WOODVILLE – From the rustic sounds of country bluesmen like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb to later-day electric players like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bugs Henderson, the blues have been a comfort to both the musicians, as well as audiences.
Generations of guitarists and singers with something to say about the world around them, set to a 12-bar musical format, have proudly worn the influence of the above-mentioned legends, and many others. One of those, a young legend-in-the-making named Hamilton Loomis, will make a return appearance to the Emporium Stage in Woodville, on Friday, March 7.
Loomis, who first played a show in Woodville at the Emporium last June, is a Grammy-nominated Galveston native, who has toured internationally.
Tickets to this show, which begins at 7 p.m., are $20 for general admission and $25 for reserved seating. The Emporium is located at 2016 West Bluff Street in Woodville. According to Judith Haney, of the Emporium, there are only a few seats left of the reserved.
Loomis, who typically performs in trio setting, with him on vocals, guitar and harmonica, along with a bassist and drummer, was a product of a musical family, and performed in his family’s doo-wop group, according to the biographical information on his website.
He later became a multi-instrumentalist, and at the age of 16 met the legendary Bo Diddley backstage at Rockefeller’s in Houston.
By the end of the night, the young aspiring guitar-slinger Loomis was onstage with Diddley, playing guitar, and the elder bluesman became a mentor to the young man.
Blues Blast magazine described Loomis as “a non-stop turbo of power,” and Loomis is known for his energetic, crowd-pleasing performances, as well as his triple-threat abilities as a powerful guitarist, singer and songwriter.
“My parents had a fantastic record collection and, when I started writing, I gravitated towards what I’d been listening to all my life. I have a huge reverence for the blues and all it encompasses, but I’ve always been fond of R&B and funky music,” Loomis said.
“Being comfortable on stage is something that comes completely natural to me,” he says. “I feel joy when I play music and it literally moves me. It moves my body. I learned long ago that when-ever music is coming from you, from deep inside your soul and from the right place, people will feel that on a deeper level and might not even know what’s going on inside of themselves. I enjoy engaging the crowd and feel a show should be an interactive experience.”
