Hamilton Loomis brings the blues
Blues/funk/rock musician Hamilton Loomis in performance Jan. 15 in Billings.
When Hamilton Loomis says “Everybody get your blues on,” he’s serious.
The Texan blues/rock/funk fusionist took the stage to a crowed room on Friday night in Billings, and attendees brought their dancing shoes.
Loomis and his band, composed of Stratton Doyle on saxophone and keys, Kent Beatty on bass, and Josh Duckworth on drums, delivered a sweltering set.
In an early all-ages performance at Bones Brewing, Loomis celebrated the release of his newest CD, Live in England, which became available in late 2009.
In a musical playoff of sorts, Hamilton Loomis and saxophonist Stratton Doyle have an onstage musical duel.
The quartet performed a mix of originals, covers and improvised numbers, including a onstage musical duel between Loomis and Doyle that featured a mix of AC/DC, Michael Jackson, the Beastie Boys, and the Inspector Gadget theme song, among others. Loomis also took time to honor his mentor, the late Bo Diddley, in song.
A firecracker of blues/funk fusion, Loomis brought the creative and intensive talent for which he’s well-known. During the performance, he took his excitement directly to the crowd when he left the stage to wander through the audience, even climbing atop a table. Audience members then created a path of tables for him to step across, the enlivened Loomis strumming his guitar the entire time.