Most excellent

In a matter of minutes it's going to be Sunday, so this will be brief!
After dinner we booked it over to the B.B. King concert. We got there a little late because the restaurant was packed and traffic heavy, but the front band was still playing when we got to our seats. We heard maybe six of their numbers. Think Chicago. Mostly brass, a couple of saxophones, two guitars and keyboard. Two blond back-up singers and a guy singing covers of Chicago, Righteous Bro.s and the like. He was OK, but everything was the same - loud, brassy and up-tempo. We agreed on the way home that he was a good lounge act.

Then B.B. King. If you ever get the chance, you have to go hear him! He's 82 years old and is just outstanding, even if you don't like his music (and I do!). He has an outstanding band, including guys who have been with him for 20+ years. They came out and did a couple of numbers to start it off and they were worth the price of admission by themselves. Yikes! Then B.B. was helped out onto the stage. Because of his age and health (diabetes) he sits throughout his concert, but he is so personable and conversational that he connects with the audience just as strongly as if he were moving around the stage working the room. He still rips on Lucille (his guitar) and his voice is just as strong as I've ever heard it. He couldn't go up into falsetto on one of the songs like he does on his record (I can't remember the song) but that's the only time I noticed any limitation.
He's funny, he's engaging, and he's a great musician. He gets the audience participating in a lot of the songs, so it feels very interactive, even in a fairly large venue.
I wish he'd have played longer (lost track of time and was surprised how late it was when we left) and had talked more about his childhood growing up in the segregated south (rural Mississippi). He really is an icon. I don't think there's anybody out there like him.

Yep, great concert!
Goodnight!