Kenny Wayne Shepherd has his fans in mind

Blues singer-guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd knows how to keep it fresh.

After a year of celebrating the 25th anniversary of his album “Trouble Is…,” he’s mixing up his shows with a career retrospective.

He’ll come to the Rialto Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, and the Celebrity Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27.

“We were playing ‘Trouble Is…’ in its entirety for the last year and a half,” said Shepherd via telephone from a South Dakota tour stop.

“We debuted a new set in Europe last month. This time around, I’m featuring songs from ‘The Traveler’ and we’re going all the way back to ‘Ledbetter Heights.’”

He said the goal is to keep it interesting for fans and himself.

“I have a pretty deep catalog at this point,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of radio singles, too. I like to keep it interesting for the fans. Some fans have seen me 25 times. We’re coming to Tucson and Phoenix. Those shows are so close together that I know people will go to both shows.”

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Shepherd is a self-taught musician, inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan. He began playing guitar in earnest at age 7. Six years later, blues musician Bryan Lee invited him to play on stage. Giant Records chief Irving Azoff was so impressed by a video of the performance that he signed Shepherd to a multiple album deal.

Now 46, Shepherd said it’s been easy to stay passionate about music.

“It’s in my blood,” he said. “It is my passion. It’s what I love to do. I just try to come out with something unique. That’s what keeps it interesting for all of us.”

Ever prolific, Shepherd has two new albums in the can and another that’s nearly finished. He calls one a rock ‘n’ roll cover album, which he recorded on a whim. Shepherd deliberately chose songs that he grew up listening to as a kid.

“There are bands you wouldn’t expect me to cover, too,” he said slyly.

The next two albums are filled with originals, the first of which he’s hoping will be out by November. It’s timed with the end of his current tour to set the stage for next year’s jaunt.

“I make records to go out and play live for people,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been doing for 30 years.”

Kenny Wayne Shepherd
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 26
WHERE: Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $47
INFO: rialtotheatre.com

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27
WHERE: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix
COST: Tickets start at $39
INFO: celebritytheatre.com

This article appears in Jul 20-26, 2023.