Music is a force powerful enough to calm a baby, soothe a wild beast, or compel the two to dance with each other. Be overcome by this GrouponLive deal to see John Mayall at the Bing Crosby Theater. For $20, you get one ticket for reserved lower-balcony seating on Sunday, July 22, at 7:30 p.m. (up to a $40.25 value, including fees). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Without British blues legend Sir John Mayall, most classic-rock stations would be broadcasting dead air. In the early '60s, the dexterous guitarist and multi-instrumentalist became a Trojan horse for the British Invasion as bandleader of The Bluesbreakers. Described by Eric Clapton as “an incredibly great school for musicians,” Mayall’s electrified blues ensemble tutored future members of Fleetwood Mac, Free, The Rolling Stones, and most notably, Cream. The watershed 1966 album, John Mayall with Eric Clapton: Bluesbreakers, was voted one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone and inspired guitarists to declare, “Clapton is God.” With that said, John Mayall is either God’s dad or a walking, talking Gutenberg capable of guitar solos that crack the heavens.
At age 78, Mayall still raises the 12-bar for his contemporaries. A lifelong devotee of the blues and jazz, he never plays the same song the same way twice, always stretching notes beyond their elasticity. As a harmonica player, he makes the blues harp flutter and blaze like a burning butterfly, and as a songwriter, evokes his hero, Lead Belly, in tunes about tough times, bum luck, and bad love. On his latest tour, Mayall brings his latest team of Bluesbreakers to the Bing Crosby Theater for a raucous set of no-frills, all thrills blues. Founded in 1915, the historic Bing Crosby Theater's protruding stage and luminous chandeliers accentuate Mayall and company’s timeless rhythms and wrecking-ball solos.
Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall
Named for the famed German soprano, Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall pays homage to a wealth of musicians during its slate of concerts. Throughout the year, the USBC music venue welcomes gospel choirs and symphonies to its stage, as well as wind ensembles that double as the venue’s air conditioning system.