Review: Gary Clark Jr. comes full circle at Buddy Guy’s Legends, with an assist from the blues legend himself

Gary Clark Jr. had no business being at Buddy Guy’s Legends Saturday night — but did he ever belong.

One of the biggest crossover names in modern blues and rock, Clark Jr. is a bona fide big leaguer. The last few times the Austinite has come through Chicago, it was to headline large-capacity spaces like Salt Shed, Northerly Island or the main stage at Lollapalooza.

But he’s also been part of a trend that increasingly sees more spotlight stars going back to their club roots where pure instinct takes over and encourages some of the most primal performances of their careers. In 2026, Clark Jr. seems to be making that his focus.

Dates include historic and hallowed juke joints and jazz clubs like the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, Hernando’s Hide-A-Way in Memphis, his beloved Antone’s in Austin and, of course, the roughly 500-person Buddy Guy’s Legends. The surprise announcement for the Chicago dates (including a second show Sunday) came a couple weeks ago and sold out within minutes.

This wasn’t Clark Jr.’s first time at Legends. That happened about two decades ago, before he was launched into the mainstream at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2010 and before the Grammy awards and the co-signs with John Legend and Foo Fighters.

But Saturday night sure looked different with packed-in tables and standing-room-only sections clogged with fans clamoring to get up close to Clark Jr.’s frenetic fret playing and rock swagger that have led to his reputation as this generation’s Hendrix.

“This is a dream for real,” the guitarist said, recalling the early days when he hallucinated about moments like these.

“Soon after I saw Buddy in Austin in this little spot called La Zona Rosa … I got his ‘Heavy Love’ record and a little bandanna with polka dots [Guy’s signature], and I put that on my wall with some thumbtacks,” he said. “Up next to that was a poster of B.B. King, The Vaughan Brothers and Michael Jackson. That was my room, that was my inspiration. … I drove up here 20-something years ago and got to play. Fast forward to now, I’m back here, baby, and it feels good.”

In a full-circle moment, Clark Jr. brought with him the trusted Ibanez Blazer guitar he profusely practiced on as a teen; it was part of an arsenal of instruments that also included the virtuoso’s brand-new signature, the Gibson Custom ES-355, released just days ago.

In the spirit of the night, he and his four-piece band stuck close to material in his canon that most resembled blues standards, from the forlorn ramble of “My Baby’s Gone” to the knee-slapping “Shake” and a cover of Magic Sam’s “Easy Baby,” all padded with winding guitar solos that made each song feel like 15 minutes long. Not that anyone was complaining.

Just one of his new tracks, “Maktub,” from his latest album, 2024’s “JPEG Raw,” made the cut. Instead, Clark Jr. mostly focused on material from a decade or more ago, including hits “Blak and Blu” and “Bright Lights” that put him back into the groove of where it all started.

To that effect, he purposely tapped one of his early allies and mentors, Austin transplant and now Chicagoan Dave Herrero, to open and join him on stage for several tracks. “I’ve known that guy since I was a teenager; I learned a lot from him,” Clark Jr. said.

In the back of the venue and at the bar were more proud onlookers from Chicago’s cool blues club — Toronzo Cannon, Ivan Singh, Wayne Baker Brooks and the godfather of them all, Buddy Guy, who Clark Jr. has continued to hold close. Everything about the night felt like the guitarist’s second-home homecoming, especially when Guy crashed the set halfway through.

“They said we want you to go up there and f--- up a song,” Guy joked as he took the stage, using Clark Jr. and his band as his own personal backup for a medley of “Five Long Years,” “Love Her with a Feeling,” “King Bee” and a cover of B.B. King’s “Downhearted.”

“I like this band,” Guy chided as he bid Clark Jr. to play him a solo. Of course, the guitarist happily obliged.

At nearly 90 years old, Guy still loves his craft and feels more relevant than ever with his recent Grammy win for “Ain’t Done with the Blues,” recognition as Variety magazine’s Living Legend and a cameo in the movie “Sinners,” which is up for a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations. Appearing with Clark Jr. this night felt like a proverbial passing of the torch. As the club’s announcer, Johnny, astutely shared, “The blues is alive and well … this is history in the making tonight.”

Clark Jr. felt it, too. “Well s--- … I’m satisfied. It could be over now,” he joked after the impromptu collaboratio. “We had a plan, and we’ve gone off course,” he admitted, “but we have found ourselves in some place unimaginable and incredible.”

Gary Clark Jr. Set List for Feb. 21 show at Buddy Guy’s Legends

Maktub
Ain’t Messin’ Round
When My Train Pulls In
The Healing
My Baby’s Gone
Don’t Owe You a Thang
Feed The Babies
Five Long Years (Buddy Guy song, with Buddy Guy)
Love Her with a Feeling (Buddy Guy and Junior Wells song, with Buddy Guy)
King Bee (Buddy Guy song, with Buddy Guy)
Downhearted (B.B. King song, with Buddy Guy)
Hoochie Coochie Man (Muddy Waters cover, with Buddy Guy)
Shake (with Dave Herrero)
Easy Baby (Magic Sam cover, with Dave Herrero)
Blak and Blu (with Dave Herrero)
Bright Lights (with Dave Herrero)