All reviews and photos by John A. Wilcox The Tubes and Sharp Edge; B B King's, NY, NY 4/9/08

It's difficult to explain, beyond saying that there was something in the air. I felt it from the moment I walked into B B King's. This was going to be quite a night. Let me sing the praises of a great opening act. In this case, a hot band called Sharp Edge. This trio is headline material all the way. They jumped straight into a smokin' song called "Blues Talkin'", and won me from the first note. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Brocato had a growl like Johnny Winter and ripped up his Strat like Stevie Ray Vaughan channelled through Robin Trower.The tensions of my day melted away and I surrendered to the blues rock spell of the band. "Trouble" and "Sittin' On Top Of The World" kept the momentum going, anchored by the tight beyond tight rhythm section featuring Mauro Buonarota on bass. Brocato was just searing on guitar on "Right Thru The Fire" and "Chasin' After You", which lead to a propulsive drum solo . Their set closed with the reggae inspired "I Don't Think So" and a total rave up of the classic Mercury Blues. I wanted more! This is the sort of band you can listen to for hours and drink in the amazing energy they produce.