Guitar virtuoso Gary Clark Jr. mesmerized a jam-packed Fillmore Detroit crowd on Tuesday night with unparalleled blues-tinged rock and roll.
Gary Clark Jr. emerged out of the Austin, TX, music scene where he’s been playing since he was a teenager. Today, he is among the most revered talents in the industry, and he proved that once again for an eager Detroit Rock City crowd.
It had been five years since his last trip to the Detroit area, and he and his band came out swinging with “Maktub,” the first song from his latest album JPEG Raw. The track marks somewhat of a new direction for Clark Jr. by featuring the same infectious grooves but he mixes in singing while rapping for a few bars in the middle of the song.
From there, he turned back the clock with “When My Train Pulls In” from his 2012 debut album Blak and Blu. It was classic Gary Clark Jr., with gritty reverb and heavy blues riffs. He then quickly shifted back to new materials with the next three songs off the JPEG Raw album: “Hyperwave,” “JPEG Raw,” and “This is Who We Are.” Gary’s three backing singers were amazing all night, but especially on the latter of those three songs, showing off their perfect harmonies.
By this point, both the band and the impressively diverse crowd were completely immersed in the moment when Gary Clark Jr. took a second to pause and to absorb his surroundings. He looked out to his fans and, with a big smirk on his face, goes “You mothaf***as are wild, huh?” In response, the near-sold-out venue went completely crazy, screaming, whistling, and hollering their lungs out before dancing along to the groovy tune of “The Healing” from his 2015 album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim.
“To the End of the Earth” provided a beautiful transition where Clark Jr. slowed things down to show off his crooner side. He followed that up by putting away his guitar and showing off another side of his vocal skills with “Alone Together,” the sixth track from JPEG Raw. The song is a soulful R&B track that makes you want to grab a partner and slow dance.
At one point, Clark Jr. connected with the Motown crowd by telling a story about FaceTiming with Detroit icon Stevie Wonder and explaining how they collaborated on a recently released single, “What About the Children.” It was a heartfelt and meaningful song about changing a plagued narrative in the pursuit of salvation.
Clark Jr. ended the second set with “Bright Lights,” another one of his early tracks from Blak and Blu. The fans weren’t ready for the night to be over and were anxiously hoping for an encore while shouting “Gary! Gary! Gary!” Of course, he and his band came back out and capped off the night with three hits “Funk Witch U,” “Stay,” and “Habits.”
Gary Clark Jr. hasn’t visited Michigan very often, but he was well worth the wait. You can still catch him stateside through June 13th in Raleigh, NC, before he takes his band to Europe.
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