Inside The Keswick Theater, a playhouse built in the 1920’s, an audience is rushing to their seats as DJ Kurupt announces, “It’s that time, y’all.”
A few seconds later, a slim man in a suit vest and a large hat tipped to one side sits in a large, red, upholstered chair at center stage. The crowd cheers as the first quiet, clean notes of Snowstorms In Fiji emanate and reverberate off the walls in a way uniquely characteristic of buildings of that particular age. No one in the audience has likely ever heard this song before; GCJ has only played it a few times in the past year, and it’s widely expected to be on his next release, but there’s currently no recorded version of it online.
Gary Clark Jr. is protecting his new song from ears that don’t see him live; it’s different from his previous singles: quiet, ethereal, stripped-down, with a vocal delivery that feels resigned to grieving. It has a singer-songwriter quality, a title that certainly fits our performer, but he’s more commonly categorized as a blues, rock, or soul musician.
The song ends and GCJ stands. A quick guitar switch to his gold Les Paul and the band joins him full-force on Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round a classic off of his 2012 album ‘Blak and Blu.’ Here, he sounds like his engine is warming up. It’s been seven years since he’s had a charting single and more than a decade since he’s cracked the top #20, but his voice hasn’t fallen off, and his guitar screams just as well as it ever has, though his solos feel a touch more hesitant.
The stage is simple in its design. Beyond the large armchair at center stage, a few mismatched mid-century lamps strobe along to the music.
Plowing through Things Are Changin,’ GCJ rips a solo that extends a few minutes, bringing the crowd to its feet. Feeling the response, he tells us, “Alright, we’re going to do another new one.” It feels spontaneous, but it may also be why there’s no photography or video tonight. The audience has their phones locked away, keeping them locked into the performance.
What comes next feels like the song that will be a resurgent breakthrough hit for Gary Clark Jr., It’s a dark, pulsing, grungy blues rock song that feels plucked out of a southern gothic epic. If there’s a sequel to 2025’s Sinners this yet-unreleased song will be an auto-include.
After that burst of adrenaline, the show slows into something more melancholic, fitting of the modern blues king.
During the intro to Feed The Babies, GCJ attempts to hype the crowd up, making his rhythm guitarist play the riff for minutes on end as he swings his arms and prods the crowd; when he gets the response he wants, the song finally starts.
After a lengthy set, he settles into the calm and retrospective Habits off of his most recent album ‘JPEG RAW’. Then, as the crowd exhales, he smashes into Bright Lights, closing out his set with his first major hit in his now 15-year career and making The Keswick Theater dance and sing along one last time.
Listen to Gary Clark Jr.’s latest release on Spotify and follow him on Instagram @garyclarkjr.