Blues musician Jonny Lang performing at MontBleu Lake Tahoe

Jim Templeton-Cross
If you go ...
What: Jonny Lang
When: Saturday, Dec. 1, 8 p.m.
Where: MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa (55 U.S. 50, Stateline, Nev.)
Tickets: $35-$55 (plus taxes and fees)
Info: jonnylang.com
Jonny Lang is all of 36 years old — and he has already had a successful music career for two decades.
During that time the blues musician has documented life’s twists and turns in the form of five albums, according to his bio. And it’s that history that he brings to MontBleu Resort Casino and Spa on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Since his career started in the 1990s, Lang’s music has evolved from the raw and powerful sound stemming from the influences of musicians like Buddy Guy — a legend in blues music — to a more soulful sound, one closer to gospel and R&B.
It’s those early influences, though, that come through on his latest album: “Signs.”
“A lot of my earlier influences have been coming to the surface, like Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf,” he said. “I have been appreciating how raw and unrefined that stuff is. I had an itch to emulate some of that and I think it shows in the songs. Still, I let the writing be what it was and that was sometimes not necessarily the blues.”
Although a return to a simpler sound, “Signs,” which ended a four-year gap between his last album, sticks with Lang’s penchant for pulling lessons, themes and stories from real life.
The song “Snakes,” according to Lang’s bio, is all about making mistakes and learning from them.
“You are overconfident, thinking you are ready for whatever the world will throw at you, but have no idea some things are affecting you until much later in life,” Lang said.
“Make It Move” is about being proactive, while “Last Man Standing” is about life’s struggles.
“Signs,” the title track, “extends outward from personal stories into the dramatic events of today’s world,” according to Lang’s bio.
Doors for his Lake Tahoe show open at 7 p.m. The show starts at 8. Tickets are available at www1.ticketmaster.com.

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