Concert Review: Lil Dave Thompson at the Brickyard Cafe, Bowling Green, KY 10/2/2008

Lil Dave Thompson blew into Bowling Green tonight, playing to an intimate yet enthusiastic audience at The Brickyard. After seeing this show, sponsored by the Kentucky Blues Society, I can testify that "da blues" is alive and well. Sure, we all think of veterans like BB King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Albert Collins, and Robert Cray when we think of the current blues greats, but there are plenty of younger players keeping the genre not only alive but invigorated. Lil Dave, though not a teenager, is a thirty-something in the prime of his career, who's been around the music since childhood on the Mississippi delta (a virtual breeding ground for some of the best bluesmen anywhere) and has been playing, touring, and recording for at least twenty years. The result is performance that includes both mastery and youthful energy.

With a bass player both perky and sharp, and a drummer who was simply on fire (with plenty of sweat to prove it), Lil Dave's rhythm section just can't be beat. I'd say they could be in the dictionary under the word "tight". The effectiveness of this unit was evident right from the start. Mr. Thompson, utilizing his Les Paul to perfection and providing solid, no-nonsense vocals in between his guitar segments, completed the third leg of this powerful trio.

The set was a mix of blues standards and several selections from his own body of work. His new CD, "Deep in the Night", will be released on 10/21/2008. A first listen (I picked one up at the show) sounds great, including the title track. Some of my favorites from his previous albums on this night were "Hard Headed Woman", "Suitcase Packed", "You Took My Baby", and "Standing in the Rain". As for the standards, "Messin' With the Kid", "Born Under a Bad Sign", and "Kansas City" were standouts. Also noted were fine performances of Albert Collins' "If You Love Me Like You Say" and Albert King's "As the Years Go Passing By". Lil Dave also switched gears near the end of the show and did Tyrone Davis' soul classic "Turn Back the Hands of Time", which was a nice change of pace before the encore. At several points in the show I was smacking my knees and tapping my feet, and several others in the audience were getting into the music in similar ways as well.

The KY Blues Society sponsors several of these events every year, highlighting some of the best underrated and underexposed touring/recording artists on the blues scene today. The venues are almost always less formal than a traditional concert hall, which usually allows for CD and/or poster signings and often meet and greets with the artists (so bring your camera). It's great to be able to sit back, relax, enjoy your favorite beverage (or in many cases, like this one, dinner), and hear true masters displaying their skills. All this at very reasonable prices to boot! So you might want to take advantage next time one of these shows is scheduled. Who knows, you might be telling people five years from now that you saw some of these bands before they hit the big-time.