Most young boys who decide to play the guitar have one of two reasons. Either they want to learn how to play the instrument that is looked upon with respect and awe as the center piece of any good rock ‘n’ roll band or they want to get girls.It is unknown for what reason 22-year-old wunderkind Kenny Wayne Shepherd decided to strap on the ax. However fans who came out to see the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band play the Newport Music Hall Tuesday night were more than grateful that he ever picked up a Fender Stratocaster.The show opened at 8 p.m. with Bramhall, a great rock band led by Doyle Bramhall II. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because Bramhall was a co-founder of the Arc Angels in the early ’90s, along with bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton, a.k.a. Double Trouble, with the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughn.Bramhall was a good opening act for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band because they cooked up a solid 50-minute set of blues/rock that was fitting for this concert. But as the clock hit 9:15, Shepherd took the stage and never looked back. He, along with bassist Keith Christopher and drummer Sam Bryant kicked off their two-hour set with a 12-bar blues jam that got the crowd going and set the tone for the rest of the evening.Singer and Cincinnati native Noah Hunt then took the stage and the band broke into “Somehow, Somewhere, Someway,” a hit off the band’s second album, “Trouble Is…”The band played a balanced set of material from all three of their albums, each song sounding great live. A crowd favorite was clearly “Blue on Black,” also from the band’s second album. The crowd sang along to every word as Hunt sang the choruses, and at the end of the song, the crowd sang it without Hunt.The band’s instrument levels were balanced well, which can be difficult to do in a smaller venue such as the Newport. The music sounded excellent and the band played what the cheering masses wanted to hear. Shepherd has great stage presence and poise for such a young player. Hunt also did a great job getting the crowd involved and keeping them energetic throughout the evening. It is easy to overlook the other members of the band while Shepherd takes center stage hammering away on his strings, but his performance was greatly enhanced by the talents of Christopher and Bryant.Shepherd certainly has come a long way from the smoke-filled bars of Shreveport, La., which he used to play at the age when the rest of us had 9 p.m. bedtimes. Tuesday night’s concert at the Newport is assurance that the future of blues is looking bright as ever for as long as the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band is on the scene.