Concert Photos and Review: Blind Boys of Alabama Deliver Toe-Tapping, Hand-Clapping Show in Akron

Years ago, I saw the singer/songwriter Kathy Mattea at the Tangier in Akron. Sans any visual flair, the show was almost two hours of Ms. Mattea on a stool, accompanied by a backup guitar player and a single white-hot spotlight illuminating the stage. It was a stripped-down affair, where all the attention was placed squarely on the two guitars and the heavenly voice of Ms. Mattea.

Last night's Blind Boys of Alabama show at Akron's EJ Thomas Hall was much like that Tangier show from several years ago: it was four men, backed up by a four-piece band. There was no visual accompaniment, only 75-minutes of music.

Toe-tapping, hand-clapping, pure music.

And if you're a fan of modern music, you'll agree that every genre that exists today in the popular oeuvre owes its existence to the type of old-school Southern Gospel music that this almost-eighty-five year old outfit brought to Akron.

Founded in Talladega, Alabama in 1939, the group has had an evolving roster of singers that have been either totally blind or visually-impaired in some fashion. The current lineup, led by frontman Ricky McKinnie, consists of Mr. McKinnie (as music director, as well), Joey Williams, Julius Love, and Stephen Ladson.

On tour in support of their September release Echoes of the South, the band's discography hails back to 1949. Their new album has been nominated for three Grammys, bringing the number of nominations to sixteen, with a total of five wins over the decades.

A lively thirteen-tune set had the (sadly) smallish audience on their feet for much of the evening. Well-known tunes such as "People Get Ready," and "Spirit in the Sky" were early-set offerings. "Send It On Down," a Blind Boys staple, was played at the back end of the set, followed by a spirited encore cover of Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

The highlight of the whole night was an ambitious mashup of the traditional hymn "Amazing Grace," yet sung to the melody of The Animals' "House of the Rising Sun." What an incredible and unique way to combine two totally disparate tunes into a fresh, new tune.