Blimp Time Hop: Stevie Ray Vaughan At The Civic Center

Today we celebrate the legendary guitar powerhouse who brought together rock, blues, and jazz to create an unmistakable signature sound.

35 years ago, the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble made their first and only headlining appearance at the Civic Center. The first time Stevie Ray played Portland was opening for the Moody Blues on October 23, 1983.

Touring in support of his second album Soul to Soul, SRV came to Portland on November 15, 1985.  The Fabulous Thunderbirds opened the show featuring Stevie Ray’s big brother Jimmie on guitar. This was just a couple months before the release of their breakthrough album, Tuff Enuff. 

Check out this treasure. It's the Vaughan Brothers together with The Fab T-Birds.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble did return to Southern Maine in the summers of '87 and ’89 at the Ballpark in OOB. He also performed a more intimate show at the City Hall Auditorium in Portland early in 1987.

Blimpville was sooooo lucky to see him live in concert and that might even be an understatement. We will always remember these historic shows.

Here's a jaw dropping performance from 35 years ago a couple months before they landed in Portland. There has never been and never will be another like him.

His band Double Trouble with Chris Layton on drums, Tommy Shannon on bass and Reese Winans on keyboards, had a uniquely intuitive feel when they played together...so rare and beautiful.

And yes while we continue to worship him for his Mastery of Stratocastery (Just made that term up...pretty good, huh?), let's never forget what an incredible blues singer he was as well.

Please enjoy this performance of Cold Shot at the Capitol Theater in Passaic, New Jersey...Stevie Ray Forever, amen.