In the 2009 documentary “Rock Prophecies”, photographer Robert M. Knight talks about his neverending quest to find the next Stevie Ray Vaughn. Knight was a close friend of Vaughn’s and after the guitar god’s tragic death, believed that while Vaughn’s physical presence might be gone, his spirit would live on in others. That led Knight to Honey Grove, Texas where he discovered the teenage prodigy Tyler Bryant.
Though maybe not a well-known name in the global rock world, Bryant’s definitely somebody to keep an eye on. Now 21, the guitarist has been traveling the world and sharing his talent with both his own audiences as well as showcasing in front of Jeff Beck, Aerosmith, Joe Bonamassa, B.B. King, Pat Benatar, and Heart fans (all of whom he’s opened for).
If you’ve been in Columbus long enough, you probably know somebody who caught John Mayer or The Black Keys at Little Brothers, something that seems somewhat unimaginable considering how popular those two are now. I’m not necessarily saying that Bryant’s going to blow up the way Mayer or The Black Keys did, but I suspect his show tonight at Rumba is going to make anybody in attendance a true believer.
Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown (featuring guitarist Graham Whitford, son of Aerosmith’s Brad) play at the Rumba Cafe tonight with the Chris Duggan Band. Doors are at 8pm and cover is $10.