Concert News July 19, 2009

Jonny Lang

Lang makes his Gibson scream with emotion

The latter part of the week brought Jonny Lang to the Tulalip Amphitheatre for a lesson in Blues music.  Lang who is just 28 years of age has been playing with top performer such as Buddy Guy and B.B. King for nearly half of his life. 

Lang was reportedly sick that night, and had been running upwards of a 103 temperature for several days, but he still performed like a true champion despite his illness. 

While waiting to see Lang come out to the stage and perform, I saw walking in the field of people none other than Roger Fisher, original member and guitar player of the group Heart.  I waved and he smiled and came by for a chat.  He talked about some fun times and memories he had back-in-the-day with Heart at Detroit’s Colbalt Hall.

July 16 2009Jonny.Lang_0107Also in the audience was Merrilee Moore, 2009 Artist of the Year chosen by the Arts Council of Snohomish County.  Her works with glass and steel are beyond imagination for most people and compare to famed glass artist Dale Chihuly.

I was lucky that my conversations with all these people ended when it did, because just then the crowd stood up and cheered as the band members and Lang walked out onto the stage and started their jam.   

Lang was visibly pale, but his smile never faded.  His voice although he was sick sounded strong as ever (aside from the occasional cough when he turned away from the microphone)

Sick or not, there is one constant about Lang and that is his ability to play his guitar like an old Blues player, and he’s had that gift for a very long time in his thus young life. Jonny Lang

I think it was towards the end of the concert that he played Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” and it of course was great.  He also had all the band members at one point in the show perform solo’s and everyone of the musicians showed their talents.  If you didn’t think a bass player could do a solo, wait until you hear Jim Anton on the bass guitar!

When the concert ended, you could tell that everyone was satisfied and left happy that they had come out that night too see Jonny Lang.