Colin James @ PNE

Colin was very into the performance even though the numbers were slim by traditional opening night standards. He still played as if it were his crowd and was very into the moment. He didn’t hold that «above it all» attitude that I have seen other performers do. It was nice that the PNE finally sprung for an HD camera. Colin is one of the few worth really looking at in HD as he’s aged well. The other artists were a little scary in HD. When Colin does some of his free style blues jams their more character driven than credible, however, with him he’s managed to make it work all these years in his favor. His shtick translates really well without insulting the genre. The band were partially hired hands, however, the chemistry was very strong and positive. Vocally and physically he was in shape. It was odd for me to here 5 Long Years without a sax on stage but the replicated guitar riffs worked well enough that the song made it’s point. I was impressed with Colin’s guitar collection which was even better than the Guitar Center in LA. He played the hits as the audience remembered them for a full 90 minutes which is more than most acts do at the PNE. He is a local hero, therefore, I can appreciate his set list commitment. There is a subtle swing to his music that Stevie Ray Vaughan never had.