Some artists can’t wait to be pigeon-holed. They’re happy to endorse a particular genre and work within that genre’s implied borders and constrictions, because in exchange, they’re granted access to a pre-vetted demographic that has proven itself to be open to said genre. For many, that’s a more than fair trade-off.
However, there are some artists whose dedication to musical evolution means that they came into the game kicking in the stalls, and they have no desire to put genre-based blinders on at any point in their journey.
Gary Clark, Jr. has proven himself to be a firm member of the latter camp, as his often transcendent show at Artpark’s MainStage Theatre on May 25 made plain.
When Clark entered the game, emerging from Austin, TX, with his 2011 Bright Lights EP, he was quickly labelled a blues artist. This was understandable, for Clark’s earthy, nimble finger-picked electric guitar playing and soulful singing revealed a deep understanding of both Chicago-style electric blues and it’s southern variants.
Thirteen years into the trip, however, such a label feels more than reductive.
Yes, Clark has the blues in him. But what he gave us at Artpark was more accurately a history lesson in Black American music that included organic hybrids of soul, rock, blues, funk, R&B, gospel, and hip-hop, all of it delivered with an understanding of (and an abiding respect for) the past, coupled with a firm sense of the present moment.
Clark’s latest effort, JPEG Raw, is easily his most stylistically broad and diverse album yet, and and he drew liberally from it for the Artpark set.
Opening with ‘Maktub, Clark and his band – which included guitarist King Zapata, keyboardist Jon Deas, bassist Elijah Ford, drummer JJ Johnson, a second keyboardist, and three backing vocalists – wasted no time fusing a dirty Texas blues riff to a hip-hop-informed vocal that reflected the cadences of Kendrick Lamar.
The band’s sound was mighty and beautifully mixed, boasting both clarity and sonic oomph, and that would remain a constant throughout the evening.
Clark’s emphasis on JPEG Raw material included 7 songs from the album – “Maktub,’ ‘Alone Together,’ ‘Funk Witch U,’ ‘Habits,’ ‘Hyperwave,’ ‘This Is Who We Are,’ and ‘Triumph’ – and formed the evening’s backbone. As strong as the album is, these songs truly breathed in the live setting, greatly benefitting from band interplay, extended solos, and a brilliantly executed display of dynamic range.
When a technical issue demanded that Clark abandon his guitar for a few songs, he turned the mishap into an impromptu bonus for the crowd, pulling the microphone from its stand, sauntering about the stage like a prime 70s-period Marvin Gaye, and getting up close and personal with the crowd. Though much of Clark’s reputation is built upon his prowess as a blues-based guitarist, he proved that he is a more than capable frontman even without his six-string, one able to transform what was ostensibly a rock show into a true soul revue.
Those who’d attended hoping for early Clark fare were treated to stellar versions of the southern soul masterpiece ‘When My Train Pulls In,’ The Story of Sonny Boy Slim’s slow-grinding acid-blues ‘The Healing,’ and a searing, celebratory reading of his breakthrough hit, ‘Bright Lights.’
A deeply moving, inspiring and often transcendent affair, Clark’s Artpark show left an indelible mark, and served as a triumphant kick-off for the venue’s summer season.