Hagerstown, MD doesn’t scream excitement at first mention, but they know how to throw one hell of a festival. The Western Maryland Blues Fest wasn’t a huge event, it didn’t have superstar headlining acts or 60,000 people, but it was well-organized, well-attended, had a solid lineup of musicians and bands, and overall was a damn-good time.
Bonerama, a “brass funk band from New Orleans, made up of five trombones and a tuba”, blew people away with their funk-driven blues. Keep your eyes peeled for this band and definitely take the time to go see them if the opportunity presents itself.
Mike Stern, a legend in his own right (and sister of actress Kyra Sedgwick, thanks Wikipedia!), has been nominated for 5 Grammy’s, toured and recorded with Miles Davis, and toured with Jaco Pastorius, among others. The Mike Stern Band was easily one of the highlights of the festival. His blues-based rock sound is complimented by a bass laying down the funk, a soulful sax player, and obviously a drummer driving the whole sound. There summer tour consists mainly of European dates, but again, definitely check them out if/when possible.
The festival was headlined by The Derek Trucks Band. What can I say about Derek Trucks that hasn’t already been said… The first time I saw him was in Virginia Beach in 2000, I was 19 and he was 20, I was on the lawn with my friends and he was on the jumbo-tron playing with Phil & Friends and The Allman Brothers. He was already an incredibly accomplished guitarist 10 years ago, and now, he has pretty much mastered the instrument. If you don’t believe me, the last time I saw him before this weekend was when he was touring with Eric Clapton, which should tell you something. Derek has such a clean sound it makes one feel all warm inside. When I say he can do pretty much anything he wants on the guitar and it still sounds incredible, I’m not even exaggerating. He will be touring with his band and the Allman Brothers this summer.
Special thanks to Wantz Distributing, the organizers of the Blues-Fest, and Hempen Hill BBQ for all their help and support!
