When I first arrived at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall to see Jonny Lang, I walked in to the opening act, Reeve Carney and the Revolving Band. What struck me most about the opening act was how young Reeve Carney was. I was reminded of hearing about Jonny Lang for the first time when he was about 15 years old. He had this deep, soulful voice that belied his age, and was singing the blues - songs about heartache and loss. I heard about how those in the blues world couldn't take a 15-year-old white boy seriously. I remember comments such as, "how can this kid know anything about the blues?!?" As I sat there listening to Reeve Carney, I was thinking about how cool it was that Jonny Lang was giving another young artist the same chance that someone gave him once upon a time.

When Jonny Lang took the stage, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Reeve Carney was not only his opening band, but was also his lead guitar player. All of a sudden I had even more respect for Jonny, that he could not only share the spotlight, but could also support one of his key band members in reaching his musical dreams, even if it meant that he would eventually lose one of his players.

Now at age 25, Jonny is out promoting his fifth album, Turn Around. Opening with new songs such as "Turn Around" and "Thankful," Jonny infuses his blues roots with rock and soul. The crowd seemed pleased with his new, more mature album and a return to blues after his gospel-inspired album Long Time Coming from 2003. Indeed, fans were standing up and dancing throughout the concert hall, at times screaming out their love for Lang. Lyrically, Jonny's new album ranges from providing social commentary on the various plights of today's world to singing of his spirituality. Jonny was out to please his fans on this night. After playing an assortment of songs from his various albums, such as "Red Light," "Wander This World," and "Livin' for the City," Jonny came back for an encore to play the mega-hits "Breakin' Me" and "Lie to Me." Needless to say, the crowd went wild, singing along.

It is clear to anyone listening to Jonny Lang play that in addition to his deep, soulful voice, he is also a phenomenal guitar player. With riffs that are at times almost manic, Jonny seems to make the guitar an extension of his voice. In fact, at one point he even sang along with his guitar, screaming out the notes as he was playing them.

Jonny Lang is by far one of the more entertaining artists I have seen. Indeed, one could entertain themselves all day just by watching the many grimacing faces that Jonny makes as he sings and plays guitar, showing how passionate he is about his music. What is most striking about Jonny, though, is how much he enjoys sharing his music with his fans, and how gracious he is to receive their love and support. Jonny seems to have outgrown his child-prodigy status, and is now a mature and seasoned artist.