Sugar Blue Guests With Mike Gordon In Chicago
By Scott Bernstein Mar 9, 2014 • 7:30 am PDT
The Chicago blues legend sat in on “Say Something” and covers of “Miss You” (The Rolling Stones) and “Messin’ With The Kid” (Mel London) at Park West on Saturday. Gordon’s friendship with Sugar Blue, whose harmonica skills can be heard on the Stones’s original recording of “Miss You,” dates back over 20 years. Sugar Blue first guested with Phish on April 10, 1993 at the Aragon Ballroom and later sat in with the Vermonters on August 8, 1997 in nearby Tinley Park and on October 3, 1999 in Rosemont. Phish didn’t cover “Miss You” at any of those shows, but Gordon and his band couldn’t resist tackling Sugar Blue’s signature Stones song last night.
“Messin’ With The Kid” was a debut for the five-piece, though Mike had performed the song a couple of times with Phish and with Col. Bruce Hampton & The Codetalkers in 2001. Gordon’s first set also included the intriguing “Face” > ” Susskind Hotel” > “Face” sequence, while the second set featured a jammed-out cover of “Black Tambourine” by Beck. The five-piece tipped their hat to the late Son Seals, who lived in Chicago for decades, with a “Funky Bitch” encore.
Listen to Terry Larkin’s audio recording of Mike Gordon introducing Sugar Blue and performing “Miss You” with him:
Watch a stellar fan-shot video of the Mike Gordon debut of “Miss You” via TDunski:
And here’s TDunski’s clip of “Messin’ With The Kid”:
Here’s the setlist from Mike Gordon’s visit to the Park West:
Set 1: Long Black Line, Surface, Face -> Susskind Hotel -> Face, Say Something[1], Miss You[2], Messin’ with The Kid[2]
Set 2: Ether, 555, Black Tambourine, Loon, Yarmouth Road, Crumblin’ Bones, Jumping, Horizon Line
Encore: Funky Bitch
[1] Sugar Blue on harmonica.
[2] Sugar Blue on harmonica; Mike Gordon debut.
Notes: Sugar Blue sat in on harmonica for “Say Something,” “Miss You” and “Messin’ with The Kid,” the latter two being Mike Gordon debuts.
[Setlist via Phish.net]
