Tuesday night was installment number five in the Chippewa Valley Blues Society's Tuesday Night Blues at Owen Park in Eau Claire.  The band was The Pumps who bill themselves as a blues influenced rock and roll band.  I would guess that about covers it.  They put on a respectable show.  For this show, however, they had a special guest.  And for me, that special guest made my night.

The Pumps are made up of Buck Barrickman on bass and he is the primary on vocals.  It's hard not to feel good when you see Buck with his winning smile and black wrap around shades -- even when I have seen him in the darkest bars.  He is also a good bass player, steady with no surprises.

On guitar Tom Brill, a good guitar player.  On drums, Frank Juodis.  Some day, I would like to hear Frank sing a song.  He has one of those deep baritone voices.  You can hear it in the backing vocals.  I think it would be interesting to hear on his own.

In the first set, the musical highlight for me was the Bodines song, Good Work.  

The band-break entertainment was Adam Winrich.  A man who became so inspired by Indiana Jones that he learned whip cracking as first a hobby, and then managed to turn it into a carrier.   I have seen Adam a few times and  he puts on a good show.  Several years ago I was involved in a theater group who employed a juggler for five nights a year.  We did the show for 20 years, the juggler was involved I think for 15.  In those 15 years, he never had one new joke.  I knew his lines as well as he did.  Not so with Adam.  He seems to continuously have new material.

The surprise for me came when the band came back on stage.  Adam pulled out a harmonica, and I feel, from that moment on, stole the show.  Winrich might have entertained me with his whip cracking abilities, but he amazed me on the harp!  Musical highlights for the second set, the old blues song 40 Days and a Tom Waits song Temptation

As a side note, what is it about wireless guitars that the owners have to show them off?  Why can't they just be content to walk around stage, free of cords?  No, they always have to do the crowd stroll.   I like a front row seat as much as the next guy but I don't know if I even want to be close enough to check out their nose hair.

The crowds at the Tuesday Night Blues event have been light.  Great for music fans.  I can get a front row seat.  But, I hope the group is able to keep them going.  The weather has just not been cooperating.  Even though Tuesday night stayed dry this week, it had been a wet day and I think many people must have given up on the night in the park.  I hope they do better next week when they are having their young musicians night.  It could be a night of new names and faces and though I would love to be there, I think I will be catching Greg Gilbertson at Heyde Center in Chippewa Falls for my music fix.

And finally, very cool, one of the Blues Society members took a picture of yours truly in the Blues Mobile.  A great prop for the group!  I look forward to seeing it in the local parades!

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