The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Festivals, clubs offer plenty of music for fans this week
This is a busy week, with something for everyone.
Friday, Grayson Hugh & Polly Messer are at Smokin’ With Chris. For the past six years, since moving back home to Connecticut, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Grayson Hugh, along with his wife singer Polly Messer, has been doing special intimate concerts every two months or so at one of Connecticut’s hottest barbeque and live music spots, Smokin With Chris.
If you haven’t seen the Sauce Boss don’t miss his appearance at Blackeyed Sally’s on Friday. Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton brings his own hot sauce to every gig and cooks a big pot of gumbo, while playing a smoking his slide guitar. At the end of the show, everyone gets a taste. Now he’s added some new flavors to the show. Sauce Boss not only plays slide and sings while cooking, he also plays a drum kit with his feet. It is a mix you will want to experience.
On Saturday, The Redliners have their own blues/rock/country sound. They keep the state scene busy. The Redliners are Larry Willey on guitar and vocals, Steve Hatch on keys and vocals, Bryan Caudle on drums, and Rob DeSorbo on bass.
One of the gems of Northeastern Connecticut is The Stomping Ground. A busy musical schedule brings it is share of blues. A Sunday show has Tas Cru and The Tortured Souls playing from 1 to 4 p.m. Cru has been called a lot of names including raucous and rowdy, gentle, sweet, eccentric, quirky, and outright irreverent. With all these words to describe his style and songs, it is a fitting description to his reputation as one of the most unique of bluesmen plying his trade today.
Cru has received wide praise for his songwriting as well. His songs have been compared to blues poetry. He performs his songs with power and passion, passing an intoxicating joy to the audience. Cru can often be found in Memphis during big events bringing his blues education program to local schools.
Saturday, Shaka and the Soul Shakers will pay a visit to the club. New Haven Green’s regular Summer Wednesday show has Shaka’s Soul Shakin’ Root Hog’s.
It appears the blues are catching on with some of the state’s breweries. On Friday, Orb Mellon is at the Still Hill Brewery for an early, 5:30 p.m., show. Also on Friday, Jake Kulak & the LowDown have a 6:30 p.m. start at Hanging Hills Brewing Company, Friday, Hartford.
Tuesday, Shawn Taylor plays the Two Roads Brewing Company at 6 p.m..
The Hamburg Fair has Dan Stevens on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Also on Saturday, Jake Kulak & the LowDown with Braiden Sunshine will be playing.
FTC Stage One on Saturday, has Gary Hoey and Eliot Lewis. Hoey’s fluid fingers make him a riff-master that is fun to watch. Whether he’s playing rock or blues, Hoey is charismatic and connects with the crowd playing scorching originals and rock n roll classics covers. His solos are thrilling and reminiscent of Clapton or Stevie Ray. This will be concert on StageOne with blowout guitar solos and energy transferred to the crowd.
Then at the FTC Warehouse on Sunday, it is G. Love & Special Sauce with Hackensaw Boys. G. Love and Special Sauce look for a spark and ride that energy to audience appreciation. Albums, touring and energy have allowed them to build an enduring following.
On Monday, Basically Blues Band continues to provide music after the music on the Gelston House Patio at 8 p.m..
The Spaceland Ballroom brings in another one of its fullhouse shows on Friday. On the stage will be Snake Hill Blues, George Baker Band, and the Cobalt Rhythm Kings.
The countdown has started for the 2 Left Feet Blues Festival. Started because of a passion for the blues, it was soon revealed the need of musicians’ for financial and physical aid, they turned 2 Left Feet into a nonprofit organization in an effort to raise funds to help aging musicians with the ever-increasing costs of health care and other support.
One of the organizations that is being supported from the proceeds and donations of this year’s 2 Left Feet Blues Festival is Musicians Lifeline. Musicians Lifeline, Inc. is a volunteer organization that responds primarily to the medical and social needs of regional musicians and music professionals in the community.
The mission of Musicians Lifeline is to support and provide charitable assistance to all types of music industry professionals located in the greater New England region who are struggling to maintain their livelihood, due to illness, disability, age, or unemployment.
To learn more about Musician’s Lifeline, please visit www.musicians-lifeline.org.