Derek Miller Brings the Blues

...but only in the best possible way, of course. Kicking off our Monday evening entertainment at the Whisky is the man noted indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch admiringly referred to as, “He's like Hank Williams and Link Wray on peyote,” Derek Miller. The six-string slinger of Mohawk descent has won a slew of awards in his native Canada, including a couple of Juno Awards, most recently for his 2007 release The Dirty Looks. The nattily attired quartet, including bass, drums and keys, all wearing button-down shirts and ties (Derek added an elegant vest to the ensemble), bore a look somewhat reminiscent to Tin Machine…and rocked just as hard as that Bowie-led quartet did on their first album. Derek’s been working on a new album with the famed Stevie Ray Vaughan “Double Trouble” rhythm section, and after seeing him perform tonight, it’s obvious why those luminaries chose to work with him. A fine song from that collaboration called “Water Down the River” was introduced tonight; look for the album itself to hit retail sometime in early 2010. A highlight of the set was a Robert Johnson-inspired piece, “Devil Came Down Sunday,” during which Miller laid down a solid claim for admission into the exalted ranks of Guitar Hero…or at least have some of his tunes included on the next edition of the game!