Welcome to BluesRow

Went to The Underdogs Cafe in Harrisburg on Friday night for Harpapalooza 2, put on by the Central PA Blues Society.  It was a great idea: get several of the best harp players in the area together, put on a kickin’ show, and raise money for juvenile diabetes along the way. From my perspective, it was a success all the way around.

Hosted by Nate Myers and the Aces (who also served as the house band), and supported by a rowdy and enthusiastic elbow-to-elbow crowd, the evening was a total mainline injection of the blues. I worked my way to the front and got to sit in an actual chair next to the PA rack. One thing I can say is that there’s nothing better than feeling the floor thump underneath you as the band goes through the changes. It’s that live vibe that’s so hard to capture on disc.

We heard Ronny Ray (of the Coolers), Little Freddie from Blind Joe Death, Flatfoot Sam, Mike “Fathead” Easton (from the Krypton City Blues Revue), Mike Mettalia (from Midnight Shift), and Andy “Badmouth” Barnhart, and of course, Nate Myers. Nate is a great frontman as well as a great harp player.

I’m a guitar fan more than a harp fan, but I went at the invitation of my bud Jim Phipps from Blue Light Special, who is a pretty mean harp player himself. He helped me gain more of an appreciation of the instrument as we compared tone and technique of the players.

Got to say that the one who really blew me away was Flatfoot Sam. While he may not be the most technically amazing harp player, he has a GREAT stage presence and vocal style, and led the Aces like they were his band.  Some great jump blues in the set!

Thanks to Nate and the Aces and the CPBS for putting on a great show!