B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Beacon and a Baby

What a night at the beautiful Beacon Theatre! Honestly, I don’t even know where to start. On a night of legends, a neophyte nearly stole the show.

The Beacon Theatre

The newly renovated Beacon has never looked or sounded better. The detailing sparkles and the murals look vibrant, but it was really the sound that struck me the most. The bass was clean and the guitars screamed without distortion. Even the subtlest of sounds carried beautifully. At one point, Buddy Guy tossed a drum stick to the floor and from the upper balcony I could hear it bounce as if it were ten feet away from me. From the acoustics to the refurbished sound system, it was nothing short of spectacular.

Buddy Guy performs at the Beacon.

Now, on to the music. Guy opened the show, looking spry for his 72 years. Fronting a talented five-piece, Guy surrounded himself with younger musicians who were not content for nostalgia. Rather, these players pushed and prodded Guy, trading licks with the master and ripping off solos of their own. They demanded his best and it was clear that Guy had no interest in simply trading on his well-earned reputation. He was there to perform and earn new fans. He played with the tenacity of a 20 year-old first making his mark. Buddy Guy’s 72 and I can’t imagine he’s ever sounded better.

It was late in Guy’s set, however, when we got the first sense that this was going to be a special night. That was when Guy welcomed a special guest to the stage to play with him, nine year-old Quinn Sullivan. Now, I hadn’t heard of this kid, but a YouTube search turns up plenty of impressive results.

Buddy Guy and nine year-old Quinn Sullivan.

Young Quinn was stunning. The kid just gets the blues. He hung with Guy, no easy feat, and had the composure to own the stage in that venerable venue. The fact is, we’ve all seen musical prodigies playing sophisticated classical compositions on violin or piano, but this is much more impressive than that. The reason is that soloing takes creativity. He’s not just playing someone else’s music, he’s composing his own right before a crowd of thousands and in the presence of royalty. It takes passion and having something to say, rather than just serving as the medium between the sheet music and the strings. The kid has it and if he can manage not to burn out, we may be on the verge of witnessing something special.

Now, I’ve talked about the opener and I’ve talked about his guest, but what about the star of the show? Well, B.B. King is 83, walks on bad knees, suffers from diabetes and performs sitting down. With that in mind, I cut him some slack. For one, his band is the antithesis of Buddy Guy’s. From the horn section on, they struck me as talented session musicians hired specifically to support without ever upstaging the boss. Secondly, it took a little while for King to pick up some steam. His first few songs were fine, but seemed to be lacking the energy we’d enjoyed with Guy. Fortunately, he found his groove.

B.B. King is joined onstage by Buddy Guy and 9 year-old Quinn Sullivan.

Perhaps the jumpstart to his performance was when Guy and Sullivan joined him on stage. He put the pair through their paces and they responded in kind. Seeing King and Guy jamming on stage with a kid who was no doubt the youngest person in the room was incredible. For perspective, when B.B. King was nine, this country was in the midst of the Great Depression. There might be a parallel there, but I’d prefer not to think about it.

When they left the stage, King joked that 60 years in show business should have taught him to save something that special for the end of the show. Instead, he was stuck trying to follow it up himself. He was up to the task.

For most of King’s set thereafter, he was on fire. He told stories, defended women, ripped off a few of his standards and showed he’s still got some pipes. Song highlights included “Dirty Old Man” and, of course, “The Thrill is Gone.” Towards the end of his set, King talked about performing after all these years and the pressure to slow down. He sounded like a man who understands he may soon have to retire from the road, but is grateful for the love he still receives night after night. It was a touching moment for fans grateful to have an audience with royalty.

Finally, I must point out one horribly missed opportunity. Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood was in attendance, but never took the stage. It was a great night, regardless, but that would have been the capper.