Watch Stevie Ray Vaughan Tear It Up at the Tornado Jam in May 1980

By Damian Fanelli

Recetly, the good folks over at Legacy Recordings posted some unbelievably rare footage of a young Stevie Ray Vaughan in action with Double Trouble.

Head to the bottom of this story to see a 25-year-old Vaughan perform May 11, 1980, at the first Tornado Jam in Lubbock, Texas, an outdoor event.

The incredible six-minute-long clip starts off with the mid-section of Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.” Then, at 1:01, we get a decent look at SRV’s 1980 amps.

At 1:13, as the cameraman focuses on a bikini-clad fan standing in the front row, Vaughan starts to introduce Double Trouble; that’s Jackie Newhouse on bass and Chris Layton on drums.

After Stevie takes a quick break backstage (clearly visible to the crown), he grabs his Strat and launches into a smoldering set that the Lubbock fans simply can’t seem to get enough of. He kicks things off with “Collins Shuffle,” which also can be heard on Live at Montreux (the 1982 disc).

Not to state the obvious, but it’s very rewarding, fun, cool (insert your own adjectives here), etc. to see SRV, a native Texan, perform in front of an appreciative Texas crowd—back when he was still a locally known yet rising star.

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