acoustic and solo, just like me. EG has everything I love. Great voices,
great writing, great guitar playing and a fun loving personality. From her opening num- ber, “Let The Good Times Roll,” all the way to her set closer, “House of the Rising Sun,” Kight had the audience in the palm of her hand. Her suggestive (hey, its blues!) song, “Sugar,” had the audience on their feet shout- ing and testifying. And it only went up from there. Kight’s take on the Etta James classic “At Last” is amazing. The woman has a pair of lungs, and her voice is simply rich. That’s all I can say. E.G. is a born entertainer. Her stories and
comments between songs are always fun. When she pulled out an awesome, full tilt rendition of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” it took everyone by surprise as her blues bled directly into her country music be- ginnings. Just an outstanding set. Kudos to The Shoals Blues Band, who per-
formed following E.G. Sadly, I had to leave before they played, but I hear from reliable sources they were great, and even had E.G up on a song. Cool.
Black Oak Arkansas Eronel; Dubuque, Iowa Sep 12, 2015
Electricity came to Dubuque, Iowa last
night in the semblance of Black Oak Arkansas. Founding members, front man Jim “Dandy” Mangrum and guitarist Rickie Lee Reynolds joined by fellow band mates, drum- mer Johnnie Bolin, guitarist Arthur Pearson, bassist George Hughen, and backing vocalist Samantha Barnes, played their asses off in harum-scarum fashion to a crowd of dedi- cated fans who continue to keep the faith. The venue, Eronel, is located in the basement of the historic Cooper Wagon Works Building. Originally constructed in 1895, its stone walls
and arched passage ways reminded me a little bit of images I’ve seen of the Cavern Club in Liverpool. This made for a very cool intimate setting for the show. When Jim Dandy took the stage, donning
his signature black leather, patch-adorned vest atop a cool-as-hell black tank with a sil- ver skull emblazed on the front, there was no doubt this was going to be a fantastic show. I could feel the energy heighten as BOA broke into “Plugged in and Wired” off their newer album, Back Thar N’ Over Yonder. This one really got the adrenalin flowing. It was so good to hear “Hot Rod,” a favorite filled with double entendres and peppered with Jim’s maniacal laughter. I also grinned from ear to ear as they played old favorites, “Uncle Eli- jah”, “High ‘n’ Dry”, “Happy Hooker” and “Hot and Nasty.” The later on which Jim Dandy pulled out the washboard. But when they played “Lord Have Mercy on My Soul (Halls of Karma),” chills shot down my spine. It is a phenomenal song and was a definite crowd pleaser. Prior to performing “Heartbreaker”, Jim
spoke a few touching words about a certain ‘spitfire redhead’ who died 20 years ago and sang this one in honor of Miss Ruby Starr. The band also paid tribute to Johnnie Bolin’s brother Tommy Bolin with a beautifully played “Post Toastee”. Saving “Jim Dandy” for last was pretty
much a given. Most everyone was singing along as the show sadly came to a close. Every time I see this band, I feel lifted and ener- gized. They surely are a band I will try to catch live every time I get a chance.
- Phillip Smith
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