Santana’s headlining set at the Cellular South stage is shaping up to be quite an event. Easily drawing the biggest crowd of the festival so far, guitarist Carlos Santana and company are whipping up a party atmosphere to battle against the increasingly chilly temperatures. Aided by a small amry of backing musicians, singers and notably, percussionists, Santana’s signature Latin-tinged blues rock is warming things up nicely.
As the announcer says, we are at the center of the blues universe. Which for all anyone knows is the center of the real actual universe. Here’s Watermelon Slim’s opening number at the Tennessee Lottery Blues Tent and you can bet it’s a slice of heaven, yes it is.
Backstage at the Blues Tent, the venerable bluesman Pinetop Perkins sits quietly and somewhat luminously as Watermelon Slim goes through his sound checks. Mr. Perkins dispenses conversation and autographs as those who know who he is stand a bit away, shyly, somewhat in awe. This is the way it went.
The audio blogging continues! Michael Donahue’s still down at Tom Lee finding the interesting audio and delivering it to you. Well, I suppose I’m delivering it to you, but you get the idea. We’ll have another Where’s Donahue photo in a short time, but sate your Donahue curiousity below:
Time to play everyone’s favorite game: Where’s Donahue? Check below for the image (we’ve managed to make things slightly harder). Test your visual skills!
The rap master whooped that trick for the crowd Saturday afternoon at the Budweiser Stage. And afterward he dutifully thanked the Good Lord for keeping the light on him. Amen to that.
What is sticky muck? So I’m this old dude trying to figure out the music festival. Last time I was at something like this the Grateful Dead was playing and everyone was doing a field of wheat dance - arms waving kind of mellow in the breeze like Kansas on a good day. Something tells me times have changed. But when I check out this act called Muck Sticky, the first thing that happens is two giant reefer torches start smoking on stage. That looks familiar, but it’s been a long time. Muck Sticky comes on stage between the monster joints looking like an annoying leprechaun who got into his kid sister’s wardrobe. I asked around about him. Listen to the audio. Click here. What is sticky muck?
Bluesman Preston Shannon sure knows how to keep his guitar happy.
Okay John and I are over 50. So as we entered the park we immediately noted the proximity of the restrooms to the stages. (We briefly thought about the portable restroom biz as a second career but we’re done trying to move up in the world.) We noticed that most of the facilities were marked for men or women. What ever happened to any port in a storm? Then John noticed that some had no gender designation at all and decided that those were for the undecideds.
Seems that last night’s storms may have put a damper on the Beale Street Music Festival’s attendence. While it’s still early, after walking the grounds of Tom Lee Park end to end, it’s clear that there’s less traffic than in years past. But, with a grade A list of performers - Lou Reed, Santana, Bettye LaVette -slated for tonight, expect the numbers to grow.
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