Concert Review: Boz Scaggs @ The Egg, 05/14/2023

Boz Scaggs served up a sumptuous spread of sleek, soulful, syncopated and sophisticated songcraft to a sold-out and hungry crowd at The Egg Sunday night.

The dapper Scaggs, now 78, proved he had not lost a step, his unique reedy tenor still in terrific shape, sounding just like it did on those massive hits he had back in the seventies. And it was a fan-friendly set, mixing those giant radio songs like “What Can I Say?”, “Lido Shuffle,” “It’s Over,” and of course, “Lowdown” (all from the 5x platinum 1976 album “Silk Degrees”) with a selection of R & B covers, and blues workouts. All were performed seamlessly by Scaggs and his top-notch six-piece band.  

Highlights were many.  Boz’s version of Joe Simon’s “Drowning in the Sea of Love” was definitive blue-eyed soul. “The Feeling is Gone” and “I’ve Just Got to Know” was a one-two Blues punch to the gut, with snaky guitar playing from both Scaggs and Mike Miller. “Miss Riddle” took the show down to an intimate and sultry pace, showcasing Scagg’s flawless vocals, never over singing but just riding the deep sympathetic groove with an unhurried and perfect pitch. Another ballad, “Harbor Lights,” was similarly handled, segueing into a buoyant Latin jam with sparkling electric piano from Michael Logan and effervescent percussion from Branlie Mejias. Logan, Mejias, and drummer Teddy Campbell all provided strong backing vocals throughout the set. The legendary Willie Weeks on bass nonchalantly held down the bottom end, he and Campbell keeping it tight and loose. And Eric Crystal was superb on saxes, melodica and supporting keyboards.  

The epic, sprawling blues of “Loan me a Dime,” from Scaggs’ self-titled 1969 album, gave the whole band a chance to stretch out, then it was a breathless race through “Lido Shuffle” on to the inevitable encore of “Lowdown,” it’s signature bass riff still a funky earworm for the ages.

Some artists struggle to recreate their catalog as they age.  Not Boz. He remains in the pocket, the epitome of cool. What can I say? Pure class.

Setlist:

• What Can I Say?
• Jojo
• Drowning in the Sea of Love
• Rock and Stick
• The Feeling is Gone
• I’ve Just Got to Know
• Miss Riddle
• It’s Over
• Harbor Lights
• Miss Sun
• Radiator 110
• Loan Me a Dime
• Lido Shuffle

Encores:

• Lowdown
• You Never Can Tell
• Breakdown Dead Ahead

Photo Gallery by Claude Sawyer