The Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles played host to an inaugural indie blues and retro soul music event called Smokestack Lightnin’ on November 18, 2024. Taking its name from the Howlin’ Wolf classic, the night of old-school roots music with modern flair had a festival atmosphere in a club setting. There was craft beer, vinyl vendors, and an on-site guitar shop selling vintage axes in addition to the usual band merch. The lineup included up-and-comers and local scene favorites, but Duane Betts, Sugaray Rayford, GA-20, and The Record Company were the heavy hitters.
The cross-pollination of blues and soul has been evolving for decades. That music has influenced and served as the foundation for everything from hip-hop to rock to jazz. The bands at The Regent Theater embodied the spirit of the early style and paid homage to some of the first generation of artists who created it. However, each act delivered its own distinctive interpretation of the genre.
Duane Betts and his band played a surprisingly early set. It was so early that the theater was nearly empty as fans were trickling in. That did not stop Betts and slide guitarist Johnny Stachela from demonstrating their usual virtuosity along the fretboard for the sparse crowd. The guitar duo was joined by North Mississippi Allstars drummer Cody Dickinson who pounded the skins with a grin on his face for most of the set.
Betts played a few of the new tunes from his first full-length solo album, Wild & Precious Life, including the opening two numbers “Waiting On A Song” and “Colors Fade.” Betts’ voice was confident and solid while his guitar riffs played off the hypnotic slide work by Stachela. It seems inevitable that Betts will play “Blue Sky” (written by his dad Dickey for the Allman Brothers Band) at every show and sure enough he did a fine version at The Regent Theater with alternating, intricate guitar solos. They closed the set with a surprise sit-in by Eric Krasno who formed a three-part guitar onslaught for another new song called “Saints To Sinners.”
Sam Morrow Band performed a set of southern rock and Americana with heavy blues influences. Morrow is a gravelly-voiced rhythm guitar player. He did songs from his 2020 release Getting’ By on Getting’ Down. One track from that album, “Rosarita,” had impressive slide guitar elements and a wah-wah giddiness. Morrow brought out Johnny Stachela to help on a slower-paced, bluesy cover of Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.”
Sugaray Rayford took care of the soul elements at the festival. His booming voice, strong stage persona, and highly skilled band had the theater shaking during the sound check and it did not let up when they started their set. The group included David DJ Martin Jr. on saxophone, Julian Juju Davis on trumpet (they were the only horns all night), Drake Shining on keys, Allen Markel on bass, Danny Avila on guitar, and Ramon Michel on drums. Rayford knows how to engage with a crowd – he bounced around the stage while singing and regularly came to the front, pointing to people who were cheering from up close. He also told poignant, personal anecdotes between songs.
Those songs showed off his powerful pipes. “Invisible Soldier” is a story about his intense time in the Marines and the PTSD he suffered after getting out. “Don’t Regret a Mile” is from his 2017 album The World That We Live In. Rayford sang with great passion about everything he’s been through in his career. The instrumental part of the song featured a tight horn arrangement plus creatively improvised solos by Davis and Martin. “Miss Information” had African-influenced horns and percussion mixed with some wah-wah guitar effects plus Rayford’s compelling vocals. The band closed the show with the bright and positive “Gonna Lift You Up,”, from 2022’s In Too Deep album. Rayford kept the energy up with his stage antics and Martin blasted a wild sax solo to finish the set.
The Chicago-style blues power trio GA-20 hit the stage next. Matt Stubbs and Pat Faherty brought a fuzzy, piercing guitar wallop to the stage. Unlike the traditional power trio with a guitar, bass, and drums, GA-20 features two guitars and a drummer. Faherty’s versatile, high vocal range and aggressive guitar playing were complemented by Stubbs’ rhythms, occasional solos, and satisfying harmonies. Their set opened with the hard blues ballad “I Don’t Mind.” “Fair Weather Friend” is a song from their new record Crackdown with sweet harmonies and a fuzzy, garage rock vibe. Another new song called “Conviction” featured a distorted Stubbs solo.
The juke joint throwback “Gimme Back My Wig” had an infectious riff that made it impossible for anyone in the audience to stand still. The song also had a searing, scratchy Faherty guitar solo. The slow-burning “Easy On The Eyes” featured Faherty singing soulfully and alternating between a bass line and rhythm guitar while Stubbs blasted another distorted solo which closed the set.
The Record Company, a renowned Los Angeles-based blues rock band, had the honor of closing the festival in their hometown. Chris Vos played a variety of guitars, harmonicas, and a lap steel guitar while also singing powerfully on lead vocals. Alex Stiff played bass and offered backing vocals while Marc Cazorla played drums and provided occasional harmonies. Vos used a distortion microphone early in the set that gave his vocals and harmonica a muffled quality during “On The Move,” one of the singles from their 2016 debut album Give It Back to You. “Rita Mae Brown,” another single from that album featured Vos on lap steel.
Stiff had a killer, thumping bass line during “Life to Fix,” a single from 2018’s All of This Life album. “Hard Day Coming Down” was a catchy, acoustic guitar and harmonica-driven tune. “You Made a Mistake” was a slow, blues ballad that sent Vos back to a chair with his lap steel guitar. That song abruptly transitioned to the much faster, bass-thumping “Off The Ground.” Vos was still on the lap steel and the wailing sounds of that rarely seen instrument filled the hall. The band ended their set with an appropriate classic by John Lee Hooker, one of their strongest influences. As “Boom Boom” filled the theater, the crowd cheered and sang the words along with Vos, who was clearly thrilled to be playing the historic song. He blasted the unmistakable guitar riff, forcefully sang, and screeched the chorus, before ultimately ending the song and show.
The inaugural Smokestack Lightnin’ festival was an enjoyable night of retro music played exceptionally well by several artists. The Theater never filled to capacity, but the concept was sound, celebrating old-style blues and soul music by gathering bands that perform it with a modern flair.
Live photos courtesy of Andy J. Gordon ©2023
One Response
Slight nit regarding The Record Company. The song is “Rita Mae Young” not “Rita Mae Brown”.