BB KING + Robin McKelle @ Grand Rex, Paris June 30 2011

BB KING + Robin McKelle @ Grand Rex
Paris June 29 2011

Robin McKelle

BB KING is playing a sold-out show @ the beautiful Grand Rex, at the tender age of 85 he's still as popular as ever.
A few years ago he played a Farewell Tour and his show at the Zénith in Paris was supposed to be his last one, probably around 2006.
He came back @ The Palais des Congres on July 22nd 2009 (click for review , Pics & video).
2011 he's still touring around the world.

First we have American soul singer Robin McKelle, she did a great job warming up the audience, it's rare to see people standing up and clapping hands for a support band.
She knows how to make the audience react and is a great singer with a soulfull voice à la Aretha Franklin.

It's 9:00 pm when BB King is getting on stage, in fact not really as his band is playing a couple of songs without him.Then he's introduced on stage, he's playing a bit of guitars and is making funny faces for the joy of photographers.
As usual lots of talking , he's barely on stage for 5 minutes that he's introducing each musician, they are seven of them.
He's talking more and more telling funny stories.
The show started 25 minutes ago that he hasn't played a proper song.
It will be like this for the rest of the show: 5 minutes of talking before, he's playing a song and then some more talking.Sometimes he's talking in the middle of a song.

He probably played 8-9 songs in all ( "Everyday I Have the blues", "When love comes to town", "Rock me baby", "Thrill is gone","key to the highway" a new song written or produced by T Bone Burnett, & a few others...).
After just an hour it's time to thank people and give away plectrums, 'gold' chains, pins and signing autographs on stage, all that is taking a good 10 min.
Less than 90 min on stage with probably less than half of it playing guitar or singing but we can't say it was bad as he's a great entertainer, and at the age of 85 he's still a good guitar player,a good singer, he's in shape even though he's seated for the whole set and is nice and smiling to everyone.
More important it's probably the last time we're able to see him until... next time.

We had a good time !

see ya Paris !

"Thrill is Gone":