Jazz Meets the Blues - So There I Was

Me and my girl arrived a little late. Johnny Alegre was standing right beside the entrance with a beer in hand, watching the bands perform. Arrg! I already missed Affinity's set. Nevertheless, that didn't stop me from having one heck of a night.

Firebottle was playing when we arrived. Man, this band was a sure fire blues junkie. All I wanted to do after sitting was to stand up again and dance like Scott Weiland on a whitehorse trip. I was thumping my sole and swinging my head side to side while feeling the blues fill my spine. The trio reminded me of the superband Cream, only the guitarist sounding more like Stevie Ray Vaughan instead of ol' slow hands. They were aggressive yet sweet soulful, attacking each chord progression with intense drums, bass and guitar virtuosity.

Plug was next on stage. I swear that when got my eyes closed, it almost seemed that Howlin' Wolf was on stage. It is very clear that the band, especially the vocalist, was under the heavy dose of Delta blues. His voice was as emotive as the bayou swamps in Mississippi. First song they played, would you believe it, was Roadhouse Blues. Suddenly my face curved with swagger.

Both bands played their own original pinoy blues composition as well. All were good and worthy of airplay. Yeah, pinoy blues is getting there alright. These bands need only one thing... and that is a loyal audience. I'm one of them.