Buddy Guy
Monday, April 18th, 2011
Community Theatre,
1375 Water Street,
Kelowna, BC, Canada

Taper: LeifH
Source: CSB's w/b. box (filter) > Sony WM D6C (Dolby B on for recording) > Maxell XL-II 90 + 60
Transfer: Master cassettes > Sony TC-WE475 (Dolby off) > H/K 3500 > Creative X-Fi Soundblaster > Wavepad Master's Edition @ 48000Hz > flac (8) via Frontend

Setlist: 2:10:11
00 introduction
01 Nobody Understands Me But My Guitar
02 (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man >
03 She's Nineteen Years Old/Love Her With A Feeling >
04 (I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man Reprise/broken string
05 Someone Else Is Steppin' In
06 (You Give Me) Fever
07 Hip Hop Blues
08 Skin Deep
09 74 Years Young
10 Drowning On Dry Land >
11 Use Me
12 Ain't That Loving You
13 Boom, Boom
14 Strange Brew
15 Mojo Hand/Voodoo Child
16 Steal Away
17 Feels Like Rain
18 Sunshine of Your Love
19 Little By Little
20 Do Your Thing >
21 On The Road >
22 outro

This show was a worth while experience. Buddy Guy is a brilliant performer and a true entertainer. Unfortunately the left P.A. signal was cutting in and out during the first quarter of the show, but it fixed itself soon enough. I remember thinking to myself that if someone doesn't do something about that I might just ask for my money back. Many people in the crowd were complaining about it then and there, and I saw Buddy notice it as well. The audience was a bit rowdy for the first few songs, but mellows out eventually. There was a slight hiss and hum to the venue that night, thus during the quiet parts you may hear some of this. Other than that it turned out pretty good! I really enjoyed seeing Buddy Guy. Buddy's amps were facing backwards to be miked for the best possible P.A. response.

One thing I really liked right off the bat was him telling people to be quiet, and telling off someone in the crowd for "fucking it up" during Hoochie Coochie Man. Buddy also broke a string part way through the song and then strummed his guitar with the broken string. He does a lot of show-y things like play with one hand, use facial expressions in time with music, he'll play with a drum stick or his shirt. Hip Hop Blues is funny, too bad its not a full song! Buddy used the sitar-guitar on Skin Deep. He did a pretty nice cover of Drowning on Dry Land and the usual "jukebox" medley of songs he had to learn just to get a gig. Steal Away and Feels Like Rain have some random audience chick singing wtih Buddy. She's alright once she gets past her nervousness. Sunshine of Your Love featured Buddy strumming with a face cloth towards the end. During On The Road, Buddy stood at the front of the stage and signed articles and items for the crowd. I didn't want to swim through everyone with all my cables and video camera but I did grab a picture of the autograph acquired by the lady beside me. I didn't film the whole show, but what I got on video is pretty good and is an accurate excerpt of Buddy's stage presence.

Buddy's voice was getting a bit tired towards the end of the show, and I don't really blame him. The Guy's 74 and wails. It was somewhat of a spectacle, which is entertaining, but not everything ends up being music, which again may be Buddy winding down at his age. You can hear a few complaints throughout the show from audience members, but towards the end I think everyone just accepted what they got, which wasn't bad.