Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
Summertime In The Streets 2023 Tour
Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
July 20, 2023
Kingfish Delivers Full Healing Power of 662 Blues
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram grew up surrounded by the blues. For the 24-year-old Grammy-winning blues guitarist and singer, growing up in the shadows of musical giants like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Robert Johnson — who were born in or lived in his hometown Clarksdale, Mississippi — only fueled his passion for the blues.
The bassist, drummer, and keyboardist took to the stage at the Commodore Ballroom, playing their instruments before the sound of the electric guitar could be heard. Just over a minute later, Blues guitar sensation Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, wearing a light grey plain T-shirt, matching long shorts and white sneakers, and playing a purple-and-black Fender Stratocaster, strolled to the front of the stage to cheers as “She Calls Me Kingfish” opened the set.
The band was then introduced, bassist Paul Rogers from Tupelo, Mississippi, drummer Chris Black from Shelby, Mississippi, a product of Delta State University’s prestigious Music Institute where he double-majored in percussion and audio-engineering, and keyboardist Deshawn D’Vibes Alexander who Kingfish introduced as “on the keys, he comes straight from the mothership, we call him Brother D-Vibes.”
Five of the eleven songs featured in the set hailed from Ingram’s acclaimed sophomore release, ‘662’, which won the Grammy Award for best contemporary blues album in 2022. The title adopted from the area code of Clarksdale and North Mississippi, created in 1999, the year Kingfish was born.
“Midnight Heat,” a new song, and “Empty Promises,” a Michael Burks cover, originally released as a stand-alone single in 2020 will both be on the forthcoming ‘Live in London’ album, out on September 15, 2023, on Alligator Records.
The just under 2-hour show ended with “Long Distance Woman” and “Hey Joe” where Kingfish leaned the neck of his Fender guitar face down on a floor monitor, got his cell phone out and took photos of the approving and screaming audience before walking of the stage as his band continued to play until they exited and waved goodbyes.
Setlist
She Calls Me Kingfish
Fresh Out
Another Life Goes By
Midnight Heat
Empty Promises (Michael Burks cover)
Not Gonna Lie
Hard Times
Outside of This Town
662
ENCORE
Long Distance Woman
Hey Joe (The Leaves cover)