Every month should have its theme, so I declare March to be “Support Your Local Blues Month." We can’t always count on national touring acts to come to our town for entertainment. Ann Arbor has a multitude of quality local bands and a potent club scene that steadily provides the blues cure for whatever ails you. I have seen all the bands listed below and I would highly recommend that you should too. Let’s see what is on tap this month at our local clubs.
Guy Hollerin’s Local Blues & Brews in the Holiday Inn near UM’s campus at Plymouth Rd. & US-23 has just remodeled their restaurant/ music area and are ready to celebrate their fifth year in bringing you the finest local blues and roots acts in SE Michigan on Saturday nights.
Lady Sunshine & the X Band performing on the 2nd , are back from a recent trip to Memphis at the National Blues Competition. They are ready to show you why they are big time contenders for such honors. Their selection of “choice” blues, R&B, soul, and funk, covers and originals make them one of the area’s hottest dance bands.
Get ready for smokin’ guitar based R&B, gospel and soulful blues when The Chris Canas Blues Revolution hits the stage on the 9th. Canas is one of the hottest guitarists around and backs up his blues licks with heart-felt vocals that testify to his blues dedication.
The Saints of Soul on the 16th, deliver an energetic evening of R&B, and funk covers with a 9-piece group hat keeps the dance floor movin’ and groovin’ all night long.
The Bluescasters will keep you in “full tilt boogie” mode with jump blues standards on the 23rd.
Jimmy McCarty & Mystery Train return on the 30th. McCarty, the master of Motor City blues -rock guitar returns to show how the blues is played, Detroit –style.
This month, Live Club on S. First St. provides five live Friday Happy Hours from 6-9pm. Each Friday is guaranteed to help jump start your weekend with a wide variety of dance music and no cover charge. FUBAR roars in on the 1st with rock and soul classics. Drivin’ Sideways rocks around the country clock with ballads and swing favorites on the 8th and 29th. The Vibratrons turn you on to 60’s psychedelic dance classics on the 15th. Jerry Mack &The Terraplanes drive your blues away with house rockin’ R&B and roots rock-n-roll on the 22th.
Mash Bar below the Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery on E. Washington moves into the month with a host of local bands playing blues, roots rock, and rockabilly on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 10PM. Robert Johnson Blues Band plays straight ahead blues on the 2nd, 15th, and 30th. Rockabilly standards and pop ballads are covered by Nobody’s Business on the 1st, , and The Canastas on the 9th. The Shelter Dogs, a fun-packed power trio, deliver a blend of jump blues, swing, and rock-n-roll on the 16th. Detroit’s rockin’ reptiles, the Alligators, turn in a dues paying blues performance on the 23rd. Chris Canas, will tear it up on Friday the 22nd, and The Terraplanes will take the stage on Friday the 8th. Catch guitar wizard Laith al-Saadi as he heats up the music room with rock, blues, and pop standards every Thursday night.
The Tap Room in downtown Ypsilanti hosts an open mic-jam with Brian Brickley and the Martindales every Thursday at 8pm. Its a great place to check out local talent.
WCBN-FM, Ann Arbor’s student-run community radio at 88.3 FM thanks you for your generous support of their annual on-air fundraiser in February. The area’s unique alternative experiential radio station is celebrating its 41st anniversary bringing you “a whole spectrum of music at one frequency”.
Check ‘em on the radio dial, at 88.3 FM, or on the web at www.wcbn.org.
