Taking the stage with just a guitar and his voice, Keb’ Mo’ began his “Evening with the Keb’ Mo’ Band” with a solo performance of his song, “Every ?Morning.”
Part of the way through his second song, a bass guitarist and drummer had joined Keb’ Mo’, and for his third song, a ?keyboardist took the stage.
Keb’ Mo’ kept the conversation at the show to a minimum, playing one song after another.
When Keb’ Mo’ did chat with the crowd, though, he kept ?it playful.
“Is there a bar out there?” he asked, “No, I’m not thirsty, it just tells me how to play the set.”
Tuesday night’s show is one of the stops on an extensive tour supporting Keb’ Mo’s latest album, “BLUESamericana”.
The album was released in early 2014.
Already a three-time Grammy winner, this latest album’s nominations for the 57th Grammys could increase that number. The album has been nominated for best Americana album as well as best engineered non-classical ?album.
On top of those, the album’s single, “The Old Me Better,” has been nominated for best ?American roots performance.
“BLUESamericana” comes 20 years after Kevin Moore began releasing music under the Keb’ Mo’ name with his 1994 ?eponymous album.
The transformation from Kevin Moore to Keb’ Mo’ came after having a music career using his birth name proved to be unsuccessful.
This album represents a second transformation in his career, according to Buskirk-Chumley’s ?website.
“I only make albums when I’m inspired to, and these 10 songs come from a very honest place,” Moore said on the website. “‘BLUESamericana’ is the beginning of the next phase of who I am.”
A large amount of songs on the album, according to the website, come from the perseverance of Moore and his wife, Robbie, through a turbulent time in their marriage after the release of his 2011 album, “The ?Reflection.”
Stephen Hoskins and Mike McLane drove from Indianapolis to see Keb’ Mo’ perform.
The two consider themselves big fans of the musician and McLane said he even has three of Keb’ Mo’s albums on his phone.
Hoskins and McLane have seen Keb’ Mo’ ?perform before and said they like that he’s down-to-earth and comfortable ?onstage.
“There’s a lot of good singers, and they sing about sad stuff, but Keb’ Mo’s always got a positive attitude about life,” McLane said, “It really gets me coming back to his music.”
Moore has had a long ?relationship with the blues.
His big break after his first music career failed was in a blues combo with Charles Dennis, who went on to play rhythm guitar for B.B. King, according to the Keb’ Mo’ website.
Even on-screen, Moore has represented the blues.
Moore portrayed Robert Johnson in the documentary “Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl?” and starring in Martin Scorsese’s documentary series, “The Blues.”
“I never set out to be a ‘blues guy,’ but the blues is very powerful and fuels what I do,” Moore said on his website. “The blues puts the ‘realness’ in it ?for me.”
