Stone Mecca, So Nice I Just Had To See Him Twice – Live Review

Stone Mecca, is a man with whom I have only recently come to truly love and appreciate. Any hardcore fan of the Wu-Tang Clan knows about his work on their 8 Diagrams album as well as various other projects with RZA. However, I am not sure many people have had the opportunity to experience his music as a stand-alone musician. At least not to the levels I feel he truly deserves. I would receive my first formal live introduction to his greatness on Saturday night when he opened up for the Wu-Tang Clan at San Antonio’s historic Majestic Theater.

Stone Mecca isn’t the type of person who simply “plays” a guitar. He is one of those rare individuals who speaks through his instrument as if it is an extension of himself. When he feels something inside of himself he has the natural ability to push that emotion through the guitar and out into the amps. He was all over the large stage at Majestic playing his funky and at times heavy licks to an amped-up crowd. Comparisons to other greats such as Hendrix or Zakk Wylde come to mind but he is truly a unique talent all his own. It seemed a bit sad to me that he was playing such a cavernous venue to fans filing into their seats. I remember remarking to another fan standing next to me that “I bet this guy is awesome in a smaller setting” to which he replied, “He is playing an after-party show at Paper Tiger later tonight. That is all I needed to hear.

I decided to follow Stone Mecca down to North Saint Mary’s street to one of my favorite San Antonio venues, Paper Tiger. This was just the type of place I knew he would shine and did he ever. He began by showing the crowd an unusual piece of music equipment, an instrument which he called the “Funky Monkey”. This short introduction kicked off a whirlwind of infectious and powerful songs. He absolutely rocked his all too short set and impressed every single person in that place. He even took a couple of moments to speak to the crowd about appreciating your parents, which I found to be an uplifting and positive message. He has a new album entitled Alienman which I highly recommend checking out. Stone Mecca is one supremely talented individual and if you get the chance make sure to see one of his excellent live shows!

For more information on Stone Mecca be sure to check out:

https://stonemeccamusic.com/

Photos and Review by Derek Jones

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