Fuji Rock’s Palace of Wonder was overflowing with people well after 1 a.m., with many drawn to attractions such as dance vibes at nearby Milk Bar, the aerial acrobatics of Sakura Circus, and even up-and-coming acts on the Rookie Gogo Stage. But the biggest attraction, and I mean biggest, would be Crystal Palace’s 1:30 a.m. performer, Christine “Kingfish” Ingram. 

Those early enough to enter were treated to a special preview show put on by Fuji Rock’s first-time performer, a 25-year-old guitar virtuoso from Clarksdale, Mississippi. His prodigious talent has even won him a Grammy Award, making him the next apparent heir apparent in the world of blues.

He began by saying, “It’s Kingfish time!” emerging with other members on keyboard, drums, and bass taking the stage. I wore ripped jeans and an oversized t-shirt. The opening song, “Hard Times,” featured a guitar lick reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child,” and with that, he demonstrated his guitar mastery, ripping off lengthy, difficult solos! 

The guitar roared and screamed in his hands, set to an ear-blasting volume, reverberating on the floorboards of the Crystal Palace. Furthermore, the venue’s Function 1 speaker system delivers a lot of volume, helping intensify his amazing guitar work. 

From the first song, Kingfish has enthralled the audience, eliciting claps, screams, and yells in unison with the music. Each moment is punctuated with his squealing guitar, which at times is silent while other times rips into a fiery wail. 

Kingfish even entered the audience with this guitar, soon engulfed with fans and disappearing from view. He proudly displayed his guitar and ripped through numbers such as “Outside of This Town,” which was the lead track from his debut album, “Kingfish,” which he released when he was 20 years old. 

This floor was a roiling ocean of bodies, with many rollicking and rolling to the blues. At the end, he set down his guitar with the volume still turned up high, allowing the feedback to continue as other band members filled in. And then it was a “thank you very much!” and “see you tomorrow!” as he threw a bag of guitar picks into the audience.

Those wanting to catch another Kingfish performance should head down to Field of Heaven at 7 p.m. There’s no way Blues fans should miss this show.

Next Stage
July 27 (Sat) 19:00-20:10 @ FIELD OF HEAVEN