Note
I started this article before Covid lockdowns hit and the live music scene was decimated. I saw one of the artists I talk about below – Papa Chubby – the week before I got mandatory work from home orders. It took me a while to pick this back up and find the right angle. The gist is the same: supporting locally- and regionally-touring artists. Showing some love and respect to musicians that are following in the long historic footsteps of artists that made their living by hustling, working hard, and hitting the pavement every day. Give them a listen, view or stream; and if you like it, throw them a few bucks for some virtual content. Similarly, when your local venues open up again and you feeling safe, please give some love to these local places. They need you, the customer, and you always vote with your dollars.
Live, Local, Cheap and Easy
Lately I’ve seen a lot of smaller, local, regional or even nationally touring acts that have been inspiring because they’re out there putting in the mileage, hitting the pavement. No glamorous tour buses or five star hotels. Creating a community, building a fan base one at a time, bonding as either a group of friends or as family. I want to call a few of these groups out, and bring visibility to the smaller acts that are bringing great music to all corners of the country. Think about how you can support these artists, now more than ever. I had been really enjoying going to closer, cheaper and more fun concerts from these artists compared to the big arena or festival bands.
Ida Mae
I first saw this husband-wife duo a year ago opening for Greta Van Fleet. I liked them then, but seeing them more recently in a smaller venue opening for Tommy Emmanuel was much better. Their blend of acoustic blues and country connects better in a more intimate venue.
Visit Ida Mae Music to learn more, buy music, and keep up with them!
Marbin
It’s been a few years, but when I saw Marbin at the Blue Bamboo performing art center (basically a 50 person capacity room) I was really inspired. This sparked the “bands out there hitting the pavement” line of thought. They’re an incredible four piece fusion group, consisting of drums, bass, guitar and horn. They music is fun and interesting, each of the musicians is great, and what really comes across in these smaller shows is that each song had a great story behind it. With instrumental music like this, hearing the stories behind the music really helps connect.
Another thing that’s great about these small, local venues is that my seats were fantastic! The Blue Bamboo has tables set up in the room, for all unobstructed views and comfort. They also serve a selection of nice beers, and cheap popcorn.
You also never know what you’ll find at local places. They have a small bookshelf with CDs and DVDs for sale – some new, some used. A few years back I heard an incredible jazz piece on the local jazz radio station, and I liked it so much I kept humming the main part to myself and went back as soon as I got home to look up the play list. It was Martin Bejeramo’s TRIO Miami and the song was the Reckoning Song. The Blue Bamboo had their disc – with the long I loved for $2. Can’t beat that! I had it in my Amazon cart for years, and the album cover is very recognizable, but I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase.
Visit Marbin Music to learn more, buy music, and keep up with them!
Eric Gales
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Eric Gales. He’s made quite a name for himself over the many years of his career, but especially recently. He has an incredible life story of early fame, terrible fall, jail and a renewed life and career. I’d heard of him, but he came to the local (The Alley in Sanford, FL) blues club a few years back and I saw him twice. I was getting burned out on blues/rock, but he reignited my faith and love of the genre. It was incredible – the passion and soul he pours out on stage is so inspiring. The whole band cooks, and they do a perfect combination of blues, rock, and R&B.
His album “The Bookends” was my favorite album of 2019. I went up there (it’s about a 30-40 minute drive) twice to see him, but for $20-$25 tickets, great seats at a nice bar with good BBQ, you really can’t beat it. The place was pretty packed, and the crowd was into it both times I went. He’s since started playing some bigger places, and doing the Bonamassa Blues Cruise, which I’d love to attend some day. I hope Eric all the best in his renewed and revitalized career, and I’m glad I got to see him in a small place!
Visit Eric Gales Band to learn more, buy music, and keep up with him!
Popa Chubby
Popa Chubby is a long-established blues/rock singer and guitar player hailing from New York. A new blues-focused club/restaurant opened up not too far from me – Dexter’s New Standard in Orlando/Winter Park, FL. It’s much closer than The Alley, and on a whim I went out to see him, both because I wanted to see him and because I wanted to support this new venue.
His set was hit or miss – I could do without the overplayed Hendrix covers (like Hey Joe) – but I dug some of his originals. The title track on his latest album – “It’s a Hard Road” was pretty cool. He had a good, solid band and has a great voice to go with his classic, edgy strat tone. For $20 and a 10 minute drive, coupled with reasonably priced craft beers made for a really fun night of blues/rock.
Visit Popa Chubby to learn more, buy music, and keep up with him!
Michael Angelo Batio
M.A.B. is somewhat of a legend in the shred guitar field. He played by himself, with backing tracks and big 50+ inch monitors behind him. That said, he had real amps and the sound was great. For twenty bucks and a 15 minute drive to the bar, it was a steal. What surprised me most was how incredibly entertaining he was. Every song had a great story leading to it, and it wasn’t just a million notes a second for two hours. Super fun. The Shovelhead Lounge in Longwood, FL is a local metal institution, and they’ve found a great niche. It’s 15 minutes door-to-door from my house, parking is easy, tickets are always cheap and the staff is friendly.
I wrote a detailed review of his show here.
Visit HandsWithoutShadows to learn more, buy music, and keep up with him! He does a lot of teaching on both Youtube and his entertaining Facebook page. Check them out as well! \m/ \m/
Real Life Van Stories
This a pretty interesting and entertaining read about the less glamorous side of van tours:
https://www.talkhouse.com/the-van-from-hell/
Guitar Vince 