XXZo

By Dave Miller

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A statue of Chuck Berry is being built for St. Louis, but there's no need to wait for that. You can still see the man himself play a concert one Wednesday every month at Blueberry Hill in his hometown. The monthly date, which Berry has missed only once since the run started in 1996, was just included on [i]Rolling Stone's[/i] list of 40 reasons to be excited about music right now.

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Wednesday marked the fourth time I made the road trip to see Berry at Blueberry Hill. It's like going back in a time machine when you watch walk down the club's stairs to the Duck Room, a basement which holds 150 people. It doesn't take much imagination to feel like this is must what it was like to watch rock-and-roll's Big Bang when Berry played "Maybelline" in 1955 after recording it for Chess Records in Chicago. Watching Berry play rock and roll is like watching Monet paint or Shakespeare write. 

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Wednesday marked the fourth time I made the road trip to see Berry play at Blueberry Hill. It's been a remarkable experience every time. Unlike his increasingly rare shows on the road where he plays with a different backing back hired by a local promoter, Berry's hometown shows have a consistent quality and good vibe to them. He plays with the same musicians, including his son, Charles, on guitar, and his daughter, Ingrid, on harmonica and vocals. With a ticket price of $30, it's clear Berry isn't doing these show for the money. He so obviously still enjoys performing, doing so with a playful enthusiasm as he interacts with his band and the audience.

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Of course, time inevitably takes a toll on everyone. This was the first show where I didn't see Berry duck walk as he did more of a scoot during "Maybelline." But at 83, Berry remains in remarkable good shape. While he can forget some lyrics and have a hard time hearing some requests, Berry still demonstrates his sharp wit, often filled with sexual innuendo. The crowd eats it up.

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Wednesday's show got off to a slow start compared to the other times I've seen him. "Carol" was a fun opener, but even Berry acknowledged "Maybelline" was a bit off. "Never did that so fast," he said, amused. But darn if the show didn't come together in the middle of the set." A stretch of "Nadine," "Memphis" and "Reelin' and Rockin'" was magical as Berry jauntily bounced through his tightly-written lyrics and rhymes with distinct diction while giving glimpses on his Gibson why [i]Rolling Stone[/i] named him the sixth greatist guitarist in rock history.

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It was the first Berry show where I didn't see him close with "Reelin' and Rockin'," which traditionally saw a flock of girls join him on the stage. Instead, he asked for three couples to come onstage, then played "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons." With the couples still dancing, "Johnny B. Goode" came next, and Berry played his way offstage.

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Five minutes after the show ended, the stage door was propped open, Berry sat on a chair in the doorway and signed an autograph for anyone who wanted one. Even this task was performed with a gleam in his eye. After signing his name on an item, Berry drew a smiley face.             

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The setlist:

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Carol
Everyday I Have The Blues
Maybelline
My Ding-A-Ling
School Days/Roll Over Beethoven
Nadine
Memphis
Reelin' and Rockin'
Promised Land
Sweet Little Sixteen
(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
Johnny B. Goode

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Start: 10:04 p.m./Finish: 10:59 p.m.
Totals: 14 songs, 55 minutes

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