I recently came across a passage in Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography “Born to Run” (Simon & Schuster, 2017, 528 pages) in which he describes his feelings after recording “Greetings from Asbury Park,” his first album.
“Your early songs emerge from a moment when you’re writing with no sure prospect of ever being heard,” Springsteen writes. “Up until then, it’s just you and your music. That only happens once.”
Being introduced to new music is one of life’s great pleasures. Hearing a new sound or song, then forming an impression of the artist in your mind’s eye, has been going on since the advent of recorded music.
Recently I saw G Love & Special Sauce performing at the iconic House of Blues in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Garrett Dutton (G Love) is one of the most dynamic talents in contemporary blues music and one of the nicest and most sincere people I know. I’ve seen him play live several times. I’ve also shared experiences with him outside music—fly fishing for bonefish and hiking with our wives in the Utah desert.
I caught up with Dutton before his show. After a brief conversation, he introduced me to a young blues musician named Nat Myers.
Dutton had heard Myers cover some of Big Bill Broonzy’s tunes and was blown away. Dutton later told me, “I love Big Bill, and when I listened to Myers’ interpretations of these blues classics, I called my agent and told him to invite Myers to join us on our tour.”
As we shook hands and introduced ourselves, I was immediately drawn to Myers. He sported a Billy Strings Fall Tour orange camouflage trucker hat, worn slightly askew, and he spoke with a Southern twang that was not wholly familiar to me. I quickly realized that despite his maturity, Myers was much closer in age to my kids than to me.
Myers and I listened intently as Dutton shared stories about his previous shows at the House of Blues, including when he opened for the Allman Brothers back in his early years. When questioned, Myers spoke with unbridled excitement about his forthcoming album, his first, and confessed to being nervous but excited about the show that was scheduled to start shortly. This young musician was living his dream.
I secured my spot in the front as the crowd began to fill the auditorium and waited for the music. More people brought more energy, and by the time the lights dimmed and Myers walked out onto the stage, the house was packed.
Myers stood alone armed only with his steel resonator guitar with his hat still tilted to the side. As he sang his first song, I must admit that whatever impressions I had formed when we met were completely wrong. The young unassuming artist played the blues like one of the old masters. The sounds emanating from his guitar were warm, deep and full of nuance. Myers’ fingerpicking was precise, intense and drew in the audience. When Myers sang, his voice was soulful and lyrical, reminiscent of the early blues singers whose restless wanderings along the Mississippi Delta are so well documented.
As Myers progressed through his set, I made eye contact with the guy standing next to me and said, “This kid plays the blues the way the music is supposed to be played.” My new friend raised his beer and nodded in agreement. Then we turned our attention back to Myers to listen and enjoy.
— Eric Kallen, Editor-at-Large
An Old-School Performance at the House of Blues
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- Photo by Tyler Zwiep
