April 2023
Blues Night at Chasco was one of the nights when you find yourself surrounded by a bunch of people who are experiencing another kind of greatness for the first time – one maybe you can relate to because you’ve been there/done that and might just get the t-shirt at the merch table when the show wraps up.
Singer-songwriter and local favorite Julie Black and her band set the tone for the night as openers, putting on a great show and giving concertgoers a taste of what it’s like to hear the full band amplified on the big stage.
Bravo.
Then came Memphis Lighting, a rockabilly-type band that offers a taste of a lot of things along with some exceptional guitar licks and a high-energy performance meant to please and have you coming back for more. The old man and I first caught Lightning during the inaugural Blue on the Bayou music series sponsored by the Suncoast Blues Society, Go Tonight, and held at Gill Dawg in Port Richey.
This was our third time coming out to see the band and it seems they are getting better with age and there will be more to come seeing as the frontman Darren “Lightnin'” Thiboutot Jr. is just 26 years old and has already been in the band for 12 years. Playing alongside and adding to the antics is his dad on bass, Darren “Big Red” Thiboutot, a Grammy-nominated artist who was a session and touring blues drummer in the 1990s. Rounding out the band are Rick Curran and Scott “Mr. Rock” Phillips on drums.
Bottom line. Make a note to see them the next time they come around.
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