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FAIRFIELD — Nearly two weeks
ago, the blues came to town at the Fairfield Community Arts
Center. Native Cincinnatian and Nashville veteran Stacy
Mitchhart and Blues-U-Can-Use played to a full house in
Fairfield’s own beautiful theater.
The first set was packed
full of Mitchhart’s own staple songs as well as a wide
selection of choice cover songs to keep just about anyone
happy and entertained.
Early in the first set,
the band shined on one of Stacy’s newer staples “Got To Get
That Feeling Back Again,” a cut from the 2006 album I’m a
Good Man and again on 2007's Gotta Get That Feeling
Back Again. The set continued from there, hitting many
diverse musical stops along the way.
The remainder of the first
set included such cover songs as “P-Funk (Wants to Get
Funked Up)” made famous by Parliament, and “Long Time
Coming” by the great Sam Cooke. The set even covered a Led
Zeppelin medley including “Black Dog” and “Whole Lotta
Love.”
During the intermission
Stacy sat next to the Merchandise table signing autographs
and trading stories with long time fans and friends. It was
easy to see that this success story hasn’t forgotten his
roots or those who helped him to where he is today.
The second set started off
with one of my own personal favorites “The Chicken” by the
amazing Jaco Pastorius. In this writer’s humble opinion, any
group that can pull off this challenging tune with taste, is
much more than okay.
The band moved into
another Mitchhart staple “Homewrecker.” The set also include
the traditional tune “Hurts Me Too,” The Albert King classic
“Angel Of Mercy,” and an interesting take on the Allman
Brothers cut “Whipping Post.”
All in all, the
performance was outstanding. Mitchhart’s vocals were
soulful, and his blues-filled playing was smooth and stands
up with the greats. His band, Blues-U-Can-Use, were
complimentary and followed his lead without a hitch.
No doubt about it, if
you’re into the blues, you will dig this group. Check them
out live, or give a listen to any recording you can get your
hands on. Who knew that such great performances are
happening right in our own backyard? |
