The King of Beale Street

Hurrairah bin Sohail | hurrairah@gmail.com
the ridge transmedia
A NUSSU Publication

The Preston Shannon Band
University Cultural Centre Theatre
Sat, 12 Jan 08, 8pm
Free Admission

The City of Memphis has been home to some of the greatest musicians. From the city that produced artists like B. B. King and Elvis Presley ‘The King of Rock ‘n Roll’, ExxonMobil Campus Concerts presented “The King of Beale Street” – Preston Shannon and his band live in concert last Saturday.

Indeed after seeing the Preston Shannon Band perform live, one can safely say that the title has been duly earned.

Picture credit: http:// www.prestonshannon.com

Walking on stage dressed in black with a sunburst Gibson semi-hollow guitar, Preston Shannon displayed the consummate ease expected of a seasoned veteran. The mood and tone for the rest of the evening was encapsulated in the opener Let The Good Times Roll. During the song, he used the classic blues call-and-response to get the audience involved, having them sing the refrain for the song.

Once the audience started feeling the groove of the music, they could almost be considered a member of the Band keeping the beat with hand claps, finger snaps, feet taps and even joining in on the chorus for songs like Mustang Sally.

Shannon’s onstage theatrics, boogies, two-steps and off-color jokes provided ample proof that he knew how to keep a crowd entertained. However, it was not a case of all show and no substance. He also displayed enviable guitar prowess while covering Stevie Ray Vaughan’s The Sky Is Crying and Prince’s Purple Rain.

Improvising his own solos and runs for both the ballads, Shannon was at his face melting, note bending, thrilling best. The guitar pyrotechnics didn’t end there though as later on in the show, he paid tribute to Jimi Hendrix and proceeded to play with his teeth giving a perfect display of both showmanship and technical ability.

The rest of the band, accomplished musicians in their own rights with careers and records, showcased their own talents during the course of the performance as well. Bassist John Williams paid homage to one of his influences the Reverend Al Green while keyboardist Tim Terry delighted the audience with his rendition of Superstitious by Stevie Wonder.

Preston Shannon’s album “All In Time” led the blues guitarist to three Grammy nominations in 1999.

The night’s concert can be summed up by the fact that even after playing three encores and exceeding the allotted time by some margin, the Preston Shannon Band left the stage amidst raucous applause and a standing ovation, with calls for one more song ringing around the UCC Theatre.

What was unique about the event was the organic and holistic nature of the show. Even though the crowd consisted of young and old, blues lovers and country fans to others with a more contemporary taste in music, none of them seemed out of place. The Preston Shannon Band’s special blend of Mississippi Delta blues, gospel, country, funk and soul music served up shades and hues of genres everyone enjoyed.