Review: Gary Clark Jr. plays powerhouse guitar at Stage AE

It’s always great to hear some no-frills great music played live, and Gary Clark Jr. delivered just that on Tuesday night at Stage AE on the North Shore.

Not only is Clark a terrific singer, songwriter and guitarist, he’s a Grammy Award winner in two different genres, showing a versatility that was also on display during his two-hour-long set.

In addition to his accolades, Clark’s collaborated with musicians such as Alicia Keys and John Legend, and he’s released six studio albums, three of which charted within the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. He’s also no stranger to Stage AE; he’s played there three times, most recently in November 2021.

No offense to Clark, who also put on a great show, but opener Suzanne Santo could’ve easily played to a content crowd for two hours herself. With a ready-but-edgy voice that brought to mind songstresses of the 1970s, Santo took the stage with her guitar and belted out room-filling songs including “Mercy” and “Blood on Your Knees.” Her cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” maintained the sincerity and regret of the original; while Nico’s cover may be ever popular, this newcomer also did a respectable job.

Clark came out to James Brown, giving a preview of what to expect. While there’s a lot of rock in his music, a lot of Tuesday night’s set was comprised of R&B tunes. With a full band and backup singers to boot, Clark (metaphorically) shot fire over and over again through a setlist of 14 songs.

Though before making it to rhythm and blues, he started with straight blues — “Catfish Blues,” to be precise. The song built through a sound landscape of bass, reverberating guitar and keys that ratcheted up the anticipation with each note. It was a little gritty and swims along with Clark’s resonant voice.

The jaunty melodies of “Maktub” and its catchy riff allowed Clark to show off his improvisational skills in a solo, where he danced around the steady riff with skill.

The singer and guitarist also paid homage to Pittsburgh with his clothing choices; he wore a shirt emblazoned with the art from one of late Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller’s mixtapes.

After moving more into blues rock with “Ain’t Messin ‘Round,” the band played the epic “When My Train Pulls In.” He has a knack for the belly-deep, powerful sorrow in his voice that can make or break a blues song. His surprisingly jazzy solo increased in intensity until it brought the band in for a whole new musical level.

As the song closed out, the crowd began to chant “Gary! Gary!”

One of the great thing about the set’s R&B songs was getting to hear Clark sing in his higher register. He has a lovely falsetto and it allowed his voice to soar even more over the peaks and valleys of the music around him. In “Feed the Babies,” he and his backup singers matched up perfectly, even if he did start the song off by announcing, “I’m done being nice to y’all, let’s go” and letting out a triumphant whoop.

“Alone Together” started out with sparkling keys from Dayne Reliford. The song was a heartbreaking carousel of music with even the stage lights muted.

“I’m out here doing my R&B s—- whether you like it or not,” he said, punctuating with a flawless vocal run. “I don’t care.”

Another of the show’s highlights was “Habits,” a sprawling song that seemed to have as many chapters as a book, with a smooth, poppy sound that got occasionally interrupted and interspersed with stomping sections of rock.

The last two songs of the night were a study in contrast; first there was the namesake of his first major label album, “Blak and Blu,” which just featured Clark and his guitar and allowed him to demonstrate the texture and emotional intensity one can convey with just one instrument.

Last but certainly not least was “Bright Lights,” which actually immediately follows “Blak and Blu” on the album’s track listing but is much more anthemic. Many in the crowd knew the words and sang along, which Clark quickly encouraged.

“I’m thankful to all of you for making my dreams come true,” he said.