There are many ways to sing the blues. Some artists dwell on heartbreak, misfortune and regret. Others turn adversity into defiance. Keb' Mo' has always followed a different path: his music certainly acknowledges life's difficulties, but it is more often concerned with the things worth celebrating: love, friendship, travel, sunshine, perseverance and simple human connection. It is blues music viewed through the lens of gratitude.
That outlook was evident throughout his performance at the Bataclan. Musically, Keb' Mo' is at the corssroads between blues, folk, soul and Americana. The result is warm, inviting and remarkably timeless. Alone on stage, he moved between a small arsenal of instruments, from a standard acoustic guitar to a National resonator whose metallic growl immediately altered the mood of a song. Slide guitar passages, delicate fingerpicking and percussive strumming provided enough variety that the performance never felt sparse. Each instrument opened a different window onto the music, whether the destination was Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma or somewhere farther west.
The mood occasionally darkened, but never without a sense of perspective. Songs such as "The Worst Is Yet To Come" and "Old Me Better" found humor in life's daily challenges and toxic relationships. Elsewhere, Keb' Mo' previewed "Fussin' and Fightin'," a new tune from his forthcoming album The Breakdown, due out in August. He also allowed himself a rare moment of overt political commentary with the pointed "Put a Woman in Charge," one of the few songs in the set to address topical issues directly and militantly.
