Mark Hummel Bay area was booming this weekend burt just 25 that sux

Its hard to make it to every show man and there was alot going on this weekend I alot of shows to choose from

! never made it to Biscuits & Blues last Wednesday night for Smokin' Joe Kubek.
I was fried, kinda broke, the drive too long for a 4am wake up call.
I was really bummed about it too. He is killer on that guitar and that Bnois singing just wraps it up to make a big beautiful smooth but smokin blues package.
Aaah well.....He's playing in Sac today and I'm not gonna make it to that either for the Horseman's Club show. I've got big plans tonight and must stay close to home.
I did make the Mark Hummel show at Last Day Saloon last Thursday night. Nice early start up, close to home, a huge dance floor, a real show from one of my favorites from the bay area and mostly.....it's never a jam at Hummel's shows. It's the real deal and a real professional show at that.

The turn out sucked!!
I was kinda embarrassed for our blues scene up here. Maybe 25 people showed. What is wrong with people up here??
We get someone like Mark Hummel & his Blues Survivors up here and this is the welcome they get from our blues community?!
The price was right, the time was right, the band was definitly right....I don't get it. No wonder our blues scene is dying or dead up here.

All the same....Mark and band were awesome!!
He had Marty Dotson on drums ( one of my favorite drummers around) & Steve Wolf on bass. I hear we were lucky to have Steve on this night for he doesn't play with Hummel much anymore.
Bob Welsh on guitar and piano. This guy is amazing, no doubt. He would play some piano and then stand up and pick up the guitar, switching back & forth through out the night. I love his piano the best. There was a moment I was sitting and watching the band warm up before Mark came out and I turned to Terri and said, "Too bad he couldn't play both at the same time". Now that would be euphoric!!
Mark is soundin' really good too. I love his harp style. He puts on a classy show for sure.
Great, Great band and like I said....it's embarrassing as a member of this blues community to see such lack of support for a band as great as this. They deserve much better. Just my thought anyway.
I bailed a bit into the second set. Even with the early start up , I was through.
I got into the van thinking it was around midnight. I looked at the clock and it was only 10:30! I was thinking how great that was to go out and hear some live blues and still get some decent sleep. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

I can't believe I used to run around doing all that bluesin' while working. I could work a two hours sleep and then do it again the next night. Lately, I've been drained and burnt out. I can't tell if it's what's going on my life at the moment that's draining me or I'm just getting old and tired. Sometimes I wonder if it's just the blues scene that is boring me. I think it might be all of the above and I'm not gonna fight it anymore but just roll with it.
I do know one thing for sure....I will not miss anymore big blues shows that come up our way. We are lucky to get anyone of such caliber as Hummel up here at all!
Next weekend we have Guitar Shorty at the Last Day Saloon. We have the Aces opening that show and a start up time of 8:30.
I am very excited about this show.
The Aces are sounding really good these days too.

Michael Barclay is at the Tradewinds that same night but you know what.....They quit around midnight at Last Day and there's still time to go hear some Barclay.

Tradewinds has Blues Power the following Saturday (11/10) and I really urge all you blues fans NOT to miss this one!!

Forgot to mention....Mark was talkin' about his Blowout coming up this next year. The first of those shows being at the Last Day Saloon on Jan 24th. It's listed on the Last Day website now with all the info.
His line up is amazing with Lazy Lester, John Mayall, Kenny Neal, Fingers Taylor and the Blues Survivors with Rusty Zinn! (Yes, I guess Rusty still plays the blues ;-)

I'm just wonderin' what "Limited Seating" means. Dance floor open or not. My tailbone can't handle sittin' for long. It needs to move.
At any rate....what a line up!!

http://www.lastdaysaloon.com/santa%20rosa/calendar