After digging in rather robustly on an opening “I Guess I Showed Her,” with its driving bop belying this conspicuously early evening appearance, Robert Cray greeted the near-capacity crowd filling the historic movie palace. “Thank you for coming out on a Sunday,” Cray said, just above a whisper. “On football night.”
True, the seven-o’clock show kicked-off just as pro pigskin’s late afternoon slate was wrapping up- Cray noted his favorite team was on the verge of victory. Still, any time is a good time for the blues, and the Robert Cray Band brought enough for everybody. If a Cray concert could be described as having a bite, this one had it.
Whether with the searing distortion of his guitar work on “Leave Well Enough Alone,” or his insistent, forever-youthful vocal on the resurrecting soul of “Bouncin’ Back,” Cray was noticeably full-blooded and fired up. He wasn’t alone. Backed by his familiar trio of cohorts, Cray shared impassioned solo runs with keyboardist Dover ‘White Cliffs’ Weinberg on “Two Steps From The End,” an early-set highlight, then followed with his always welcomed, neo-blues classic, “Bad Influence.”
The setlist ran the gamut of Cray’s many decades in the game, as well he peppered the in-between-songs with several playful asides. He reminded lifelong friend and bassist Richard Cousins of Cousins’ many romantic pitfalls before launching into “(Won’t Be) Coming Home.” And challenged the endurance of drummer Les Falconer, later in the frame. All with a smile.
Cray also played some wicked guitar. His is a style all his own, shifting between rhythm and lead with an unmatched fluidity. His approach is signature, instantly recognizable, and always in the moment. On this night, he was as sharp as ever, dicing up the six-string on a mid-performance take of “You’re Everything to Me.”
The four got funky on “Hot” and smoothed the silk on a slightly reimagined rendition of “I Shiver,” with Cousins leading the groove on the latter. They nodded, as well, to the starburst that 40 years ago elevated Cray to our finest ambassador of modern blues. It’s almost hard to believe that his multi-platinum Strong Persuader dropped way back in 1986- Cray, his indefatigable voice, and regenerating guitar remain ageless- as the quartet delivered the hit, “Right Next Door (Because of Me).”
The band closed on the crescendo of “Time Takes Two,” with Falconer pounding the toms behind Cray’s escalating refrain. Then, the four slipped away briefly before returning for the burning churn of “Phone Booth,” and the pointed, anti-Trump rally cry (or rally Cray) of “This Man,” on a two-song encore finale. Drawing a standing ovation, Cray and company offered their gratitude with waves and bows. They’d brought the blues, once again, and left the Sunday faithful feeling anything but.
