CONCERT REVIEW: Blues and Comedy Revival shows the fun, sad, weird
They may have come to cry, but they went away smiling.
Blues fans both old and young filled the historic Caine Lyric Theater Saturday night for the fifth annual Blues and Comedy Revival. Like some strange joke about the Blues Brothers, the evening alternated between the fun, the sad and the odd.
The jigsaw puzzle of entertainment was pieced together by master of ceremonies and organizer Dennis Hinkamp. Coming on stage wearing a sparkling teal shirt and a one button sports jacket circa 1987, he was an immediate hit.
“I’m not gay, I just like the clothes,” he said. To prove his point, he brought out a new outfit for every on-stage appearance.
Music for the evening was provided by Pleasant Valley native Ball Lightning, Cache Valley’s own Blue Blazers and a score of guests. Ball Lightning delivered two great sets of his peculiar brand of slide guitar and brought to the show an earthy folk sound. He drew his material from songs he and his brothers had written, both individually and together.
“I grew up in a family with seven other boys, so there was a lot of music going on,” explained Ball Lighting. Regardless of their birth, the songs all glowed under the influence of his brilliant guitar.
The real treat of the night, however, were the Blue Blazers. One look at their weathered guitars, sunglasses, and the can of Genuine Draft on the guitar amp was enough to establish their being the real thing. Even early sound difficulties couldn’t hide harmonica player Joe Sorenson’s virtuosity. The rest of the band put in an equally brilliant set, spending the night swapping solos and telling jokes. Guest keyboardist Kim Dopp filled out their already booming sound and was a welcome addition to the night’s performance.
Not to be outdone, comedians Dan Merket and Randall Bagley both had the audience in hysterics.
“I know what you’re thinking – ‘There he goes, Mr. Fashion and Fitness,'” said Merket after walking on-stage with an orthopedic boot and a belly two sizes too big. Bagley followed in good fashion, ranting about the zoo, the Parade of Homes, and his sleepwalking, bedwetting brother.
“He could wet two or three beds in one night,” he mused.
To close the night, the Blue Blazers brought out their friends. Jeannie Millicam of Rocky Bottom Review sang on the soulful “Stormy Monday,” Ball Lightning strapped on an electric guitar to join in and bassist Kellen Tarber and drummer John Boyce both invited their sons on stage to join the fun. “A family who plays blues together loses their shoes together,” explained Sorenson, proving once and for all that fuzzy logic can make some great music.
Both were fantastic and gave Cache Valley residents assurance that the blues are in good hands.
The night ended with an encore performance of favorite “Sweet Home Chicago.” The stage, already crowded with all of the above, looked like a circus as the comedians were invited out to sing impromptu verses. Ball Lightning, explaining his song “Highway 93,” summed up the night’s concert. “It’s kind of a mess, but it’s fun.”
Zach Pendleton is junior majoring in English and is a music reviewer for the Utah Statesman. Comments may be sent to zpendleton@cc.usu.edu