By Martine Ehrenclou

The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band release their first live DVD, ‘Straight To You Live,’ on November 27, 2020 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group. The live set is available on DVD +CD, Blu-Ray +CD, 2LP vinyl and digitally. This review is based on the DVD.

And what a live concert film it is. You can’t go wrong with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, with five-time Grammy nominated blues/rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Noah Hunt on vocals and guitar, Chris Layton on drums, Joe Krown on keyboards, Scott Nelson on bass, Joe Sublett on sax, and Mark Pender on trumpet.

Filmed at the Leverkusen Jazzstage in Germany during the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band tour to support their latest album, The Traveler (2019), thankfully this concert was captured on film before the tour was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. For those starved for live blues/rock music, especially Kenny Wayne Shepherd music, grab this straight away. Straight To You Live is a must see. It’s about as live as you can get and its filmed beautifully, crisp and clear, with great sound and multiple camera angles so you really feel like you are there.

The seven-piece band takes the stage, most dressed in all black, including Kenny Wayne Shepherd with Stratocaster in hand. They kick off the show with “Woman Like You,” a high-energy rocker from The Traveler. Vocalist Noah Hunt with his rich, soulful voice, blasts off the song. With swagger and confidence, Shepherd heads into the first killer guitar solo of the night, muscular vibrato combined with soulful, virtuosic skills.

The stage is set up in minimalistic fashion with a few tall, steel, open structures with neon blue tube lights snaking up the rails. Just enough atmosphere, along with interesting lighting, as a backdrop for a dynamic artist who comes alive on stage with his guitar. The band is in peak form.

Without a second to spare, Shepherd and the band launch into “Mr. Soul” (Buffalo Springfield), a rocking number with Hunt on main vocal duties and Shepherd on guitar and backing vocals. Horns play a significant part of this song and in the entire show, expertly played and in just the right places. The band is tight. Shepherd plays blistering guitar solos on every song, and for guitar fans, blues/rock fans, this is a feast. Straight To You Live is an experience on every sensory level.

After “Long Time Running” where Hunt’s full-bodied vocals shine, Shepherd introduces the band and asks the audience, “How’s everybody doing tonight?” An extended version of “I Want You” finds Shepherd on lead vocals, his voice is in fine form, stronger than ever. This blues rocker is a standout and he and the band relax into the groove. Shepherd, playing a different Strat now, sinks into an impressive and soulful guitar solo, followed by interludes of organ, sax and trumpet. The band is rocking. And the crowd goes wild, whistling, clapping, hollering.

Photo: Ryan Swanich

If you haven’t seen Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band perform live, you’re in for a treat with Straight To You Live as it showcases Shepherd’s passion and energy on stage, his synergy with Hunt, and their interplay, the band’s tremendous performance.