Photo credit (for Chris Robinson image only): Forrest Reda

Guitar Center’s King of the Blues Finals was not only the culmination of a contest that saw more than 4,000 guitarists compete to be crowned King of the Blues, but the evening was a celebration of the rich history of the uniquely American style of music.

Headliners The Black Crowes certainly know a thing or two about the blues and treated the sold-out crowd to an 80-minute set showcasing some of the band’s most soulful material.  The band paid tribute to musicians from the past with three cover songs; Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker,” Willie Dixon’s “Mellow Down Easy” and Peter Green’s “Oh Well” as well as the requisite fan favorites like “Remedy” and “She Talks to Angels” that had everyone in the theater singing along with front-man Chris Robinson.  Wearing the shaggy beard that has defined him as a blues singer, the enigmatic singer shook his body to express the feelings in his songs. Brother Rich Robinson doesn’t reveal his emotions with his expression, but bleeds the blues through his guitar. 

Photo credit Danny Clinch

Within its breezy confines, the Backyard is a typical Austin open-air venue—a blue-collar joint where dust clouds circle endlessly, canned beer is cheap and strangers trade knowing glances. The vibe is not unlike that of a scaled-down Telluride Bluegrass Festival, only with stifling Texas heat and folding chairs. The utopian buzzkill: it’s entirely delimited by a shopping mall.

Rush took the stage for its 2007 tour opener to the familiar intro of “Limelight,” the same Rush of the past thirty-plus years: singer/bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and, idol for decades of headphone-wearing air drummers everywhere, Neil Peart. A terrific song for all but the most hopelessly cynical, “Limelight” sports a sturdy, expressive riff, cool (if somewhat navel-gazing) lyrics, and surprisingly textured interplay between three world-class musicians. One may wonder, after untold hundreds or thousands of times, if playing “Limelight” will ever get boring for Rush, but judging by the exuberance with which they pounced on this version, tonight wasn’t that night. And from the enthusiastic reaction of the respectable Hi-Fi Buys audience, the experience of hearing the song has aged well, too.

Photo Credit David Vann

The 29^th annual Harmony Music festival in Santa Rosa, CA is a quintessential California festival. Located at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, it had a vibe similar to the High Sierra Music Festival, although smaller in scope. The weekend was billed as promoting global cooling; there were many exhibitors teaching green and sustainable living in the Eco-Village, where one could take workshops on converting diesel car to biodiesel, or learn about permaculture and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.