Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters brought their blend of blues and soul the Hartford’s Infinity Theater to the delight of Connecticut music fans. Legendary blues guitarist Ronnie Earl is a four-time Blues Music Award winner. He has won guitar player of the year in 1997, 1999, 2014, 2018. The last 6 releases by Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters have debuted in the top ten of Billboard’s Blues Chart. Earl has gained respect of music fans and musicians alike throughout his career. “I feel the respect and affection for Ronnie Earl is that a father feels for his son. He is one of the most serious blues guitarists you can find today, He makes me proud.” – B.B. King
The Broadcasters consist of well respected musicians themselves. Award willing vocalist Diane Blue knows how to thrill a crowd with her soul stirring vocals. Hammond B3 and piano player Dave Limina is also an award winning musician who has collaborated with many big names in the industry. Those names include Gloria Estefan, Duke Robillard, Steve Forbert and many others. Bass player Paul Kochanski is also a well traveled musician throughout his long career. Is his former band, the Swinging Steaks, he toured nationally as both a headliner and opener for the liked of Los Lobos and The Band. Rounding out the Broadcasters is drummer Forrest Padgett who has played with the likes of Charlie Musselwhite, Luther Guitar Jr. Johnson, Lavern Baker and many more.
The band had the crowd in the palms of their hands. When they played a fast paced rocking blues song, the audience bopped in their seats. When a slow traditional blues based song was played, they swayed along in their seats. The band fed off the energy of the crowd and vice versa in a never ending circle of the love of the blues. Earl was seated for most of the night due to a knee issue but never held him back. His powerful guitar licks resonated through the hall. The Broadcasters rounded out the sound with a solid standard mix of keyboard, bass, and drums with occasional vocals. After seeing their performance, one knows why critics rave and fans return again and again to their shows. No one left their show wanting for anything other than more great music.
Infinity Hall is a 500 seat venue that hosts many live performances throughout the year. The venue is located in the heart of downtown Hartford. There are several top shelf restaurants in the immediate area. Therefore pre-show dining isn’t a problem. Because it was built specifically as a music hall, the venue boasts a world class sound system. The sound system delivers a pristine sound which is unrivaled. With several bars, one can obtain drinks without missing a beat or the patron can sit and relax in the spacious main bar. Mind you, the main bar is pretty empty during performances. After all, who wants to miss a great show? Parking isn’t a problem because there is a lot of very inexpensive parking located a very short walk from the venue.
