The Key

You had to crack a smile as Gary Clark Jr. sang to a sold out crowd “you’re gonna know my name by the end of the night” – the signature line to his trademark song “Bright Lights”. But trust me; there was nobody at the TLA this past Saturday night who didn’t know the name Gary Clark Jr. In fact, between nearly every song the crowd showered the Austin-based guitarist & songwriter not just with applause, but with chants of “Gary! Gary! Gary!”. It was a fanatical response to one of the most dynamic new artists in music. And on the heels of his full length debut Blak & Blu, Gary gave Philly a performance that lived up to all the hype and all the expectations one could’ve expected. He and his band sizzled on straight ahead blues-rockers like XPN-favorite “Don’t Owe You A Thang” and album standout “Travis County”. And yes, the new tunes from Blak & Blu came to life on Saturday night. “Blak and Blu” and “Ain’t Messin’ Around” were comfortable fits alongside some of Gary’s more traditional blues-rock staples. No one was safe from the bone-rattling close to the set as Gary and the band brought all the thunder the TLA could handle with the anthemic “Bright Lights”. Well, that until his encore of “Numb” – which may have had the walls shaking and sweating. The only downside of the night was when it ended. Continue reading →