During the recent Halloween weekend, The Hi-Fi in West End hosted in style our own homegrown hoodlam of blues – C.W. Stoneking.
Playing his only Brisbane show – and the first of his national tour – this talented, classy and composed cat, clad entirely in white stepped on stage to huge applause. Quietly making his way to the microphone he gave a wry smile and a nod of appreciation, slung his Fender Jaguar classic over his shoulder and took us on the journey we had all come to see.
After his solo intro he was joined by his new four-piece band and dived straight into a brand spanker of a track, ‘Boogaloo’, off his latest album, ‘Gon' Boogaloo’. The swampy-jump blues was definitely a new sound from the Northern Territory native, and sang true to his passions and musical tastes.
To this listener, C.W. Stoneking's influences are many. From country to rockabilly, jazz and pre-rock & roll. This charismatic Coolbie gave a us piece of culture that can only be described as unique and individual.
A well-balanced set, with tracks from all three of his albums, I was highly impressed. He played favorites such as ‘Jailhouse Blues’ and ‘Brave Son Of America’. Some downtime in the middle followed with solos on the Resonator, a little history lesson on yodelling, and some quick-witted banter, it was a pleasure to spend an evening in his company.
