I used to hear hip musicians perform and wonder if it was something in the water that got their musical mojo working. But after seeing Devon Allman's Honeytribe play a set at Harro East Ballroom, I'm convinced it's in the genes (he's the son of the legendary Gregg Allman). The band played a set of classic rock that teetered on the edge of jazz, straight shuffles, and jam-band/fusion at times. But what really got me was his version of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry." Allman used the wah pedal with such wizardry that he practically talked through it when he played.

It was at the Tim Blane show at High Fidelity that I caught a double dose of two of my biggest pet peeves back to back. Here's a lesson for any young musician: when you let the announcer know you're ready to take the stage, please don't make him look like a fool by disappearing for five minutes to grab another Jack and Coke. And when you do decide to play, it's a bit tacky to let a sideman -- the keyboardist in this case -- text message throughout the gig. Other than that, though, the band did nothing that I couldn't hear from any number of local singer-songwriters kicking about in coffee shops around town.

Over at the Eastman Theatre I saw Boz Scaggs, a guy that just exuded cool from head to toe before he even sang his first note. Before the show started, he demanded the sponsor's signs be removed from the stage. The reason? "[He doesn't] work for M&T [Bank]." Once he marked the stage as his territory (thanks for understanding, M&T Bank), Scaggs sang some of the smoothest R&B tracks around, and laid down guitar riffs that were simple, and just seemed to fit where they needed to. Nothing was too flashy, but everything was drenched in soul and topped with a familiarity that a packed house seemed to find some solace in. It was toward the end of the set that Scaggs and one of the backup singers started trading lyrical lines back and forth to a standing ovation response from the audience. He was never shown up, but rather so comfortable on stage that he let all the sidemen have a turn at the spotlight during the night by taking a chorus or two to solo, and even let the backup singers step up to sing an entire song.

Next up: Soul Rebels Brass Band (High Fidelity) and Soulive (East Ave./Chestnut St. Stage).