Blues Traveler played its new songs, old favorites and a few covers Tuesday night at the State Theatre.
Despite being stuck in traffic for nine hours upon leaving the Austin City Limits Festival Sunday, they were chipper with the crowd before and after the show.
“We got caught in nine hour traffic delay, but it was well worth the wait,” said bassist Tad Kinchla. “We are excited to kick off our tour in Starkville. [The crowd] was very engaging. We love Starkville.”
Blues Traveler played its ’90s chart-toppers “Run Around” and “Hook.” A song off of their new album, North Hollywood Shootout, “You, Me and Everything” was kicked off by an interesting electronic drum intro.
The band also played “Slow Change” and “But Anyway” off of their 1990 self-titled album.
Blues Traveler also performed covers including their variation on “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band, with lead singer John Popper replacing the fiddle with one of his many harmonicas.
Brothers Chan and Tad Kinchla appeared to be having the most fun on stage. Tad only stopped jumping around to sing back-up. Guitarist Chan with his hair blowing in the wind from the fan, never let up on the riffs.
Brendan Hill played an eight-minute drum solo that led into “Hook,” while keyboardist Ben Wilson held up his end with soaring organs and keys.
Popper riled up the crowd by throwing spare harmonicas that lay next to him on a nearby barstool.
He also toasted the crowd many times drinking from three red plastic cups on the barstool.
The attendance might not have been stellar, but there were many longtime, hardcore fans at the show.
“I’ve been a fan for a while,” senior history major Jonathan Stumpf said. “I’ve been listening to them since high school.”
Many of the fans had never seen them perform although many said they had wanted to.
“I’ve been listening to them since ’94, and I’ve never had the chance to see them live, so I jumped at the chance,” said senior communication major at the Mississippi University for Women Greg Huerkamp.
The band’s most recent visit to Starkville was at the 2007 Spring Fling.
Wildlife fisheries graduate student Matt Palumbo said, “They came to the Hump last year, and I didn’t get to go, so I thought I’d catch them while I could.”
Senior economics major Brad Foster records live shows in Starkville. He said he has recorded anywhere from 50 to 60 shows since 2006 and this was his second Blues Traveler show.
“I like their music and like seeing them live,” Foster said. “I started listening to them in junior high; my first album was Four. I like how they improvise a lot.”
Some people at the State Theatre had only heard of the band’s name but came anyway.
“I’ve never heard them before,” said business information systems graduate student Liz Dana. They [were] definitely worth the $22 I spent for a ticket.”
The State Theatre employees said they enjoyed what they could see of the show.
“They were fun and energetic,” secondary education graduate student and bartender Wendy Peebles said. “I love the old music, and the new is good.”
After the show the band was available for pictures and autographs for the fans.
“The people of Starkville love music,” Popper said. “We came to play and play we did. We knew [Starkville] was going to put up with our petty nonsense. I think we did well.”