Bonnie Raitt. Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. August 20th

There aren't many female blues guitarists out there anymore. And certainly not many that have hit the heights that Bonnie Raitt has in her over 40 years of releasing music. From 1971's debut album "Bonnie Raitt" to her most recent release "Dig In Deep" (her 17th!) Ms. Raitt has had many highs and lows. But she has been coasting quite nicely since sobering up and releasing her multi-platinum records from the 90s. She has become known for her rather sultry voice and skill playing the slide guitar.

*As an interesting aside, Bonnie Raitt was the first female musician to receive a signature line from Fender Guitars. She is also listed on Rolling Stone Magazine's top 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Bouncing from blues to rock to folk and country genres Bonnie Raitt has become a Diva of a different sort. While not a vocal contortionist like many of our contemporary Divas she definitely can hold her own against those single named artists we all know.

The weather was perfect for her performance at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion. Unlike Friday night's Diva show with Aretha there were no back-up dancers or slide shows. This was a straight-up rock and blues evening with the only showmanship being Ms. Raitt's guitar playing. And boy does she play that guitar.

The set list itself was fairly eclectic (for this genre anyway). Bonnie can certainly take a cover song and make it her own. Her take on INXS' "Need You Tonight" (from her new album) was unexpected and for some reason really worked. Slowed down a bit and a bit more plaintiff than the original it translated well when stripped to its bluesy riff structure. It was a nice way to open the show. She did several covers throughout the night. Some expected (Los Lobos and and the Fabulous Thunderbirds are right up her alley) and some not. She handed over the vocals to keyboardist Mike Finnigan when covering B. B. King's "Don't Answer The Door" who didn't imitate but provided a nice equivalence to Mr. King.

Her own very extensive catalog (again 17 albums people!) was also well represented. She did the hits. "Something To Talk About" just had to be done. "Hear Me Lord" from 2002's "Silver Lining" album was a nice gospel/Africanna inspired break from the blues and rock. And of course "I Can't Make You Love Me" and "Nick of Time" kicked off her encore.

Overall, this was a concert that really presented the best of Bonnie Raitt. Her voice is as strong as ever and, well, jeez, the guitar playing doesn't get any better. There were also many, many shout-outs to Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville as Bonnie spoke fondly of her time living here. It may be over 40 years but she has definitely stood the test of time. She is definitely the blues guitar Diva we need in our lives. And as a plus, there was a strict "no-pictures" rule in place for the show which meant that there was no sea of phones recording the event. It was a pleasant departure from the past few years of concerts. There were no distractions from the amazing talent on stage. And for that I was very thankful.


For more on Bonnie Raitt, including upcoming tour dates, visit her website.