Blind Melon Maddogg

I went to the little town of Centerville, Ohio for their blues jam. It is called the Hidden Gem and it is literally behind a strip mall, hence its name. It has a good vibe, although there is no food service. They do pour alcohol but the music was a step beyond kick-ass.

The hosts for the jam were an assortment of local blues players that hooked up for the gig, but you would swear they had been playing together for twenty years.

That tight.

It was such a pleasure being backed up by such talented players, and I know that Karen will love the place.

I had my electric-acoustic Ibanez in the Highlander (“You will always be weaker than I, Highlander”), but I didn’t want to bring it out through the rain. I told the Jam Master that I would sing a couple songs. I ended up kicking their asses with the Allman Brothers’ One Way Out and Bessie Smith’s Empty Bed Blues.

Yes, I had to be helped up on to the stage.

Yes, I had trouble dodging all the power chords for a six-piece blues band.

Yes, my balance was a little off.

But I kicked their asses.

Here is where this story gets more interesting.

As I was leaving, a young dude approached me in the parking lot.

“Hey, are you the guy who just sang up onstage? Are you Maddogg?”

Branding.

“That’s me.”

“My name is Allan. I am a guitar instructor and I have a blues band.  We were the opening band for the recent BluesFest. We are looking for a lead vocalist for the band.  I’ve been hitting a lot of jams and open mics, and we like the passion you sing with. You connect with the audience.”

How’d you like to join a blues band?”

“Would you be interested in coming to my music studio to see if we sound as good as I think we will?”

I took his card.

The idea of Blind Melon Maddogg fronting a hot blues band might be too good to pass up. It felt cathartic to wail in my old rock and blues voices, and I have sorely missed the sheer power of a six-piece band behind me.

I am intrigued and I honestly don’t know exactly how the Domestic Despot will react, but I am intrigued never-the-less.

A working band is what Allan said, and I just don’t know how much time I will have to invest, especially if we are really good.

We are already planning to go to a blues festival in the small town of Lebanon this weekend with ADogg and his wife Kris, Karen’s kid sister.

I will keep you posted on the progress of my new venture, starting with Karen’s thoughts when I hit her up tomorrow.

 I am going to see about hitting a bucket of balls tomorrow. The golf course is a great place to clear the head and to fog it back up at the same time.

Stay well.