by photojournalist Jeffrey Moellering
Characterizing Buddy Guy simply as a “Blues legend” might be interpreted a slight, considering the outsized impact he commands within the genre, as an influence to guitar greats such as JImi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Keith Richards, among other luminaries.
Guy pulled his touring caravan into Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall on August 23rd as a stop during his ongoing “Buddy Guy 90 Tour”, a series of headline dates celebrating 90 years of one of the most influential figures in blues history, after marking his birthday on July 30th.
This series of shows comes on the heels of Guy’s recent Grammy win for Best Traditional Blues Album for “Ain’t Done With The Blues”; a fitting honor as the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer continues performing at the highest level now into his 10th decade, with seemingly no signs of slowing down.
For the Clearwater show, Guy introduced a special young blues guitar phenom as the opener, 17-year-old Australian wunderkind Taj Farrant, with his band of talented teenagers in tow, including sister Jazel on keyboards. Taj delivered a powerful showcase of youthful energy, technical precision and genuine emotional depth. The young Australian guitarist immediately took command of the room, blending psychedelia-inspired textures with a rich, expressive vibrato that gave every note a sense of purpose, a la searing Stevie Ray Vaughan style.
Taj is quickly becoming one of the most revered young guitarists, and it’s easy to see why. His intensity and mastery are uncanny – the sheer soul he harnesses feels like the product of decades of hard-earned experience on the road, not something you’d expect from someone so young. By the end of the set, Taj was tearing the strings off his guitar, but was still somehow playing. I was ready for him to go full “Pete Townshend” and start smashing his gear, but I guess he’ll probably need to earn a few more dollars before he can consider that level of abandon.
Calling Farrant a prodigy almost feels like I’m underselling him. Influences from Gary Moore, Carlos Santana, Joe Satriani and other guitar giants are clearly present, but Farrant has developed a sound and stage presence that are already distinctly his own.
Highlights included a roaring version of Stevie Wonder’s “Supersitition”, as well as the Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine”, and a heartfelt song written for his mother, “Mumma Raised a Man”. Farrant’s tour is a real family affair, with Taj’s parents accompanying him, selling merchandise, and watching with pride from the aisles as their son and daughter wowed the crowd. By all means be sure to give this kid a listen and make it out to his next show – you’ll be as wowed as the Clearwater crowd!
After that incredible first act, the house full of buzzing Buddy fans were eager to witness a living legend. At 90, Buddy Guy isn’t merely keeping the blues alive like a dusty relic, he’s still playing it with the fire and authority of a man half his age. The Chicago blues icon delivered a spirited, high-voltage performance packed with blistering guitar, gritty vocals, sharp humor, and the unpredictable showmanship that has defined his career for more than seven decades.
Guy tore into classics including “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” and “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man,” immediately reminding everyone why his sound remains so unmistakable. His Stratocaster delivered everything from sharp, stinging riffs to long, screaming bursts of feedback, while his voice shifted between gravelly shouts and quieter, conversational asides, making you feel like he was in your own living room.
Buddy’s set is definitely not PG, as he peppered stories with a smattering of “S” and “F” bombs, but the way he delivers them seems so gentle, assuring and without anger, it’s as if your grandfather is giving you a life lesson. Guy spoke of the decades he’s seen in the industry, dating back to the days when black performers played for white audiences, making you understand the gravity and sincerity about the songs he sang. The evening’s repertoire was like a living encyclopedia of the blues, referencing familiar musical lines from Hendrix, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and Cream.
The most memorable moments came when Guy left the stage and moved into the crowd. Armed with a wireless guitar, he wandered the aisles, joking with fans, letting them touch the strings. It felt less like a gimmick and more like a living blues tradition being handed from one generation to the next. Everyone in attendance was absolutely enthralled as Buddy made his way through the ranks. Finally, when he returned to the stage, he set his guitar on an amplifier and used a drumstick, coffee mug, and a towel as a kind of pick, all while jamming along.
Guy also brought out his son Greg to perform, who is an equally fine guitarist, who tore into the fretboard with the same frenzy as his famous father. Young Taj Farrant also emerged for an encore, and while the backing band jammed, Buddy had a heaping handful of picks that he expertly pitched into the crowd like skimming stones, the fans gladly grabbing up the souvenirs from the memorable evening.
One thing that Buddy emphasizes is his love for everyone, and his desire for people to stop fighting and to get along with their neighbor. That seems to be the powerful medicine which keeps him going, the belief that the blues can be a remedy to help solve the world’s problems by taking a difficult experience and turning it into a joyful celebration of life.
Always a bit raucous, a little raunchy, surely soulful, and gloriously unpredictable, Buddy Guy’s Clearwater performance was a powerful reminder that the blues belongs as much to the present as to the past. Even now at 90, Guy isn’t looking back at music history, he’s still writing it, one bluesy guitar note at a time, and he’s invited us along to enjoy the ride.
