Marcia Ball – SPACE, Evanston, March 4, 2025

Review & Photos: Jim Summaria

Marcia Ball at SPACE in Evanston, IL,

March 4, 2025

Review & Photos: By Jim Summaria

Louisiana native Marcia Ball brought Mardi Gras to SPACE in Evanston to celebrate Fat

Tuesday and man, oh man did she, and the standing-room only crowd, have a great time! She brought beads for all to wear to help with the festive mood and jubilant dancing was the rule of the night. It was a full-fledged party.  

Her vocals are bluesy, soulful and emotional with a touch of raspiness that adds to her clever storytelling lyrics. Her fingers glide effortlessly across the keys on her electric piano and the sound that comes out is a combination of boogie woogie, zydeco, swamp rock, Louisiana Blues and R&B, along with Texas Blues that creates a tasteful, musical gumbo stew. She is of Acadian heritage so her musical style is in her DNA.

Ball was raised in Vinton, Louisiana in a musical family. Her love of music was piqued at age 13 when she saw a vocal performance by the "Soul Queen of New Orleans," Irma Thomas. Her piano playing was inspired by listening to New Orleans musicians Professor Longhair, Fats Domino and James Booker. She knew what she wanted to do with her life.

As a young, hippie girl she dropped out of Louisiana State University, joined a rock band and headed for San Francisco. On the way she made a stop in Austin, Texas and decided to stay there instead. In Austin, she picked up solo gigs and then joined another band. This was the genesis for her long and successful career.

Ball has been performing for over five decades and recording since 1977 mostly with Alligator Records. She has won many awards through the years notably the 2004 Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, the 2018 Texas State Musician of the Year and 11 Blues Music Awards. She's been inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

She has played at the White House with Della Reese and B.B. King, appeared in the Clint Eastwood movie Piano Blues and was a musical guest on the David Letterman Show. Her generous humanitarian work is with the non-profit Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers (HOME) which pays utilities and rent for older musicians in the Austin, Texas area.

L to R: Eric Benhardt, Dana Robbins, Johnny Moeller

The concert began when Ball was introduced by the band and she received a warm greeting from the crowd. She stepped up to the mic and welcomed everybody with a hearty hello. She let everyone know that they are going to have a good time and celebrate Mardi Gras. The band consists of her long time band mates - drummer Mo Roberts and Eric Bernhardt on saxophone. New additions include bassist Michael Archer and Johnny Moeller from the Fabulous Thunderbirds on guitar. She informed everyone that Dana Robbins will be a guest sax player.

For the next 100+ minutes the band played with great skill and energy. Ball followed suit as her piano solos were played with honky-tonk flair and virtuosity. On occasion, if you would close your eyes, you'd think it was Little Richard up there thumping the keys. Her sultry vocals added the right texture to the songs. The slow blues songs were played with feeling and great passion while the rockers were energizing and uplifting. Guitarist Moeller provided several rousing moments interplaying with Ball. Saxophonists Bernhardt and Robbins had an opportunity to show off their brass talent with some fabulous solos. The exuberant crowd was very appreciative on what they were hearing.

The night consisted of 20 songs with all, but one, taken from a Marcia Ball album. In no particular order, this is the song list from the evening.   

Shine Bright (2018): "When The Mardi Gras Is Over" and "I Got To Find Somebody"

Tattooed Lady & the Alligator Man (2014): "The Squeeze Is On" and "He's the One"

Roadside Attractions (2011): "The Party's Still Going On"

Simply Grand by Irma Thomas (2008): "Same Old Blues" (Ball was a featured artist with her idol)

Peace Love & BBQ (2008): "Where Do You Go" and "Party Town"

Presumed Innocent (2005): "Louella" and "Count the Days"

Live Marcia Ball - Down the Road (2005): "Just Kiss Me" (Duke Robillard cover)

So Many Rivers (2003): "Honeypie"

Let Me Play With Your Poodle (1997): "Let Me Play With Your Poodle," "Louisiana 1927" (Randy Newman cover) and "Can't Trust My Heart"

Hot Tamale Baby (1996): "That's Enough of That Stuff"

Blue House (1994): "Down the Road" and "Red Beans" (Professor Longhair cover)

Soulful Dress (1984): "Soulful Dress" (Sugarpie DeSanto cover)

And one song not on any of her albums: "Soul Kinda' Lovin"

Everyone at SPACE had a ball with Ball and her band. It wasn't the same as Mardi Gras in New Orleans but it came darn close in terms of music, dancing and festive fun.

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 Jim Summaria began professionally photographing rock concerts in 1973 at the age of 19 when he became the staff photographer for the Chicago rock concert promoter Flip Side Productions. Jim's photos have been published in numerous books, magazines and CDs. His rock ‘n’ roll photos have been viewed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum and Hall of Fame on Rt.66 and the Grammy Awards. Jim and writer Mark Plotnick co-authored the books Classic Rock: Photographs From Yesterday & Today and the October 2024 release ‘70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts.  

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