There’s a picture on Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s website of his younger self playing bass.
He’s wearing gym shorts that fit him like pants, down to his ankles, and an oversized red jersey. He’s standing in an overgrown field as kids run in a blur behind him.
Ingram couldn’t have been more than 10 or 11, which fits his timeline: The Grammy-winning blues guitarist who got hooked on the blues when he was 5 started playing bass before he took up guitar around age 11.
If someone asks you to define prodigy, show them a picture of the now 26-year-old Clarksdale, Mississippi, blues singer who earned his “Kingfish” nickname from an early teacher, legendary blues guitarist Bill “Howl-N-’Madd” Perry.
Ingram, who brings his “The Hard Road World Tour” to Rialto Theatre on Friday, July 25, was still in middle school when he started playing professional gigs. Coming from a musical family that included his mother’s first cousin, Charley Pride, Ingram had a background rooted in church music when he started playing nearby clubs.
He also was part of the Delta Blues Museum band, created through his hometown Clarksdale museum devoted to preserving the legacy of and access to blues music. He was just 15 when the band played before then-First Lady Michelle Obama; the Huffington Post called him “blues rock royalty in training.”
Ingram has released two studio albums, including the Grammy-winning 2021 record “662” and one live project, 2023’s “Live From London” recorded at The Garage, a North London club that has hosted big-name artists including the Killers, Jack White, Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
His world tour kicked off in April at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival and will make stops in Australia, Europe and the UK as well as North America through year’s end.
Arizona Arts Live, the entertainment arm of the University of Arizona’s Arizona Arts, is co-presenting Friday’s 8 p.m. show at the Rialto, 318 E. Congress St.; Tucson blues guitarist and actor Freddy Jay Walker opens. Limited tickets ($43.50-$76.30) are available through ticketmaster.com.
‘’One Night of Queen’’
Gary Mullen & The Works is bringing its “One Night of Queen” Freddy Mercury and Queen tribute show to Fox Tucson Theatre on Saturday, July 26.
Mullen’s timing couldn’t be more perfect as we reflect on the recent 40th anniversary of “Live Aid” courtesy of a sweeping documentary airing on CNN.
Queen and Mercury not only stole the show in their 21-minute middle-of-the-day set at Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985, Mercury performed arguably his best live show ever. Some will go as far as to say it was the best live rock show ever.
And from the buzz surrounding Mullen & The Works, “One Night of Queen” is the pre-eminent Queen tribute show. Audiences marvel at the musicianship as well as Mullen’s ability to channel the late Queen frontman.
Saturday’s show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets are $38-$84 through foxtucson.com.
Surfing in the desert
This is going to sound weird, but here goes: Hotel Congress is hosting a “Surfapalooza.”
Yes, surfing.
OK, not really surfing.
There is no ocean, but the organizers at Congress say they are bringing “all the fixings for a totally tubular surf party.”
We’re seeing fruity cocktails with tiny umbrellas in our future and some pretty gnarly tunes being played on the Hotel Congress Plaza Stage, 311 E. Congress St., beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 26.
The lineup features some of Tucson’s best surf bands, including the “desert surf” trio The Furys, whose music sounds like a fusion of psychedelic meets Beach Boys with a proper sprinkling of Americana/country.
Also on tap: the punk surf instrumental garage band The Dirty Licks, the instrumental surf rock band Desert Undertones and the all-female surf band La Onda.
Tickets for the 16-and-older show is $10 in advance, $15 day of show through hotelcongress.com.
