Lil Dave Thompson

9 p.m. – Kick Off Concert featuring Lil’ Dave Thompson and Ernie Johnson, Reno Ballroom, Downtown Reno
Tickets are just $15 at the door.  Call to 775-857-3378 to place your name on the list!

Lil Dave Thompson’s exposure to music came early and has always been a way of life. His father, the late Sam Thompson played with Willie Foster, Asie Payton, Paul Wine Jones, Eddie Cusic, James Son Thomas and others. Thompson’s confident, aggressive guitar solos combine the buzz-saw snarl of Albert King and the sweet, metallic sting of Little Milton, and his unpretentious vocals seem equally influenced by blues and soul.

Lil Dave’s list of influences reads like an anthology of the blues. His family was burned out in legendary Moorhead, MS (Where the Yellow Dog Crosses the Southern) and moved to B.B. Kings hometown of Indianola, MS. But it was in Leland, MS, (Hellhole of the Delta) and home of James “Son” Thomas and other blues legends that Dave, at the age of 14, formed his first band. He, along with drummer, Dell Cusic and bass player, Allen Hite called themselves The Delta Blues Band. As a teenager, Dave played with various blues, Rand B, Reggae, and gospel bands in the delta area until he met and toured with the late Booba Barnes in 1990.

Dave looks like a young man of 34, but his wisdom and experiences belie his age. After two successful CDs and nominations for two Handy awards in 1996, he says he is ready for something major A third or fourth generation Mississippi delta blues guitarist and vocalist, Thompson has come full circle with the blues. He has lived it, learned it and now seems to appreciate the rich legacy and his responsibility to the blues, this region and his fellow blues artists, past, present and future.

In 1995 he burst onto the scene with his Fat Possum debut “Little Dave and Big Love,” then quickly disappeared. He re-emerged in 2001 with “Big Love,” a 14 song slab of modern, original soul-blues that are remarkable mature for a player under 35. His visceral, unvarnished music exude swagger, and there’s plenty of variety: shuffles, slow blues, junk, Southern strollers, and even a light jazz instrumental. He’s continued to record with 2008’s “Deep in the Night” his latest album.