together at the same time progressing the future of Blues music all the while continuing to provide an essential link for today’s youth back to the greats where it all started. 

Have you ever attended a Buddy Guy concert?  If so, what did you think?