Forcast Calls For The Blues

Mid Winter Blues Opus

In the long winters of Minnesota, you have a few realistic choices to keep on an even keel. You can look at the snow and listen to the blues on your stereo; you can travel thru the snow to catch the blues in a bar or hall; you can play in the snow and listen to the blues on an mp3 player, and you can ponder. Now pondering is an art in Minnesota. It is something that can be done alone or in groups of any size. Ponderings on the weather, definitions of what we crave in the next CD we buy, or why more people don’t listen to the blues are all fairly common. It can be practiced in short snippits or, in the case of your truly, can be easily expanded to the size best described as ‘Opus’.

So here we are, pondering last years resolutions, festivals caught and festivals that got away, and of course, the imponderable. As a confessed blues addict I know I can lose sight of moderation in my pursuit of the blues. I’ve been told my priorities are askew. I don’t know; is it truly wrong to mourn the festivals I miss as much as savoring the ones I get to? What is wrong with adding ‘latest 5 blues CDs’ to the weekly grocery list? Is it not just as important to our health to nourish the soul; and the blues does that! DUH. And, why can’t I write off the ticket price of an outdoor festival rained out as gambling losses? You actually have better odds with blackjack than predicting the weather in Minnesota on any given day.

To be proactive, in a moment of doubt and weakness; a few like minded folks started a support group to ponder our addiction and share other joyous ramblings of events savored from our past. We share favorite artists, imbibe adult beverages and discuss issues of accommodating our inner blues demons. Our philosophy is based on managing the perceptions of our total acquiescence to our obsession without embarrassing ourselves. We started this Twelve Bar program, not just to deal with our own happy demons. We simply believe our positive vibe will create a blues paradise on earth and beyond.Ya gotta think large to stay warm. Why, with such a noble resolve as to perpetuate the ’mission from God’ that Brother Jake and Brother Elwood testified about; all family members actually believe we have mastered our demons.

Now at a mid winter therapy session one member proudly announced he just named his new twins ‘Ledbelly’ and ‘Pinetop’ and the girls were doing just fine. Another shared his new tattoo of a rubbing from Robert Johnson’s gravestone. No one had the heart to tell him that Robert Johnson wasn’t buried in southern Iowa. I overheard another idea to maximize LIVE music time at big festivals thru the personal use of a catheter and bag, but wiser heads prevailed and the idea never came up for group discussion. By now we were havin’ too much fun, so it was time to get down to our topic du jour: In these troubled times; what is the future of the blues?

Our little support group boasts a cross section of demographics certainly representative of our great country. More importantly, the rabid nature of our demons causes us all to seek out data, trivia, trends, and even minutia of the living, breathing force of nature; THE BLUES. An actuary associated with us extrapolated that we probably have expended close to 250,000 man/hours in the pursuit of information; some valuable, some downright silly. Now this confers upon all of us, admitted bluesers with issues, a doctorate level of expertise in our chosen field. That and about $5 will get you a tap beer at some festivals. Although no formal thesis is planned, we will freely share with you the condensed, totally abridged version of the very essence of the scholarly blatherings of a bunch of blues addicts.

First point explored was: With the current state of the economy, will there be discretionary funds available to support festivals and Bands? This question created quite a stir as some of our honored alumni took issue with the notion that we were implying festival attendance did not make the ‘necessity’ side of some folks’ budgets. At the end of discussion, it was decided that most folks who appreciate the arts are smart enough to realize the positive, exponential influence on the greater economy and will prioritize their needs to allocate appropriately. Does the general public even care about the blues and will attendance at festivals grow? The answer was a resounding “Hell, Yeah!” In fact one member said he was going to go to one extra event a month and make his mother in law come along. Another said he tried distributing festival flyers at the Agoraphobics Anonymous meeting to encourage a new and untapped fan demographic to come out, but nobody ever showed up at the meetings….. Anyway, the consensus of our scientific poll indicated unanimous love for the blues. Next issue discussed delved into what the blues of the future would sound like. This debate was spirited to say the least. It opened some old wounds. The purists declaring real blues dead and SRV devil spawn for inspiring a generation of ‘rawk-guitar posers’ who wouldn’t know the blues if it ran over them. At that moment, the esteemed panel had to be reminded of the most important foundations of our group: ‘acceptance’ and ‘common ground’. We could all agree the blues is a pure artform. We could all agree that an artist must embody their interpretation to their creation to grow. So it just stands to reason, by nature, it will evolve into something impossible to imagine; yet be totally apparent to those who behold. Some you'll love; some not so much, all based on personal taste.

We were all feelin’ the spirit of peace and love the blues inspires as the purists bought the rockers a round and they responded in kind. At this point, the Librarian in our group, (who never speaks), got up and asked if he could say a few words. Now he went on for an hour and a half, quoting tomes we had never heard of and historic precedence never reported on CNN or FOX. For the interest of brevity and your comfort, I will cut it down to the nitty gritty.

The blues were born in a time of slavery and oppression. By the nature of it’s purity, the artform lifted the spirits of those who were oppressed. As technology increased, more and more people were introduced to this artform and felt the uplifting power of the blues. With the increased exposure to artists, the blues naturally evolved. The music we call the blues has always gained the strongest popularity in times of hardship, economic uncertainty and moral strife. Certainly the commonality of misery provides magnificent inspiration for the artists and the fans who care. When things are ‘too’ good, we take for granted the importance of art and we just don't support it the way it deserves. Simply put, when society is challenged, at lowest ebb of progress, they embrace that which defines the greatness of the human spirit. The blues is an unbreakable thread that binds up wounds and heals the souls of all who take time to listen to it’s siren song. As we have learned thru the historic times of repression, prohibition, global financial calamity, depression, war and intolerance; the blues has always come back strong to lead the charge of ‘recovery’. Yes, we are at the crossroads once again. I have no doubt that we will pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off. I believe we are soon to witness a resurgence of popularity that hasn’t been felt since before congress declared 2003 the year of the blues and we lost ground. At the end of his speech the soft spoken Librarian rose up and said; “History is calling once again and we will rise to the occasion. My Brothers and sisters; go out and preach the gospel of the 12 bar to the faithful and uninitiated alike. Feel the power of your convictions, the morality of your soul and the heady rush of spirits uplifted by the blues. Embrace all you meet and help bring change the world so desperately needs and mankind deserves!” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Some members grabbed phones to buy tickets and make travel arrangement. Some ran into the streets to minister the glory of the blues to the populous at large. Needless to say, in their defense, every evolution-revolution meets some resistance and we bailed them out the next morning. Organization and discipline are the key to success in any movement. We have to get as organized as possible to make up for our admitted lack of discipline.

My friends; make your plans and share the love. We will see you this summer at the blues fests. You’ll want to be able to tell your grandchildren you were there for the beginning of this century's resurgence of the blues in global popular culture. Yeah; you gotta think large to stay warm….