Blues Traveler brought an energetic and phenomenal show to Upstate Concert Hall on November 21, 2013. Blues Traveler has come back with a vengence, tossing away their reputation as a 90’s pop band and truly exploring their capabilities within their jams through each facet of their ensemble.
John Popper has always brought a fresh and eccentric level of talent that extends the complexities of each song far beyond any 90’s pop band ever could. The band opened with an absolutely mind blowing take on the Charlie Daniels’ Band’s original “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” John Popper mimicked the explosive fiddle solos with his collection of harmonicas which he played furiously along with the rest of the band.
The band played off of each other all night, slipping into more folky, slow jams and moving back into full on rock and roll solos carried by guitar. At one point they busted into a rendition of Sublime’s “What I Got” which had the packed venue singing and dancing with the classic tune. Of course the night was also filled with Blues Traveler’s classics such as “But Anyway,” “Hook” and “Run Around” all of which were almost perfectly performed and had the crowd dancing and singing along to every word. “But Anyway” held a mind-blowing drum solo that showed that the capabilities of Blues Traveler as a band were expansive. From start to finish, Blues Traveler kept the energy high and the crowd dancing. Upstate New York is definitely looking forward to the return of this timeless and talented band.
Comments are closed.