Live Review: Ana Popovic, Jesse Redwing, Halfway Homeboy

Halfway Homebuoy provided a lukewarm entry point into the evening, sharing a litany of middle of the road, blues-tinged rock songs more suited to any dingy Thursday night pub. Several limp ballads met with messy heavier tunes, creating a sonic conundrum: equal parts mock-Meatloaf, David Gray-scale and Damien Rice-pudding.

Jesse Redwing oozed his way out onto the stage with an eccentric wiggle he never lost throughout a spirited and kooky performance, enlivening an otherwise apathetic audience of winers and diners. Redwing emulated all those old blues men with his wild riffs, creamy vocals and vintage suit and hat to boot. To top off this uncanny performance, the guitarist had the boyish looks and zany atmosphere of The Rolling Stones' late guitarist, Brian Jones.

Ana Popovic and band filled the modest space with a razor-sharp sound that cut away at the walls and pushed the bounds of The Basement back several metres. Backed by an accomplished band of musicians, including the groovy stylings of the bassist, funky organ and the turbulent rhythms of the drummer. But the audience gathered to see the world renowned guitarist who has shared the stage with legends like BB King, Gary Clark Jr, Solomon Burke and Buddy Guy.

Popovic dug into the treasure trove of blues music, covering greats like Albert King and The Rolling Stones with sensational stagecraft and solid backing from her band of stellar musicians. She also played songs from her new album, Trilogy, blending funk and soul, jazz and heavier rock, all with killer blues licks and a towering stage presence that brought the Belgrade-born performer in line with the kings and queens of this universal form of music.