DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Stevie Ray Vaughan

Well, exactly 30yrs ago today, I saw one of the greatest guitar players ever...Stevie Ray Vaughan, at the Toledo Sports Arena. The Outlaws were the backup band. It was an outstanding performance in front of a small crowd. I've been to well over a hundred concerts and few have touched me like this one did. Here's a video from that time period that shows the magic he could perform with a Strat.

Awesome choice. I love Stevie Ray's music. I have a ton of his songs on my playlist and a lot of them are when he hooked-up w/Albert King. Great stuff.



Here are two of my favorites by the great Stevie Ray Vaughan.

SRV was amazing. Simply amazing.

I saw SRV at Blossom. Must have been either '86 or '87. Last minute decision to go and we had a good spot on the lawn. During the summer we used to go to Blossom all the time. Even if we didn't particularly like the band...back then it wasn't too pricey and it was always a fun night out.

I saw Stevie 3 times in the late 80's. Once at the JAR in Akron - his brother Jimmy's band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, opened for him. Next time was at the Nautica stage in the Flats on a beautiful summer night. The best was at Cleveland Public Hall, the year he toured with Jeff Beck. They did separate sets and then joined up at the end for this amazing finish:

"Couldn't Stand the Weather" is my favorite of his albums.
"Riviera Paradise" from "In Step" is one of my favorite songs.

I saw him with Gregg Allman at something they called The Champaign County Jam in the late 80's. It was an outdoor concert in the middle of nowhere in Champaign County Ohio.

As everyone has said, it was a fantastic show. I can't really pick out any single song of his as a favorite as he did so many great songs. He is most certainly missed. It's hard to imagine how much wonderful music that would be in our lives had he lived to play it.

He's another extremely talented musician gone way too soon.

Love those videos. He even sounded awesome half awake for a sound check.

The man could play, love his tones, his passion and sense of swing!
My faves by him:
His cover of Texas Flood
Look at Little Sister
Crossfire
Little Wing instrumental
Pride & Joy

What made his loss even more sad was that he'd kicked booze and coke a couple years before his death.

He is a testament to the old adage, only the good die young, because he was very very good, and way too young.

I don't think you can top Texas Flood for pure blues guitar soloing.

I discovered him back during my college years, and I love Pride & Joy.

Definitely one of those artists I can never grow tired of.

I remember cruising down E 9th street this past summer, headed to park for an Indians games, windows down, sunroof popped open, warmth of the sun pouring in on a sunny day and "Pride & Joy" popped on. It felt like a moment from heaven.

SRV or Albert King, either one works.

He had a distinctive singing voice, too.

Oh, if I must.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3woPVQExDsQ

Damn, meant Buddy Guy, not Albert.

Broke a string and swapped guitars without missing a beat! That song and the whole Austin City Limits performance was awesome, and I saw it when it first broadcast on PBS. I've seen most of his live stuff on video and Youtube, and there were a few concerts where he was really "on". The best IMO was "Live at the Mocambo". He opened with "Testify" (the original post in this thread) and just went nuts on every song after.

If you like Buddy Guy, check out him and Tracy Chapman doing Ain't No Sunshine.

This is pretty cool:

Buddy Guy played a free show in Portland in....2010 or 2011(?). Actually, it wasn't technically free....it was part of our 4th of July Blues Festival and all you had to do to enter the fest was bring canned food as it is a huge benefit for the Oregon Food Bank. Anyway, Buddy closed that year and oh, man....the dude absolutely slayed it! I mean, like seriously destroyed the set and completely rocked. There are heavy metal guitarists that would have been out played by the dude. He was incredible! I once saw Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker in Kansas City and they too were unbelievable. Bo, in particular for his energy. But, then I saw Buddy Guy and he took it to a totally different level. Totally honored to have seen him and we were super close to the stage too.

If you guys are looking for a contemporary blues/rock guitarist who can step up and take the reigns from SRV or even Buddy Guy...look no further than Gary Clark Jr. He is superb and I think you would all really dig him. My son and I saw him in concert a couple years ago and he too was incredible. Super cool....like a young Jimi and clearly inspired by the old master heavy blues cats but, totally doing his own thing. Check him out.

Check out Miss Ida B by Buddy Guy if you have listened to it already. If any of you like slow blues, you'll love this piece:

For those of you who like Stevie Ray, Buddy, and other blues' guitarists.........what do you think of Gary Moore and Joe Bonamassa?

If you haven't listened to them, go to YouTube and check them out. Let me know if you want me to post a couple of their songs. If you like Stevie Ray, you'll probably really like these two.

re: Gary Moore
His Thin Lizzy and early solo stuff make an impressive body of work.
He played in a televised Hendrix tribute some years back. His performance was incredible.

I saw Gary Moore a couple times with Thin Lizzy in '78 and '79. He and Scott Gorham were a great guitar duo, they were so polished and tight despite the drugs that band was doing.

I'm not a huge blues fan, but I love great guitar playing. I like stuff by Joe B., Kenny Wayne Shephard, Gary Clarke Jr. etc. SRV was just a cut above anything else out there.

Gary Moore is awesome. I love......I Love You More than You'll Ever Know. Not many guitarists can match what he does at about 8 min in.

If you have time, check out Joe Bonamassa. So Many Roads, Sloe Gin, and The Great Flood are good ones to start with.

I've not listened much to him, I dunno why, just haven't, but I know how much he's respected in the guitar community. I have an issue of Guitar Player magazine - '84 or '85 - that has a good profile of him.
I still have it in a box someplace. As a guitarist, he had integrity - I got that from reading about him.

Listen to more of him if you get the chance. I get the feeling you'll think it was worth the time.