Perks

The task of putting on a blues festival is daunting, especially when all of us have day-jobs. It can be time consuming, exasperating and fraught with complications. At the other end of the spectrum lies the good news: the perks. As the talent buyer for Blues by the Bay, I actively scout talent. I prefer to hire bands for our event that I've had the opportunity to see and hear live. It's mostly a handy little excuse for hitting blues clubs and parties, but I think of it as one of the perks for doing what I do.

This past Sunday offered just such an occasion. I attended a blues society event in mid-Michigan where a young harmonica hot-shot was opening for a once-popular rock star-turned-blues player.

One couldn't have been more different than the other, and in the end, both entertained brilliantly with their demonstrations of undeniable talent. In the doing, they represented the many layers that constitue the blues. The passionate young harp player, infusing a little funk into his blues. The veteran guitar player with the caustically funny lyrics. There's something for everyone at a blues show.

In the last five years, another perk has revealed itself to me. As I go about the business of talent scouting, I've had the opportunity to meet nearly all the performers that I've listened to, whether they are hired to play the festival or not. With few exceptions, I've found these blues troubadours to be mostly good people, striving to keep the blues alive. They may appear onstage to be "celebrities", but behind the scenes I've been allowed to discover the secrets to life on the blues highway.

Blues performers travel thousands of miles every year, most of them not in fancy tour buses or by plane but usually in a van loaded with gear and each other. They struggle to maintain long-distance personal relationships. They love a home cooked meal when they can get it. They practice and rehearse, then practice and rehearse some more. Although they're living their dream, it's a dream that doesn't come easy or cheap. Even at it's ripe old age, the blues is a grass-roots movement that requires a lot of "word of mouth" to keep it alive.

It's been a great honor meeting so many of these blues musicians and learning that they're only a star for as long as they're on the stage. Afterwards, they're just one of us.

So you might wonder what, then, are the perks for the blues performer? I think I know. It's when people like us turn out en masse to a performance and show our appreciation. That....and of course the paycheck.