San Luis Obispo Blues Society Upcoming Events Saturday, May 18 Guy Budd Bad Dog Blues Brickyard Jones     Next show: Saturday, September 14 SLO Vets Hall 801 Grand Avenue 8PM  Members $10 / Nonmembers $12

Blues review
The Central Coast is fortunate to have many good blues bands, which is why we feature a local band at each of our shows.  Once a year, we showcase a trio of local bands.  On May 18, celebrate the blues with (in order of appearance) Brickyard Jones, the Bad Dog Blues Band, and the Guy Budd Band.  The show starts at 8:00 PM at the SLO Vets Hall, 801 Grand Avenue.  Tickets are $10 for members and $12 for non-members.  You can buy a membership for $10 at the door and get $2 off admission for a year of shows.

Brickyard Jones
“Blues Energy” – these words describe the band Brickyard Jones.  The band is known for their passion for swinging West Coast jump and Chicago blues.  Tom Harkenrider (guitar) and Ben Hernandez (vocals and harmonica), the founding members, have invested time and energy in keeping their music authentic, while adding their own signature with original songs.  All of the members of Brickyard Jones are seasoned professionals who have worked with some of the nation’s best blues and jazz bands.  Drummer Marty Dodson has toured with Junior Watson and Mark Hummel, guitarist Tom Harkenrider plays with James Harman, bass player Brian Triplett tours nationally with jazz bands, and vocalist / harmonica player Ben Hernandez is a student of Mark Hummel.

BAD DOG BLUES BAND
The Bad Dog Blues Band features a variety of musicians from just south of our county.  “Top Dog” Steve Ochoa (vocals, rhythm, and lead guitar) is the manager of Jensen Guitar Company in Solvang.  He is an accomplished stylist of many forms of music, ranging from Northwestern country to Hollywood swing.  His guitar playing has been influenced by everyone from Django Reinhardt and Robert Johnson to Doc Watson.  “Bad Dog” Rick Burian is a Santa Barbara based guitarist who plays bluegrass, jazz, country, rock, and blues.  Listen for Doc Watson, George Benson, and Charlie Christian in his playing.  “Bottom Dog” Steve Rifkin, the doctor of the bass, hails from St. Louis and plays blues, rock, jazz, and country.  His influences range from Randy Tico to Victor Wooten.  “Kick the Dog” Nick Savoyski, drums, hails from the east coast.  He is at home with everything from polka to pop, including R&B and soul.   “Big Dog” Jay Meiselman lives in Santa Maria and plays blues, jazz, and swing on both the diatonic and chromatic harmonica.  His influences include Big Walter Horton, Sonny Boy Williamson, and James Cotton.

GUY BUDD BAND
The Guy Budd Band features Guy Budd on guitar and vocals, Andy Kulikowski on bass and vocals, Howard Emmons on drums, and Ken Burton on keyboard and vocals.  Guy Budd has been performing on the Central Coast since 1978, and is well known for his full-bodied voice and wildly proficient guitar work. Kulikowski, Emmons, and Burton anchor Budd's Hendrix influenced guitar work.  The band's performances primarily feature originals that encompass a wide range of blues/rock styles, from screaming guitar jams to soulful ballads, supplemented with traditional up tempo blues covers.  This is a band that works well together, exploring their own music while maintaining strong roots in the blues.

Last year, the band released their locally produced CD, “Woke Up Dreaming”, which has received positive reviews.  The CD showcases the variety of music styles that the band performs, from Texas-style blues to Jimi Hendix-style blues rock, deep soul, and jazz.  If there is a theme to this diverse collection of songs, it is about tapping into the internal wisdom residing in all of us – going on instinct and experiencing life as a whole.  As Guy notes, “There is a real spiritual power in music that touches something we all share, something we can hardly define, but we sure can feel it.”

Volunteer.  Your Blues Society is run entirely by volunteers. Besides a sense of accomplishment, volunteers get into the shows for free and receive a couple free drink tickets.  We could use your help, so call 541-7930 (our voice mail number) and volunteer to work a shift at the show.
 
 

CATALOG OF SHOWS	LOCAL BLUES PERFORMERS	CD REVIEWS	OTHER
April 2002 March 2002 January 2002 December 2001 October 2001 September 2001 July 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 September 2000 July 2000 May 2000 April 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 October 1999 1998 Shows	Big Daddy's Blues Band Croon Dogs Guy Budd Band Valerie Johnson Texicali Divas Karen Tyler	LJ Evans Hot Blues May 02 Omar & the Howlers Popa Chubby Michelle Wilson Blind Pig 25 Anniversary Any Woman's Blues Eric Bibb Ernie Hawkins	2001 t-shirt