Kingfish Ingram: Blues in His Blood
Words by Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge
Photos by Steve Satzberg

On a hot Thursday in June, fans of all ages packed The Fillmore Silver Spring to see one of the most electrifying artists of our time, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The audience ranged from pre-teens to seniors. Some were loyal followers of Kingfish, and some were first timers like myself, but I’d bet the cost of admission we all left overflowing with musical satisfaction.

The opener played his first downbeat at 7:59pm on July 27 at The Fillmore Silver Spring. Slight of frame, wearing dark denim jeans, matching shirt and shades, Mathias Lattin took the stage with no introduction; no “what’s up Silver Spring!” or any lead in. He simply came out cooking as if to say “If you don’t know my name, that’s alright, you’ll know it by the end of my set.”

For 30 minutes, the International Blues Challenge winner from Houston showed us exactly why he’s touring with Kingfish. At just 21 years old, his blues sensibilities are impressive. His stories were entertaining. His song arrangements were intriguing. “Lose Some Weight” and “Party” were my favorites of the set.

Watch Mathias Lattin perform “Lose Some Weight” live for HVML Presents on YouTube:

The mid-tempo grooves had hips moving. Mathias’ touch on the guitar made him incredibly dynamic. He was soft, yet clear and articulate on his slow blues, and equally as agile and pronounced on his solos. There’s not much grit in his singing voice, but one can presume with age, maybe some heartbreak and vices, that’ll change over time. Lattin was funny, engaging, and has a great band supporting him. Overall he showed up as a badass who’s confident and prepared for more success on the horizon. I’m looking forward to seeing him again as a headliner.

I’ve always been under the impression that Kingfish was categorized as a blues artist. Perhaps that’s still the best classification. I certainly wouldn’t be the one to strip him of that title. But I knew immediately from the opening vocal track that this experience would be something different. There were two voices that sounded like a conversation between Mickey Mouse and a cross between Freddy Kruger and George Clinton.

The first song, “Midnight Heat,” kicked in with heavy kick drum and bass. Sure it was bluesy, but it was also heavy on the funk, complete with some synth that gave me west coast vibes. His husky baritone voice exuded soul as it entered on a bar of rest from the band. His guitar solos were ferocious from the onset. There was no easing in, no letting the audience off the hook. He was clearly making the statement “I’m here and you’re all in for a ride!”

Not only was his sound transcendent of genre, but his content was expansive, “Fresh Out” felt like a classic slow blues; a tale of a heartbroken lover “fresh out” of everything in his proverbial house. “No coffee for my breakfast, no butter for my roll. I ain’t got a drop of milk for the cornflakes in my bowl”, Kingfish laments. He was left alone to drink his last bottle of Johnnie Walker Red, and “nobody in this house but me and my empty head, fresh out!”

Watch Christone “Kingfish” Ingram perform “Fresh Out” live for NPR Tiny Desk Home Concert on YouTube:

Kingfish followed with “Another Life Goes By,” a social commentary and plea to stop hate and senseless killing, followed by “Empty Promises,” about the agony of a love lost which featured another explosive guitar solo and a vocal performance that may or may not have caused some welling in the eyes of a certain new fan!

“Not Gonna Lie” is the definition of a message embedded in groove. In the song, Kingfish credits the blues music for saving his life and tells how he promised guitar legend Buddy Guy that he would uphold the genre. This one really got the crowd moving. People were dancing, clapping their hands and nodding their heads. Musically he alluded to greats like Prince and Sly Stone. It was the climax of the evening.

Other notable tunes were “Rock and Roll,” a tribute to his late mother and easily his most vulnerable moment of the evening, and the autobiographical closer “662,” where he reminded us all that he’s from “the birthplace of the blues”.

The encore lasted another 30 minutes and only further solidified that he was king of the stage that night. The show was a rollercoaster in the best way. Kingfish showed us that his music knows no bounds, while also making it plain to see that he’s deserving of the torch and worthy of the title of bluesman.

Here are some photos of Mathias Lattin opening Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at The Fillmore Silver Spring on June 27, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.

Here are some photos of Christone “Kingfish” Ingram headlining The Fillmore Silver Spring on June 27, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.