Via UVM’s Community News Service, in partnership with Vermont State Castleton, for the Rutland Herald
RUTLAND – Seats were completely sold out at the Paramount Theatre Friday night as people swarmed in to catch the Blues Traveler concert.
The historic venue was booming with excitement as thralls of fans gathered to catch the band perform in Rutland.
Some fans who attended the show said they had not seen the band in concert since its heyday in the 1990s.
“Back in the early ’90s was the last time we saw them,” said Jim Zamecnik. “(I) haven’t seen them for years. It should be a fun show.”
Zamecnik’s wife, Sue Zamecnik, described the last time they saw Blues Traveler on the H.O.R.D.E tour in the ’90s.
“Dave Matthews was the opener, then Blues Traveler, then the Allman Brothers,” she said.
The show opened with Mobile, Alabama, singer-songwriter Garrett Howell, who told stories from his life and sang the songs he wrote because of his circumstances.
He said his mother loves Vermont to which one audience member gave a shoutout to the singer:
“Give your mom love from us (Vermont)!” the fan shouted.
Howell was clearly delighted by the enthusiasm of the fans and told them his mom loves them, too.
After a brief intermission, Blues Traveler took the stage with their current band members: Lead vocalist and harmonica virtuoso John Popper, drummer Brendan Hill, keyboardist Ben Wilson, guitarist Chan Kinchla, and bassist Tad Kinchla.
The group performed many of their popular songs from the ’90s and today, including their hit single “Run-Around,” which once held the record for the longest Billboard charting radio single in history.
The band also played a few classic covers with their own bluesy twist like, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Blues Traveler began their musical journey 35 years ago, forming with original band members John Popper, Chan Kinchla, Brendan Hill and the late Bobby Sheehan.
Throughout their career, they have played more than 2,000 live shows and have sold more than 10 million units worldwide.
The band has released 14 studio albums in total, of which four went gold, three went platinum, and one went platinum six times.
Their more recent albums include Grammy-nominated “Traveler’s Blues” (2021) and “Traveler’s Soul” (2023). The former is a collection of revamped classics from the American blues songbook, while the latter covers classics from the R&B and Soul genres.
The performance kept the sold-out crowd entranced for hours, as audience members could be seen dancing in front of the stage and taking pictures and videos on their phones throughout the show’s entirety.