On Sunday Night (August 14, 2022), several thousand blues devotees gathered at the historic Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in New York to experience something truly special, the inaugural run of the KWS Backroads Blues Festival! Announced in early April by the one and only Kenny Wayne Shepherd, this festival generated quite a lot of buzz with its all star line up. Not only was KWS performing, but he also brought along his close friends and Grammy winners, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram and legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy! I didn’t even think twice before purchasing a ticket because shows like are worth every penny.
This was my first time visiting Bethel Woods, home of the original Woodstock, and you could instantly feel the positive vibes flowing from the venue and staff. The amphitheater was quickly filling up, while many others enjoyed the large lawn area. Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram from Clarksdale, Mississippi and his band took to the stage and the crowd went wild. Since the release of ‘Kingfish’ in 2019, I’ve been very eager to see his live performance. Coming off of a Grammy win for his latest album ‘662’, he definitely did not disappoint!
At the young age of only 23, Kingfish has a very confident playing style with vocals to match. He truly is the embodiment of all the blues legends that have come before him, while still having his own sound. Fan favorites of the night included “She Calls Me Kingfish”, “Fresh Out”, and “Too Young To Remember”. It’s not every day that you get to witness a blues prodigy carry the torch to a new generation of fans. His solos were masterful and his vocals were straight from the soul. Finishing the set with “Long Distance Woman” led to a much deserved standing ovation.
Next up was the man who made this whole festival possible, Mr. Kenny Wayne Shepherd! Known for his blistering fast guitar solos and modern approach to the blues, this was a highly anticipated set. The atmosphere was electric throughout the entire venue while we all hung on to every note. Noah Hunt is a vocal force to be reckoned with, which pairs perfectly with Kenny’s style.
KWS and Co. had the entire crowd fired up with tunes including, ‘Somehow, Somewhere, Someway’ and ‘King’s Highway’, which had the audience on their feet and cheering for more. One of my favorites of the night was the cover of Slim Harpo’s ‘I’m a King Bee’, which can be heard in the the highly recommended 2020 release of ‘Straight to You – LIVE’. I’m surprised the amphitheater roof didn’t get blown off by the incredible wall of blues rock gold coming from that stage!
The air was getting cooler and the sun had set in Bethel. Thousands of fans were already in blues heaven thanks to Kingfish and KWS, but the show wasn’t over yet! It was time for a living legend to take the stage to close out the evening.
My heart was so full in the moment as I took in all the sights and sounds around me. Buddy Guy took to the stage with his iconic polka dot shirt and denim overalls. Buddy gave off such a warm and welcoming feeling with his smile before diving right in to ‘Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues’. At 86 years young, he still sounds incredible while engaging with the crowd during each song.
I’ve always loved that Buddy will infuse anecdotes from his personal life during his set because it makes you feel like an old friend reconnecting. Some fan favorites of the night include ‘I’m You’re Hoochie Coochie Man’, ‘She’s Nineteen Years Old’, ‘Skin Deep’ and ‘Cheaper to Keep Her’. If you’re like me and can’t get enough of the blues, Buddy has a brand new studio album titled ‘The Blues Don’t Lie’ coming out on September 30th!
With only a few tour dates left on this inaugural run, I sincerely hope the KWS Backroads Blues Festival is something that will be around for a very long time. It’s so important to have young artists like Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram ushering in the next generation of blues fans paired with the knowledge and passion of mentors like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Buddy Guy who have been keeping the blues alive for decades. Who would you like to see perform in 2023? Let us know and hopefully we’ll see you there! As Buddy says, the blues is alive and well!
