Blues legend B.B. King, along with his guitar Lucille, captivated the Convocation Center audience Saturday night.

Even though the arena was not full, there was enough noise to make it impossible to hear the person sitting next to you.

Bobby “Blue” Bland and Howard & the White Boys were the opening acts for King.

Bobby “Blue” Bland, another blues legend, was very well received by the audience. Howard & the White Boys, who opened for King the last time he was in DeKalb, also was well received.

Before King came out, his band performed a jazzy interlude. Each band member took turns playing their instrument. When King came out, he received a standing ovation from the audience.

King sat in a chair while performing. He confessed that his health was not in the best condition.

“I have diabetes, bad knees and I am 77 years old,” he said.

Nevertheless, he promised to give a good performance. King, along with his band, The B.B. King Blues Band, performed and interacted with the crowd. While performing, two ladies came up and laid roses at his feet. King then stopped singing.

“We always stop the show for ladies,” King said before the audience burst into laughter.

King performed his classic hits such as “The Thrill is Gone.”

The crowd was receptive to his singing. At any given moment an audience member could be heard yelling, “I love you B.B.!”

King was backed up by his musicians who also performed choreographed dances. During the show, King would break out into guitar solos that showed off his skills even more.

Despite his self-proclaimed bad health, King proved that his music skills were still in tact. King said he hoped to come to DeKalb again someday and play at the arena.

“It’s so great to see a blues legend in person,” said Linda Collins, an audience member. “He’s a great performer.”

Joe Coots, marketing manager for the arena, was pleased with the event.

“By far he was phenomenal,” Coots said. “He’s a legend and he did a great job of pleasing the crowd.”

Coots also said there were almost 4,000 people in attendance, but he didn’t know how many of them were NIU students. He added that the number in attendance was close to the amount they had predicted.