Gary Clark Jr.
713 Music Hall
March 1, 2025
The first time I saw Gary Clark Jr. was in Philadelphia at the inaugural Made In America Festival in 2012. He was the first performer on the main stage, going on just before Rick Ross and D’Angelo. I was mesmerized by his blues chops, as well as the raw emotion of his vocals. He was undeniably and unapologetically Texan, exuding cool and walking tall.
That same hip Austinite took to the 713 Music Hall stage on Saturday evening, an unmistakable silhouette wearing a poncho and a flat brimmed Stetson. There’s a regal manner in the way Clark Jr. walks, owning the stage with attitude and grace.
“This is our song!” said my longtime friend Sama’an Ashrawi as the first few notes of the song “Maktub” rang out. Ashrawi is listed as one of the co-writers of the track, which serves as the opening song of Clark Jr.’s latest album JPEG RAW which was released last year. The song title is Arabic, and translates as “written,” but as a phrase means “this is fate” or “this is the way its meant to be.”
“What’s up, Houston… How we doing!” Clark Jr. asked, greeting his fans with a smile. “I see y’all showed up! Last time I was in this building I was hanging out with Paul Wall, which was very cool.”
He continued the opening set with “This Is Who We Are” and finished with “When My Train Pulls In”. His manner of playing and riffing guitar solos are equally chaotic and precise, energetic and lovely, accessible to casual fans and gratuitously face melting for the hardcore blues nerds.
You can hear many inspirations through his fingers, from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Carlos Santana, as well as in his vocals, from Curtis Mayfield to James Brown. He even sings with a rapper’s cadence in one of two of his newest tracks, and a beautiful falsetto on several others. “I still wanna be Marvin Gaye when I grow up” he tells his audience.
Clark Jr. is a man possessed when he plays his guitar, consumed by the rhythms and energized by each note. He needs the music as much as he requires oxygen to live, which translates into a sincere and honest stage show full of heart, action, and meditation. “This music is my healing / This music sets me free!” he sings on “The Healing”.
Clark Jr. brings out his harmonica and acoustic on “Church,” a prayer dedicated to an unattainable lover. Its a welcome break from the harder blues, but pulls on our heartstrings just the same. “Lord, my Lord! I need your helpin’ hand!.” Yessir, we have all been there.
The closing set of the evening included “Our Love”, “Bright Lights”, and “Habits”, all before an encore with opening act Grace Bowers.
“Houston, thank you so much! I appreciate y’all!” he said as the show came to a close. “713… Thank you! Its good to be back in the building!”
Gary then looked at the 2nd floor rafters and saw a familiar face.
“Sama’an, I see you bro! Much love!”
