Fans fill SPAC to see Steve Miller Band
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Fans filled Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sunday night for a show by Steve Miller Band, with special guest Jimmie Vaughan.
The sounds of both blues and rock ‘n’ roll could be heard coming from the SPAC amphitheater as folks flocked to the Spa City venue for an evening of entertainment.
Opening act Jimmie Vaughan took the stage first, along with his seven-piece band, showing off their signature brand of Texas blues. The Grammywinning artist, like his late brother Stevie Ray Vaughan, is regarded as a talented blues guitarist. Later in the concert, Steve Miller declared to the SPAC crowd that Jimmie is his “favorite guitar player.”
This admiration was apparent when Miller invited Vaughan back up during the start of the headlining set. Together they played “Blues With a Feeling” and “I’m Tore Down.”
Though the blues are not what Miller’s band is best known for, he explained that he was beginning the show that way so attendees could “see where the rock and roll all comes from.”
Following this unique intro, Steve Miller Band jumped right into the group’s hits, playing “Fly Like an Eagle” and “Jet Airliner.”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer took some of his stage time to talk to concertgoers between numbers, even sharing a snippet about his early days of performing, which were guided by his godfather: musical pioneer Les Paul.
Along with these anecdotes, audience members enjoyed singing and dancing to tunes like “Abracadabra” and “Swingtown.”
Other highlights of the performance were the popular 1970s tracks “Jungle Love,” “Take The Money and Run” and “Rock’n Me,” which closed out the set.
Miller wished the audience “peace, love and happiness” as he exited the spotlight.
Before long, Miller and his bandmates were back on stage to give the crowd a final sendoff with “The Joker.”
During the encore, Miller spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic changed things for Steve Miller Band. “Truly, It’s an honor and a privilege. I’m so thankful to be back on tour after two and a half years off. I’ve been doing this for 50 years and having to stop for two and a half years was really weird. And coming back was, like, a little bit strange and then all of a sudden something really great happened. It was like this garden started growing,” he said, sharing his hopes for the future. “We’re back and now we’re going to move forward.”
What started in a bluesy zone on Sunday certainly ended as a rock concert, giving fans of both genres a memorable night of music amid a summer chockfull of shows at SPAC.