Tonight at Davis-Kidd Bookseller, a special reading will be hosted
by the Entelechy literary journal. Beginning at 7 p.m., the reading
features local writers Keith Norris, Jennifer Murrian and an
“unnannounced guest.” A brief 30-minute open mic will follow the featured
readers.
On the rock ‘n’ roll club scene, those “bad boys” of NeoWizard will
perform at 10 p.m. tonight at the Mercury Theatre.
At Manhattan’s, the lengthily-named I Swear My Name is Smith
will perform at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $3.
Blues great Buddy Guy will perform Friday, Feb. 17, at the Tennessee
Theatre. Guy has made a big name for himself in his 40-year career, from
his days as a sideman to Muddy Waters, to his own great albums such as
1991’s Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues and his recent release
Slippin’ In. Eric Clapton says, “He is the consummate blues
musician.”
Born in Lettsworth, La., in 1936, Guy played in informal blues pick-up
groups until 1957, when he travelled to Chicago to look into the famous
northern blues scene. He almost starved on hte Windy City streets until the
fateful day when Muddy Waters stepped out of a car and enlisted Guy as
guitarist in his band.
Guy’s trademark squealing, crying guitar sound emerged from a chance
discovery on the South Side of Chicago. During a break in his set, a
woman’s skirt brushed his guitar as it lay on the side of the stage. When
Guy picked the instrument up again, it was still feeding back, remarkably
in key with a Howlin’ Wolf record on the club’s jukebox. He bent the
feedback into his next song, and a style was born.
This lucky accident influenced guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie
Ray Vaughan, and a generation of rockers by association. “Buddy can go from
one end of the spectrum to another,” said the late Vaughan. “He can pay
quieter than anybody, or wilder and louder than anybody.”
Guy has received numerous awards for his playing, most recently being
honored by Billboard magazine with their prestigious Century
Award.
Friday’s show starts at 8 p.m. Ticket price is $18.50.
