With the type of guitar riffs that show the direct lineage between the blues and rock and roll, Zac Harmon had the audience’s undivided attention for the 2018 season opener of Blues At the Arch on Friday, August 3.
Since its inception three years ago, the summer concert series that reminds St. Louis of its rich musical history has enjoyed a steady stream of guests.
But this year, things got off to a very special start. As Harmon played, many of the guests sat surrounded by the newly remodeled Arch grounds for the first time.
The crowd was diverse in every way imaginable as they grooved to the concert, presented in partnership between the Gateway Arch Park Foundation, the National Blues Museum, and the National Park Service. There were signs and arrows pointing guests to the concert, but they need only follow the sound of the howling guitar.
“St. Louis is holy ground for the blues,” Harmon said as he paid homage to those who helped develop the region’s signature style of the genre and shouted out Marquise Knox as “the reigning prince of St. Louis Blues.”
Knox proved himself worthy of the Harmon’s description when he headlined the following week with featured performer Keeshea Pratt.
“You better play Marquise,” several in the audience yelled out as Knox nodded his head while working down the entire fingerboard of the guitar – and back again.
Just like in the two years prior, the lineup shows the broad range of intergenerational talent. Harmon is a seasoned bluesman who returned to his musical first love after making a name for himself as an R&B songwriter and musician with credits that include Evelyn “Champagne” King, Freddie Jackson, The Whispers, Freddie Jackson, K-Ci & Jo Jo and The O’Jays, to name a few. Dylan Triplett, a 17-year-old blues and soul prodigy, opened for Harmon. The lineup usually pairs a local favorite with a nationally renowned act. Knox is an anomaly in that he fits both in the local and national space. This upcoming Friday’s show (Aug. 17) will pair local blues veteran Skeet Rodgers and the Inner City Blues Band with Dexter Allen. The 2018 series closes with another prodigy in the form of Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Ingram was christened the heir apparent of late blues legend B.B. King before he even reached his teens. Although barely out of high school, he’s one of blues music’s brightest rising stars.
He was featured on the Netflix hit series “Luke Cage,” where he played a version of “The Thrill Is Gone” that would silence anyone who might question whether the teenager is fit to fill King’s shoes. He’ll close out the 2018 Blues at the Arch season on August 24. The finale will also feature The Jeremiah Johnson Band.
As he bid farewell to the audience for his encore at the season kickoff, Harmon introduced each of his bandmates with the distinction of “doctor.”
He offered a simple explanation to the credentials he took the liberty of giving his team of musicians.
“If music is medicine, then we are doctors of the blues,” Harmon said.
Blues at the Arch continues each Friday at 6 p.m. through August 24. The concerts are held on the Arch Grounds at the North Gateway (north end of the park, near Laclede’s Landing). Local restaurants, food trucks and drink vendors will be available. For more information, visit https://www.archpark.org/events/blues-at-the-arch or call (314) 314-881-2015.
