He Knows Diddley

Bo Diddley may be something of a legend--he was just handed a lifetime achievement award at the Grammys in New York City--but he’s always loved to play the small joints.

In keeping with his own tradition, the 68-year-old rock and blues star was at Twin Palms in Newport Beach on Friday, leading his band through two concerts that gave everybody a dose of his get-up-and-move guitar style.

Despite the rains, Diddley devotees were out to get a taste. Eric Hakala, a manager at Twin Palms, said about two-thirds of the crowd from the 7 p.m. concert stayed for the 9:45 p.m. show.

“We’re talking serious talent,” he said. “We might have had a lower turnout than expected--only about 350 at each show--because of the weather, but that didn’t take from the concert. People were dancing, clapping and giving the band standing ovations. There was good energy.”

Did Diddley receive any star treatment?

Just a little, especially when it came to chow. Though most performers at Twin Palms are served a buffet in the private dining room, Diddley and his crew had a special request.

“He wanted something specific: sauteed whitefish and sides of French fries with sides of brown gravy,” Hakala said. “Don’t laugh. It’s a great combination. You should try it.”

Coming up: A series of Latin jazz performers--Poncho Sanchez, March 6; Eddie Palmieri, March 13; and Peter Escovedo, March 20.