Page 78 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2014

Custom mic stand in a pinch “It’s not unusual for us to play five totally different types of
Photo re-inactment by venues in any given week on the road. The good thing about
John Blueshammer Hammer
blues is that it works just fine in any setting. Once, we even played
didn’t even have a mic stand, a blues festival held at a clothing optional resort (nudist colony is
we duct taped a mic to a broom the old way of saying it). It’s really more about the people than
handle attached to a chair. You the venue anyway. Blues fans are the most appreciative bunch
get the picture! I’ve ever had the pleasure of performing for and this group
We managed to play that was no different. I’d have to say the dance floor could get a bit
night and were treated to a distracting though.
feast of grilled sparrows, I think. The added bonus for this gig was, as the sun went down, so
They were very small birds did the temperature. We sold every single t-shirt we had brought
wrapped in bacon. I assumed it along!” — Tinsley Ellis
was a local delicacy! The crowd Well my friends, they say the time spent on the road defines
loved us, thank goodness, or who we are. The beauty of the blues fest season is we all get to
we might’ve been the next thing head out on the road and create our own adventurous memories.
barbequed. These memories will provide material for hours of story tellin’ next
Of course they didn’t have hotel rooms for us. They offered winter, while waitin’ for fest season to begin all over again…
us the owner’s house as he was staying at some friend’s place. I
got to sleep in the master bedroom and as I was tucking myself John ‘Blueshammer’ Hammer is a writer/photographer based
in, I noticed what I thought was a toy gun on the bedside table. I in Minnesota. He publishes Blue Monday Monthly, which is
picked it up and nearly fell to the ground. It was real and loaded. distributed in seven states and online at www.bluemondaymonthly.
Welcome to Texas! com. John is also a promoter of live events and producer/host of
We happily left the next morning, all safe and sound and off “Hammered by The Blues” weekly radio show on KRUE 100.9fm
to the next gig.” — Mitch Woods / 1170am as well as streaming on his website. To contact John
Of course, one of the best sources of income to a blues road about photos, subscriptions to Blue Monday, graphic art, or just
warrior is merchandise. The unexpected may spur on sales: to shoot the breeze: blueshammer@bluemondaymonthly.com.

76 Blues Festival Guide 2014