The Music is Our Healing: Gary Clark Jr. in St. Louis at The Pageant
-by Carrie Zukoski
Is it too soon to call the 41-year-old Gary Clark Jr. a living legend? Because this Austin-born, multiple Grammy Award-winning guitarist, singer/songwriter who blends blues, rock, soul, hip-hop, and more not only makes his guitars snarl and sing, he brings together eclectic fans of all ages to his shows. Clark has come a long way in a short amount of time. His concert at The Pageant in 2014 was simply him with two others on stage, while in recent years, including Thursday night, he’s surrounded himself with keyboardists, backup singers, and more.
Clark sauntered on stage, sans hat, at The Pageant, in darkened, moody amber lighting, and went straight into the guitar-centric, gorgeous blues-laden “Catfish Blues” cover, which quickly brought the seated fans to their feet.
The 2-hour set included songs spanning from a variety of his album releases, including his most recent JPEG RAW, such as the timely, “Maktub” and the soul-filled “Alone Together.” The fans swayed, hooted, and howled praises throughout the night as Clark, with nary a word, easily commanded rapt attention from the crowd as he easily and steadily transitioned throughout his catalog, expertly weaving his textured melodies into a nearly seamless flow.
No stranger to working with Gary Clark Jr. on past projects, Ohio-born singer-songwriter Suzanne Santo opened the night under a single spotlight with 45 minutes of simply her and her guitar. Her smoky vocals and easy, funny rapport kept the fans’ attention and garnered several complimentary murmurs after her set. Her sound falls somewhere in that Americana, roots, Southern-soul mix, and the night included the songs “To No End” and the newer “Invincible.”
St. Louis is fortunate to have had such a stellar musician as Gary Clark Jr. come through twice within a relatively short window (May 2024) as far as concert tours go, and we can only hope he continues to grace this Midwestern city with frequent visits throughout his career.
See more photos here: https://bit.ly/GCJr25cz
