Chris Cain has the blues. And he was more than happy to share them tonight at Wha Bahs. The show was sponsored by the Kentucky Blues Society and was just one of a long series of excellent performances they have brought to Bowling Green, Ky. Mr. Cain, who hails from the West Coast, is greatly influenced by blues greats BB and Albert King. You can hear BB most notably in his vocals and Albert in his guitar play, which is as smooth as silk.

During a long two-set performance, Cain played the blues easy, inflectively, and blazingly at times, utilizing a varied toolbox of styles. With strong vocals, smiles galore, assorted other emotive facial expressions/contortions, sweat, and feel, Cain is the consummate blues man. While moving through his set list his guitar was hoisted upward as well as lunged downward at key points (just for emphasis), he got off the stage and into the crowd a few times, and even played piano for a song. Cain is a multi-instrumentalist with a jazz background, and you could hear a little of that influence in his playing. Many in the audience expressed the feeling that Cain is the real deal.

As Cain’s reputation preceded him, the excellence on guitar was not unexpected. What was a nice surprise was Cain’s keyboard player, Dave Matthews (yes, there are at least two of them in the world), who I’d rank right up there with the best of them. Playing both piano and organ, Matthews was in the spotlight often, with Cain yielding to his brilliance on a regular basis. He had several lengthy solos, as well as some good interactive segments with Cain. Quite a few of his CDs were sold during intermission; he was that good. With a solid, though not spectacular rhythm section behind them, the evening was a total blast.

The Kentucky Blues Society puts on several of these shows per year. Check their website at www.kyblues.com regularly. A quick glance revealed that Atlanta Boogie is scheduled for September 24 at Wha Bahs. If you like the blues you will love these shows. 

The Chris Cain Band played at Wha Bahs in Bowling Green, KY on 8/31/2009

Pennman bought his first 45 at age nine and has been hooked on rock ever since. He has spent much of his disposable income on music, especially live performances. He writes reviews of the shows he sees and keeps a keen lookout for upcoming shows in or near Bowling Green. He has a BA in Communications, specializing in journalism, and has dabbled in music himself, both as a player and instructor. Find more of Pennman’s work at www.associatedcontent.com/user/165511/pennman.html or visit him at www.myspace.com/pennman_bg or www.facebook.com/pennman