Bowl Me Over

Hey, I admit it. I’m a big fan of American roots music. And when it comes to roots, is there a root that runs deeper in this country than American blues? Not many, not many indeed. So when I heard that the City of Plano was hosting a blues festival on April 12th, I was more than a little surprised. When I think of blues, I think of the Mississippi delta, not the north end of the Telecommunications Corridor. But blues fans in Dallas have long known that we are blessed when it comes to talented blues musicians. The scene is full of venues that feature blues music many nights a week. And our history is ripe with world class blues musicians calling Dallas their home. But Plano? How did this happen and who’s behind it? I used my contacts in the scene and got the answers. Here’s the scoop.

• What: Bowl Full of Blues Festival
• When: 6:30 pm on Saturday, April 12th
• Where: OakPoint Park Amphitheater.
• Tickets: $12 for adults and $6 for seniors and children twelve and under. (Purchase them online here: http://www.plano.gov/Departments/Arts/Planos+Stages/Oakpoint/)

The lineup for the show is:

• Bugs Henderson
• Anson Funderburgh
• Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat
• Mike Morgan
• Hash Brown 
• The Bulldogs
• Blue Lisa and the Big D Playboys

So lets look at this lineup. Holy Moly people, that’s almost every big name in Dallas blues on one stage. Mr. Funderburgh alone has won 4 W.C. Handy Awards including Band of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the year. Guitar Player Magazine said, “Bugs Henderson should be declared a national treasure.” Jim Suhler has toured as George Thorogood’s guitar player and played around Dallas for years with his band Monkey Beat. Mike Morgan is one of the heavy hitters in town on blues guitar. Hash Brown is well known around town for his famous blues jams and deep knownledge of the blues. And the Bulldogs and Blues Lisa round out a very talented lineup.

I’m telling you, this is going to be an amazing night of live Texas music. It doesn’t get much better than this. How did this happen? How did this all come together? Well, I asked around and found out that this was put together by local blues fan and musician, Bob Fisk. I was able to get a hold of Bob via email and he gave me the scoop on how he pulled this together. Here’s the interview:

Legend:

• SC = Strat’s Corner
• BF = Bob Fisk

SC: Hey Bob, thanks for taking time out to answer a few questions. How did you come up with the idea for the Bowl Full of Blues?

BF:  I contacted the City of Plano through mutual friends and pitched my ideas for an annual blues festival.

SC: How helpful was the city of Plano in setting this up?

BF: They gave me a budget and the venue and I was off to the races.

SC: Have you talked to other cities about doing something similar to this?

BF: Yes [several] other cities and they like this concept very much. [For example,] McKinney, Wylie, Garland, Addison, Richardson & likely do [one] maybe [two] more events this year.

SC: You have some great bands in the lineup for this show. How did you manage to land local
legends like Anson Funderburgh on this bill?

BF: All of the musicians know each other and it was just a few phone calls and it was done. That was easy, but the hard work came later. I have know Anson, Jim Suhler, Hash Brown, Mike Morgan for many years and Bugs Henderson and myself have mutual friends and that is how we go together. I feel blessed to have met and played music with many other major talents over the years and i know I could put together many more shows.

SC: What are people allowed to bring to the venue? Is this a kid friendly event?

BF: Anything they want. Coolers with food alcohol, anything they desire.

SC: And what does the future hold for the Bowl Full of Blues Festival?

BF: It looks like it will grow bigger next year with more money available for talent and more bands booked.

You can find out more about Bob on his MySpace page at:  http://www.myspace.com/texasbluescruise

I hope to see you at the show. Also, checkback soon for my review of the Taste of Flannel show. And I have more stuff coming after that. Thanks for stopping by.

Michael