Blues musician Chris Cain opened his tour on Tuesday night at Evanston SPACE with a dynamic performance featuring songs from his most recent album, “Good Intentions Gone Bad.”
Cain, a California native, will perform in multiple cities across the Midwest and East Coast, eventually concluding in San Diego. He performed to a nearly full house on his opening night at Evanston SPACE.
Music has been in Cain’s life for as long as he can remember. Beginning when he was three years old, Cain’s father took him to see blues guitarist B.B. King perform every year, he said during his performance.
At home, he would sift through his father’s record collection and attempt to imitate the solos he heard on his guitar.
“Guitars became a really close friend of mine,” Cain said.
Cain formed his band in 1986 and released his debut album, “Late Night City Blues,” the following year. Since then, he has released over a dozen albums.
When he walked onstage, Cain only briefly acknowledged the audience before launching into an energetic opener.
As the concert progressed, he began to interact with the audience. Before the third song, Cain gave the audience a glimpse into his musical beginnings.
“I’d come home from school every day, have a bowl of cereal and I’d try to be like B.B. King for four hours,” he said.
Later, he switched from guitar to piano for a portion of the concert and credited another one of his musical heroes, Ray Charles, for his inspiration to learn the instrument.
Cain’s setlist included a mix of high-energy numbers and intimate ballads. The floor vibrated and audience members nodded along as the band played through a series of upbeat tunes at the opening. But as the music slowed and softened, the audience became still.
Sometimes while his band members played solos, Cain would step away from the microphone and hug his guitar. He said it was a habit he developed as a safety mechanism.
Cain said his shy personality is something he has worked to overcome in his musical journey. Cain says he used to drink alcohol before going onstage to relax.
“In the beginning of having my own band, and being the guy that everybody’s looking to was a lot for me,” Cain said.
Despite his shyness, Cain said he enjoys interacting with his fans. After the concert, he smiled as he signed CDs of his newest album while answering questions and taking photos with audience members.
Cain said he finds this kind of engagement with his audiences meaningful.
“It’s really lucky,” he said. “(Music is) the only thing I know how to do, and it’s what I get to do.”
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