The annual Madison Blues Festival was all about excess: excess booze, excess mosquitoes, and an excess of diverse, fan-favorite blues artists.
The artists ranged from the legendary (Buddy Guy) to the alternative (North Mississippi Allstars) to the downright odd (Lyle Lovett). There was the usual collection of tents selling hemp clothing, sterling-silver jewelry and overpriced food that you would expect at most festivals.
There was even an 18-wheeler that doubled as a travelling Jimi Hendrix museum. Fans who visited the portable sanctuary were treated to a barrage of photos, interactive flat-panel TVs and some of Jimi’s clothes and guitars. The family-owned museum also had a variety of Hendrix merchandise for sale.
As for the festival, it was well planned, and the easily navigable grounds were clean. One pitfall that could not be controlled was the mosquitoes. The little winged insects seemed determined to cover the grounds amidst latent concerns over contracting the West Nile virus. It didn’t seem to matter, though; the predominantly middle-aged crowd was enthusiastic and didn’t waste any time finding the beer tents.
Like college kids reliving their frat days, a considerable number of grown men and women (old enough to be any of your parents) stumbled around the grounds randomly screaming comments as if they had just finished a long night of partying. For the most part it was comical, but they came for a good time, and that’s what they got.
Friday’s crowd was treated to a full day of music from a variety of acts, including headliners Maceo Parker and Delbert McClinton. Although he’s played the tenor and baritone sax, Parker’s real favorite is the alto sax. His sharp, crisp notes and great knack for locking onto enjoyable rhythms have made him a favorite on the live circuit. Having worked with James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic, he knows a thing or two about the live gig.
Returning to the Madison Blues Festival after a two-year absence, 2001 Grammy winner Delbert McClinton closed out the Friday night sets with his impressive harmonica playing. The lauded singer/songwriter proved he was worthy of his headliner status despite the fact that his music hasn’t always been classified as blues.
Saturday saw more bugs, more beer and more great music. The North Mississippi Allstars were a welcome detour from the musical stylings of the festival; their eclectic, psychedelic-tinged music was another example of the expansion of blues music into new and exciting directions. The Allstars recently finished opening six dates for the Dave Matthews Band on the strength of their new album, 51 Phantom, which is a mix of country-tinged, metal-rockin’ progressive blues.
Buddy Guy was in charge of the 8 p.m. time slot. The multi-Grammy-winning Chicago bluesmaster was popular with fans of all ages, and his set was solid from start to finish. Opening with the energetic “Got My Mojo Workin’,” Guy paid tribute to Muddy Waters and got the fans on the back of the lawn to stand up for his enthusiastic set.
Dressed in black jeans and a blue-and-white shirt, Guy proclaimed, “I wish I could play all night,” repeatedly throughout his performance. The crowd roared in approval. Guy again paid respect to Waters by reminding the audience Muddy was “responsible for a lot of the music that you hear now.”
Guy also scored a huge roar of approval from the males in the audience when he sang, “The next woman I marry, she gotta have two jobs, and she gotta go out and work long and bring some dough,” on his song “Five Long Years.”
The final act of the festival was Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. The 13-piece ensemble, which featured a wide array of horns and strings, fit its name well. Lovett was filling in for Aretha Franklin, who bowed out of the festival in July without much explanation.
Lovett was happy to fill in for Franklin, and an intrigued crowd filled the main stage area to catch a glimpse and a listen of the famous musician who once held the hand of Julia Roberts in marriage.
With that long in the past, Lovett and his Large Band stood tall amongst the acts, even though Lovett wasn’t standing himself. A freak accident with an angry bull in March left Lovett’s right leg shattered and has forced him to perform sitting down. There was a great sense of spectacle to his performance, and the fatigued crowd received his music well.
It was a fitting sendoff for the summer tradition that is a mix of music and entertainment for fans of all ages.
