Jeff Healey

House of Blues, Anaheim

Still recovering from a bruised or strained, or worse, rib from playing in the pit at the three-weeks previous Supersuckers/Throw Rag extravaganza, I drove a little hesitantly to the old stomping grounds for some of those road house blues. Yes, Jeff Healy, that blind guy from the Roadhouse movie ... it was really him. He is a fairly talented player I'll admit, and he gets a few extra points for being blind to boot. My only gripe was the lack of more original material in his set, but in all fairness his playing made up for it . Sitting front and center with his guitar, a pedal board in front of him, and his Marshall half-stack behind him, Jeff pretty much played the night away. He actually got up a few times and played, somehow holding his guitar against his body and playing without the aid of a strap. Kind of a neat thing to see. You could tell he was having fun and really enjoyed what he was doing, and the somewhat spartan crowd of 500 gave him back more energy than some crowds twice that size. His band was rounded out by a drummer, another guitarist, and a bass player. All in all it was a relative short 90-minute set, which more than showed off Jeff's talents. If you like dirty old roadhouse blues and get the chance to catch Jeff, I would suggest you make the trip. See him up close if you can, it's pretty incredible to see his fretwork and how he manages up on stage. I can't say that he's my favorite bluesman, but I can honestly say I won't miss him the next time he comes around. Hopefully the word will get out a little more and he'll pack a few more people into the house. Lord knows neither myself or those who do show up will end up regretting it.

Jeff's website can be reached here.