Atlanta Sunset

1986 was a critical year in the short life of Stevie Ray Vaughan. After struggling to gain any real exposure outside of Texas during the first decade of his career, in the early 1980s the young guitar virtuoso and his recently formed power trio, Double Trouble, caught the attention of powerful music industry players who would propel their musical career forward. By the release of the band's debut album, Texas Flood, in 1983, it was clear that Vaughan not only had the songs, the virtuosity and the charisma to become a global sensation, but also had the potential to revitalize the Blues genre itself. This performance comes from the 1986 New Years Eve concert of Stevie's Live Alive Tour, his first run of shows since checking out of rehab in mid-November. Broadcast live on local station WRFG, it finds both Vaughan and band mate Tommy Shannon 10 weeks into recovery (in the encore Stevie introduces himself to the audience at Atlanta's Fox Theatre as Mr. Clean). This new sobriety can be heard in the bristling energy of the show, the nuanced technique and precision that was absent from the band's performances earlier in the year finally returning and even enhanced by their clear-headedness. For the last two numbers, Vaughan's great hero Lonnie Mack sits in with the band, closing with a performance of his 1963 hit instrumental Wham! - the first record ever purchased by a then nine-year old Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's a fitting end to a remarkable concert.