Spam Spam Spam!!!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I think the spammers must think I really retired! All the funky comments are gone, I am not sure about the person wanting to be a moderator, but no need for one, and probably a scammer anyway. Not sure why they waste their time here. I assume most of you know not to click on the links of their comments. I am pretty sure most of those pages are virus and maleware looking to invade your computer. Just remember surf smart, and keep your anti virus up to date.

Cadillac Records. WHERE IS IT PLAYING!

This is not good kids. I am wanting to see Cadillac records so I can give a good review, and just like the rest of the blues movies recently I CANT FIND IT IN IOWA! In fact, the Sony home website doesn't even list where it is playing around the US. I have a feeling that this film is not going to get a very wide release, and that is too bad. You think a movie with Beyoncee would be box office, but apparently not. This happened to John Sayles Film Honeydripper as well. I would have loved to have paid my hard earned money to see it, but apparently the fat cats in Hollywood think that us hicks in Iowa are not sophisticated enough to see such a film. Heaven to Betsy we might be offended by such rockus fare! My goodness, we might close the borders and remove ourselves from the Union if such a movie were to play in Iowa. Iowa is a blues state in more ways than one. Hollywood get your head out of your (#)* and send us some blues flicks! (and I am not talking about no blue movie, if ya catch my drift:-)

Death Of The Blues AGAIN!

I do believe the blues has nine lives. However, I also think the people in the media just want to kill us off as quickly as possible. After all, it is much more fun to bemoan the death of the blues then to actually do a little research. Ah, but that is the life of the typical reporter. Even reporters in Chicago are not immune to the death of the blues. Serena at the Central Iowa Blues Society has a sharp eye and sends me some great articles from time to time. I am not sure if it is the same one that Karen wrote about on her blog Today's Chicago Blues. However, you can click HERE for the latest tome on the death of the blues from the Encore webpage.

It is the typical blue is dead article, and it follows the same story line. The old blues guys are dying, and no one is replacing them, and the old clubs are closing, and THE BLUES IS DEAD! This is pretty typical of the type of reporting that goes on about the blues these days. I am not saying that times are good, because they are not. The blues audience is getting older, but this has happened before. If you are lucky enough to catch film footage of the South side of Chicago and the blues clubs in the early 70s you would see that things were bad for the blues then. Most young people were listening to soul, funk, and disco. Blues was not even on the radar of anyone under 40 years old in 1970. Bands broke up, musicians quit playing, and record companies went out of business. It was bleak times, and yet the blues are still around. by the early 80s blues was popular again.

So why are things so bad now? First, young people are not into the blues right now. Give it time they always discover the blues. Second, certainly some of our beloved blues performers are gone, but they were not the originators of the music. The blues has been around since reconstruction, and has ebbed and flowed for over 100 years. If we take 1860 as a mythical starting date and consider every 20 years a new generation, then the current generation coming of age is the 6th generation of blues performers. I think it is safe to say that the blues is in pretty good shape. Third, lack of clubs. There are not a lot of places to play right now, but my old friends, Jimmy Pryor, and Rick Lussie, use to tell me what it was like in the 70s when no clubs played the blues. They would find a dive like Vickies Poor House and play for a few bucks. Then Jimmy to make money would play Country music out at the Pines, and slip in blues songs for his all white audience. Fourth, high gas prices. It is tough to make a living when you have to pay twice as much for fuel as you did a year ago. This is the real burden facing blues performers, because club owners are paying less for bands than they did 10 years ago, and gas prices are a lot higher then they were back then. Add up those costs, and the lack of venues and it is a bleak picture.

At this point I think the best solution is to support your local blues performers. Get out to their shows, and buy their cds. STOP STEALING THEIR MUSIC! I heard a first hand story from a local blues artist who was going to sell a CD to a fan, and the friend of the fan stopped them and told them they would burn them a copy!!!! RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ARTIST!! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I don't mind you stealing from a large megalithic corporation, but a freaking small businessman, who needed that extra 10 bucks for gas to go home!!!!! Whats wrong with you people. BTW, all blue performers are SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE! BB King, Eric Clapton, and a few select others have nice major label deals, but the rest of the blues cats that are alive and kicking record with small independent record companies that put a lot of blood sweet and tears into their music. When you download someones music off the net for free, then you are hurting the blues far more than some dumb reporter writing for some corporate newspaper.

There are a lot of young blues cats out there paying their dues, and their day is approaching fast. Just one or two of them catches the imagination of the college kids, and thing will improve quickly. I am doing my part by teaching college kids the history of the blues, and it has become one of the more popular classes on campus. You can do your part too. Turn on your kids to the blues, or donate your CD collection to the local library. Call up your local radio station and ask them what it will take to get a blues show. If you have a local blues show on radio, then call up the DJ and thank him for keeping the blues alive. If you have a local blues bar. Go down their once a week, and thank the bar owner for keeping the music alive even though it is probably driving him to the poor house, but he keeps on doing it because he loves the music. During bleak times it is up to you to keep the music alive. Don't let some corporate hack of a reporter tell you the blues is dead and accept it as fact. Let them know the blues is alive and well, and still kicking A$$!!!!

The Hazzards Of Blogging From The New York Times

I found this off the dreaded Drudge Report. I thought it was funny and true all at the same time. Blogging can be a drag especially when you are working fulltime. However, the bit about people getting paid as little as 10 dollars a post! Yikes am I underpaid. Some days my blog generates .01 cents a day!!! I live on clicks and site visits so if no one stops by or checks out my advertisers I get nothing! Boy, ten bucks a post, and I would quit my day job:-) Still it is a great story. To read it at the Times, Click HERE.

In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop

By MATT RICHTEL

SAN FRANCISCO — They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home.

A growing work force of home-office laborers and entrepreneurs, armed with computers and smartphones and wired to the hilt, are toiling under great physical and emotional stress created by the around-the-clock Internet economy that demands a constant stream of news and comment.

Of course, the bloggers can work elsewhere, and they profess a love of the nonstop action and perhaps the chance to create a global media outlet without a major up-front investment. At the same time, some are starting to wonder if something has gone very wrong. In the last few months, two among their ranks have died suddenly.

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet.

To be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging, and the premature demise of two people obviously does not qualify as an epidemic. There is also no certainty that the stress of the work contributed to their deaths. But friends and family of the deceased, and fellow information workers, say those deaths have them thinking about the dangers of their work style.

The pressure even gets to those who work for themselves — and are being well-compensated for it.

“I haven’t died yet,” said Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a popular technology blog. The site has brought in millions in advertising revenue, but there has been a hefty cost. Mr. Arrington says he has gained 30 pounds in the last three years, developed a severe sleeping disorder and turned his home into an office for him and four employees. “At some point, I’ll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to the hospital, or something else will happen.”

“This is not sustainable,” he said.

It is unclear how many people blog for pay, but there are surely several thousand and maybe even tens of thousands.

The emergence of this class of information worker has paralleled the development of the online economy. Publishing has expanded to the Internet, and advertising has followed.

Even at established companies, the Internet has changed the nature of work, allowing people to set up virtual offices and work from anywhere at any time. That flexibility has a downside, in that workers are always a click away from the burdens of the office. For obsessive information workers, that can mean never leaving the house.

Blogging has been lucrative for some, but those on the lower rungs of the business can earn as little as $10 a post, and in some cases are paid on a sliding bonus scale that rewards success with a demand for even more work.

There are growing legions of online chroniclers, reporting on and reflecting about sports, politics, business, celebrities and every other conceivable niche. Some write for fun, but thousands write for Web publishers — as employees or as contractors — or have started their own online media outlets with profit in mind.

One of the most competitive categories is blogs about technology developments and news. They are in a vicious 24-hour competition to break company news, reveal new products and expose corporate gaffes.

To the victor go the ego points, and, potentially, the advertising. Bloggers for such sites are often paid for each post, though some are paid based on how many people read their material. They build that audience through scoops or volume or both.

Some sites, like those owned by Gawker Media, give bloggers retainers and then bonuses for hitting benchmarks, like if the pages they write are viewed 100,000 times a month. Then the goal is raised, like a sales commission: write more, earn more.

Bloggers at some of the bigger sites say most writers earn about $30,000 a year starting out, and some can make as much as $70,000. A tireless few bloggers reach six figures, and some entrepreneurs in the field have built mini-empires on the Web that are generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. Others who are trying to turn blogging into a career say they can end up with just $1,000 a month.

Speed can be of the essence. If a blogger is beaten by a millisecond, someone else’s post on the subject will bring in the audience, the links and the bigger share of the ad revenue.

“There’s no time ever — including when you’re sleeping — when you’re not worried about missing a story,” Mr. Arrington said.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we said no blogger or journalist could write a story between 8 p.m. Pacific time and dawn? Then we could all take a break,” he added. “But that’s never going to happen.”

All that competition puts a premium on staying awake. Matt Buchanan, 22, is the right man for the job. He works for clicks for Gizmodo, a popular Gawker Media site that publishes news about gadgets. Mr. Buchanan lives in a small apartment in Brooklyn, where his bedroom doubles as his office.

He says he sleeps about five hours a night and often does not have time to eat proper meals. But he does stay fueled — by regularly consuming a protein supplement mixed into coffee.

But make no mistake: Mr. Buchanan, a recent graduate of New York University, loves his job. He said he gets paid to write (he will not say how much) while interacting with readers in a global conversation about the latest and greatest products.

“The fact I have a few thousand people a day reading what I write — that’s kind of cool,” he said. And, yes, it is exhausting. Sometimes, he said, “I just want to lie down.”

Sometimes he does rest, inadvertently, falling asleep at the computer.

“If I don’t hear from him, I’ll think: Matt’s passed out again,” said Brian Lam, the editor of Gizmodo. “It’s happened four or five times.”

Mr. Lam, who as a manager has a substantially larger income, works even harder. He is known to pull all-nighters at his own home office in San Francisco — hours spent trying to keep his site organized and competitive. He said he was well equipped for the torture; he used to be a Thai-style boxer.

“I’ve got a background getting punched in the face,” he said. “That’s why I’m good at this job.”

Mr. Lam said he has worried his blogging staff might be burning out, and he urges them to take breaks, even vacations. But he said they face tremendous pressure — external, internal and financial. He said the evolution of the “pay-per-click” economy has put the emphasis on reader traffic and financial return, not journalism.

In the case of Mr. Shaw, it is not clear what role stress played in his death. Ellen Green, who had been dating him for 13 months, said the pressure, though self-imposed, was severe. She said she and Mr. Shaw had been talking a lot about how he could create a healthier lifestyle, particularly after the death of his friend, Mr. Orchant.

“The blogger community is looking at this and saying: ‘Oh no, it happened so fast to two really vital people in the field,’ ” she said. They are wondering, “What does that have to do with me?”

For his part, Mr. Shaw did not die at his desk. He died in a hotel in San Jose, Calif., where he had flown to cover a technology conference. He had written a last e-mail dispatch to his editor at ZDNet: “Have come down with something. Resting now posts to resume later today or tomorrow.”

Honey Boy Edwards/Bobby Rush Article

I found this article from the Globe and Mail in Canada about delta blues. I really don't agree with some of the article. One of the ideas is that African Americans have abandoned acoustic blues. I suppose to a reporter in Canada who doesn't specialize in blues (ie to lazy to Google it) Honey boy maybe the end of the line, but if he were to look at this website he would see quite a few African American acoustic blues performers. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Corey Harris, Keb Mo, Jerry Ricks (who just passed on last week) and quite of few of RL Burnsides kids (and he had a lot of them:-) perform acoustic blues. Heck, Keb Mo who can play Robert Johnson note, for note, including the mistakes!:-) But, hey it ruins the script that journalists love to right. African American abandon the blues, and white folks save it from the historical rubbish heap. What a load of BS. I Know the reporter is just trying to write some poetic article about the blues, but please, do a little bit of research before you start waxing poetically.

Elvis Presley: Blues Christmas

More country, than blues, but this is still the cool Elvis from his comeback TV special in 1969. Unfortunately Elvis went Vegas, got fat, drugged up, and wore big white jump suits. UGH! Not cool!:-)

Punk Rock Blues

Interesting article from the Belfast Telegraph (Click HERE), about the rebirth of the blues, or perhaps I should say an interpretation of the rebirth of the blues punk rock style. I suppose I am getting old, but to me the sale line of "Not The Same Old Blues Crap," really bothers me. I took a good listen to the music both on the Punk Rock Blues website, and the myspace page for Not The Same Old Blues Crap and I understand why these Neo-punk bands are attracted to the roughness of the blues, but what exactly is the same old blues crap??? I also can't get to excited about rehashed Rolling Stones circa 1964. Seriously this has all been done before. White guys screaming, ( not singing) and loud bands.

I do understand the punk ethic. I also understand the reaction against clean, processed, over practiced pretentious blues bands. Perhaps that is a real problem in England and Northern Ireland. Here in the states is isn't a big problem anymore, since there is no money in playing blues, so only those who love the blues play the blues. So I would really like to know what they mean by not the same old blues crap, because at least around here I kinda of like the same old blues crap.

I suppose the thing that really riles me is the title of the article in the Telegraph, Bringing Back The True Blues. Now I don't want all the Punk Rock Blues performers to get angry, because I assume that it was the reporter for the Belfast Telegraph that came up with that title, but that has to be one the dumbest things I have read this year. There is nothing about it that is even true. If you want someone who is bringing back the TRUE BLUES then look to Keb Mo, or Corey Harris, or any of a number of acoustic blues musicians who play both delta, piedmont and contemporary styles of blues. Seriously if I had to pick who I want to lead the blues army into the next 50 years I will take Keb, or Corey. They are THE REAL DEAL! Nothing against this new(okay semi new) Punk Rock Blues style, but they are not bringing back trues blues in any sense of the word.

Ain't No Blues At The House Of Blues Take 984

I am sure my friend Dick Deluxe is singing the blues somewhere, but not at the House of Blues! (Click Here to hear Deluxe sing about the house of blues) However, Mandy Moore that great blues diva is singing at the house of blues!!!! IN Cleveland!!!! Wow! I wonder how many of dem old bluz standards she is going to sing:-) Yikes!!! Why do they even call it house of blues?????

You Got To Be Kidding!!

Okay, hype is one thing, but this is ridiculous. There is a band from Knutsford England, Blues and Snake, that is some sort of combo of thrash metal, blues, (trust me barely blues, but it is in there especially the song dirty women from their myspace page. Of course dirty woman starts out okay, until the guy sings and ruins it, and I thought the Germans couldn't sing! ACK!!! It reminds of the German punk band Labach from the 70s.) However, it is the article from Manchester Evening News that really bothered me. First, why call them anything close to a blues band or a slice of delta blues like the title. If this is the future of the blues, then it is time to put the blues out of its misery, because this is NOT THE BLUES. I sorry, I actually understand the teen angst thing, and the need for loud screaming obnoxious music, but kids, stick to the punk, and metal, and leave the blues to the old guys. Second, why all this crap about Robert Johnson! For the Millionth time it was TOMMY JOHNSON who sold his soul to the devil not Robert. Here is what David Sue wrote about the band.

But much like Jack and Meg White, Blues& Snake know that when it comes to SERIOUS blues music, you have a duty to create your own sense of dark, twisted theatre. These four, pasty-white kids, who hail originally from glamorous Knutsford, transplant the listener to the mythical crossroads where Robert Johnson made a pact with the devil.

Serious Blues music!!! Oh please! Get over yourself. 90 percent of blues, is music to chase the blues away. WTF is this creating a dark twisted theater about?????? Serisouly, Dave, get the history straight. Dont be so damn lazy, and just pull things, as they say in jolly ol England, OUT OF YOUR ARSE, . BTW, if you want to know what the lyrics for Crossroads is really talking about, and the true story of Robert Johnson then read this POST.

However, we can't let the kids off easy. Here is a quote from the article from them:

"The best blues is all about putting on an act,'' says the band's guitarist Paul Vickers. ``It's all about drawing the listener into your world. Of course, we're not 100-year-old bluesmen who hang about with prostitutes! We're 20-year-olds from the north of England. But it's important to create a world which draws people in. It's all quite tongue-in-cheek what we talk about in our songs.''

HUH?!??!?!?!?!?! Putting on an act?!?!?? Okay, maybe Elwood, and Jake Blues were putting on an act, BUT THEY WEREN'T REAL. Clapton??? Is he putting on act?? BB???? Muddy???? hmmmmmmmmm. Putting on a show, yes, putting on an act no. I can see your confusion, I mean the Stones, and Zeplin were putting on an act when they did blues song, but the real deal bluesman, no way. Furthermore what is the bit about 100 year old bluesmen and prostitutes??? hmmmmm, must be an English thing.

I think the bottom line, is that you need to respect the music, respect the players who came before you, and respect the history, because if you don't then you are just another rock/metal/punk band pretending to be a blues band, and trust me guys, people who know and love the blues don't take kindly to posers.

UPDATE

Check out the comments. Ash from the band has corrected information from the reporter. Like always the guy who wrote the story waxed a little too poetically about the band, and added quotes that they didn't say, or that they called themselves a blues band. I like the kids honesty, and I also realize that reporters are pretty lazy. Like I always say, if you like something don't rely on the critics. BUY THE CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom

Ap History Blues

If this kid put as much effort into his AP history class as he did with this video, then perhaps he wouldn't have the Blues! ACK! LAZY, LAZY, LAZY!!! Dude read your text book, listen to the lectures, and take the test its that freaking easy.

What A Friday Night: The Saga Of The Grand Piano Bistro

I got into Des Moines early enough to check out the nightlife, and I wanted to see the new hot spot, The Grand Piano Bistro! I decided to ditch my bluesman attire for more urban professional clothes, a very nice, (and I mean Very Nice) BVU Athletics polo shirt, and matching BV cap! I must say that my disguise was very appropriate for this new hang out of the late 20s early 40s, I am too old for the meat market, but I want to been seen at location!! However, the door man must have sensed that I was not one of the trendy types when I was informed that he needed five dollars, an ID, and I couldn't go in because it was crowded!! Hmmmmmmmmmmm, what is this New York???? Studio 57???? However, your intrepid reporter was undaunted and I decided to watch the show from the large picture window outside the bar! I am pleased to report that I am glad I saved my five dollars. A couple of hammy piano players acting out for a bunch of drunken drinking like I'm 20, but I am really 40 crowd! I think the highlight of the show (or in this case lowlight) was when they did a dueling piano version of American Pie WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION!! (really only Don McClain can get away with performing that song and making it work, any one else is just a parody) Needless to say I decided to move on to greener pastures and worked my way west to the legendary Blues On Grand.




I arrived at Blues On Grand in time to see former Australian now living in Michigan Harp player Harper. I don't know his last name, he goes by Harper, but his name is well deserved. This guy makes some of the strangest noises on that harp that I have heard, and I have had the pleasure of playing with some of the best in Kansas City. They didn't do some of the stuff this guy does. It is hard to explain. I almost think that he was humming and blowing at the same time to create these weird kind of glissando that bend way to smooth for a harp player. It is possible that it is something he learned from playing the indigenous instrument from Australia pictured above. He played a song with that and it was a very cool low sounding instrument that had some weird enharmonic going on. It is very much like the intro to the Globe Tracker series on Travel TV, or IPTV. Harper also can sing. He can sing in a straight blues style, but also can sing in a bass register, while his guitarist sing tenor that has a jazzy feel like the old Climax Blues Band. So it was a great night regardless of its start, and the BOG delivered as usual. If you want good music without the trendy drunks go get the blues at the BOG.

Reason Number 369 Why There's No Blues At The House Of Blues

As the great Dick Deluxe Sings, There Ain't No Blues At The House Of Blues, And once again another great example of how clueless the people are at the house of blues. The Chicago house of blues, you know one that should know the blues, has Elvis week coming up according to The Daily Journal. Elvis Week! ARGH!! I have nothing against Elvis, but a week of Elvis impersonators?!?!?!?!?!? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!!! Oh-well if you are in Chicago to see the blues, you are probably not going to The House Of Blues anyway.

ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC : Big Bullies

This is a great article about the hazards of booking live music. You think hey, I would like a band to play at my business, and then guess what the vultures start showing up demanding money. Blues On Grand went through this a year ago, and a lot of places that I have played over the years have gotten screwed over by these groups(thugs is closer to it) I have no problem with composers of songs getting payment for their work, but this is ridiculous. You need to read the whole story to get the real idea of what is going on. Click here for the article from Florida Today.

Photo Of The Week: Big Daddy, John East, and Jimmy Pyror

The photo of the week was taken at Razzmatazz just before we were kicked out of Urbandale Iowa for playing dance music! Pictured are Dennis "Big Daddy" Cain, John East, and Jimmy"Midnite Cowboy" Pryor. Dennis is the master of country blues, and plays many different styles of blues, while John East is a jump blues master on guitar. Of course, Jimmy was a great performer, with his own style. What was fun about Razzmatazz was that for the month we were there we quietly played blues, and had a small jam session. The owner loved us, and we had a small crowd of players who jammed with us. Unfortunately, a little known law in Urbandale banned dancing in most clubs. If it sounds like something out of footloose then you are not far off. The Urbandale city council didn't want live music and dancing since it might lead to heavy drinking and law breaking! EEEECCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!

In retrospect it is pretty funny. At the time I was very angry. However, we landed on our feet and moved the show to downtown Des Moines, where we lasted another couple months before we got fired by a drunken bar manager, but that's another story!

Rolling Stone Top 100 Guitarists

I found the list here are the blues cats on the list and their position.


1. Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
22 Mike Bloomfield
25 Freddy King
30 Buddy Guy
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
47 T-Bone Walker
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
61 Ike Turner
65 Hubert Sumlin
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
74 Johnny Winter
81 Derek Trucks

Anytime you make a list of the 100 best you are going to stir up a lot of anger. First should have been Stevie Ray Vaughn no if and or buts, Albert King should have been on the list. Jeff Healy, and Gary Moore should have been shoo ins. BB is way over rated, and I love BB dearly, but come on number 3?!?!?!?! number 91 was Robbie Krieger of the doors? Why is he even on the list? The best guitar solo on any doors album was on Roadhouse and that was played by Lonnie Mack Who should have been on the list. Then what about Albert Collins? I mean if you put in Lightnin Hopkins, could you perhaps of put in Son House, or Charlie Patton?? I could go on all night long, but thats the blues:-)

HUH??????

Wow, slog through this article if you can. This thing must have been written for a PHD for a PHD:-) YIKES! I actually understand what they are writing about, but I am use to academic writing. However, if you want to reach the average reader try to keep it at a sixth grade level. Now some of you might be offended that the bulk of what is written for the general public is written at a sixth grade level, but lets think about it for a second. If you cant say something simply and concisely, WHY SAY IT????

Besides the author is writing about how degrading dancehall music is to women and to the culture in general. I would think the audience he is writing to must be having a tough time deciphering the first paragraph alone. Oh, BTW, the story originated form the Jamaica Journal.

They Do Book Blues At The Ground Zero Blues Club

Unlike the House Of Blues, The Ground Zero Blues Club located in Clarksdale, and soon in Memphis books the blues. Co-owners Bill Luckett and Morgan Freeman, (yes, that Morgan Freeman) will , and do book delta blues at both clubs.

According to the Memphis Daily News:

"The main ingredient of that club and this club is we're going to play blues music," Luckett said.

The musical focus will be Delta blues, with many musicians from Clarksdale and the surrounding area making the trip to Memphis for regular gigs. Luckett estimated four or five nights of live music each week, and he'll use his Clarksdale booking agent, Roger Stolle of Cat Head Presents, to schedule the acts.

Hmmmmmmmm, what a novel idea! Book blues in a blues bar! Hmmmmmmmmmm why didn't I think of that! Hey, wait! shouldn't someone tell the House Of Blues!

New House Of Blues Opens in Dallas

Wow! Another House Of Blues opens up in Dallas. In fact, the Blues Brothers are going to play for the grand opening! well, sort of, its Dan Ackroyd, and Jim Belushi, as Elwood Blues, and Zee Blues. However, Matt Guitar Murphy will be featured. (thank goodness, have you heard those guys sing! OUCH!) According to the press release the House of Blues empire which is run by Live Nation:

Live Nation is the world's largest live music company. Our mission is to inspire passion for live music around the world. We are the largest promoter of live concerts in the world, the second-largest entertainment venue management company and have a rapidly growing online presence. We create superior experiences for artists and fans, regularly producing tours for the biggest superstars in the business, including The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, U2 and Coldplay. Globally, we own, operate, have booking rights for and/or have an equity interest in more than 160 venues, including House of Blues(R) and Fillmore(R) music venues and prestigious locations such as Nikon at Jones Beach in New York and London's Wembley Arena. Our websites collectively are the second most popular entertainment/event websites in the United States, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. In addition, we also produce, promote or host theatrical, specialized motor sports and other live entertainment events. In 2006, we connected nearly 60 million fans with their favorite performers at approximately 26,000 events in 18 countries around the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV."

Oh, yeah, one more thing. THEY DON'T BOOK DA BLUES:-)

Toxic / House Of Blues / Britney Spears

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House of What???? Oooooooooh Look its the great blues diva Brittney performing that great old blues standard Toxic!

For a critique of the show check out the link below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20070502/britney-spears

Last night it was only rumor, but today it is real. Brittney actually played, if you can call it that, at the House of Blues. I just wonder what the heck is going on over there. I know that House of Blues has always booked a variety of different bands, but why keep the charade of calling yourself a blues club. Why not House of Rock, or House of Pop, or House of %&*#&%#! How about some truth in advertising:-)

Ain't No Blues At The House Of Blues

Okay, before you read this post go to my friend Dick Deluxe's Myspace page and listen to his song Ain't No Blues At The House Of Blues. Never was a song so right. I have never understood what the deal was with the house of blues, but the latest news from the wire is just crazy. Brittney Spears is supposedly planning her great comeback by playing some gigs with a band called M&Ms. At, get this, THE HOUSE OF BLUES. Oh, yeah, Brittney the great blues goddess. You know if they booked Christine Aguilera I could see that. I have heard her belt out a few blues tunes, and she even sang with Dr. John, but Britney. Give me a break! Does ol Elwood have anything to do with this place? I bet Jake is turning over in his grave about now. ACK!!!!!!!! Lets hope this is an urban legend, or a very late April Fools joke:-)