By “Tampa” Earl Burton
Live Review: Gary Clark, Jr. w/Danielle Ponder – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – March 13, 2025
After the excitement of ZZ Top at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Event Center on Wednesday night, you would have had a challenging time topping it. The promoters at the Hard Rock were able to achieve the perfect “Blues Explosion” and a blistering follow to that “little ol’ band from Texas” in Austin’s own Gary Clark, Jr. Between Clark and his opening act, Danielle Ponder, the Thursday night show from one of the consummate blues performers in the game today left the roof barely hanging on the Event Center by its conclusion.
Smooth Blues Sounds from Today’s Master Bluesman
It was an understated stage that greeted the fans at the Hard Rock Event Center, but it was the only calm that would come before the blues storm that was about to hit. Clark would take to the stage slightly after 9:15, and it was intriguing to see the setup for the show. There was no grandiose staging, no spotlight in the Crow’s Nest to feature only Clark. It was a subtle yet poignant reminder that Clark is about the music, not into the showy flashes that often hide less-than-stellar talent.
Clark also interacted with the audience little, other than to thank the crowd for coming and to introduce the band. He concentrated more on his playing, for which the audience in attendance was greatly appreciative. Although it was slightly smaller than the ZZ Top show the previous night, the audience was very receptive to the work of the entirety of Clark’s band and showed that throughout the night with enthusiastic effervescence.
The music for the night concentrated mostly on Clark’s most recent release, 2024’s JPEG RAW, which has only added to Clark’s legacy. Songs such as “This is Who We Are” and “What About the Children” (a duet Clark did with Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Stevie Wonder on the album) reached atmospheric heights in their excellence. The work from some of Clark’s earlier albums, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (“The Healing”) and This Land (“Feed the Babies”) also touched on issues that are afflicting our world today.
While he probably could have done the show alone, Clark surrounded himself with consummate professionals who added on to the show. Rhythm guitarist King Zapata was invaluable with his solid backing and excellent solo work (when both Clark and Zapata were soloing together, it was almost transcendental). The keyboard work from Jon Deas was intricately intertwined with Clark’s work, while the remainder of the band was filled out with local Tampa musicians (unfortunately, I did not get their names) who more than carried their load with such incomparable partners.
It was a 100-minute show that featured all that Clark is known for and then some; the crowd was more than appreciative, giving Clark and his fellow musicians a thunderous standing ovation that lasted several minutes. It capped an excellent two nights of blues, one on the boogie side (ZZ Top) and the other on the more traditional side. As the Clark tour is just starting its run, you have plenty of chances to catch arguably the best American blues player in the game today at a venue near you.
Danielle Ponder Wows Crowd with Opening Set
Usually, when you head to a concert, people will bypass the opening act. Usually, these musicians are from the local area, or they aren’t quite as well known as the headliner they are supporting. These artists and bands are also there to warm up the crowd for those aforementioned headliners. In the case of Gary Clark, Jr.’s opener, the vocalist Danielle Ponder, he has someone who sets the bar high with her stratospheric vocals and styling.
Ponder, who calls New York home, brought her style of music to the proceedings, and it was a breath of fresh air. Was it R&B? Was it soul? Was it gospel? Torch singer? It did not matter as Ponder belted out every song she performed on the Event Center stage as if she were using her last breath to reach heaven and she wanted to tear the sky asunder.
Ponder touched on several tough moments in her life, including the breakup with her boyfriend, but she also maintained some humor through it all. “I left him five years ago…maybe I ought to let that song go,” Ponder joked with the audience. She also noted how, three years ago, she quit a lucrative job as an attorney to follow her passions. All of that helps to fuel the fire that burns passionately inside her, much to the delight of the audience.
Through such songs as “Some of Us are Brave” (a tune about an abusive relationship and leaving such a situation) and “Roll the Credits” entranced the Tampa Hard Rock crowd and Ponder seemed to feed off that reception. By the time she closed her all-too-brief forty-five minutes on stage, Ponder had the Event Center throng in attendance hanging on her every word and, in a rarity, received a standing ovation after a blistering performance.
It was a highly charged and entertaining evening of music, provided by two who have mastered their craft. At only 41, Clark is just starting on his journey to rock immortality and Ponder has dreams of a Las Vegas residency in five years. Don’t bet on either of them not reaching their rightful places in the world of music.
- Gary Clark, Jr. Caps Blues Explosion at Hard Rock Tampa Event Center - March 15, 2025
- Mad Chad Sarcastically Shatters Musical Norms with “This is the Chord That I Play” - March 14, 2025
- Why So Serious? Why Has Rock Lost Its Fun? - March 1, 2025
