The beautiful thing about Robin Trower's playing is his touch.

If you love that sweet, sweet sound of a vintage strat wailing the blues, then you need to go to this show. Robin Trower is on tour to support his new DVD, and it is a great chance to get a close-up look at his guitar mastery. He will be playing songs spanning from his whole career, including classics like "Too Rolling Stoned," "Day of the Eagle" and "Bridge of Sighs."

The beautiful thing about Robin Trower's playing is his touch. He can be feather light or muscle out full, wide bends with ease. He has an incredible range from that warm, round tone like Hendrix on "The Wind Cries Mary" to a gritty, hard-rock edge. He has weathered the music industry and has been able to maintain his integrity and dignity. A lot of younger players have been easily able to pick up a ZStrat and pretend like they sound like Stevie Ray Vaughn, but it takes a lot more than a few blues licks and a vintage rig to be a master of the subtlety of the blues.

To really feel the power and emotion of this living legend you have to see the man live. You have to hear the sound of his amps right in your face, fully appreciating his control and fluidity. He is definitely showing his age, but to me, that is one thing that is so cool about him. He still just keeps on rockin', bringing it to his fans full steam ahead year after year. They sure don't make 'em like that anymore. | Derek Lauer

Robin Trower's tour stops in St. Louis Friday, June 12 at The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd. General admission tickets remain; for more information, visit The Pageant's website.

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