Blues Traveler

Blues Traveler has always been somewhat of an acquired taste when it comes to the world of music. Those in the know really love them and those who've had little exposure tend to dismiss them as another self-indulgent jam band. Either way, their musicianship cannot be denied and it was proudly on display at Top Golf this past Thursday night.

John Popper and his band are well into their third decade of recording and performing music. Considering all he's been through health-wise, he looks great onstage and sounds just as marvelous as he always has with his unique singing style that defies any conventional vocal training (singing straight up to the ceiling rather than out to his audiences which a majority of vocal trainers would surely suggest).

His harmonica playing is nothing less than superb, which is accompanied by the excellence of the rest of the musicians onstage, mostly original members, including guitarist John Kinchla, bassist Tad Kinchla, keyboardist Ben Wilson and drummer Brendan Hill.

Their set list was taut, without a lot of opportunities for between-the-songs banter. Highlights included their signature song "Run Around" which was sped up a bit and more playful, giving it a new life. An epic intro and even more epic rendition of "But Anyway" was another crowd pleaser.

A welcome surprise for me was their rendition of The Charlie Daniels Band's "Devil Went Down To Georgia," which was every bit as manic as the original recording, albeit with a harmonica as the lead instrument. The band ended their set with crowd favorite "Hook," which ended up being a sing-along with just about everyone in the audience.

For good measure, the band returned for one encore, a stellar rendition of ZZ Top's "La Grange." Throughout the night, each musician had plenty of opportunities to show off their skills with fabulous solos. A near show-stealer was Ben Wilson's solo on the keytar leading up to "But Anyway." In the end, it was Popper's mastery of the harmonica that earned the ovations from the audience.

With the intimate setting, the band was certainly willing to greet their public, both during and after the show. They stayed a few extra moments to shake hands with the crowd (and I was one of the lucky ones to thank three of the members personally at the foot of the stage, including Popper). It's been a long journey for Blues Traveler thus far, and they seem more than content to continue the ride for many years to come.

The little banter Popper offered onstage included a well-deserved recognition of Silver Sage, a local Las Vegas band that opened the show. He made a point of recognizing them several times throughout the show, which is refreshing because many a time, the headliners don't even bother.

Silver Sage was highly entertaining and pleased the audience that was trickling in at that time. All in all, it was a wonderful evening of music.

Blues Traveler performed at Top Golf, 4627 Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada. For tickets and information on upcoming shows, visit www.topgolf.com/us/lasvegas.