Delbert McClinton surely must be the hardest-working 76-year-old rock 'n' roller, or at least he should be a contender for such an award -- if there were one.
And what a place to strut his stuff Wednesday night -- a beautiful new concert venue on Scenic Hill in North Little Rock, the nearly new University of Arkansas-Pulaski Tech Center for Humanities and Arts in North Little Rock.
McClinton brought along his Self-Made Men (plus one woman, a red-headed saxophonist, Dana Robbins, who was wildly cheered when band introductions were made late in the show. And, yes, she was outstanding, as was her fellow brass player, Quentin Ware on trumpet.)
Keyboardist Kevin McKendree provided many a nice touch to the songs, as did the other Self-Made Men: guitarist Bob Britt, bassist Michael Joyce and drummer Jack Bruno. (An additional guitarist, name not audible, was also in the band, and he served up many a tasty lick).
Unlike most musicians who record a new album and then go out on tour, McClinton did not seem overly determined to push his new songs. He probably suspected that his fans were there to hear old favorites, including "Givin' It Up for Your Love," "Shaky Ground," "I'm With You," "New York City," "Squeeze Me In," "When Rita Leaves," "Sending Me Angels," "Take Me to the River" and "Every Time I Roll the Dice."
He did start the 100-minute show with "Don't Do It," the opening cut from the album Prick of the Litter, and he later included the album's final song, "Rosy." He also did "San Miguel," his tribute to the historic Mexican town that he considers a second home.
It seemed a bit odd, however, when McClinton announced his band would play while he left the stage for 10 minutes. During his absence, the band roared through several songs, most notably bar band staples "Tequila" and The Box Tops' classic "The Letter."
The sellout show in front of a crowd of 500 people featured a 30-minute opening set by Doug Duffey, a fan favorite from Louisiana who lived in Little Rock off and on in the 1970s. He ended his well-received set with an appropriate number, "New Orleans Rain," reflecting, perhaps, the heavy rain storms that had passed through the area earlier in the day.
Metro on 04/28/2017