Pure electricity raced through Gary Clark Jr’s calloused fingers as he fretted his way into the psyche of the 9th annual Roots ‘N’ Blues ‘N’ BBQ festival attendees. Performing an energetic  two hour set, Clark showcased his mastery of music as he wowed the crowd with compelling rhythm guitar, coarse, yet smooth vocals, and mind blowing guitar solos.
Clark’s presence oozed with a purity of coolness. A man of few words, the Austin born rocker radiated a sense of power, control and chaos all at once. Whether he was tearing up his fret board with soulful bends and shouts from his guitar, or recalling a tale of lost love, the deliverance of emotion and thoughtfulness was precise throughout his music. This aspect of emotion and strong delivery was unleashed from the get go. Clark knew when to practice restraint in appropriate situations, replicating a soulful BB. King-esque technique of slow and steady soulful bends and cries, in order to crescendo into a an explosion of improvised passion.
What the guitarist lacked in technical guitar abilities was compensated for in regards of  musical feeling. While Clark refrained from shredding up a storm , often frowned upon in blues, he allowed for his passion for music to sing through his instrument. Passion can not be mentioned enough when looking over the performance as every note from his guitar, every word of his song was a passionate barrage of soulful energy.
With so few new artists emerging, the art of blues guitar has not dwindled completely. Clark pulls from obvious legends of the blues such as BB. King, Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix. Pulling, yet making it his own, the headliner is said to be a revivalist of the genre. By captivating the audience with a haze soulful notes  and pleasant vocal melodies, Clark delivered a blues performance that resonated with it’s audience leaving them to crave for more.