Take a step back in time with an evening compiled of incredibly talented musicians gathered to celebrate the musical stylings of the one and only, Jimi Hendrix. The 2014 Experience Hendrix Tour featured musicians the likes of Buddy Guy, Billy Cox, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Lang, and Rich Robinson to name a few.
The night began with an introduction by Janie Hendrix– Jimi’s sister and the CEO and President of the Jimi Hendrix Experience Tour. She shared with the crowd her gratitude of their attendance and how joyous she was that his legacy could be passed on through his music and the live performance of so many talented people.
Words can not properly delineate the amount of talent that was exhibited on the Ruth Eckerd Hall stage this past Saturday. But, talent is what is necessary to represent a legend like Jimi Hendrix and his superior guitar skills. To kick off the evening, Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes took the stage, accompanied by Eric Gales. The pair wowed the crowd with guitar solo after guitar solo and mastered a rendition of Red House that had every pony-tail sporting man out of their chair.
Another breathtaking performance was that of Johnny Lang, who at the age of thirty-two was one of the youngest to take the stage that evening. Lang’s voice is such a soulful one that, combined with his guitar, makes it nearly impossible to stop watching him. Armed with both his acoustic, and later, his electric guitar Lang had every audience member dancing by the end of his set.
Following Lang was Kenny Wayne Shepard, who took on the honor of covering one of Hendrix’s most popular songs, Voodoo Child. Shepard’s take on Voodoo Child was both haunting and beautiful and was accompanied with an extended guitar solo that sounded like Jimi Hendrix himself shredding on his guitar.
A definite highlight was witnessing Buddy Guy, a known influence to Hendrix, perform his rendition of Muddy Waters. His take was just as soulful as the original, one may even say he sounded akin to Hendrix himself. Guy possessed the ability to transport the audience to a time that consisted of tie-dye shirts and bell bottom pants (which were both present in the crowd that evening).
The Experience Hendrix Tour started because of the influence of Hendrix’s father, James Al Hendrix who began this tour in 1995 to ensure that his son’s legacy lived on. It is evident that his legacy has held strong, by the mere fact that a tribute performance of his music can pack a venue nineteen years after the start. Hendrix’s sheer creativity and stage vitality was legendary and it is purely amazing that the legend can live on through live performances and venues throughout the country today.
Madison Kazar can be reached at Madison.kazar@spartans.ut.edu