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"Keeping the blues alive... ![]() ...Till the last note" |
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To View LIVE feed Click LIVE Rochester Blues & BBQ festival reviewPosted by: "fluffyvw" fluffyvw@yahoo.com fluffyvwTue Aug 25, 2009 9:16 am (PDT)
My review of the Rochester Fest last Saturday is up on
the GTCBMS website.
http://www.gtcbms. org/happen09. html#rochester
To add a little more to that review, particularly my thoughts on the non-Minnesota bands... The Avey Brothers are terrific. I first saw them last winter at the Iowa Winter fest and couldn't leave their stage even though there were performances going on in several other rooms. I picked up their CD on Saturday and it tells the tale of their talent...a good purchase. Joel Pingatore is a young guy who plays some great guitar. He does a song behind the back and doesn't miss a note. The lead singer for this band has one of the stronger male blues voices I've heard-good gruff quality. Damon Fowler was everything Gloria had posted about the show at Bev's. I particularly liked the selections played on lap steel guitar. The crowd loved him and he got people out on the dance floor, at one time asking us to move closer to the stage because they can play better with a close crowd. Andi and Kaye were with me and Andi and I danced as much or more than anyone. (surprise!) There were only a few who came onto the floor until near the end. At one point, this young "punker" couple was out there dancing really wild. I looked at the young woman and matched her step for step. I am sure she's telling her friends about this old fart who danced like her. The food was out of this world and in good quantity. I only ate 4 or my 5 choices and Kaye only ate 2 of her 5. I was just too full to think about any more. Ate ribs, beef brisket, shrimp, chicken sandwich, potato salad, 2 kinds of beans, chips and soda...all included in the ticket price. Of course a few adult beverages were consumed, too. Tap beer was only $2.00, a good deal for a fest. There was a jam at Macho Nacho following the fest. We didn't make that...too tired from food, music and dancing. Maybe one of our group who was there can fill us in. I had bid on our hotel room through Priceline and was originally disappointed as it was a mile away from the fest. It was a Staybridge Suites and after checking in, I was happy with the hotel. The rooms were huge with kitchenette. They were well appointed and even included paper towels and snack items like microwave popcorn. there was a free breakfast that included hot selections such as waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, plus the typical cold choices. I saw the rooms at the Days Inn and they were not very nice. I also saw the Kahler which is more of a luxury hotel and the rooms there were nice but not nearly as big. The Days Inn and Kahler were within a block of the fest so were convenient. We walked one day from the Staybridge and cabbed another for under $5 before tip. I'd be happy to have the Staybridge again even if not as conveniently located to the fest. This was the first year of this festival. They have ambition to make it a "quad state" festival in the future, moving to locations in WI, IA and IL as well as MN. Trimlon coordinated the bands and did a terrific job. Thanks, Lon! I'd encourage everyone to catch this fest next year. Doug PS: I was working the blues society table and a wedding party passed near me outside the fence. I indicated to the bride that I was looking for a bridal kiss and she obliged. Many in the audience enjoyed this and lightly applauded and gave the thumbs up.
Thunder Bay Blues Festival 3-5 July 2009 As seen and heard
by Kay Rooney: Twin City Blues
Thunder Bay;
What a Festival. 8th Annual. Held on the shores of Lake
Superior giving us a gentle breeze to cool off those hot and
steamy blues. One of the cleanest, friendliest, and best
planned events of the year. Organizers: Bob Halvorsen and
Trevor Hurtig both deserve a shout out for the diversity of
talent booked. Highlighting Canadian and local talents to
play along side some of the best known blues artists like
Los
Lonely Boys,
Robert Cray, and
Ronnie Baker Brooks. We missed Friday's
opener due to the incredible beauty of the North Shore which
beckoned like a siren demanded you stop and drink in the
beauty of that majestic body of water. Which meant we also
missed Nashina proposing to her long time boyfriend on
stage. Yes, he accepted. Nashina & the Hackers, The Chain,
and Southern Comfort were chosen by popular vote from last
March's Blues Showcase to be openers for the festival and
get the music rolling.
After Friday's
opener,
Rita Chiarelli
took the stage. She's been called the "Goddess of
Canadian
Blues and is an accomplished singer/songwriter
and a skilled musician with an arm full of awards to her
credit. Whether she was growling or belting out the blues,
she rocked us with her three octave
raspy voice and in
between entertained us with her stories. She knows how to
wail and brought the crowd to their feet screaming for more. Another highly
awarded Canadian from Halifax, Carson Downey brought a
different style of powerhouse blues coming on loud and
strong. Trading licks with his drummer and playing that
fender in new found places such as his shoulder, belly,
and...between his legs, finally ending playing with his
feet. Ending Friday's
music was none other than the "Crown Prince of
Chicago
Blues", Ronnie Baker Brooks. What a master, he
came out swinging, interacting with the crowd and in no time
everyone was shouting "the blues is all right!". Proving why
he has such a devoted fan base with his outstanding vocals
and sound qualities, clear and solid. Leaping off the stage
and playing nose to nose with a delighted crowd he
demonstrated why he is a phenomenal guitarist and
singer/songwriter. Saturday was a
gorgeous day and opening the show was Thunder Bay's own
Chrissy Klauss of The Chain. With her strong vocals, she can
sing your socks off. No wonder she's a favorite. They
featured several songs off their new CD with Robbie Jordine
on lead guitar and Chrissy belting them out. The only performer
to have the honor of returning to the festival every
year is Big Walter Smith. He came out jazzed looking spiffy
in a white suit, red hat and shoes and sporting a Canadian
tie honoring his hosts and
Canada Day. He
mesmerized us all not only with some great blues standards
and a groovin' horn section, but with his infectious smile
and warm personality stating his love for Thunder Bay's
people, great location, and fun festival. The show stopper
was when they brought out a huge portrait cake and Chrissy
returned to the stage to sing Happy 79th Birthday to Big
Walter. After that the blues ruled. One of the hottest stars of the
West Coast blues scene is Shane Dwight who brought his
rockin' blues to town. Plays killer guitar, clean all the
way through and with great control. He know how to
honky
tonk and boogie then bring it way down with
the sexy slow blues. He's been compared to a young
Tommy
Castro so keep your eye on this guy as he
collects new fans wherever he goes. Me included. What do you get when
you combine some of the smoothest vocals, stellar harp
playing and outstanding song writing?
John Nemeth, of course, That
voice has so much emotion on everything from retro-modern
blues to rockabilly tunes. Add in some of the best harp
blowing and you have a crowd pleasing show stopping
performer who has been running away with all kinds of
awards. Very charismatic and every song is a keeper. If you're liking
your blues hot and steamy, you need Becky Barksdale to rock
your world. She can belt out those blues barefoot while
playing with such intensity going from soft crying bends to
raunchy riffs that she's been compared to a female SRV.
You've never heard
I Just Want to Make Love to You
until you've heard Becky's sensual version. Sounding slow,
hard and sexy all at once, she puts her all into everything
she does. Don't miss her if you get a chance to see her.
She's unforgettable.
Roy Rogers
simply amazed the crowd with his
slide guitar work.
Known as one the leading slide guitarists in the world he
plays these unique modified guitars that spit out all that
incredible sound. He didn't waste any time getting his blues
on with some great standards like Robert Johnson's
Terrapin Blues and a
Big Joe Williams song
where we watched his fingers fly on that double neck guitar.
On a lot of the songs it was just him playing, sounding rich
and full. Great enthusiasm, in fact, he was so good, the
crowd wouldn't let him stop...first encore of the festival! Davy Knowles
followed with his brand of blues rock. Young, humble, and
full of energy. Writes most of his music but played some
bluesy rock standards from CCR and
CSNY. He might be
young but he's honed his craft; wicked playing and a voice
suited to the blues. Loved his comment to the crowd about
never having seen so many lawn chairs in his life. Bet it
wont be the last time either. The headliner of the
festival closed Saturday's show. Los Lonely Boys opened with
some blistering guitar and sweet harmonizing vocals that
only brothers can do. Playing tunes off Cottonfields and
Crossroads, Sacred, and off their self titled CD
they pulled out all the stops and gave an incredible show of
Texican style blues. In step, forwards, backwards, running
at each other. Even Jojo playing that bass on his back, then
tossed it to a very surprised someone on the side of the
stage. Both Henry and Jojo held their guitars high playing
one handed then threw them into the air catching a new chord
repeatedly all without missing a beat. Another time both
brothers were playing on Henry's Fender. Four hands, one
guitar = Dynamite. They ended with Heaven as their
encore and every time you thought it was over, they'd break
into another shuffle, stretching it out till the crowd was
as exhausted as they were. Fantastic show. Sunday's opening act
was another local favorite Southern Comfort fronted by Dave
Johnson. Starting out with some slow blues then picking it
up and rocking out. Followed by a little boogie and even a
little gospel, it was Sunday morning after all. Good song
list as we knew them all, each one a classic. At this point
Davina and the Vagabonds were
supposed to appear, but being held up at the border, The
Chain came to the rescue and Chrissy Klauss delighted us
once more with her outstanding vocals. Peter, usually on
lead guitar, added some nice harp on When Lovin' Ain't
Easy, then on to an outstanding emotional
I'd
Rather Go Blind, next a few of their own
compositions and ending with Sunshine Girl. Since 2004, Cuba´s
most sought after electric guitarist has been leading his
own project: the Elmer Ferrer Band, known for their intense,
energetic fusion of jazz, blues and rock, Cuban style and
now Elmer has made Canada his home. The music was chimey,
melodic, sounding like a soft summer breeze which fit the
day perfectly. Great control on that guitar and a tight band
backing him. From dreamy to funky to Hendrix, wow!
Highlighting some tunes off his new CD,
No
Guitars Allowed, he amazed us with
solid playing that was growly and very dimensional. A
definite winner. Ricky Pacquette
might be 18, but sings and plays way beyond his years and he
proved it playing on a mess of guitars. Everything starting
from a strat to vintage Gibson to a Flying Vee. He treated
us to a lot of rock, which nobody minded, I think everybody
knew a
new guitar hero had arrived. Carlos Del Junco,
another Cuban who's settled in Canada, has chosen the
harmonica as his forte. He opened with a
classic
blues tune than went non-stop into a jazzy
funky jam. He can make that harp sound like
birds
chirping and sound like a whole band playing
when it's just him. Incredible sounds covering ska, polka,
Italian wedding and of course the blues. Wrapping it up with
a tune about Robert Johnson's untimely death he showed us
how you get 12 notes out of a 10 note harmonica. Finally, Davina and
the Vagabonds arrived. Sporting her sassy "Nawlin's" style
and unique voice it didn't take long to woo the crowd with
her singing and piano playing to prove she was worth waiting
for. She rolled those expressive eyes and melted hearts, how
can anyone resist her? One of the highlights was with her
campy and creative voice she matched licks with her horn
section on Sneaky Dirty Devil. She not only ended her
set with
St. James Infirmary
but ended with a whole new fan base. A nice follow up
after Davina was
Kenny Neal
with his Louisiana background. He came out playing
swamp
blues on that well used Fender. Multi talented
he switches it up to lap steel and throws in a good amount
of harp. He can play them blues, slow, sexy, and sweet.
Doing some
Guitar Slim,
Jimmy
Reed, and finishing up with his own Let
Life Flow which was named song of the year from the CD
of the same name which was also named album of the year by
Blueswax. I'm hooked, line and sinker. Give me more Kenny. Blues of another
sort poured from the stage as
Philip Sayce shared his style of
high energy rock influenced blues. Blistering sweat soaked
rifts, playing from one side of the stage to the other,
sometimes using the speakers, his mouth, or playing sideways
to coax more sound out of that well beat up strat. He's
learned well from all he's played with (Jeff
Healey, Milissa Etheridge, etc) picking up his
own style of soaring notes. Jumping out into the crowd
giving everyone a close up of what he does best. Back up on
stage harmonizing nicely with his two band mates, Philip
finished up with that guitar reaching notes like it's never
been heard before.
Robert Cray
was the closing act and he didn't waste any time getting it
going. Rich sound and great vocals. He entertained us with
an assortment of his hits off
Strong Persuader
like Smoking Gun and Because Of Me, on to
Poor Johnny and some off his new CD. Plucking it up with
I Do All The Cooking, (no more chicken in his
kitchen) and getting it down and funky. Everything he does
is smooth, making it sound so easy. When he came back out
for an encore, he didn't disappoint. No less than four songs
before the crowd finally let him wrap up the 2009 festival. I
know that the powers that be are already working on next
years line up, but believe me, it's going to hard to beat
this years festival!
BLUESFLASH As you may have heard, Ron Thompson suffered a physical setback recently. But the good news is that he is on the mend! On Thursday, February 19th, Ron was admitted to Saint Rose Hospital in Hayward with a severe case of pneumonia—so severe that the bacteria went into his bloodstream. Ron spent four days in the hospital, part of that time in ICU, but sprang back quickly, thanks to the excellent care of the Saint Rose medical team. Ron would like to thank Dr. Pat Hybarger (of Kaiser San Rafael), Dr. Anna Saenz of San Francisco, Dr. Ramiro Garcia, Peggy (sorry we don't know your last name!) and all the other St Rose nursing staff who basically saved his life. Ron was released from the hospital on Sunday, February 22nd, and is expected to make a full recovery. He is taking a long overdue and well-needed recess from performing, but should be back in the saddle soon! When times get tough, you know who your friends are, and Ron has so many wonderful friends! He needs each and every one at this time to help him cope with all this, including addressing a rather astonishing hospital bill and being able to make the rent payment while he's recuperating. Angels from every part of California and also Colorado are jumping forward to help, as several fund-raising benefits are in the works already. If you would like to help, by offering your musical talents, your organizing skills, or providing items for auction/raffle—please get in touch with the contact(s) listed below. If you would like to host your own benefit to help Ron through this financial crunch, just email or call Jackie McCort, Ron's business manager, at jackie@rtblues.com or 510.693.8277, so that we can add your event to the list and notify folks in your area A special bank account has been set up specifically for Ron's medical bills at Bank of America in Hayward CA . To make a donation, please send checks payable to: “Ron Thompson, Account #0014-73814” Bank of America 1200 “A” Street Hayward CA 94544
We will be setting up a “one click” method for donations through Ron's website in the next few days. If you would prefer to contribute online, please check the website in a day or so. All donations are tax deductible. Please note: This account is specifically set up for donations to help Ron defray expenses associated with his hospitalization. All other business transactions will be handled separately as before. Ron would really like to thank everyone for their love and encouragement during this difficult time. He is overwhelmed by your kindness and real grassroots support. Ron is honored to have the backing of such a fine fan base and artist community.
WORLD OF BLUES #1 FESTIVAL LIST AND live CALENDAR (sponsored by Twin City Blues) TO ADD YOUR FESTIVAL TO LIST TO ADD YOUR GIG OR FESTIVAL NEW CALENDAR VIEW FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS Click to join
Bayfront_Bluesfesters Musician Call/ Availability Form features musicians available for full-time, part-time or fill-in work. This will help the area bands with contacts in case one of your regular players cannot make it or you need additional studio musicians. To View Available Musicians Click here Note you must be a Twin City Blues member to view availability page To Join Twin City Blues Click Here
"Friends of
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Blues Music Venues and Blues Clubs by State and Blues Festivals by Country from Blues Fest Bluesfestival.de, where you can find many useful links to interesting homepages concerning the blues, and blues festivals world-wide Blueslinks.nl THE MOTHER OF ALL BLUESLINKS COLLECTIONS Blues from all around the world Soundclick... Bands A-Z
Festivals.com, the
Internet's largest Festival and Event resource.
Netunes...Its all about the MUSIC
How To Tell Blues Music From Rock
Music
Many bands say they play the Blues,
but what you end up hearing is Rock. Here's how to tell if your listening to a real Blues band or a Rock band. Difficulty: Easy
Time
Required: 5 minutes
Here's
How:
1. If the guitar player has one small amplifier, Blues Band. If he has a stack of them, Rock Band..
2.
If the keyboard player only plays piano or organ, Blues Band.
If he's used other sounds, Rock Band.
3. If
the guitar player breaks a string and changes it on the spot, Blues Band.
If a roadie comes out with a replacement guitar, Rock Band.
4. If the bass player's instrument has only
four strings,
Blues Band. More than four, Rock Band.
5. If there are wives and children around the
stage,
Blues Band. Scantly clad women, Rock Band.
6. If they play the same songs differently
every night, Blues Band. Play the same songs the same way every night, Rock
band.
7. If they make up
the lyrics as they go, Blues Band. Recite the lyrics verbatim, Rock band.
8. If they arrive in a van, Blues Band.
If they arrive in a school bus, Rock band.
9. If everyone is drinking liquor, Blues Band.
Drinking beer, Rock Band.
10. If people dance together, Blues band. Mill about separately, Rock Band.
11. If people clap their hands to the
backbeat, Blues Band. Pump their fists in the air, Rock Band.
12. If the male musicians are wearing
Dockers, Blues Band. If they are wearing Spandex, Rock Band.
Tips:
Real Blues bands swing! No swing and all funk ain't the Blues. You don't need electricity to play Blues. You don't need Spandex pants to play the Blues either.
From John Babich, ("J.B.") is a professional
musician who has traveled the US, Canada, and Europe playing the Blues.
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