Buddy Guy with Brandy Zdan at The Novo

I was given the opportunity to shoot Buddy Guy and Brandy Zdan at The Novo. I took it, of course.

Buddy Guy is a Chicago blues legend and I have to say I was thrilled by the chance to catch him. He performed a two hour set; which was a little bit Buddy Guy, a little bit history lesson, and a little bit story telling. He interspersed his own music with tributes to BB King and Eric Clapton. He also gave a personal story behind his song "Skin Deep." When he was young, he happened to look at himself in a mirror and said, "I'm beautiful." His mother replied, "Beauty is more than skin deep."

There was some showmanship throughout the set that went from the amusing to the crowd-pleaser. He took moments to play his guitar via the use of a drumstick or a towel. And then towards the end of the set, he walked off the stage and circled The Novo floor with his guitar. The crowd loved it with many leaving their chairs to follow him around. In fact, one member of the audience ended up jumping the bar so that he could take some clear photos of Buddy Guy.

Buddy Guy

Opening up was Brandy Zdan. She gave a little youth kick to the night. She performed as a two piece with her husband on drums. She's Canadian born who now calls Nashville home and plays a blues-infused rock style. Her playing as a two piece made me think about other two-piece bands I've seen such as The Smoking Flowers or TeamMates or, going way back, Pity Party. Two-piece bands can really kick it.

Brandy Zdan

The Novo. This was my first time at The Novo. When I walked into the venue, my first through was, "This is a really small venue. What's going on?" About 30 minutes later I realized there was a balcony and I thought, "Well, this makes a whole lot more sense."