It was a blues triple bill Wednesday night at CMAC, starring George Thorogood, Robert Cray, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Despite an entirely new line-up and a lack of the hipster grease that once defined the band's persona, the night belonged to the T-Birds, especially after front man Kim Wilson's five-minute solo breakdown on the harp tune "Down At Antones" (a tribute to the Austin, Texas joint where the band first got its feet wet). Wilson obviously possesses the secrets to circular breathing --- breathing in while simultaneously blowing out --- emitting one constant and uninterrupted note after the next. Just watching him was exhausting. The band's set was short and sweet, filled with gems like "My Babe," off of one of my favorite records, "T-Bird Rhythm," and a rather stiff version of the hit "Tuff Enuff" that still brought the crowd to its feet.

Robert Cray filled the middle slot with his soulful voice and tight Strato twang. They say it's the blues, but if you ask me, Cray is more of a soul singer; he's like Sam Cooke with a guitar. His set was nice but a bit mellow for my particular mood. I was there for some balls-to-the-walls guitar. I was there for George Thorogood.

Thorogood is the last of the true song-and-dance men. He heaps on healthy doses of vaudeville shtick, Bob Hope one-liners ("I can't believe it's me") and dance moves that resemble a cross between Little Richard and a corpulent booty-shaker of color (is that too PC?). Thorogood's guitar was a bit buried in the mix, but his voice sounded great. His light show was a bit Vegas, but the rock was solid. Even still, for my money, it was The Thunderbirds' night.