Unlikely

On Wednesday night I was in the audience at the most unlikely musical event I might ever imagine: Steven Seagal and Thunderbox (his band) live at the El Rey. Without going into detail and lest you suspect my judgment, the why I was there had to do with work. I can't imagine even having heard about it otherwise. No, I swear.

Okay, lots of stars dabble in fronting a band. Bruce Willis at the Ritz in the 80's. Juliette Lewis more credible, channeling Iggy Pop. Giovanni Ribisi...I don't know anything really about his band, except that he has one.

So why not the veteran star of something like 30 feature films, which have collectively grossed over $600 million buckaroonies?

There's some snark at Defamer here (I was just so pleased to read them covering something I actually went to myself), but the shocking thing is that it was actually, as this review from an earlier Seattle date concurs, a great show.

More than you'd ever expect from his acting career, more even than you'd expect listening to these tracks from Mojo Priest online, Seagal fronts a phenomenal Memphis blues band. I mean, even Luther Allison's son is in it. And they're all black, he's the single white guy onstage...in his sleeveless shiny purple tunic.

To his credit, Seagal didn't mix his lead guitar playing and vocals out front at all. They weren't buried, but he has the good sense to let us hear his band, including two dynamite back-up singers. And his playing far from sucks.

And, a credit to his race, Seagal clearly knows his blues.

They rocked the joint. Half-full might be charitable -- it was midweek, after all, and a nice sized hall -- but everyone started dancing almost immediately.

The band plays first, classic R&B show style, then Seagal comes out. He may have expected the skeptical Hollywood crowd he partially got (a couple young guys indicated to me that they were basically just there for the goof). I guess I expected Michael Bolton meets Jean-Claude Van Damme. But this is really authentic sounding juke joint blues that never feels like you're watching a star band. That hard-rocking blues beat won the crowd over. Handily.

Dude or dudette, you can check here to see if Steven & Thunderbox (is that feminine?) are coming to your environs and get your tickets no wait.

Seagal also does credit to himself with his opening act, young Scottish singer-songwriter J.J. Gilmour.

While we were waiting for the show to start(i.e. drinking) I spotted a young boho with a long dark coat and an acoustic guitar case walking through to the stagedoor, thought it might be a session guy for the Seagal band, but then five minutes later this kid came out onstage with a total brogue except when he sings, which is when he sounds like The Everly Brothers.

More unlikely good tiding. I expected a drippy troubadour in some watered-down Britpop fashion, but the kid kicks in using his acoustic as a rhythm instrument, and playing it fast for most of the set.

J.J.'s got a classic U.S. rock'n'roll flavor, and he seems to be writingthoughtful songs you can dance to. And he blogs.

So here's to the flipped expectations. Seagal was even hanging out for autographs after the show, generous with his time. Who knows what it's like being on the set with him in Akido Actor mode, maybe he's just truly grateful that folks came out for his show.

You don't go into the blues genre to make another $600 million. You sure do go into it to make people move.