Just over a week ago, my wife and I attended the Dallas Blues Fest, likely not the only festival of the genre but certainly a particular take on the subject. This was the 8th annual and I will, barring anything unforeseeable, be there next year. An inside event. 8 bands with short sets. Always a front man (or woman), the supporting casts consisting of seasoned professionals, many likely hired guns. Top quality support. Performance for the leaders leads the way while staying on tune was tough for a few.
This was advertised as a blues show, but rhythm and blues might have been more accurate. Evangelical episodes intermixed with raw sexual narrative peppered most performances. Not a single guitar solo.
The crowd was awesome. They stood, they cheered, they rocked, they danced and after a while they moved in and crammed together at the stage, singing and dancing, dressed to the nines, unabashedly flaunting and grooving. We had front row seats. The coolest time ever.
A detail- of the 5,000 or so attending, I'd be stretching the truth if I were to tell you I saw more than 10 white people. One was a guitar player. We number 2. I'm telling you, this was an eye opener to me. I used to be involved in the blues society back in Peoria and the numbers there would have been reversed. I thought I knew the real deal. I experienced it last week.
1 comment:
Sounds like a great experience! I would have loved to check it out. I'm glad you're taking advantage of opportunities to soak in the culture.
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