pplpod Episode 124 tracks Gary Clark Jr.’s climb from Antone’s prodigy to genre-bending headliner with Grammys in his guitar case. We start in Austin—teen sets, big ears, and a hollowbody that could purr or howl—then hit the breakout: Blak and Blu’s crossover spark and a live show that stretched blues into soul, rock, and R&B without losing the dirt. We dig into The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, the thunderclap of “This Land” (a protest and a promise in one riff), and the wide-screen instincts of JPEG RAW—hip-hop textures, gospel lift, and thick, cinematic grooves. Along the way: Crossroads cameos, Stones sit-ins, collabs from Alicia Keys to film soundtracks, and a toolkit built on touch, tone, and patience (let the note bloom, then break it). Craft, conviction, evolution—how Clark made tradition feel urgent and stadium-size.
