Blues icon to play at 'Sco

R.L. Burnside brings southern soul to midwest

The 'Sco will swing to a different beat next Wednesday when acclaimed blues guitar wonder R.L. Burnside makes his Oberlin appearance. Though 70 years-old, the musician's eventful career is presently full-speed ahead. He has just released Mr. Wizard on Mississippi indie blues label Fat Possum and has recently toured with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, as well as recruiting its title member for last year's A Ass Pocket of Whiskey.

While Burnside began to draw crowds in the late 1960s, he was officially "discovered" in 1992 while featured in blues journalist Robert Palmer's documentary, Deep Blues. Since then, Burnside has released four albums. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Burnside's person, however, is his ability to make a name for himself regardless of where he picks up his crowd.

Unusual for a classic blues player, Burnside's latest albums are distributed through younger-generation of non-corporate labels. Matador, most commonly attributed with Pavement fame, hosts indie bands and an eclectic mix of talented solo artists. Even so, including Burnside in the roster adds new dimension to the term eclectic. With indie alt-rocker Jon Spencer helping out with Matador release Ass Pocket, the collaboration of generations has sparked not only media appeal to Burnside's career, but opened his music up to a new genre of listeners.

A similar working-contradiction runs for Mr. Wizard, co-released by Fat Possum and Southern California punk label Epitaph Records. While NOFX and Rancid have made the small label successful, Burnside adds wit to the bunch, just going to show what respect a few years of wise insight can build. Though sticking with Epitaph for the latest release could have denied Burnside of credible publicity, instead, he serves as an example to the rest of the industry that the occasional risk in trying something unexpected is not a bad idea.

Highly acclaimed as an excellent artist by everyone from The Washington Post to TIME to Rolling Stone, Burnside's live show should be well-attended. But what may end up being the most phenomenal display of his person could be his unpredictability. Billboard said of Ass Pocket, "Basically, it sounds like no other blues album ever released." Joined by grandson Cedric Burnside and Kenny Brown for next week's show, the artist is most definitely predicted to out-do the stereotypical "good-for-his-age" performance and show Obies what classic Mississippi blues is all about. Burnside is wise with style, not because of how many years he has been around, but what he has accomplished within them.

R.L. Burnside performs Wed. Apr. 23 at the 'Sco with The Cheater Slicks; showtime 10 p.m.