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Burnside brings his New Generation to RIBCO

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By Stephanie De Pasquale | Tuesday, April 15, 2008 9:08 AM CDT | () comments

Kent Burnside (Contributed Photo)

Growing up in Mississippi as the grandson of blues legend R.L. Burnside meant that Kent Burnside was exposed all the time to his grandfather’s music. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“It was crazy because we had parties every weekend at the house. He’d have some beer and some sandwiches and they’d charge $2 at the door, and, man, I just grew up around the music constantly,” Burnside said. “And believe it or not, at first I really hated the music. ... I’d go to school and everybody else was listening to ‘normal’ music, but not us.”

Burnside always played music growing up, but he only began to make a go of it professionally in 2006, when he was talked into meeting Jimbo Mathus, who was playing a show in Ames, Iowa, and had always admired Burnside’s grandfather.

“They ended up talking me into going onstage and I performed onstage,” Burnside said. “And he was so impressed, he was like, ‘Can you make it to Chicago? We’re playing at Buddy Guy’s.’ ”

Since then, Burnside has been touring with Mathus, and he later opened for the legendary Guy before starting his own group, Kent Burnside and the New Generations.

Burnside has his own catalog of original music and also plays his grandfather’s hits — but with his own boogie twist.

“I do his music in my own way,” Burnside said. “I don’t do it exactly like he did, but I do it in a more driving way.

“He heard me play it like that, and he said, ‘Man you’re doing a really good job,’ and I appreciated that because I had my own style.”

Burnside said his music is the kind that keeps the crowd on the dance floor, even when he plays his slow songs.

“My grandpa always inspired my to keep doing this before he passed, and he always told me I had talent,” Burnside added. “Without my grandfather inspiring me to do this, it probably would have never happened.”

Stephanie De Pasquale can be contacted at (563) 333-2639 or sdepasquale@qctimes.com.

IF YOU GO

What: Kent Burnside and the New Generation

When: 9 p.m. Saturday, April 19

Where: Bent River Brewing Company, 1413 5nd Ave., Moline

How much: $3

Information: Call (309) 797-2722 or visit bentriverbrewery.com on the Web

Also on the Web: myspace.com/kentburnsideandthenewgeneration