The Keb' Mo' Band. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

Legend tells us Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to learn how to play the blues.

Keb’ Mo’ never went through such a process, but he proved to a crowd of about 1,000 on a Wednesday night at the Walton Arts Center he’s a capable and even emphatic when he plugs in and plays with abandon.

So, the question becomes this: If people would go to such lengths to play (even if the Robert Johnson story is just a blues rock fairy tale), why wouldn’t you use your power all time?

Keb’ Mo’ — and to a lesser degree, his opening act, Anders Osborne — provided no definitive answer. Keb’ Mo’, real name Kevin Moore, is a three-time Grammy winner for contemporary blues albums. And while he colors all his music with that shade, the first 45 minutes of his set was rather subdued. Included in the first part of the evening were ballads (“Life is Beautiful”) and a slow, folk-tempered song (“We Don’t Need It”) from Keb’ Mo’s newest album, “The Reflection.” The latter, a song about struggling through the recession, never resonated despite how topical it remains.

Two years ago, when Keb’ Mo’ was last in the same venue, he played with sparse accompaniment and a purposely subdued approach. We were promised that context then.

This time around, with a full band behind him, the evening started in much the same way and left me wanting a little more oomph. It would become, eventually, a much different kind of concert.

Chalk up the first half to Keb’ Mo’ and his able backing band needing to warm up for the evening, or for the crowd needing a moment to let their drinks settle and warm them up a bit, but the difference after the hour mark of the concert was dramatic. Even early on, catcalls from the crowd gave Keb’ Mo’ suggestions for songs. When he got into one of those audience suggestions later — “She Just Wants To Dance” — the crowd was already on its feet and dancing, something it did for the bulk of the three-song encore, which found Keb’ Mo’ playing slide guitar blues and playing them well. Meanwhile, everyone in the mostly full venue showed their appreciation.

It was, after all, what they’d came to see.

A note about the opener: Anders Osborne, from New Orleans, faced the formidable challenge of opening for a largely unfamiliar crowd and using only his guitar and voice to do so. As someone said to me during the break between Osborne and the headliner’s sets, “Well, he tried hard.” Osborne set a tone for the evening, although it’s unlikely he or anyone in the crowd knew it at the time. After the fourth of the six songs he would play Wednesday night, Osborne pondered aloud that the evening was a blues night and he should play a blues song. As soon as he started into a slide guitar solo, the crowd collectively hollered in approval. Osborne too was best when he was at his bluesiest.

Keb’ Mo’ set list: 1) didn’t catch this title; 2) Change; 3) Life is Beautiful; 4) Government Cheese; 5) Perpetual Blues Machine; 6) I See Love; 7) We Don’t Need It; 8) More Than One Way Home; 9) Walk Back In; 10) The Whole Enchilada; 11) Shave Yo’ Legs; 12) Soon As I Get Paid; 13) Dangerous Mood; 14) I believe the song was Just Lookin’; 15) The Door;

Encore: 16) Am I Wrong?; 17) She Just Wants To Dance; 18) A Better Man

Keb' Mo'

Life is good for musician Keb’ Mo’.

He has a family. He has three Grammy Awards. And yet, he plays the blues.

“I love the blues, but I don’t have the blues,” he tells Northwest Arkansas Media features editor Becca Bacon Martin in a recent interview.

In a story that we published Friday, the artist — real name Kevin Moore — chats about his family life, his desire to be unconventional and his tour, which will bring him to Fayetteville for a performance Wednesday (Jan. 25) at the Walton Arts Center.

You can read our story with Keb’ Mo’ online [although you'll have to be a subscriber to do so].

The Wednesday-night show at the Walton Arts Center begins at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $29-$49 and are available through the venue’s website or by calling 443-5600.

We’ll see you at the show.

Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band

The Cuban word for conga player is conguera. Start talking about the world’s best congueras and it won’t take long before Poncho Sanchez‘s name comes into the discussion.

The artist has decades of playing the drums and leading bands, and he leads his Latin Jazz Band to the Walton Arts Center for a performance tonight (Jan. 20).

Sanchez chatted with me several weeks ago and discussed his craft and the music of Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo, the two men he credits with inventing his favorite genre. Sanchez recently released a tribute album, “Chano y Dizzy,” featuring songs written by both artists.

A story resulting from my interview can be found via Nwaonline.com. You’ll have to be a subscriber to our print or digital products to see the full interview.

Tonight’s show at the Walton Arts Center begins at 8 p.m. As part of the venue’s 10×10 concert series, tickets begin at $10. Call 443-5600 or visit the venue’s website for tickets or details.

It’s ‘Rain’ing down shows! Two of note have been recently announced: A two-date run by Umphrey’s McGee at George’s and a show by Beatles tribute act Rain, who perform “Got To Get You Into My Life” above.

Tickets go on sale Friday (Jan. 20) for two shows coming to Fayetteville later this spring.

Announced late last week is a show by Rain, a touring production that offers a faithful tribute to The Beatles. The stage show includes video boards, costume changes, historical footage and more. Tickets for the group’s May 7 show at the Walton Arts Center go on sale at 9 a.m. Friday.

Tickets will be $38-$54 and can be purchased by calling 443-5600 or through the venue’s website.

Also, it appears that less than six weeks before their show at the nearby Wakarusa festival, jam rockers Umphrey’s McGee will perform at George’s Majestic Lounge on two consecutive nights. The shows, listed on the venue’s website, will be 8 p.m. April 17-18.

Tickets, according to the venue’s ticket website, will go onsale at 1 a.m. Friday. No price is listed.

Just the Blue Man Group calling the Hogs. Another day in Fayetteville...

The last time the Blue Man Group was here, they created racket, both in the traditional sense (with drumming and noise) and with the performances, which kicked off a national tour that has been crisscrossing the country since.

The show — very similar to the one that debuted in Sept. 2010 — returns to the Walton Arts Center beginning tonight (Jan. 10) and will remain there through Jan. 15.

When the Blue Men were here the first time around, they stayed around much longer. The Blue Men spent several weeks in Fayetteville before the opening, working to stage the show and work out many of the technical details.

Kalen Allmandinger, a 10-year veteran of the troupe, was one of the three Blue Men who visited Fayetteville. In a recent interview with me, he said the experience was a blast, and he recalls many specific moments such as calling the Hogs during an Arkansas Razorback football game, a moment that was captured above.

Although there won’t be a football game for him to visit this time around, Allmandinger will return for the second run of performances. In a story that was published Friday [Note: Subscriber content],  Allmandinger and I chatted about the show, his time in Fayetteville and the specific character traits of his silent Blue Man.

Blue Man Group's national theater tour combines, props, lights sounds and more. Photo courtesy Paul Kolnik.

If you’re curious about the contents of the show, check out our review of the previous run of shows. Or, if you can’t be there but want to follow along, we’ll be live tweeting the show (hashtag #bluemanfay) via our Twitter account at @NWAWhatsup.

Tickets ($49-$79) remain for the show and are available by calling 443-5600 or via the venue’s website.

See you there.

There is nothing quite like a take down delivered with a smile, and Loretta Lynn ought to frighten whomever the message was delivered to in “You Ain’t Women Enough (To Take My Man).”

You may remember that Loretta Lynn‘s upcoming performance at the Walton Arts Center was originally scheduled for September. But then she went under the knife for knee surgery, and many dates were postponed, including a local one.

So, how is she doing?

Pollstar reports the 76-year-old country singer is healing well and will resume shows soon. She has postponed a couple more shows, but her Feb. 16 date here is not one of them.

Lynn has been rehearsing with her band and might even dance during her tour, her daughter tells Pollstar.

Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel performs “Christmas in Jail.”

Sometimes I get drowsy at Christmastime, but that’s usually from overeating.

This kind of Asleep is much, much different.

Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel brings a holiday show to the Walton Arts Center tomorrow (Dec. 22). The program, “Santa Loves to Boogie,” includes songs from the group’s 2009 album of the same name.

Over the course of the last four decades, the group has earned six Grammy awards and has done much to preserve the heritage of Western swing music and the legacy of performers such as Bob Wills.

Tickets to the 7 p.m. show are $16-$28. Tickets are available by calling 443-5600 or through the venue’s website.

A few weeks ago, we asked about your favorite albums of the year.

We’ve almost compiled that, and we’ll publish it on Dec. 23, both here and in print.

Following close behind will be the best live concerts of the year. Keeping mind that we’re tied to Northwest Arkansas, and are only talking about shows here…

What were some of your favorite live moments?

Here’s one of ours. The video below is the Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band doing “I’ll Fly Away” on Letterman. Lucky fans saw them play that song live at the Walton Arts Center.

What were some of your concerts of the year?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Kenny Rogers. All photos by KEVIN KINDER, NWA Media.

In watching a YouTube video in preparation for Kenny Rogers’ concert on Wednesday night at the Walton Arts Center, I turned to “The Gambler.” Of course I did — it supplied the country icon with his nickname, after all.

In the video, the opening notes begin, the crowd goes wild and Rogers lets it go. Applause and a good crowd singalong for the chorus showed off the energy and power of that song.

Rogers would offer that song (and 33 others) during show that was half based on his country hits and half a traditional Christmas show. And don’t go saying it was a ‘holiday’ show and not a ‘Christmas’ show. Rogers had a small lecture about the difference between the two.

So, Wednesday, the opening chords of “The Gambler” come across and … nothing. Not exactly ‘nothing,’ perhaps, but the tepidness of the response to his biggest song should tell you a lot about the way the evening went.

There was something slightly off about the show, and part of that may have been Rogers’ health. The vocalist, 73, told the crowd late in the set that he was sorry for the hoarseness of his voice. He even offered a free download to fans as penance. Any vocal shortcomings weren’t always noticeable, and his voice always carries a rasp, even on his best of days, and that’s part of his appeal. Wednesday, it seemed when he went very far above or below his peak vocal range, he lost the dynamism of his voice. In all, he would sing on 24 of the 34 songs offered that evening.

Lots of other folks contributed to vocals during the evening, including fellow country performer Billy Dean, the Bentonville High School Chamber Choir and a group of six young children from Northwest Arkansas. The latter two groups were a big part of the Christmas half of the program, which followed a 15-minute intermission. The cuteness factor was nearly overhelming, as the six children sat and gazed with rapture (as they were coached, no doubt) as Dean performed his song “Let Them Be Little.”

The addition of the chamber choir came late in the set, and, unfortunately, seemed to be more of an aesthetic accessory piece than a compliment to the overall sound. I wish I could have heard more of their voices, a situation that seemed more of an issue with the sound mix than their actual effort. It was only remedied in the evening’s second-to-last song, “Joy to the World,” when they came downstage and all voices — Rogers, Dean, the choir, etc… — were a simultaneous musical focus.

As for production, this was one of the more elaborate concert events in recent memory for the Walton Arts Center. A near sellout (or possible complete sellout) crowd feasted visually on an elaborate winter wonderland that featured at least seven Christmas trees, twinkling lights and three video boards that displayed song-specific graphics behind Rogers’ very capable (if underused) backing band. For instance, when Rogers sang “The Christmas Song,” a video of a fireplace played behind him. Those kind of touches didn’t end there — fake snow was pumped in while Dean offered “Let it Snow.” Additionally, video and audio of Wynonna Judd accompanied Rogers has they — with electronic assistance — sang their duet “Mary, Did You Know.”

Rogers got his standing ovations — two of them, in fact — but I felt a sense of longing. Not for the Christmas season, which is rapidly descending upon us, if not already here. All I wanted for (Kenny Rogers’) Christmas was a little more energy.

Setlist: 1) Lady; 2) -didn’t catch the name of this song-; 3) Ruby; 4) Through the Years; 5) I believe it was... Write Your Name (Across My Heart); 6) She Believes in Me; 7) Coward of the County; 8) Daytime Friends; 9) Buy Me A Rose; 10) Billy Dean — We Just Disagree [Dave Mason cover]; 11) Billy Dean — Billy the Kid; 12) The Gambler; 13) Lucille; 14; Islands in the Stream;

–intermission–

15) ‘Peanuts’ theme [instrumental]; 16) God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman [instrumental]; 17) Billy Dean and children’s chorus — When The Bells Ring Out; 18) Billy Dean — Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; 19) Billy Dean — Jingle Bells; 20) Billy Dean — Let Them Be Little; 21) Billy Dean and children’s chorus — Santa Claus is Coming to Town; 22) Billy Dean — Let it Snow; 23) The Christmas Song (aka Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire); 24) White Christmas; 25) It’s Just Not Christmas (If I Can’t Spend it with You) [Ronnie Milsap cover]; 26) Mary, Did You Know; 27) O Come All Ye Faithful [now with BHS chamber choir]; 28) Away in a Manger; 29) O Holy Night; 30) Silent Night; 31) We Three Kings [with Billy Dean]; 32) Jesus Loves Me [with childrens’ chorus]; 33) Joy to the World [all voices]; 34) ‘Til the Season Comes Around Again [Rogers solo with band]

Among the many tickets going onsale today include those for Wakarusa 2012. The 2011 edition of the festival included this performance of “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons. P.S. The video contains a curse word, some smoke (or a dust cloud?) and a bunch of shirtless dudes. Consider yourself warned.

So, you want to go to a concert, huh?

Better get your wallet out, because today is a big day for you.

Tickets for three different shows go on sale today:

1) Straight No Chaser, April 10 at the Fort Smith Convention Center — Tickets ($30-$38) available at 10 a.m. today (Dec. 2 – that’s like 10 minutes from now!) through Ticketmaster

2) Keb’ Mo, Jan 25 at the Walton Arts Center — Tickets ($29-$49) available at noon today through the venue

3) Wakarusa, May 31 through June 3 at Mulberry Mountain — Tickets (four-day passes beginning at $139; camping packages beginning at $29) go on sale at 10 a.m. today

Additionally, tickets ($40-$50) for a Jan. 19 show in Fort Smith featuring Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday (12/3) through Ticketmaster.