Write a blog! Jennifer tells me every week I need write a Blues Blog, and every week I look at her knowing that I meant to write – it’s just the time got away from me. So, here’s my blog – Pat is sitting next to me getting his fourth round of chemo and I’ve surfed about as much as I can today, so now it’s time to WRITE THAT BLOG!
Patrick’s cancer diagnosis has taken nearly every brain cell in my head. I think about it 24/7, I dream about it, I worry nonstop and in the midst of all of it – we need to produce Flagstaff Blues and Brews. I wish I were one of those people who could immediately shift my mind to work and keep it on work so I wouldn’t think about cancer and what it means, but I’m not one of those lucky people. I can’t seem to wrap my head around what’s happening and as a result I’ve been the lessor partner in this business while I attempt to come to terms with our new world. Pat on the other hand, has decided that while getting chemo every other week for 50 hours is a bump in the road, he refuses to let it change one moment of his life. He is my rock, and he told me I need to figure out a way to deal better with this – apparently, I’m becoming annoying. Leave it to a husband to keep it real.
So, I’m going to write about signing acts for the festival – actually, about the acts who have become friends and what a gift it is to meet some of these amazingly talented people. I’ve worked with quite a few musical acts, between the 9 festivals I’ve produced and the 3 I’ve volunteered for, I’ve gotten to meet quite a few cool people and thankfully only a handful of jerks. I have to say Blues music produces the nicest, coolest, most humble artists of all genres. I always get the standard contracts, the ones that demand that a dressing room is a certain temperature, certain waters, enough liquor to host a frat party, and a list of food that a small country wouldn’t be able to consume in a day –much less a few hours, and like always I end up crossing out line after line and writing – Festival Catering, Festival Setting and Festival alcohol. And it’s the Blues artists that sign it with all the red lines and have never once wanted to know why we didn’t have all that was asked. The Blues artists are always happy to sign CDs, always happy to meet with people and always so complimentary about the festival and set up.
I will admit, I went WAY over budget this year for our entertainment, but I wanted to let everyone know the Flagstaff Blues and Brews means business. We’re here to stay, we’re here to expand and do everything in our power to grow into a world class blues festival. The entertainment that we booked this year is by far the most accomplished – We’ve got the Hoodoo Casters kicking it off – Hoodoo Casters are from Phoenix – they are amazing and just released their first CD and having received a copy – I am SO EXCITED to have them kick off the show!
R.D. Olson Blues Band took top honors at the Phoenix Blues Society Blues Competition and represented Arizona at the International Blues Competition in January. They did an amazing job and made us proud – so having this band at the festival will be a great representation of all the IBC embodies. Eden Brent from last year’s festival is an IBC winner – so this is going to be FUN!!!!!
Our third act is none other than the Harlis Sweetwater Band. Harlis has shared the stage with ZZ Top and Etta James, and has one of the best voices in any genre!
Hitting the stage after Harlis will be Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience. I am SO EXCITED to have Zydeco at the festival!!! Zydeco is a genre that just makes you want to dance and be happy. Terrance Simien wrote a song for Disney’s Princess and the Frog – Gonna Take You There, and has won 2 Grammys in his 30 year career. What you don’t know is that his wife Cynthia is BEYOND fabulous and I’ve enjoyed working with her so much I’m hoping I talked her into coming out for the show so I can meet her! I can see her and I being friends for years to come, so if her husband and his band are half as wonderful as she is, they are spectacular! Having an artist like Terrance on our stage is such a treat this year, and he would have been quite the headliner, had I stopped there.
But NOOOOO – I decided in addition to the amazing acts listed I needed to go just one step further and signed the incomparable Shemekia Copeland. Daughter of Texas Blues Guitar Legend Johnny Copeland, Shemekia has headlined the Chicago Blues Festival where in 2011 she was crowned by Koko Taylor’s daughter as the New Queen of the Blues. Shemekia has played the White House, been nominated for 2 Grammy Awards, has won Album of the Year and has shared the stage with Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and BB King. Again, I probably should have stopped here and been ECSTATIC with our lineup, but I thought, “Why not send Jennifer completely over the edge and up that budget a WHOLE LOT MORE”. Well, it worked!
I sent poor Jen off the deep end with my headliner. And that headliner is probably someone we should have saved for year 5, but I LOVE to gamble and so I booked the Taj Mahal Trio! OH YEAH! What is left to say about Taj Mahal? Taj Mahal – 2 Grammys, performed with anyone who’s anyone in the Blues and Rock, Jazz, Americana Genres, performed at the White House, and recently received the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award. Yeah – I’m stoked! BEYOND stoked! I get to meet Taj Mahal!!!!!! I HIRED Taj Mahal!!!!!! Taj Mahal is playing the third Flagstaff Blues and Brews!!!! THIRD YEAR and yes I took a gamble and yes, I went WAY over budget, but the Flagstaff Blues and Brews is ready to play with the big dogs and we hope you are too. GRAB your tickets, your festival chairs, and your sunscreen and come on out to one of the most beautiful Blues Festival locations in the country. Grass, sunshine, cold beer, great food and Mt. Elden in the background – how does life get any better? Oh, and if I can get 7,000 people to attend – We will go to 2 days next year!!! OH MY, 12 acts to book – WOO HOO!!!!!!
Debbi