Date: May 31, 2005
Artist: Bryan Lee
Venue: Patrick's II
I had a dream a few months back. I was in a club with a band on stage and behind them were large mirrored speakers. As the guitarist began to wail away on his guitar, I could see the mirrors shaking and beginning to crack. Little spidery cracks.
I had no idea what it meant, if anything, for the longest time.
I do now.
It's all Bryan Lee's fault.
I'm not trying to be enigmatic, I'm merely working on filling in the blanks. Too moved to form words is normally a good thing, right? Tonight, I'm still hearing the blistering guitar work of Bryan Lee and Brent Johnson in my head. I think my heart is pounding to the beat of Heat Seeking Missile.
Originally from Wisconsin, Lee has called New Orleans home since 1982. He has such a devoted following that he draws people from all over the United States to hear him play in NOLA. This time, folks came to San Diego for him. I met one couple who've been following him for years and his first trip west was a special treat.
As most fans of the Joe Bonamassa band know, it takes a special sort of musician to have that kind of pull.
Bryan Lee has that.
The man plays everything - from straight out blues to blues rock, funky blues to swamp blues, and he plays it with a ferocity that lingers in your soul for a long, long time after the music ends.
Accompanied by Brent Johnson on rhythm (and lead) guitar, Vance Abeyta on bass, and John Perkins on drums, Bryan had people on the dance floor or rockin' in their seats. While a few folks may have been expecting the band to launch into some indie rock (Brent was sporting a faux-hawk), the band gave us nothing but rock solid blues. Rocket 88, Six String Therapy, Dimples, Second Line Home, and many, many more songs set the room on fire.
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