Oracle and the Mountain

The Whigs

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I made it down pretty early because I wanted to catch Umphrey’s McGee. Last year I went to see them based solely on the fact that their 10-year-old debut album is entitled Greatest Hits: Volume 3.

That’s funny enough to merit 40 minutes of my time.
And I think I remember really liking it.

But I’m a battered and ill-cared for old robot, and I hadn’t heard them before or since, so I need to check again. I can’t accurately access that data at this time. Please wait…

I’m also rigging this old deck up with some Photoshop action, so imagery is imminent.

The weather is beautiful.

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There will be a late-night post-Fest jam session tonight at the New Daisy Theater. Super Chikan, who filled in admirably on short notice Friday evening at the Blues Tent, will be there, along with Memphis guitar heavyweight Kirk Smithhart and Gary Burnside, the multi-instrumentalist and son of the late R.L. After that, who knows? Word has it that might include the Hill Country Revue, maybe Watermelon Slim, and if we get lucky, maybe a certain longtime Burnside family associate who is playing these days with a Sunday night closing act? (doors at 9; $10 cover)

So, when I was interviewing Lucia Warner of Alton, Illinois — the woman with Moe, Larry and Curly tattooed with almost photorealistic verisimilitude across her bare back, as reported in today’s Beale Street Music Festival story — a man taking a cell phone photograph of said body art promised to email me the image so I could post this wonderment on this blog. But the email never got to me. So David Rea of St. Louis, if you read this, please try again! Then readers can judge for themselves whether the tat was worth the $250 that Warner paid the Tucson, Ariz., artist who inked her up. (Confided Warner: “He was gonna charge 300 dollars, but he love the Stooges so much he dropped it to 250.”)

Even if the market-driven “diversity” of the Beale Street Music Festival lineup paradoxically results in a somewhat predictable slate of artists, surprises can be found, sometimes in unlikely places. Saturday afternoon, at the so-called SoCo [i.e., Southern Comfort] Blues Shack (a small stage added to the festival this year to give area blues artists some Memphis in May exposure), Bluff City-based hill country stylist Richard Johnston followed a typically rousing North Mississippi shake-’em-on-down foot-stomper with a cover he said was inspired by a soldier friend’s recent return from Fallujah in Iraq. “I’m gonna dedicate this song to the Commander in Chief,” Johnston said; then, he and his slide-guitar sideman launched into what I eventually happily recognized as a blistering blues rendition of Black Sabbath’s Vietnam-era “War Pigs.”

Such political consciousness may make Johnston a more “authentic” bluesman than some of the tradition-bound performers in the much larger Tennessee Lottery Blues Tent; don’t forget (to name only two examples), John Lee Hooker recorded “The Motor City Is Burning,” about the 1967 Detroit race riot, and J.B. Lenoir’s discography includes “Eisenhower Blues” and “Vietnam Blues.”

Will Johnston repeat his Ozzy tribute/Dubya diss? Find out today [Sunday]: He’s scheduled to play at 2, 4:40, 6:20 and 8 p.m. at the Blues Shack.

George Hunt has been doing the Beale Street Music Festival poster for 17 years. He’s got a gallery next to the Blues Tent where he’s signing posters throughout the day. And after all these years, he’s still having a great time.

Iconoclastic bluesman Richard Johnston is, in a way, responsible for the Southern Comfort Blues Shack being introduced at this year’s Beale Street Music Festival. Last year, the one-man band who plays anywhere he can around town, found a spot at Tom Lee Park during the 2007 festival and did his thing. Memphis in May didn’t get mad, it got creative and put up the SoCo shack to provide music between sets at the Tennessee Lottery Blues Tent.

Yea. It’s this guy.

“So anyone going to the Disturbed photo pit?”

-”Oh, I’m in!” I reply.

These guys play all super serious, but I’m standing two feet in front of “dude” and giggling uncontrollably. I mean I guess this stuff gets a pass if you’re playing guitar hero, but I thought it was pretty silly in person.

They try to be all intense, but at the end of the day they still play Phil Collins and Tears for Fears covers.

It’s also great fun watching the kids beat the tar out of each other at a show like this.

You guys need to go see Mastodon or Lamb of God or something and just settle down.

Well… I still had fun. I usually do. Till tomorrow.
Cheers.

Buddy Guy jumped on stage in full patriotic garb and proceeded to wow the crowd with energy and personality. Santana showed up backstage to watch the prolific bluesman work the crowd. Watch this video on how Mr. Guy does it.

Santana’s headlining set at the Cellular South stage is shaping up to be quite an event. Easily drawing the biggest crowd of the festival so far, guitarist Carlos Santana and company are whipping up a party atmosphere to battle against the increasingly chilly temperatures. Aided by a small amry of backing musicians, singers and notably, percussionists, Santana’s signature Latin-tinged blues rock is warming things up nicely.