Steve Cropper – Lower Town Guitar Festival – St. Paul MN – August 17th 2019

Steve Cropper – Lower Town Guitar Festival – St. Paul MN – August 17th 2019

It’s not often an RnB legend comes to town, playing at a city bandshell, but that’s what happened Saturday when Steve Cropper of Stax Records fame (Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Booker T and the MGs), played at the Lowertown Guitar Festival.

A short set of hits, including Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay, In the Midnight Hour, 634-5789, and opening with Green Onions.    Not only was it great to hear the music, but the stories in between the songs was a huge part of the day. A favorite of mine he told, but I had heard before, but how the intro to Eddie Floyd’s “Knock On Wood” is the same intro as Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour”, but backwards.

After closing with “Soul Man”, he was off, with the crowd of a few hundred people at Como Lakeside Pavilion applauding and standing for a good five minutes hoping for more.