Chicago
nights, here we go again! I am invited by great US colleagues (in fact, er, friends)
for an afterwork dinner and congress success celebration. We worked well, so
let’s take some gooood time together.
Let’s
go to Buddy Guy’s Legends on Wabash Street, one of the top 8 “places to be” when
it comes to Blues clubs in the Windy City? Sure!
So
here we are, at 7.00 pm sharp, 10 of us seating together and having a couple of
drinks, ready for the music.
Ouch,
before today’s real action on the stage, we have to gulp a
white-boring-jazzy-unfunky trio, playing 15’ 45” tunes with 5 keyboard soli and
12 chords per bar. So we eat some tacos, spare ribs, put more barbecue sauce on
the fries, drink another margarita and get busy on Facebook with each other’s
pix sent to… each other.
Then
… show time!
The
great and certainly legendary Mary-Lane
comes with her musicians (aka the No
Static Blues band) and starts singing. She has a low tone and calm voice,
filled with decades of experience and shows, making you listen to what she has
to say. Just like instruments with a “noise gate”, she would not yell but still
has much power. Impressive scenic presence and she takes advantage of the wireless
mike to come into the crowd and look at you in the eyes. She sings songs about
love, despair, sadness and joy or happiness, of course. Special award for songs
that ladies adore, where it’s about men being… men and she casts some naughty
lyrics, making girls giggle and women laugh. Dancing is not an option for many
guests and the crowd moves with energy.
“We
love you”, she says after each song, and yes, you have to love her too, women
and men, before she goes to chill out with our dear BB King, as she lady was
born in 1935. However, we still wish her a long life among us, poor sinners,
coming for some fun, art and soul refreshment at Buddy Guy’s.
So,
great night out with my friends, special thanks to Joyce and Sean, my New Jersey
stars and true people.
Jérôme”not
born in the USA” V.
