MICHAEL BURKS
9 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $10.
Michael Burks inherited the blues. His grandfather played
Delta-style acoustic in the South Arkansas juke circuit, and his father
often backed Sonny Boy Williamson II and other name acts when they came
through Milwaukee. According to his probably partly apocryphal blues
bio, Burks learned to play all his father’s 45s at age 5 and played his
first gig at 6. Several decades down the road, Burks’ father moved the
family to Camden and opened the Bradley Ferry Country Club, a 300-seat
juke joint, where he installed his guitar prodigy son as the leader of
the house band. Tables by the front of the stage got so popular they
had to be booked two weeks in advance. When the club closed in the
mid-’80s, Burks put the blues to the side and worked for a time as a
mechanical technician. It wasn’t until 1997, when he was 40, that he
released his debut album. It drew rave reviews. Ever since, he’s been
steadily grinding it out on the road. For his tireless touring and
long, feverish sets, he’s earned the nickname “Iron Man,” which is also
the title of his latest album. Look out for an awe-inspiring guitar
attack.