Cedric Burnside takes the XPNFest marina stage on a sonic trip to Mississippi Hill Country

XPNFest fans migrated from Carla Gamble’s inspiring set of modern Philly soul over to the Marina Stage see some classic Southern blues care of Cedric Burnside.

Backed by a bassist and drummer, Burnside entered the stage quite casually, prepping instruments and checking sounds. “Mississippi Hill Country Blues” is how he described his sound, before beginning the set with the title track of his most recent album from April, “Hill Country Love.” The singer / guitarist recently became a GRAMMY winner thanks to his 2021 project I Be Trying, which took home the award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2022.

The crowd erupts for Burnside’s guitar playing

Burnside’s expressive singing jumped out the speakers with each vocal line. His guitar style is heavily centered around sharply-picked lines, usually complemented by his similar vocal melody. He may not have strummed a complete chord during the entirety of his set, but the complex and layered picking still filled out his sound.

“Thank you for loving music, and I hope you enjoy this song” he stated before “Closer,” another tune off his newest album. The track had a slow, head-bobbing groove and a satisfying main melody. Many of the songs exemplified how the blues led rock & roll way back in the late 50s and early 60s. Burnside’s singing and instrumentals felt instantly cool and classic, kind of like how classic rock bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and Cream would embody later on.

Cedric Burnside | photo by Ellen C Miller

About half of the singer’s setlist was older, including a trio of tracks from 2018’s Benton County Relic; “I’m Hurtin,” “Please Tell Me Baby” and fav “We Made It.” “I’m Hurtin” had a much faster and upbeat groove, growing the number of dancers near the front of the stage. To the right of the Marina Stage, the sun was beginning to set and the sky was becoming a bright light orange over the Philadelphia skyline.

Burnside continued his masterclass in guitar soloing during “What Makes Me Think,” usually through short bursts of improvisation, capping each with the help of his small but effective band. His slower songs had a gritty feeling due to the lower guitar lines, heavy bass lines and tight, hit-by-hit drumming.

The trio ended their set with a group bow on stage after closing with “Toll On They Life.” The crowd roared with applause, aware of the prime showing of authentic southern blues they had just witnessed.

Burnside has a quiet rest of 2024 planned tour-wise, but his new album Hill Country Love is available now to stream or purchase. Head to his website for more information and stay tuned for more live coverage of XPoNential Music Festival 2024!