Elvin Bishop @ the Minnesota Zoo Weesner Family Amphitheater 8-28-13

Last Wednesday night, yours truly was privileged to see Elvin Bishop and Ruthie Foster play a show at the Weesner Family Amphitheater at the Minnesota Zoo.  Despite arriving slightly late, I caught some of Ruthie Foster's opening set, which was very soulful, as she was backed by a full band, while playing acoustic guitar, including an excellent Hammond B3 player, who also played mandolin. Notable songs in Foster's set included:

"All Slips Away"
"I Really Love You" (a tune she recorded in Memphis, Tennessee)
"When It Don't Come Easy" (a Patti Griffith penned song)
"Small Town Blues" (an acoustic blues number)
"Ring of Fire" (a brilliant R&B cover of the Johnny Cash classic)
"If I Had A Hammer"
"Real Love"

Elvin Bishop and his band showcased Cajun flavored roots in their show, even though Bishop grew up in the musically rich landscape of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The band featured Bishop and Bob Welch on guitar, Steve Willis on keyboards and accordion, Ed Early on trombone, Ruth Davies on bass, and a drummer, who's name was mentioned, but cannot be remembered.  Bishop's set featured plenty of Cajun and jazz influenced numbers and he completely veered away from a lot of the hit songs that made him a well known name in the 1970s southern fried boogie rock era.

Although, some of those tunes, did make appearances.  In the last few decades, Bishop has really centered himself upon blues and Cajun music.  The twin lead guitar work between Bishop and Welch, was phenomenal and reminiscent of any other band from that era that came from down south, where twinned guitar solos, were what made the music special.  The two of them, dug in, and played some very inspiring licks, Bishop doing some of his, with a slide, on his red 1959 Gibson ES345 that has been with him pretty much since the beginning of his career when he played alongside Mike Bloomfield in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the mid 1960s.

The show was a nostalgic throwback indeed, and a real treat musically.  Here's the set list.

1. Cajun instrumental (title unknown)
2. Hey Baba Rebop
3. Got To Be New Orleans
4. Boll Weevil
5. Down By The Arkansas Line
6. Calling All Cows
7. Goin' Fishin'
8. Juke Joint Jump
9. What The Hell Is Going On?
10. Hey Hey Hey Hey (Dancin')
11. Instrumental (title unknown)
12. Rock My Soul
13. Travelin' Shoes