Buddy Guy at Belleayre, July 12

Buddy Guy is a lightning bolt in the shape of a man. As he performed at Belleayre last Saturday, under the “supermoon,” multiplying blues crescendos erupted from his guitar — which he sometimes played with his teeth. Then he’d drop his instrument, raise his fists, and sing: “Never know how much I love you/Never know how much I care…” in a caressing tenor.

“The blues isn’t sad,” Buddy preached. And my God, he’s right!

This article appears in July 2014.