March 14, 2000

BY DAVID YONKE
BLADE POP MUSIC WRITER
 

Every era has its guitar heroes, and judging by last night's concert at
the
Stranahan Theater, it looks like Jonny Lang is the real deal for the
new
millennium.

With a combination of world-class musicianship and showmanship that
seemed
almost impossible for a 19-year-old artist, Lang blazed through a
high-energy
set that was driven by his fiery guitar touch and gritty vocals. But
unlike
most young phenoms, Lang put the music ahead of his prodigious
technical
skills or theatrics, and he clearly savored the interaction with his
stellar
five-man backup band.

Lang opened with a bang, blasting the crowd of 1,700 with a mighty wave
of
electric guitar and howling vocals on "Still Rainin'," the biggest hit
off
his second and latest album, "Wander this World."

The stage was simple and utilitarian, just a few high-tech lights
creating
colorful patterns on the backdrop as Lang alternated between crisp,
trebly
lead guitar and husky, smoke-tinged baritone vocals.

Like blues great B.B. King, Lang never sang and played lead guitar at
the
same time. He howled the vocals, guitar hanging loose around his neck,
then
stepped away from the microphone as he cut loose with high-pitched,
wailing
lead riffs.

Lang, who wore a dark sleeveless T-shirt, cargo pants, and sneakers,
played
almost every song on the same vintage Fender Telecaster electric
guitar,
switching briefly to another electric guitar of the same make and to a
nylon-stringed acoustic guitar.

The second song of the night was a slow and funky remake of the classic
rocker, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl," a vastly different approach
than
usual on this tune that usually is played at breakneck speed.

Most of Lang's hour-and-a-half set, not including the encore, was drawn
from
the new CD and showed a nice blend of power ballads and full-tilt
rockers.

Lang has never claimed to be a blues artist, and although he has a
strong
blues foundation, the concert featured a hefty dose of funk and soul,
particularly on a dance-powered cover of Prince's "I Am" which featured
an
impressive duel between Lang and a band member on alto saxophone. Lang
would
play a four-bar lead on guitar and the sax player would echo the solo,
and
although the guitar riffs often flew fast and furious, Lang played them
with
a sensitivity to the saxophone's style, smiling broadly through the
friendly
"cutting contest."

Throughout the show, the diverse crowd leaped and danced and applauded
with
enthusiasm. The charismatic Lang has the rare gift of bringing
blues-based
music to the masses, and the sky is the limit for this genuine
virtuoso.

Opening the concert were the Keller Brothers, a Texas blue-eyed blues
band
that played with a lot of energy but little direction or depth. Lead
guitarist and singer Mike Keller has tremendous technical skills but
worked
way too hard to show them to everyone all the time. If musicians were
paid by
the number of notes played, Keller would be the next Bill Gates.