Photos by Andy Argyrakis

As a mere teenager, Kenny Wayne Shepherd accomplished more than most achieve in a lifetime, racking up a steady stream of gold and platinum sales, breaking a Billboard record for the longest consecutive chart run, in addition touring with The Rolling Stones, Van Halen and the Eagles, all while introducing the blues to an entirely new generation.

Fueling much of the fire was the album “Trouble Is…,” a revolutionary refresh on the tried and true genre, chock full of originals and a few covers that demonstrated the mind-blowing skills of an entirely self-taught guitar god in-the-making, enhanced by the crisp production of Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison.

Another vital piece of the puzzle was the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, currently comprised of soulful singer Noah Hunt, drummer Chris Layton, keyboard player Joe Krown and bassist Kevin McCormick, who were on hand to help the headliner celebrate the 25th anniversary of this colossal collection at a crowded Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana, where there’s always something of major musical notoriety happening, alongside many ways to roll the dice.

Anyone who bet this would be a blast was rewarded with not only every track off the project, but an encore stacked with a bit of what came after, further tracing the seasoned progression of the group’s younger guys and only elevating the legendary status of a lifers like Layton, who previously held down the beat for Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.

Shepherd brought both ferocity and maturity to the title cut and “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway,” shuffling up the running order from the 1997 track listing, but in a way that built the momentum for the strategically lit and video-walled stage.

Everyone added their distinctive fingerprints to Bob Dylan’s “Everything Is Broken,” and a little later, Jimi Hendrix’s “I Don’t Live Today,” the latter suggesting Shepherd could quite possibly be the closest living heir to his throne.

Even so, the guys continued to carve their own niche throughout the gentler likes of “I Found Love (When I Found You),” blustery jams such as “True Lies” and “(Long) Gone,” plus the signature “Blue On Black,” which returned to number one as a collaborative cover with Five Finger Death Punch, Queen’s Brian May and Brantley Gilbert with proceeds benefting the Gary Sinise Foundation for first responders.

The main portion wrapped with the showstopper “Slow Ride,” but the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band busted out another mini-set, catching Hard Rock Live up on another recent long-player, “The Traveler,” and a few other favorites that bore additional testament to the leader’s virtuosity and the essential contributions of some players who helped take it to the top.

For additional information on Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, visit KennyWayneShepherd.net.

Upcoming concert highlights at Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana include Fantastic Five (Mar. 25); Snarky Puppy (Apr. 1); Pitbull (Apr. 7); Ginuwine and Next (Apr. 8); Maxwell (Apr. 15); Smokey Robinson (Apr. 28); Diana Ross (May 5); The Killers (May 11); Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando (May 13); Billy Currington (May 19); Kevin Hart (Jun. 10); Kevin James (Jun. 18); Cypress Hill (Jul. 2); Jimmie Allen (Jul. 8); Weezer (Jul. 9); Shinedown (Jul. 21) and Deon Cole (Jul. 29). For additional details, visit HardRockCasinoNorthernIndiana.com.

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