“I hope you know there’s a snow storm going on outside.” The crowd laughed as Eric Gales warned us before kicking off his two hour show, an event that lies somewhere between rock n’ roll spectacle, guitar clinic, motivational speech, and spiritual awakening. We chalked it up to a joke referring to Chicago’s unpredictable weather pattern. Besides, we had heard no mention of such in the forecast that week. Yet as I walked out of the Des Plaines Theatre at roughly 10:45 PM, I was shocked to see that this mild day had indeed transformed into a winter wonderland, blinding snow, freezing temperatures, and all. Lucky for me, the scorching hot musicianship of Gales and his band kept me warm all night.
A lot has happened in the EG universe since we last caught him live in 2021, and even since we last interviewed him a little over a year ago. His latest studio album, Crown, received mass praise by virtually every self-respecting music outlet, us included. Gales rode this wave of success all throughout 2022 and into this year, playing a string of sold out shows, gracing the cover of Guitar World, and earning a much deserved Grammy nomination. Although he didn’t take home the honor (Edgar Winter did for his all-star tribute to his brother Johnny, aptly titled Brother Johnny), the EG train shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, this most recent Chicagoland appearance was an off-date on a run supporting none other than blues icon, Buddy Guy.
When we interviewed Gales last year, he revealed to us his plans to play Crown in full on its accompanying tour. By and large, he kept true to his word. With the exception of a funky rendition of The Beatles’ “Come Together” and a few other outliers, Gales’ setlist at the Des Plaines Theatre was comprised almost exclusively of jewels from Crown (pun fully intended). Of course, these already flavorful compositions were further emboldened by the musical prowess of Gales’ band and extensive jam passages in the vein of The Allman Brothers Band and Deep Purple.
Throughout the evening, Gales and his band touched upon blues, funk, jazz, hard rock, and a slew of other genres with cohesion and confidence. Fans were shouting for Gales to cover the likes of late legends Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix (Side note: If you haven’t witnessed Gales covering Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”, you’re missing out big time.), to which Gales humbly responded, “I’m honored that you think I’m even worthy of tackling Stevie or Jimi, but I won’t be playing their music tonight. Don’t get me wrong. Both are massive influences on my playing, but the best way I can pay homage to Stevie and Jimi is by being the best Eric Gales.” Needless to say, the audience erupted in cheers.
And indeed, Eric Gales IS the best Eric Gales. No other moment in the show better exemplified this than a soul-stirring rendition of his original ballad, “Too Close to the Fire”. On record, it’s a masterpiece of blues rock guitar, exuding passion and emotion not heard since Gary Moore. On stage, it’s a force to be reckoned with; a passion that sent chills down my spine from first to last note. Gales was also feeling it, tears streaming down his face and nearly collapsing mid-solo. Folks, this isn’t some James Brown derived gimmick; this is the power of music at work. Be sure to catch Gales the next time he comes through your town and YOU will feel it too.
