Frampton Comes Alive!

Last summer I had the opportunity to see one of the greatest blues guitarist in history, B.B. King, in concert in Little Rock.  Last night my daughter, Katie, and I saw one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.  Peter Frampton and his band performed at the Arkansas Music Pavilion in Fayetteville, AR, and we had second row seats.  The concert had originally been scheduled for July 21 but was postponed because some the band’s equipment had been damaged during a severe thunderstorm at a recent outdoor concert and repairs were not yet complete.  The show was well worth the four week delay!

Peter Frampton

Before Frampton took the stage, a band called The Elms did a thirty-minute set.  This band was founded in 2001 and hails from Seymour, IN.  The Elms have become one of the most respected and consistent young rock & roll bands from the midwestern U.S., both on record and on stage.  Katie and I were quite impressed with these four young lads.  The band did a very respectable job of getting the crowd ready for Frampton.

At 8:00 sharp, after a 30-minute break while the roadies shuffled equipment, Frampton and his band took the stage.  Their set included all of the Frampton classics as well as a couple of tracks from his latest CD Fingerprints, which was released in 2006, and a couple of tracks from his upcoming CD which, according to Frampton, is currently about 80% complete.  The band included long-time bassist John Regan, who has been making music with Frampton for 30 years.  Rob Arthur manned the keyboards and did a great job of filling the big shoes of the late, great Bob Mayo.  Adam Lester joined Frampton on guitar, a position also formerly occupied by Mayo.  For drummer Dan Wojciechowski, the band’s newest member, the evening was a homecoming of sorts because he is originally from Fayetteville.

This was truly one of the best, if not the absolute best, concert that I have ever attended and having my daughter along made it even more special.  Frampton has a number of concert dates scheduled through the end of September.  Should he come to a venue near you, I highly recommend that you make every effort to attend.  I have posted photographs and a couple of brief videos from the show on my Facebook page and my website.  Feel free to take a look.

The King Came To Town

Last night I was able to scratch one item from my “Things To Do Before I Die” list.  I lived in Memphis for years and still consider it to be “home” even though I live and work in Little Rock.  During those years in Memphis, I had always hoped to see blues legend B.B. King perform at his blues club on historic Beale Street but the opportunity never presented itself.

I finally had the opportunity to see B.B. King in concert last night at the Riverfest Amphitheater in downtown Little Rock on the banks of the Arkansas River along with country music legend Willie Nelson.  King played all of his well-known favorites and proved that, even at 82 years of age (we share the same birthdate of September 16 although 31 years apart), he can still passionately deliver the blues with his distinctive voice and his guitar, Lucille.  His band, The B.B. King Blues Band, was outstanding as well.

While King sang The Thrill Is Gone to close out his set, Willie joined him on stage and the two performed Night Life before King left the stage.  After a brief break while the crews shuffled equipment onstage, Willie and his band returned.  Like King, Willie played all of his hits as well to the enjoyment of the packed amphitheater crowd.

Willie was good…but B.B. King was A-W-E-S-O-M-E!  Should you get the opportunity to see B.B. King in concert, by all means buy a ticket!  It will be money well spent!