Anthony Gomes Celebrating
by El Dormido (dormido@hotmail.com)

55 Kansas City Blues Society members enjoyed free admission to the Anthony 
Gomes performance at the Grand Emporium recently, a gift from the Blues 
Society to its members. Great gift it was, too.

I've seen Anthony Gomes about 3 times the past 6 months. The first time was 
during a stretch of killer guitar players that included Johnny A, Monte 
Montgomery and Joe Bonomasso. Anthony Gomes held his own among that group 
of giants.

Just in terms of performance values his show is worth the price of 
admission.

I asked Roger Naber if Anthony was raised on a dairy farm and Roger said, 
"No, he's originally from Toronto, why?"

"Well", I says, 'he sure knows how to milk an audience!"

But, seriously, he does so without pandering or resorting to sensationalism. 
He doesn't rip his shirt off or go walking on bars to incite an audience. 
He performs.

At a certain point its like church, a certain quality of excitement, raise 
the hands and testify. But it's not a shallow, white boy emulation. 
Somehow Anthony Gomes has internalized that black church gospel experience 
and lets it all out as well as any church schooled performer. There's an 
integrity, a substantiality to how he conveys his musical message.

Not to mention it's definitely dance music. Had the dance floor crowded and 
the rest of the audience looking for room to move.

As much as Anthony Gomes wants to move you, he wants you to move too!

He is an accomplished vocalist, especially when that blues passion edges 
into that 'going to church' territory. His vocals take on a compelling edge 
of passionate insistence that pulls the audience towards and around him so 
that, as he stands at the edge of the stage, it seems like he's at the 
ocean's edge with the sea waves crashing around him.

Yeah, he milks the audience, sometimes overtly and unabashedly, but it's 
never gratuitous. What he asks for the audience freely gives in full 
appreciation.

Anthony Gomes moved from Toronto on to a steady gig as the house band at 
Buddy Guy's Chicago Club, Legends. Since then, Anthony has moved on to 
Nashville. You know, singer/songwriter capitol of country flavored music.

He is still traveling the blues highway, not just sitting at home composing 
tunes hoping to write a hit. And that's good for us.

Hey, if you're a Blues Society member and didn't hook up for the free ride, 
shame on you, you missed something special. If you aren't a Blues Society 
member, look for that membership application in the Blues news, sign up, cop 
the admission discounts around town, and look for Anthony Gomes to come 
again.