Richmond Times-Dispatch
Thursday nights have recently become a rock `n' roll phenomenon in Richmond. This past Thursday was no different as legendary blues man and Southern rocker Elvin Bishop hit Rockitz with a vengeance to rock this town.
Bishop first came to national prominence with Paul Butterfield's Blues Band in the late 1960s. Though he became a Southern rock staple during the 1970s, Bishop never forgot his blues roots. He proved that during the show. Bishop has a superb feel for blues. He combined blues with country elements into songs like "Stealin' Watermelons" and "Juke Joint Jump.Then he added psychedelic rock to his blues to power "Rock My Soul," the title track to his first post-Butterfield album.
Bishop sings rough with a gruff gravel tone. Yet this adds to his intense shouting style, very much akin to the jump bands of the late 1940s like Wynonie Harris. Nowhere was this more prevalent than on "Travelin' Shoes," a "get-out-of-town-quick" shouter.
Throughout this and other `70s songs, Bishop traded leads with second guitarist Stevie Gurr. Yet the star of Bishop's band was Mark Wenner who, along with fellow Nighthawks member Pete Ragusa, gave focus to Bishop's playing. Wenner's lyric harp playing has been appreciated in Richmond for the past 15 years. He still wails on tunes like "Sad Hours" and "I'd Rather Be Sloppy Drunk (Than Any Way I Know)." Also, Wenner fronted the band for several songs before each of Bishop's two sets. He showed just how excellent a showman he is as he sang "Cindy Lou," "Rock Tonight" and the classic Blind Willie McTell blues "Early in the Morning."
Speaking of blues, the near-capacity crowd got the chance to groove with Richmonders Li'l Ronnie and the Blue Beats. They screamed out monster versions of Texas and Chicago blues from the likes of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Muddy Waters and Little Walter. However, they also incorporated these influences to perform their own excellent tunes. "Too Many Bad Habits" featured Robyn Stanley's gut-level vocals. It is surprising that this band has not grabbed for the brass ring of musical stardom. Li'l Ronnie and the Blue Beats can lay down the blues beat that currently enjoys a resurgence. In fact, they play so well that it was difficult to determine which band was the headliner.