CONCERT REVIEW

Road to Austin concert looks to the past

Blues, roots focus of free show

By Joe Gross
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, May 20, 2007

"I love my city!" blues singers Malford Milligan yelled from the massive Road to Austin concert stage in Auditorium Shores on Saturday evening. You would have been hard-pressed to find anyone in the audience to disagree.

The free concert proceeded nearly without a hitch on a mercifully gorgeous Austin evening, the kind you pray for when you're throwing an outdoor show. Folks chowed down on barbecue and smoothies, kids kicked soccer balls around and on the stage, and musical director Stephen Bruton and his house band celebrated the rootsy, bluesy sounds of our city's colorful past with the musicians of today. These are the grooves that made Austin Austin.

But Bruton was also savvy enough to invite some acts — himself among them — that surprised and often delighted.

Around 7 p.m., a short film produced by concert sponsors Freescale Semiconductor Inc. preceded the music and built context for the show, highlighting such legends as Roky Erickson, Janis Joplin and, of course, Steve Ray Vaughan.

After Bruton opened the gig with some tight blues riffometry, Ruthie Foster brought some high-octane gospel, singing Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air."

Actor/magician/writer Turk Pipkin served as master of ceremonies, moving the show along and providing the occasional corny joke. "There's a yellow Hummer on South Congress," Pipkin said. "It's parked OK, but it clashes with the neighborhood." Um, Turk, have you priced houses in South Austin recently? If you can afford one, you can probably afford a Hummer.

James Hand contributed two songs of vintage honky-tonk, followed by house band organist Ian McLagan singing "Date with an Angel." McLagan introduced a brief appearance from headliner Bonnie Raitt to a storm of cheers. (Is that woman aging at all?) They chugged through a soulful new tune called "Hold Me" and Raitt provided her typically elegant slide solos. Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox brought a detailed Latin tinge during their two numbers, while Malford Milligan turned Auditorium Shores into his personal blues club.

Eric Johnson played a brief solo set and sat in with former Domino Bobby Whitlock and his musical partner Coco Carmel. Johnson, along with guitarist David Grisson, added sweaty yet melodic solos to Whitlock's driving blues rock.

Rising Americana star Lisa Hayes asked the crowd if they were "ready for some (expletive) kicking music" before providing just that, complete with Bruton on slide guitar.

But it was the unexpected acts that proved most compelling. Performing offstage and in the audience before the concert started, the percussion and dance troupe Academicos De Opera, Austin's samba school, hypnotized with heavy Brazilian drumming and dancing. Opera singer Kara Johnston sang an aria with Tosca String Quartet, while East Austin poet Raul Salinas dedicated his poem to the late, legendary blues bassist Keith Ferguson. "Racism flooded that stage/they wanted to honor you with dirty spoons," Salinas intoned, a sharp groove behind him.

Kris Kristofferson joked about his weak voice and sang a slow, mellow set, including "For the Good Times" and "Sunday Morning Coming Down," both of which were backed by the Tosca String Quartet. "For a moment there I thought I was Ray Price," Kristofferson said.

The concert was scheduled to end with an all-hands onstage version of "Me & Bobby McGee" led by Kristofferson.

Not too shabby for a free concert in the world's live music capital.

jgross@statesman.com; 912-5926

Staff writer Ed Crowell contributed to this story.