Blues By The Sea.....
Wow! Has it really been ten years?
Yep. Sunday was the
10th Annual Blues By The Sea at Freshfields Village Green on Kiawah Island.
Pretty sure I have been to all of them.
Thanks go to Gary Erwin, Blues keyboard, drums and guitar man, recording artist, and promoter. He's the blue believer who brought Charleston 21 straight years of a
February Blues Bash.
Gary drew legendary musical stars as well as new, up and coming players to his annual 2-week long songfest party.
His opening act Sunday was
Shelly Waters, from Rayne, Louisiana, known as the
"Swamp Pop Princess."
She charmed the crowd in the packed tent and the grassy lawn, with a mixture of Cajun, old time country and New Orleans R & B.
After a break, the second performer was a true legend from the early 60s folk blues revival,
Spider John Koerner, from Minneapolis.
I have not seen nearly enough strong 12-string artists, but he produced an enormous amount of music.
Gary even managed to produce a gorgeous Spring day before rain and clouds were due back late Monday.
A free concert in a great setting on a pretty day.
The crowd was generous with its applause and appreciation and I was hardly the only one with a camera.
A huge white tent had been purchased a few years ago with money and support from the Kiawah Island Accommodations Tax Committee to ensure "the show would go on."
Our folding chairs and blankets were spread out under the shady covering and people were seated all around the stage , amid the blooming azaleas.
A family-friendly atmosphere that encouraged youngsters to discover the Blues.
Beverly Guitar Watkins was amazing building up to the headliner.
We're both 75 and she outdistanced me by many miles.
I sat with her before she played at Sticky Fingers downtown a few years ago.
Thought then I hoped I would be as active when I got to be her age.
Oops. I was already there.
I saw a
"Madonna with Nikon" handle several complex roles as the bands played on.
I like to be in a crowd and use my small inconspicuous digital camera.
It's only about the size of a pack of cigarettes but has a powerful 20x zoom.
This lets me come very, very close but not be "in the face" of a subject.
You don't want to draw attention when you're doing "crowd shots."
It would have been hard to NOT notice the quite impressive beard of this face in the crowd.
Later, he took to the stage with this year's headliner
Tinsley Ellis, the guitar strongman from Atlanta.
This is his bassist. Known as
Evil 1.
Tinsley is now headlining festivals all across North America.
Many of us recall his memorable nights playing hard riffs at the Sand Dollar Social Club on Folly Beach.
Another new sight was the food truck of all food trucks.
Welcome to the
Coastal Craft and Cru.
A classic 1956 Ford V8 hauling around craft draft beers, bottled beers and wines.
The other side is where they store the folding table, er, I mean the clever bar.
This side folds up to form a roof over their heads. I was told they are caterers and have an even older vintage truck that can pull up to make fresh pizza in your driveway or lawn.
"..Saw a man dance with his wife"....while holding a small dog in his left hand.
After a bit, he passed the doggie over to her to hold as they continued moving with the music.
(Click on the photos for more details.)
It was a fun day in the sun.
Relaxing on the green with a gentle breeze wafting through.
Gary, we REALLY like your style.
Keep doing what you're doing and we'll keep coming to your parties.
(Do dogs really like to dance?)
I know cats do not.
Labels: 10th annual Blues By the Sea, Beverly Guitar Watkins, Coastal Craft & Cru Catering, Dancing doggie, Evil 1, Freshfields Village Green, Kiawah Island, Shelly Waters Band, Spider John Koerner, Tinsley Ellis
High Tide in Hanahan...
I didn't realize it was even raining this afternoon.
A loud crack and then a deep thunder roll and the cat was at my feet mewing
"Hey, make that stop."
She probably thought I was causing the noise and commotion. She knows me well.
It was really pouring down so I looked out over the deck and saw there was more standing water than I had ever seen before.
What to do? I grabbed my camera and an umbrella.
Oh, I don't mean there was actual flooding danger for my car.
But it sure was moving leaves all around the back yard.
And forming interwoven circles of rain drops in the puddles.
It was starting to slack off -
"Hey Kitty, no problem, I took care of it" - but I stayed up on the deck.
Just found another good use of having a zoom lens for the first time in many years.
My Mom and Dad moved up here to Hanahan back in 1962 and never spoke of any real flooding in the neighborhood.
I grew up in Ansonborough back in the day (1950s) and we were spared high water there too.
So, rain and puddles to me are just pretty things to photograph.
From under an umbrella. With my feet dry.
Predictions are for a sunny weekend with temps in the upper 70s.
There's an outdoor
Blues By The Sea concert down in Freshfields Village I want to attend. They announced it's "rain or shine."
Last year the tourism officials at Kiawah Island bought a huge white tent .... just to make sure shows go on as planned.
(Click on the photos for more detail.)
When I came back in with my camera, the cat came out from under the bed.
She thinks I cleared it all up.
Good.
Labels: Blues By The Sea, Freshfields Village, high and dry., Kiawah Island, Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head, thunder and lightning, umbrella
Younger Than B.B. King.....
This guy calls me "kid."
The main star Saturday at Freshfield Village, was
Travis "Moonchild" Haddix.
He brought his 6-piece orchestra to the FREE 5th annual "Blues By The Sea" and showed everybody what the bluez is all about.
Travis,71, has worked in the Midwest most of his career but Shrimp City Slim lured him to our coast for a first-ever appearance down on Kiawah Island.
I think I have a shirt like that in the back of my closet.
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The 2-8pm show opened with local picker Davis Coen who had formed a Trio this time.
He was followed by Bill Lupkin - on harp - with his
Chicago Blues Coalition.
It was a Low Country debut also for this fantastic performer.
The
Larry Garner Blues Band filled out the bill.
"Shrimp" sure knows how to pick 'em.
Did I mention the show was FREE? The lawn was packed with fans in folding chairs, kids running around and vendors offering fish tacos, juicy burgers and hot pizza.
Some of us sipped a beer. Or two.
Gary Erwin (Shrimp City himself) was wearing a t-shirt from his
1st annual blues offering at Kiawah...and so was I.
He did tell me he planned to have a shirt available for next year.
Meanwhile, I carry a Sharpie pen with me to these blues festivals and often ask performers to pen their thoughts on my back.
Or on my front.
Labels: 5th annual Blues By The Sea, Bill Lupkin and the Chicago Blues Coalition, Davis Coen Trio, Fish Tacos, Kiawah Island, Larry Garner Blues Band. Travis 'Moonchild' Haddix, t-shirts
Party Animal.
Freshfield Village is on Johns Island, at the entrance to Kiawah.
It's also home of the 3rd annual
American Music Celebration. The organizer is well-known local Bluesman Shrimp City Slim (aka Gary Erwin) who slipped this in last Sunday before he and Wanda Johnson flew out Tuesday to Macau, China for a Blues gig.
It was a balmy day and a beautiful setting for some varied music.
The opener was funky string band
The Wiyos, formerly out of Brooklyn but now scattered all around.
The talented
"washboard swing" group comes back Thursday,
October 23 for a FREE 7:00pm show at the Main Library on Calhoun Street.
It's always great when I can talk about a good show AND say it can be seen again very shortly.
The Nouveaux Honkies brought their roots-rock roadhouse sound up from Florida and a fiddle and group vocals were heard in the land.
Gary described them as
"the crossroads between the honky-tonk and the juke joint."Also on the program was
Joey Gilmore and his "swamp soul" band and
Studebaker John & The Hawks with their Chicago Blues distinctive sound.
Most of these performers probably will be back in February for Gary's 19th annual Blues Bash.
(As usual, click on the photo to enlarge for details.)
Labels: American Music Celebration, Freshfields Village, HonkyTonk, Joey Gilmore, juke joint, Kiawah Island, Nouveaux Honkies, string band, Studebaker John, The Wiyos
Musical Countdown To Spoleto...
Todd Wolffe, down from NYC, by way of Pennsylvania, had us rockin' last night at A Dough Re Mi in Mt. Pleasant.
In keeping with my plan to talk mainly about acts you still have a chance to see, it was announced the trio will be on that same stage again in 3 weeks.
So circle Friday June 6 on your calendar now for a great evening that's NOT really part of Spoleto but offers several sets of raucous rocking and rolling.
Rev. Dr. Johnny Mac opened the 4th annual
Blues By The Sea down at Kiawah last week but he is VERY active locally and you can catch him at clubs all over town.
Keep an eye out for his high energy music popping up somewhere soon.
My Spoleto/Piccolo/Fringe plans are in the works and 10 tickets have been ordered so far. Naturally I will have my camera with me but many places bar my simple camera - even if I shoot with no flash - but I am surrounded by crowds of people holding up their cell phones.
Must be an important call they want to share.
Labels: 4th annual Blues By The Sea, A Dough Re Mi, cell phones, Fringe, Johnny Mac, Kiawah Island, Piccolo, Spoleto, Todd Wolffe
A Musical Signature...
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Went to hear some James Island Blues at my favorite non-smoking club,
The Pour House,on Maybank Highway and also checked out my newest new favorite club,
A.J.'s Sports Bar & Grill at 1291 Folly Road by the Wal-Mart, in the shopping center with Gold's Gym.
Actually, it's very easy to find and has lots of free parking.
Miss
Wanda Johnson, our own Upstate musical Blues star, was showcased with
Shrimp City Slim's band at AJ's ...AND she graciously signed the 2005 Kiawah Island Blues Festival t-shirt I was wearing. Shrimp City also added his signature so I was on a total Blues fan kind of night.
AJ's has been opened only about 3 months but is doing it right. Cold beer and drinks selection, tasty food, speedy staff and a room set up to benefit the musicians on stage and the fans in the comfortable booths, tables and chairs.
Oh, did I mention they decided not to have smoking inside.
Mac Arnold and Plate Full O' Blues started right at 11 at PoHo and, since he had been bass man to Muddy Waters and others, it wasn't long before there were dueling basses. At the break, Mac added his signature to the t-shirt so 3 of the performers from the Kiawah festival had signed in.
Miss Johnson was relaxing in the Pour House crowd and said she seldom has the opportunity just to sit and enjoy performers she had worked with so this was a treat. Naturally she was asked to come up onstage and she unleashed a torrid rendition of
"Rock Me Baby, All Night Long".
If her earlier performance at AJ's was family-friendly PG, this was the R rated Blues highlight of the evening.
Labels: AJ's Sports Bar and Grill, Blues By The Sea Festival., Kiawah Island, Wanda Johnson
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