bonnie raitt tour 2023 review

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Bonnie Raitt review – a blues fireball in full bloom

London Palladium With typically charismatic fervour and to a star-studded audience, the master of heartbreak brilliantly honours her singular path through modern music

‘G uilty!” a lone voice cries out from the back of London Palladium , where blues legend Bonnie Raitt has just introduced a song for those who have experienced heartbreak. The voice speaks for everyone in the venue, and the song is I Can’t Make You Love Me – a ballad which Raitt transformed into the most universally shattering song about a breakup this side of Roy Orbison.

It’s one of many songs tonight where Raitt’s laidback-but-rip-your-guts-out take on classic themes of love and endurance is in full bloom. In front of a star-studded audience of peers including Joan Armatrading , Raitt runs through hits (Nick of Time, Something To Talk About, Love Sneakin’ Up On You) and covers (Angel From Montgomery, BB King’s Never Make Your Move Too Soon, INXS’s Need You Tonight) that underscore her fluent dexterity and the connective tissue of roots music. Each song is a homage to those who have come, or sadly gone, before her, with numbers dedicated to late friends and collaborators including Zimbabwean musician Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi and John Prine .

For her own part, Raitt, 73, has had an extraordinary trajectory. A California-born musician with west coast cool and a passion for the Delta blues; a bedroom-taught slide guitarist and one of few female players in a lineage of luminaries from Robert Johnson to Lowell George; an early voice in the anti-war movement and continued champion for social justice; the unexpected winner of the 2023 Grammy for song of the year over modern titans such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Not even her hair, glowing fireball-red under the house spotlight, has lost its intensity, and her natural charisma and graceful determination are as captivating as ever. Her voice, rich and smoky from years of experience, carries stripped-back numbers like Back Around and Just Like That. Faultless guitar playing shines on beer-soaked rock tracks No Business and Livin’ for the Ones, and she steps further towards the audience to perform these with a confident smile, concluding by slamming the body of her signature Stratocaster into her hip.

This music has deepened with age – it now feels as timeless and worn-in as a horse’s saddle, and it takes everyone along for the ride (including a woman who keeps getting a slap on the wrist for jumping out of her seat to whoop and clap like it was a Baptist service). Raitt’s career has been a road less travelled, and yet her performance style makes that journey seem effortless.

• Bonnie Raitt
• London Palladium

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Gig review: BONNIE RAITT – New Theatre, Oxford, Wednesday 7 June 2023

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A sold out show at Oxford’s lovely New Theatre and whilst most of the audience have doubtless been Bonnie Raitt fans since her early days, it was good to see some younger fans dotted around the audience.

Support for Bonnie Raitt’s UK & Ireland tour is Gareth Dunlop, whose recent album ‘Animal’ comes highly recommended by this reviewer. Hard to pigeonhole his musical style – although to quote my review of said album “Sophisticated pop with a modern feel and appeal” – suffice to say he has a showstopper vocal that demands the listener’s attention.

Backed by guitarist Pete Wallace, Gareth Dunlop kept his between song patter to a minimum, bar a recollection of watching ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ on repeat and in particular Bonnie Raitt! ‘Look Back Smiling’ is one of the highlights on the ‘Animal’ album and it sounded even more powerful when performed live.

He spent many years in Nashville penning songs for TV and film with ‘Devil Like You’ one of those performed this evening. Really loved ‘Train Driver’. First time hearing this and with its hypnotic rhythm, those sublime vocals and a neat lyric, it was another wonderful highlight in a set full of them.

Gareth certainly made many new fans based on this evening’s stunning performance. Rarely have I seen people give a standing ovation to a support act and it is well deserved in this case.

Onto the headliner Bonnie Raitt, whose music this reviewer didn’t know much about until tonight, bar that you always used to see a few of her tour t-shirts at rock and metal gigs down the years. After tonight’s gig this reviewer has a lot of catching up to do on her musical catalogue and what a joy that will be!

Her latest album, the Grammy award winning ‘Just Like That…’, had a few songs scattered around the set including the opening number ‘Made Up Mind’.  ‘Love So Strong’, also from the album, was one of many dedicated to musicians no longer with us. In this case Toots Hibbert of Toots & the Maytals fame.

Bonnie Raitt is a top class blues player and singer, although as tonight’s set proved she enjoys performing in many musical styles. It helps that she has a top draw band consisting of Glen Patscha (keyboards, vocals), Duke Levine (guitarist, vocals) and the tight but loose rhythm section of drummer Ricky Fataar and bassist ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson. It is like listening to a bluesy version of Toto at times as they jam, yet never veer off into self-indulgent solos.

The band thrive on the upbeat ‘No Business’ and ‘Livin’ For The Ones’ (complete with some tasty keys from Glen Patscha), yet are just as much at home on the gentle ‘Love Letter’. There are the hits too with ‘Have A Heart’ and ‘Something to Talk About’ one that got a rousing cheer when the opening notes were played.

One song that stuck in the mind long after it was finished was the Grammy Award winning ‘Just Like That’. The song lyrically details the story of a woman who is visited by the recipient of her son’s heart, which he received in a life-saving organ donation operation. Music has such a power to help and uplift the soul as this song ably demonstrates.

Superlatives don’t really exist to describe the moving version of John Prine’s ‘Angel From Montgomery’. What a voice and for once, no nattering from some annoying members of the audience. As an aside, how nice to be at a gig where there were no phones in the air and the audience were focussed on the here and now.

The set finished with a rip roaring take on the Talking Heads cover ‘Burning Down The House’. What a way to bow out on the main set and a well deserved standing ovation was given to Bonnie and her band.

Two songs in the encore, ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ and the heartfelt ‘One Belief Away’. The latter another song with a strong and uplifting lyric.

Touch of class from Bonnie as she invited Gareth Dunlop back onstage to join herself and her band for a final bow.

What a night of music! Gareth Dunlop surely is destined for bigger stages based on this performance and as for Bonnie Raitt, this reviewer has quite honestly seen and heard one of the best gigs in years. A musical masterclass in putting on an enjoyable and memorable live show. Bonnie Raitt showed why she is one of the all time best blues guitarists and singers, and still at the top of her game.

Review by Jason Ritchie Photo by Steve Goudie

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Live review: Bonnie Raitt at Bridgewater Hall

By Jay Darcy

Article Summary

Perhaps the most memorable moment of the Grammys 2023 was the shock Song of the Year win. The nominees included Adele , Beyoncé , DJ Khaled , Gayle , Harry Styles , Kendrick Lamar , Lizzo , Steve Lacy , and Tayor Swift – but the award went to Bonnie Raitt , with the little-known album track ‘Just Like That’. This prompted a bit of a backlash, with the Daily Mail scandalously referring to Bonnie, a 13 x Grammy winner and 30 x nominee, as an “unknown blues singer”.

This backlash, from people who had not even listened to the stunning song, was actually brilliant promo for Bonnie – because those who did not know who she was now knew!

Fresh off the back of her successful night at the Grammys, where she won three awards, Bonnie has returned to the UK to promote her new album, Just Like That…

• Gareth Dunlop

Bonnie’s opening act was Northern Irish singer-songwriter Gareth Dunlop . Whilst his music is not my cup of tea, I can appreciate his exceptional songwriting; it’s no surprise his songs have been featured in numerous films, television series, and commercials.

He opened his small set with ‘My Kind of Paradise’ before telling us, candidly, that he often struggles with social interactions and meaningful conversations, and his next song, ‘Can’t Stand Myself’, expressed those feelings beautifully.

Whilst much of his music is slow and moody, his third song, ‘Go Down Swinging’, is an upbeat tribute to his daughter.

Gareth told us that he lived in Nashville for around a decade, mainly writing songs for other artists and television series, including Lucifer , which prompted about three “woo”s – which Gareth was humoured by. Age-wise, most of the people in the audience were anywhere between middle-aged and prehistoric, and Lucifer is very much a millennial/Gen Z-kinda show!

Gareth sang the song he wrote for the show: the smoky ‘Devil in You’.

Before singing his final song – ‘Train Driver’, which I think he said is a tribute to his son – he told us that he had listened to a compilation as a kid and fell in love with Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Too Long at the Fair’ – so, clearly, opening for Bonnie was not merely a huge opportunity but also a dream come true.

• Bonnie Raitt

I won’t lie, I was not all that familiar with Bonnie’s catalogue. I have loved ‘Something to Talk About’ for awhile – it’s one of my “liked” songs on Spotify – and, of course, ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ is a musical masterpiece. But the main reason I wanted to see Bonnie was because I have a goal to see (and, ideally, review) as many female icons as possible, especially older ones who might not be touring for much longer – and Bonnie, believe it or not, is 73!

Not only does Bonnie look amazing but her voice has aged like fine wine; it’s gotten richer and warmer, which works wonderfully for her moody music.

Bonnie sang a real mixture of music: her hits, songs from the new album, and even some lesser-known non-single tracks from old albums. I’d love to know her thought process for constructing this setlist; she’s such a meticulous, skilled songwriter that, surely, the choice of songs, and the placing of them, is all very intentional.

Awhile into the show, Bonnie sang the gut-wrenching ‘Just Like That’, which she told us is inspired by a story she saw about a woman visiting the man whose life had been saved with her late son’s heart. The man had asked the woman if she wanted to lean on his chest and hear her son’s heartbeat – and, oh my, I’m tearing up just writing this.

Bonnie’s soulful delivery makes the rich lyrics even more emotional. This beautiful song deserves its two Grammys, period.

After this, Bonnie wisely sang the upbeat ‘Something to Talk About’, her biggest chart hit in her native USA. As aforementioned, I love this song and have listened to it many times, so it was this performance that allowed me to fully appreciate the changes in Bonnie’s voice.

The audience were quite fond of Bonnie’s cover of INX ‘s ‘Need You Tonight’, which she had previously recorded for an album, but it was the penultimate song of the main set, ‘Angel From Montgomery’, that had the audience on fire.

Originally recorded by John Prine , Bonnie’s version, albeit just an album track, is the best-known version of the song. Previously, Bonnie said this song “probably has meant more to my fans and my body of work than any other song” – and that was evident at the gig.

Bonnie ended the main set with ‘Love Sneakin’ up on You’, her final US hit and her only Canadian number one. The North Americans have given Bonnie a lot more love than us Brits – obviously, Americana and blues music are much more popular over there – but Bonnie has a lot of proud fans over here, with her Manchester gig almost sold out.

Bonnie opened the encore with her signature song, ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’. I’ve said this in many of  my live reviews: there is nothing quite like seeing an artist sing their signature song live – and this was no different. Bonnie’s aged voice added a sense of sorrow and suffering to the song.

Whilst ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ was not a hit in the UK, the late George Michael covered the song, and his version reached number three – so most people are familiar with the splendid song, even if they are unfamiliar with the original version.

Bonnie again followed a tragic tale with a heartwarming story. “So glad to sing about a love that works out for a change,” she said, before singing ‘Not the Only One’.

She ended the gig with the groovy ‘Never Make Your Move Too Soon’, originally recorded by B.B. King and a track on Bonnie’s first live album.

An audience member down front asked Bonnie if we can stand for this one, and she said of course. The entire audience took to their feet and bopped along to the song.

Most of Bonnie’s music is slow and soothing so it was great to end the night with one we could dance to; it was a celebratory end to the concert.

Whilst I knew Bonnie was a remarkable singer-songwriter, I had not realised just how good she still sounded (indeed, exactly a year prior, I had seen Diana Ross , whose voice has, sadly, not aged too well). I also did not know just how entertaining and funny she was; she’s incredibly likeable.

When I’m unfamiliar with an artist’s catalogue, I sometimes get a little bored and find myself waiting for the few songs I do know, but, just like that , Bonnie had me captivated from the very beginning.

Bonnie Raitt plays the last UK stop of her Just Like That… Tour at Black Deer Festival in Kent on June 17, before touring North American again from June 24 to October 14.

• Bridgewater Hall
• Live review

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Live review: Bonnie Raitt + Gareth Dunlop, London Palladium – 3rd June 2023

Taking my seat at this beautiful old venue, I gazed across the stalls to a familiar sea of grey hair, white hair or no hair left at all. That’s par for the course with “legacy artists” in this genre and (full disclosure) my own hair and beard are grey and my bald patch lights up in the sun. But then I noticed that almost half of this elderly crowd was female – and that’s a far-from-familiar sight at Americana gigs. Does Bonnie Raitt attract more women simply because she’s a woman herself? Well… maybe. But you don’t see the same balance of sexes at, say, a Lucinda Williams gig. I think it’s more to do with how Bonnie presents herself on stage: the way she talks to her audience with warmth, charm and confidence.

Here’s a case history. When I went to see her ten years ago a pal had to drop out at the last moment so I took my 78-year-old mother to Newcastle City Hall instead. She had never heard of Bonnie Raitt and thought it was all a bit too loud. But when asked if she’d enjoyed the show, she told me:  “ Oh yes – I loved it. She was so nice .”

Now 73 and as nice as ever, blues veteran Bonnie confessed at the Palladium that she was “ just the right kind of nervous ” for the gig because a lot of musicians she knew and respected were in the hall, including Albert Lee, Tommy Emmanuel and Joan Armatrading. She needn’t have worried. As a guitarist, particularly on slide, she plays her signature “Brownie” Stratocaster with almost superhuman precision and makes it look effortless. As a singer, she has a wonderfully heartfelt edge to her voice. And though she often covers other people’s songs, when she writes them herself they can take on the world. Earlier this year she snatched the Song of the Year Grammy award from rivals including Beyonce, Adele, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles. This prompted the Daily Mail headline “Unknown blues singer beats Beyonce.” Yes, a lot of unknowns have won 13 Grammys.

Bonnie played that song – the title track from her 2022 album ‘ Just Like That’ – midway through her 90-minute set, explaining how she’d been inspired by the story of a mother laying her head on a stranger’s chest to hear her dead son’s heart beating inside, and how she’d tried to channel the late John Prine’s way of getting inside someone’s head in just a few words. Prine, who fell victim to Covid in 2020, is still very much her song writing hero and she has played his sublime ballad ‘Angel From Montgomery’ at every live show since she first heard it in the early 1970s. At this show it marked the only dip into the first nine of her 18 studio albums. Everything else was cherry-picked from her post-1989 catalogue. That’s when she scored her first big commercial success with the US No.1 album ‘Nick of Time’ .

The set included four tunes from ‘Just Like That’ , which won best Americana album at the Grammys. Her own favourite, she revealed while introducing it, was the achingly sad ‘Blame It On Me’ which featured superb blues organ from Glenn Patscha, one of the four veteran virtuosi who make up her band. The way they ended almost every number with an unexpected flourish, often choreographed by Bonnie’s hips or hand gestures, spoke volumes about their talent and togetherness. Long-term guitar partner George Marinelli could make only a few dates on this tour, but session veteran Duke Levine – he also plays with Slaid Cleaves and Mary Chapin Carpenter – proved equally tasty on the Telecaster. One-time Beach Boy Ricky Fataar has been with Bonnie on drums since ‘ Nick of Time’ , and her bass man goes back even further. “Loyalty and chemistry is a good thing in this business and it’s hard to find ,” she told the Palladium audience. “ Ladies and gentlemen – 40 years with Hutch Hutchinson on the bass .”

This really was a five-star show by one of the best artists on the planet. For me the only negative note came from pre-show placards and repeated announcements warning us not to take pictures or videos. This got a cheer from some quarters, but anything that prompts security staff to rush down the aisle and remonstrate with people is a bad thing in my book. Why not just ask politely and leave it to the audience to challenge anyone annoying their neighbours?

The show was opened by Gareth Dunlop, a Belfast-based songwriter with a long track record composing for films and TV. He played a half-hour set with guitarist and harmony vocalist Pete Wallace and told a charming story of how, as a young lad learning the guitar, he had worn out a VHS tape of a 26-year-old Bonnie Raitt playing ‘Too Long At The Fair’ on the Old Grey Whistle Tes t in 1976. Gareth’s song ‘Traindriver’ is well worth checking out. Even if its chorus line (‘I should have been a train driver’) did prompt the distracting thought: “But you’d have been out on strike today, mate.”

• Bonnie Raitt
• Gareth Dunlop

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Bonnie Raitt Covers John Prine and Talking Heads at Black Deer Festival 2023

By Rosie Down

Link copied

Photography by Kendall Wilson

“Who knew we had to come to the UK to get a sunny vacation?” asks Bonnie Raitt as she opens her main stage set to an adoring crowd in front of a setting evening sun.

Kicking off the final show of her UK and Ireland leg of the tour with her blues rockin’ version of The Bros. Landreth’s ‘Made Up Mind’, Raitt couldn’t have looked more at home on stage - the living embodiment of effortless cool.

Strolling across the stage as she looked to the audience, this was her house and we were all invited.

Once hailed as “the best damn slide player working today” by B.B. King, her Black Deer performance didn’t leave much room for debate. Pairing her signature slide and soaring licks with easy charisma and excellent crowd patter, Raitt proved she is just as exciting as she is experienced.

Raitt acknowledged the ‘election circus’ going on in the US in between on-going tragedies as she brought her ever-present political activism with her. The master of matching heart-wrenching words with a laidback delivery, following ‘Love So Strong’ Raitt dedicates ‘No Business’ to her “dear friend”, John Hiatt.

“I’m glad it’s cooling off, because we’re about to heat it up again”, Raitt warns as the band rip into the sultry ‘Blame It On Me’ , her smoky vocals rising above a bluesy backdrop as she holds the audience in the palm of her hand.

At 73, Raitt’s back catalogue is so big that she could dip into any number of tracks and it would be a hit. But that would be too easy. Including five covers in her twelve song set, Raitt takes on Bob Dylan’s ‘Million Miles’ naming him “one of the funkiest blues men I know”.

An important part of Raitt’s long musical career was her long-time friendship with John Prine, who she described losing as her “greatest tragedy”. After seeing a news story about a man who went to visit the mother of the boy who was his heart donor, she was inspired to write the grammy award-winning ‘Just Like That’ , which totally captivates the audience.

“Let's move to something a little friskier than that”, Raitt’s trademark charm shines through as she asks, “anyone out there on a date? Hands where I can see ‘em”. ‘Something to Talk About’ is contrasted by ‘Livin' for the Ones’ , which leads into a funky rock rendition of INXS’ ‘Need You Tonight’ . A much emancipated performance of John Prine’s ‘Angel From Montgomery’ highlights Raitt’s faultless, full-bodied vocals, as the poignancy of the cover is not lost on a silent crowd.

Flaunting her effortless ability to take a track and make it sound like an original, Raitt shows her respect for her musical peers of past and present. Igniting the stage with a closing cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Burning Down The House’ , she pays her dues to Ruth Brown and the “true pioneers of blues and jazz” that never received their royalties.

Rounding off the performance to rousing applause from the adoring audience, this was a masterclass in Americana.

Bonnie Raitt - Setlist

Taken from her headlining set at Black Deer Festival 2023 at Eridge Park, Kent, UK on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

• Made Up Mind (The Bros. Landreth Cover)
• Love So Strong
• No Business
• Blame it on Me
• Nick of Time
• Million Miles (Bob Dylan Cover)
• Just Like That
• Something to Talk About
• Livin' for the Ones
• Need You Tonight (INXS Cover)
• Angel From Montgomery (John Prine Cover)
• Burning Down The House (Talking Heads Cover)

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Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples Roar Through a Heroines’ Double-Header at the Greek: Concert Review

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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If the planet was under threat of annihilation from beyond, and we had to present our divine or interplanetary overlords with just two musical emissaries to make a case that humankind is worth being spared as a species, Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples might be the couple we’d want to pick. Fortunately, with no such emergency yet in sight, they’ve managed to pair up of their own volition for a segment of Raitt’s current headlining tour that makes for a two-sided portrait of what heart, soul and understated heroism look like in music.

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Setting up some of the choicer classics, Raitt would pause to add a tart or sentimental note — or sometimes both, as when she intro-ed the title track of 1989’s career-revivifying, Grammy-hoarding “Nick of Time” album. She noted that the woman who inspired the first verse, childless at the time, was in attendance with her grown-up miracle baby. But she also established that at least part of the song was about her, when she quipped, “Remember when we were afraid to turn 40?” Bringing it back from the joke, she added: “We’re not scared now.” Bringing mortality into it is not something Raitt shies away from, in any case: “No Business,” a John Hiatt cover (taking the place of his more familiar “Thing Called Love” in the setlist), came with not just a shout-out to producer Don Was but one of the ones that didn’t make it, that particular Capitol-era album’s late engineer, Ed Cherney.

It’s long been the case that two Raitts don’t make a wrong, and the two iconic iterations that we got of her in the Greek performance both proved as worth of veneration as they’ve always been. There’s the heartbreaker Bonnie, waiting to deliver “I Can’t Make You Love Me” until seated on a stool for the encore because there’s not much that can follow it. (Anyone who harbored any doubts about whether she’d still be in prime vocal form for her showcase ballads, into her early 70s, likely would not have spent much time thinking about how her powerhouse father, John Raitt, sang creditably into his 90s.)

And there’s slide-guitar hero Bonnie — a player who might merit a place in rock’s Hall of Fame if all she’d ever done was act as somebody else’s lead guitarist, without ever singing a lick of lead vocals herself. Raitt played slide more as an undertow during the opening number, the new “Made Up Mind,” then set it down for the second song, before declaring, “No more Mrs. Nice Guy — give me that Strat,” as she went into the third with full intentions of giving that instrument its own follow-spot from then on. Her instrument was also part of a guitar army at times, especially as she lined up in a row with George Marinelli (a longtime cohort who’s joining her band on select dates) and regular tour guitarist Duke Levine on “Livin’ for the Ones,” which co-writer Marinelli seems to have originally fashioned as a pure Stones workout before Raitt added her poignant lyrics.

Raitt has been mixing up the setlists a little on this tour (which, as she noted, is just getting underway and extends into 2023). So has Staples — on any given night, there’s at least a faint chance she will cover Talking Heads’ “Slippery People” and Raitt will end her set with “Burning Down the House.” Neither of those Heads songs popped up Saturday, with the headliner preferring to end the pre-encore portion instead with a medley of Chaka Khan and Rufus’ “You Got the Love” and her own “Love Sneakin’ Up on You.”

Raitt didn’t inject a lot of politics into her set, beyond pointing out the presence of a Ukrainian flag draped across the front of Ricky Fataar’s drum riser (“They’re going to need a lot more of our help,” she said, predicting a more heightened refugee crisis to come”). With HeadCount on site to register voters, it may not take a lot of effort to suss where the singer stands on certain key issues. Staples had already cited a fair amount of current events in her opening performance, anyway, as in “This Is My Country,” she added a spoken-word segment that began with “I’m not too proud right now…” What is Staples fired up about? The Supreme Court reversing women’s rights, politicians toying with migrants for publicity (“They got babies!”), and limitations being put on voter options in minority areas. Out in the lobby, “Mavis for President” buttons were on sale on the merch booth, although, sadly, there are no signs yet of a Staples PAC.

Aside from that fleeting recognition that, yes, everything is going to hell, Staples’ set was a 50-minute joyful noise, full of the secular gospel that fueled the family’s career in the ’60s and has carried through to the solo renaissance that got seriously underway for her in the mid-2000s. Her material with and without the family veered from religious uplift to social uplift, where it has almost entirely stayed, and she is as great an emblem of social justice-as-joy as America has had for the last 74 years — the exact figure she put on exactly how long the Staples have been “taking you there.”

But there has been one very sexy number that slipped through in the Staple Singers’ catalog of classics, “Let’s Do It Again,” written by Curtis Mayfield for the sisters in 1976. (We didn’t have to look that one up because Staples sometimes provided the dates herself. “Curtis Mayfield! 1976!… We gonna take you, 1971!”) She played the sauciness of “Let’s Do It Again” for all it was worth in some amusingly extended call-and-response with her band leader, Rick Holmstrom, before putting a stop to it. “All right, I got enough,” she quipped, taking a seat before the grand finale. “I’m getting too up in age for this.” Not to worry; “let’s do it a little” is a fine modification for a performer who’s earned the right to race herself and then pace herself. Up to that possibly theatrical rest stop, and again for the finale, Staples was racing like the thoroughbred she still is.

“I don’t know if any teenyboppers are out there?” Staples asked at one point. “Because teenyboppers, they come out to see what us old folk are doing, and we love them — we learn from them teenyboppers. You out there, teenyboppers?” Parts of the crowd screamed in response, and if that was a baldfaced lie, maybe it was an excusable one on a night so otherwise hallmarked by the blues and the not-too-abstract truth.

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The shows will take place in the first half of June next year and include a date at the London Palladium.

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Bonnie Raitt will continue her extensive touring behind her 18th studio album Just Like That… with a run of newly-announced shows in the UK and Ireland in summer 2023.

The dates will take place in the first half of June next year and include concerts in Dublin, London (at the celebrated Palladium), Bournemouth, Oxford, Gateshead, Glasgow, Manchester, and Birmingham, before a headline appearance at the 2023 Black Deer Festival. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday (18), with full information here .

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‘king of the blues guitar’: why albert king still wears the crown.

This week, the ten-time Grammy winner comes to the end of the first leg of the world tour, which began in April and has included dates with her friend and sometime recording partner Mavis Staples. Read our summary of their show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Currently featuring special guest and fellow singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, Bonnie and her band play tonight (15) in Melbourne, Florida, to be followed with dates across that state in Ft. Lauderdale (16), Sarasota (18), and Clearwater (19).

She returns to the road next March, with another run of US dates, some of them with guest Roy Rogers, others with John Cruz, and some as yet without an opening act. Then come shows in Melbourne and Sydney next April 5 and 7 respectively, where she will be reunited with Staples. In between, Raitt and the band play Byron Bay Bluesfest on April 6. Next come four more US shows in May, the first with Maia Sharp and the others featuring NRBQ, before the beginning of the transatlantic itinerary.

Bonnie Raitt’s UK and Irish dates in 2023 are:

Thu June 01 2023 – Dublin Vicar Street Sat June 03 2023 – London Palladium Tue June 06 2023 – Bournemouth Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre Wed June 07 2023 – Oxford New Theatre Oxford Fri June 09 2023 – Gateshead Sage Gateshead Sun June 11 2023 – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Wed June 14 2023 – Manchester Bridgewater Hall Thu June 15 2023 – Birmingham Symphony Hall Sat June 17 2023 – Eridge Park, Kent, Black Deer Festival 2023

Watch Bonnie Raitt’s remastered Capitol Records video catalog on her  official YouTube channel .

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Published: 2023/02/01

Bonnie Raitt Plots Just Like That… 2023 Tour

American icon, blues singer-songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt shared that she set out on tour in 2023. Raitt will bring her latest studio album, 2022’s Just Like That… , across North America, with 20 performances set for the fall.

Raitt will kick off her tour at the Royal Theatre in Victoria and Vancouver in British Columbia on Sept. 2 and 3 before heading south towards the U.S. with stays in cities like Spokane, Wash., Colorado Springs, Colo., and Santa Fe, N.M., before she heads back towards Canada with performances in Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg and more through Sept. 30.

Raitt will continue her travels in October with more performances in Canada, with stops in Thunder Bay and London, Ontario. After a performance at Toronto’s Massey Hall on Oct. 6, Raitt and her band will head back towards the States with performances at The Chicago Theatre in Chicago on Oct. 8, The Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee, Wis., on Oct. 10 and a final show at Minneapolis on Oct. 11.

Raitt and her ensemble will be joined by Royal Wood during select stops in Canada, while opening acts for the performances in the United States are expected to be announced soon. Notably, Raitt’s shows in Canada mark her first headlining performances in the Great White North since 2017.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Feb. 3, at 10 a.m. local time. Find tickets and learn more here .

          View this post on Instagram                         A post shared by Bonnie Raitt (@bonnieraittofficial)

Just Like That… Tour 2023

 Sept. 02 Royal Theatre – Victoria, BC  

 Sept. 03 Queen Elizabeth Theatre – Vancouver, BC

 Sept. 06 First Interstate Center For The Arts – Spokane, WA

 Sept. 8  KettleHouse Amphitheater – Bonner, MT   

 Sept. 9  Theater at the Brick – Bozeman, MT  

 Sept. 12 The Monument – Rapid City, SD

 Sept. 13 Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts – Colorado Springs, CO  

 Sept. 17 The Santa Fe Opera Theater – Santa Fe, NM  

 Sept. 22 South Okanagan Events Centre * – Penticton, BC

 Sept. 24 Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium * – Edmonton, AB

 Sept. 25 Jack Singer Concert Hall at Arts Commons * – Calgary, AB

 Sept. 27 TCU Place * – Saskatoon, SK

 Sept. 28 Conexus Arts Centre * – Regina, SK   

 Sept. 30 Burton Cummings Theatre * – Winnipeg, MB   

Oct. 02 Thunder Bay Community Auditorium * – Thunder Bay, ON

Oct. 05 Centennial Hall * – London, ON   

Oct. 06 Massey Hall * – Toronto, ON  

Oct. 08 The Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL  

Oct. 10 The Riverside Theater – Milwaukee, WI

Oct. 11 State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN

* With Special Guest Royal Wood

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Review: goosebumps, hankies and a standing ovation for an emotional but tired bonnie raitt in minneapolis.

Bonnie Raitt is one of us. Well, almost. We sure treat her like she is. And she reciprocates.

"I get emotional when I'm here," she said on Wednesday night at the sold-out State Theatre in Minneapolis.

Then the memories started flooding in.

"The Triangle Bar, the Joint, the Cabooze," the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer said, naming some of her old West Bank haunts. "They're in my Rolodex of the trouble I caused. I came to roll around in joy for the five decades I've been coming here."

By now, you've probably heard the back story. Ever since recording her debut album on Lake Minnetonka in 1971 with producer Willie Murphy, the California singer/guitarist has been a regular visitor to the Gopher State. Especially when her late brother Steve, an engineer/producer, lived here for three decades. She would come here to water ski, hang out and listen to live music.

On Wednesday, the chatty Raitt conducted a roll call of all her musical friends who were at the State Theatre: Maurice Jacox, Bobby Vandell, Melanie Rosales and Ricky Peterson, who has toured in her band.

Raitt, 73, has performed dozens of times in the Twin Cities — from her debut at the Whole Coffeehouse at the University of Minnesota to big gigs at Xcel Energy Center and the State Fair (eight times at the grandstand, 1990-2016). Last summer, she rocked the new Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park, near St. Cloud.

Surprisingly, the road warrior hasn't appeared at a Twin Cities theater in this century. The last one was the Orpheum in 1998, not counting a 2013 charity gala at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The ever-popular star's concert Wednesday at the 2,200-seat State Theatre sold out well in advance. (She probably could have filled it for a second night.)

It was the penultimate show on a two-year tour, and, frankly, Raitt seemed a little tired. While she was emotional in her conversation, she was maybe less so in her singing.

There were winning moments, though, including a bluesy and brooding treatment of Bob Dylan's "Million Miles," the bluesy, jazzy, Mose Allison-evoking "Blame It on Me" with Glenn Patscha's crying organ, and her own acoustic guitar ballad "Just Like That," a rivetingly poignant true story about a woman who lost her 25-year-old son but got to hear his heart transplanted in another man. (Raitt did not mention that "Just Like That" won the Grammy in February for song of the year and the Americana Music Award last month for best song.)

By contrast, Raitt's version of INXS' "Need You Tonight" (which she dedicated to the TC Jammers band at Bunkers) lacked its usual lusty vibes, and she and her four-man band's timing was off during "Something to Talk About," her frisky 1991 hit. However, the group found its groove when Raitt and veteran Boston guitarist Duke Levine, who signed on just last year, jammed briefly on the reggae-flavored "Have a Heart," another early '90s tune.

The 13-time Grammy winner explained that she gets verklempt whenever she sings "Angel From Montgomery," John Prine's remarkable reflection of an older woman stuck in a bad marriage that she recorded in 1974. On this night, it was seasoned with Levine's mandolin and Patscha's elegantly mournful piano before Raitt delivered the last vocal line with a hauntingly painful ache in her voice. Goosebumps, hankies and a standing ovation.

To change the mood, Raitt and her band — with its terrific and longtime rhythm section of bassist Hutch Hutchinson and drummer Ricky Fataar — tore it up on Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House."

For the encore, Raitt downshifted to the ultimate heartbreaker, "I Can't Make You Love Me," her momentous 1991 piano ballad. When she raised her voice on the final chorus, the crowd cheered loudly. Patscha offered a sorrowful piano passage with a little classical flourish for the coda.

Raitt was so overcome that she told her band, "I can't sing another sad song, guys." So she skipped the planned piece on her set list and instead moved into the hard-charging 2003 boogie "Gnawin' on It," featuring opening act Roy Rogers on acoustic slide guitar. Finally, some genuine guitar fireworks as the two friends exchanged smokin' slide passages.

For the finale, "Never Make Your Move Too Soon," a Crusaders tune made famous by B.B. King, Raitt brought out Ricky Peterson from the audience. Currently part of Stevie Nicks' band, Peterson unleashed some seriously funky organ that prompted Raitt to start dancing and jamming on guitar with Rogers. The giddy redhead looked like she was having as much fun as she did on the West Bank back in the day.

"I wish I could stay here for a month," Raitt declared during the encore. Alas, she has one more show on the tour — "Austin City Limits," television's long-lived live music program.

Jon Bream has been a music critic at the Star Tribune since 1975, making him the longest tenured pop critic at a U.S. daily newspaper. He has attended more than 8,000 concerts and written four books (on Prince, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan). Thus far, he has ignored readers’ suggestions that he take a music-appreciation class.

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Bonnie Raitt: Just Like That… Tour 2023

With special guest roy rogers, wednesday, october 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm, state theatre.

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Bonnie Raitt returns to the stage with Just Like That… Tour 2023, which features music from her latest studio album, including the 2023 Song of the Year, alongside her classic hits.

Throughout her career, singer, songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt has again and again proven her status in music history, all the while showcasing her unique style blending blues, R&B, rock and pop. The thirteen-time Grammy® winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and Rolling Stone recognized her as both one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.”

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Bonnie Raitt: Just Like That… Tour 2023

Wednesday, October 11 7:30 pm

State Theatre

805 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Bonnie Raitt at the State Theatre in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m.

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Bonnie Raitt returns to the stage with  Just Like That…  Tour 2023, which features music from her latest studio album, including the 2023 Song of the Year, alongside her classic hits.

Throughout her career, singer, songwriter and guitarist Bonnie Raitt has again and again proven her status in music history, all the while showcasing her unique style blending blues, R&B, rock and pop. The thirteen-time Grammy® winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and  Rolling Stone  recognized her as both one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time.”

Worth the wait: Bonnie Raitt shines in rescheduled Pittsburgh concert

Harry Funk is a TribLive news editor, specifically serving as editor of the Hampton, North Allegheny, North Hills, Pine Creek and Bethel Park journals. A professional journalist since 1985, he joined TribLive in 2022. You can contact Harry at [email protected] .

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You can add “merry christmas, baby” to your holiday playlist.

13 December 2023

With so much holiday music lifting our spirits this season, I wanted to share this version of Charles Brown and I singing his iconic “Merry Christmas, Baby” which we recorded in 1992 for the wonderful ‘A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 2’ benefit compilation series for the Special Olympics. We were so honored to feature Charles on our Nick of Time national tour in 1990 and along with felllow R&B legend, Ruth Brown, our very special guests on our Roadtested national tour in l995. Charles was and will remain one of the greatest artists I’ve known, as well as a dear friend. So glad to celebrate him this Holiday with his classic song, which has brought so much joy since it was a big R&B hit for him back in 1947 (1948 and 1949!) You can add “Merry Christmas, Baby” to all of your holiday playlists and put that good music on your “radio.” 😉 Thanks and happy holidays! — Bonnie

Charles Brown and Bonnie Raitt version (1992):  (Spotify)  https://tinyurl.com/yc3wkuup (Apple Music)  https://tinyurl.com/nurmjf8p

Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers version (feat. Charles Brown) (1947): (Spotify)  https://tinyurl.com/mrrnt8sk (Apple Music)  https://tinyurl.com/3kzrapz2

Bonnie to play at Brandi Carlile’s “Mothership Weekend” on May 12, 2024

5 December 2023

Spend Mother’s Day with Brandi Carlile and friends at the beach! Join Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Sara Bareilles, Black Pumas, Nickel Creek and more for Brandi Carlile’s “Mothership Weekend” ’24, May 10-12, 2024 in Miramar Beach, FL!

Visit mothership.topeka.live to join the Presale Tuesday, December 5th through Sunday, December 10th at 6pm ET.

See you at the Beach for an unforgettable Mother’s Day!

Watch Bonnie on the Americana Music Awards on ACL!

25 November 2023

Watch the “Americana Music Awards 22nd Annual Honors” on Austin City Limits! You can stream the “Americana 22nd Annual Honors” online beginning Sunday, November 26 at 9am CT at link in bio.

Catch performances by Bonnie as well as Margo Price, The Milk Carton Kids with Noah Kahan, William Prince, S.G. Goodman, Nickel Creek, Hermanos Gutierrez, Allison Russell, The War & Treaty, Brandi Carlile and Brandy Clark and The Avett Brothers! Musical director Buddy Miller lead the Americana All-Star Band made up of Brady Blade, Catherine Popper, Fred Eltringham, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke, Larry Campbell and The McCrary Sisters for an unforgettable night of music and community at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium back in September.

The broadcast will premiere on PBS via your cable provider Saturday, November 25 and varies by location, so check your local listings here to see when the show airs in your city on your local PBS station. Just plug in your zip code and then search for “Americana” to pull up your local listings.

Or watch the full program at the below link (until December 24, 2023!) https://www.pbs.org/video/acl-presents-22nd-annual-americana-honors-p0zytd/

JUST ANNOUNCED! Spring 2024 U.S. Tour Dates Fan Community Pre-Sales start Tues, Oct 24th 10am local time!

23 October 2023

CELEBRATING A HEARTY RESPONSE TO HER AWARD-WINNING ALBUM AND SOLD OUT CONCERTS,   BONNIE RAITT’S ‘JUST LIKE THAT…’ TOUR RETURNS FOR MORE U.S. DATES IN SPRING 2024 Bonnie Raitt is heading out on the road again with members of her longtime touring band in 2024, with 24 new concerts in the U.S. announced today including a two-night stand at the Warner Theatre in Washington DC, and debuts at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT and The MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, MA. 

Many would think Raitt might be eager to rest and take some downtime after headlining 75 concerts in 2022 and another 50 in 2023 spanning the U.S., Australia, the UK, Scotland, Ireland and Canada, and winning three GRAMMY™ Awards at the 65 th  Annual ceremony in February and an Americana Music Award in September (making “Just Like That” the first composition to win Song of the Year at both ceremonies).

The fact is, though there are always healthy breaks built into each tour, after a few weeks, Bonnie is itching to get back to what she loves most— traveling and playing live. Luckily her band, crew and the fans feel the same way! To that end, we’ve just put the finishing touches on another U.S. tour scheduled to start in Spring 2024, with fall dates to be announced later. 

Raitt’s fourth headlining appearance on the award-winning and longest-running music program in television history, Austin City Limits, will be broadcast on PBS during ACL’s 49th season in the first quarter of 2024, shortly before her tour kicks off.

Special Guests to open the shows TBA. 

Tickets for the following shows will go on Fan Presale tomorrow, Tuesday October 24th at 10am local time and will go on sale to the general public this Friday, October 27th at 10am local time via  www.bonnieraitt.com . To participate in the Fan Presales and Special Benefit Seat sales, please log in or register for Bonnie’s FREE Fan Community and head to the tour page! https://www.bonnieraitt.com/members/

‘JUST LIKE THAT…’ 2024 *NEW* TOUR DATES JUST ANNOUNCED

26-Apr    Lancaster, PA               American Music Theatre

27-Apr    Wilkes Barre, PA           F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts

29-Apr    Pittsburgh, PA              Heinz Hall [RESCHEDULED – ON SALE NOW]

01-May    Knoxville, TN               The Tennessee Theatre

02-May    Montgomery, AL           Montgomery Performing Arts Centre

07-May    Macon, GA                  Macon City Auditorium 

09-May    North Charleston, SC    North Charleston Performing Arts Center    

11-May    Athens, GA                  The Classic Center Theatre [RESCHEDULED – ON SALE NOW]

29-May    Baltimore, MD             The Lyric 

31-May    Washington, DC           Warner Theatre

01-Jun     Washington, DC           Warner Theatre    

04-Jun     Albany, NY                 Palace Theatre

05-Jun     Newark, NJ                 Prudential Hall @ NJPAC

07-Jun     Philadelphia, PA          The Met Philadelphia

08-Jun     Westbury, NY              NYCB Theatre at Westbury    

11-Jun     Hyannis, MA                Cape Cod Melody Tent

12-Jun     Portland, ME               Merrill Auditorium    

14-Jun     Bridgeport, CT            Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater

15-Jun     Boston, MA                 The MGM Music Hall at Fenway    

18-Jun     Hampton, NH              Casino Ballroom

19-Jun     Burlington, VT             The Flynn

21-Jun     Lewiston, NY               Artpark Mainstage Theater

22-Jun     Akron, OH                  Akron Civic Theatre    

25-Jun     Toledo, OH                 Stranahan Theater

28-Jun     Peoria, IL                   Peoria Civic Theater

29-Jun     Saint Louis, MO           Stifel Theatre

More tour dates for 2024 still to be announced.

Austin recap and the end of tour for 2023!

18 October 2023

That’s a wrap on the tour for 2023! Bonnie and the band finished up their 50th headlining show of 2023 with a sold out show at ACL Live at The Moody Theatre in Austin on Saturday night, followed on Sunday by a taping of the iconic Austin City Limits television series that will broadcast on PBS in the beginning of 2024 (including a special appearance by singer-songwriter, Sunny War .)

Not quite ready to leave the “Live Music Capital of the World” just yet, Bonnie made a surprise appearance at a special concert at the legendary blues club, Antone’s in Austin, Texas, Monday, October 16. The concert benefiting bassist Sarah Brown, who’s been a beloved figure in the Austin music scene and member of the venue’s house band for the past 40 years, also featured performances by Jimmie Vaughan, Marcia Ball, Sue Foley, Johnny Nicholas, Fran Christina, Rosie Flores, Larry Fulcher, the Texas Horns, Derek O’ Brien and more. (Sarah and others pictured below) The concert aimed to raise awareness of the Living Liver Donor program in an effort to help Brown, a friend of Bonnie’s for over 50 years, find a liver donor match. If you’re interested in learning more about living liver donation, please visit https://bit.ly/34wM8Z0

Bonnie, the band, crew, all her special guests and us at BRHQ want to send a huge “THANK YOU” to the fans who brought us all so much joy and appreciation this year. We love you too! — BRHQ

LEFT – Photo by Scott Newton for ACL & Austin PBS TOP – Photo by Daniel Cavazos/ firstthreesongs BOTTOM – Photo by Daniel Cavazos/ firstthreesongs

For more information on Sarah Brown, look for her on social media or visit her page on the  Caring Bridge  website.

Happy 77th Birthday, John Prine!

10 October 2023

Remembering my dear friend John Prine on what what would have been his 77th birthday. I miss him dearly as do all of his fans, family and friends in the music community. Flashing back to one of the many times we performed “Angel From Montgomery” together with a clip from an episode of Austin City Limits filmed in 2002. Happy Birthday, John! — Bonnie

Enter to win tickets to Bonnie’s taping of Austin City Limits!

5 October 2023

Enter the ticket giveaway to attend the October 15, 2023 taping of Bonnie’s appearance on Austin City Limits! There are a very limited number of passes available for this taping! Enter the giveaway here https://acltv.com/2023/10/05/giveaway-bonnie-raitt/

Winnipeg review!

2 October 2023

The Canadian tour has been terrific; great crowds and the band on fire. There’s three shows left, including tonight in Thunder Bay, Ontario on the shores of Lake Superior, then London, Ontario and Toronto on Wednesday. Special Guest Royal Wood and his group have delighted the audiences as well. Bonnie’s tour continues on to Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and wraps up Austin with her taping Austin City Limits Oct 15th. She and the band thank all our Canadian fans for giving them such a warm welcome back. Thanks to our bass player, “Hutch” Hutchinson for this great shot from the stage in Winnipeg. Here’s a link to the wonderful concert review in the Winnipeg Free Press . https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2023/10/01/roots-legend-raitt-runs-emotional-gamut

Sept 20th! Watch Bonnie perform on the Americanas’ Live stream

20 September 2023

Bonnie will perform at the Americana Music Association Awards & Honors on September 20, 2023. Join the festivities beginning at 6:30pm CT via live stream at NPR Music , Circle All Access’ YouTube channel and the Americana Music Association’s Facebook page !

Bonnie returns to Austin City Limits this Fall!

7 September 2023

Austin City Limits has just announced a stellar slate of fall tapings to complete Season 49, featuring multiple Grammy-winning icons and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends, including Bonnie Raitt! On October 15, Bonnie will return to ACL for a taping of her first headlining appearance in over a decade, to showcase her triple Grammy-winning album Just Like That… Bonnie will be joined by her incredible band as well as a special guest, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Sunny War. https://acltv.com/2023/09/07/new-tapings-pat-benatar-neil-giraldo-brittney-spencer-alanis-morissette-foo-fighters-and-bonnie-raitt-with-sunny-war/

About a week before October 15th, a ticket giveaway for the taping in Austin will be posted at https://acltv.com/tapings/

Mark your calendars!

News Archives

Review: Bonnie Raitt reconnects with her Philly fan base at the Mann

The 'Just Like That... Tour' brought Philadelphia favorite Raitt to town behind her first album since 2016, and Lucinda Williams performed here for the first time since suffering a stroke in 2020.

The Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams double bill at the Mann Center Wednesday spotlighted two women making music steeped in the blues who continue to create at a high level decades into careers of remarkable duration.

Raitt was the big draw, and for good reason. Her excellent, emotionally wrenching new album, Just Like That… is her first in six years. And the 72-year-old singer and slide guitarist extraordinaire’s special relationship with Philadelphia audiences reaches back long before 1989′s Nick of Time turned her into a superstar.

Raitt lived here in the late 1960s, when she played clubs like the Second Fret in Center City and learned from blues greats like Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt.

Her 90-minute set accompanied by highly accomplished longtime associates like drummer Ricky Fataar and bassist James “Hutch” Hutchinson — all of whom were introduced twice by Raitt, one of the world’s most gracious bandleaders — was a Philly love fest.

Early on, before a swaggering “No Business” from 1991′s Luck of the Draw that included a shout-out to the song’s writer, John Hiatt, Raitt said being at the Mann “feels like home.” She credited the Philly soul groove of the Nick of Time title track with changing her life.

And toward the end of the evening, after a beautifully rendered version of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery,” she called her relationship with fans “sacred” going back all the way to shows she played in Pennypack Park in the ‘60s.

(For the record, it was the second time Pennypack Park shows of yore were mentioned from the Mann stage in the last month. When Northeast Philly native Donna Rose Haim joined her daughter on stage, she mentioned seeing Hall & Oates there.)

For an artist with such a formidable catalog, Raitt put plenty of focus on her fine new material, playing fully half of the rock-solid and worldly wise Just Like That ....

Much of that was moving, including “Livin’ For The Ones,” a “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”-ish rocker written with George Marinelli, who, along with Duke Levine, is one of the band’s two sterling lead guitarists. That is, besides Raitt, who played precise, stinging, casually masterful slide guitar all night long.

The song mourned friends and loved ones lost, “not just to COVID,” Raitt said, but also chronological contemporaries that have died. It did so, however, by carrying on in celebration of their spirit, “livin’ for the ones who didn’t make it.”

More powerful still was the title song of Just Like That …., a Raitt composition partly inspired by Prine and based on a story in a TV news report about a woman’s first meeting with a man who received a transplanted heart from her late son.

Raitt delivered the song with forthright, fully engaged compassion and a tender ache that made the moment in the song when the woman hears her son’s heart beating in another man’s chest spring to life.

Like all the ballads Raitt sang, Mike Reid’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” was also particularly good.

Williams’ opening hour-long set was her first area performance since the 69-year-old masterful storytelling songwriter suffered a stroke in November of 2020. A roadie walked her out on stage — and walked her off, after she closed with a blistering “Joy.” She did not play guitar at all.

But otherwise, her performance was unaffected. She fronted a terrific five-piece band that featured Stuart Mathis on guitar and Butch Norton on drums.

Like Raitt, she drew from the blues and other roots music idioms, but their approaches widely differ. Whereas Raitt’s ensemble is pristine, Williams’ band plays loose and dirty, leaning into country and causing a commotion well-suited to the hurt heard in the singer’s gloriously frayed voice.

Williams’ songs play like a travelogue of heartache, rambling around the American South. On Wednesday, she took the audience along to New Orleans in the swaying “Crescent City” (a new addition to the set that seemed to surprise the band).

And she delighted in the reciting of evocative place names in “Lake Charles” and “Drunken Angel,” two songs from her 1998 masterpiece Car Wheels on a Gravel Road .

The song most recently recorded by Williams in her set was also the oldest written: The reworked version of “You Can’t Rule Me,” a composition by the great Delta blues woman Memphis Minnie that dates to the 1930s and is the lead track on Williams’ fired-up 2020 album Good Souls Better Angels .

“You Can’t Rule Me” works as both a song of feminist empowerment and anti-authoritarian defiance. Its title was emblazoned on T-shirts for sale at Williams’ merch stand.

And it was also the second Memphis Minnie song sung in three days at the Mann. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss did “When the Levee Breaks,” the MM original that Plant’s band Led Zeppelin took to the bank, on Sunday. Long live Memphis Minnie!

A note about mobile phone policy during Raitt’s set. Photography was not permitted, and that warning was noted for the (vast minority) of people who held paper tickets. You could also learn it by scrolling all the way down on the concert’s page on the Mann website and clicking on “More info.”

But that messaging was not clearly delivered to the people in the seats, who have grown accustomed to to taking pictures and shooting video as they wish at the Mann and other venues.

That might be aggravating to other concertgoers and performers, but music fans have been taught that they’re allowed to do it. On Wednesday, there was no public address announcement that this show would be any different.

As a result, on Wednesday, security at the Mann were tasked with prowling aisles with flashlights, looking for concertgoers who dared to even take phones out of their pockets, much less hold them up to take a picture. It was overzealous, to say the least. If you want people to follow the rules, you need to tell them what they are.