Chris Duarte - 9/16/26 - Fresno, CA - Tower Lounge

I close my eyes and I’m back at Porky’s or the Babylon listening to Ron Thompson (RIP). Except this is a little more rock and not the pure blues that Thompson breathed. Chris Duarte is also one of the best guitar players I’ve seen, with a super awkward stage presence that is endearing. At the end of the day though, we’re all here for bluesy blues, and that’s what we got. 

It was an hour and forty five minutes of the finest blues guitar I can remember seeing since Ron Thompson was bringing the ceiling down at the Babylon. And (I can’t believe I’m saying this… but possibly including Derek Trucks and John Mayer) the best I’ve seen in recent memory, maybe ever. This guy is a virtuoso. The wild chord shapes and changes, the insanely technical solos.

The rhythm section is keeping tempo and doing their part. They’re clearly great, technically proficient musicians in their own right. And you get the sense that if they had the freedom to let loose they’d put on a great show just by themselves. But that’s not why they’re here. Everyone understands the assignment. They’re here to give Chris Duarte a beat to jam over. Chris is here to bless us with some of the best blues guitar we’ll ever hear. And we are hear to shake our heads in pure disbelief at what we are witnessing.