Blues Fest at the Crossroads

In Southern California they say the best way to see Disneyland is to check in at one of the hotels in walking distance. The Blues Fest at the Crossroads is the same. Hilton Garden Inn or Candlewood Suites will put you at the center of the action if you like loud music. No careful drive home after "two" beers, no taking a tired family member home when the best band has not yet played, no nothing but music and music lovers all night long.



Jill Shutt (pictured above) opened the BF at the XR and her set was highlighted (for me) by Georgia on My Mind which I always thought was about one of Ray Charle's girlfriends but she made it her own song.

but before that, there was a moment of 911 silence and the THFD color guard adding red and white to the blues
lest we forget



but before that ... I need to point out that the 7th and Wabash (US 41 and 40) is only an historic location with a marker that says what it was before the interstate highway systems were built. From the west side of South 7th Street it looked like this (shaky camera holder and bad light and all)



Mike Milligan was next up and the first of many blues/rock groups. Knowing only what I like and don't gives me no right to judge or rank these many hard working groups and I won't try. I'm probably no better judge of the crowd around me but I made certain observation. After Jill Shutt entertained the crowd, they settled in to hear blues played as night fell and Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel blasted it at the crossroads. ...


In October of 2001 late on the last night of a week-long visit to Terre Haute I drove down Wabash Avenue and noticed that Boone Dunbar was playing at The Verve. I slowed and put the driver side window down and let the guitar and drums sound in. I thought I needed rest for the flight back to California more than to see Boone again.
The next time I saw him was at his funeral. There's a lesson there somewhere.

Governor Davis and the Blues Ambassadors, when they went Ray Charles call and answer with the BF@XR crowd, made me think of Boone at The Spot and all the other joints in the midwest that rocked all night with blues based sound.



Looking west from 7th Street onto Wabash Avenue at midnight.


The nightcap group, W. T. Fester, cranked up the volume to 11 so folks could hear their music all the way home with the windows rolled up. When I approached the stage to take a picture, I could feel the sound blast head to toe.




W.T. Feaster rocked all of the town and this new generation of blues fans.

It would be a short night of sleep for this old one if I was to be ready for more at noon Saturday.