On a chilly Friday the 13th, the only scary thing around was how much explosive blues talent was on stage at the legendary Stone Pony! Clarksdale, Mississippi’s very own Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram made his Asbury Park, New Jersey debut in front of a packed house of blues devotees. Fans were lined up halfway down Ocean Avenue at least an hour before doors even opened with the hopes of getting a prime vantage point for the evening. The room was packed and electric with anticipation from wall to wall.
The opening act for the night was 2023 International Blues Challenge winner, Mathias Lattin, coming to us all the way from Houston, Texas. At only 21 years old, Mathias performs like he has decades of experience under his belt with silky smooth vocals and wildly impressive guitar chops. Bursting with confidence and composure, he led his trio into a great rendition of Big Legged Woman followed up with A Real Mother For Ya.
I’ve seen countless opening acts, but I’ve never seen a crowd go wild the way they did for Mathias. His energy was infectious and the room was hooked on every note. A big highlight of the set was Lose Some Weight which is the debut single off his new record Up Next which comes out later this month. From what I could see, this CD (available early at the live shows) was flying off the merch table all night long! I wish the set could have been longer, but I know myself and many others will be eagerly awaiting his return to the Garden State.
The moment we’d all been waiting for had finally arrived. The room was buzzing as Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram took to the stage with his stunning signature Fender Mississippi Midnight Tele Deluxe. He wasted no time at all diving right in to She Calls Me Kingfish from his album 662. Once his first notes rang out, there was no turning back! Kingfish and his band put on an absolute masterclass of the blues throughout the night. Fresh Out and Another Life Goes By were played to perfection and then came some of the heavy hitters. Midnight Heat and Empty Promises nearly blew the roof off the Stone Pony with his jaw-dropping solos as the crowd went wild!
It’s not every day that you get to stand just a feet away from blues rock royalty in such an intimate venue. Every word and note was food for the soul and Kingfish didn’t hold back! At one point Kingfish came out in to the crowd and played one of the most heartfelt solos I’ve ever experienced while his bandmates held it all down on the stage. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end as the final songs, Outside of This Town, 662, Long Distance Woman and Hey Joe rounded out the evening. There was thunderous applause all throughout the set and it is certainly well deserved. I have a feeling that blues legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters are looking down from above with great big smiles knowing that the blues torch is being carried on by the incredibly talented Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram and Mathias Lattin.
If you’re looking for a taste of the live experience make sure to pick up a copy of Live in London out now!
