The BSBS Blues Challenge started off with a bang on Sunday night with last year's Solo?Duo winner, Patrick Lewandowski opening the show. Andrew Ellis and Evan Bates were the first act to compete and started things off with wonderfilled, greasy slide guitar and vocals that got the crowd in the Longhorn Saloon hopped up. Mark Arshak and Kevin Gall followed with more great slide and bass guitar work and the feet in the joint were a tapping.
At this point, the crowd, and the judges knew they were in for a night of fine music. Right and left handed guitar slingers, Adam SoRelle and Mike Monica performed very cool, original, rocking blues songs to the delight of the crowd. The first solo act was Laurie Swyers, who created a duo with her loop machine as she entertained the house with her own Swyer infused songs and smiles. When Dave Kuntz and Franz Schlievert took the stage, they rocked the house with a cool singing, a walkin' bass and SRV/Albert King infused power guitar.
With a warm house, Pete "Big Dog" Fetters took the stage with a tale to tell. His great guitar and harp accompanyment kept the audience in time with his story. Father/son team, Tom and Alex Clawson had big shoes to fill by the time they stepped on stage and they filled them admirably with a great selection of singing and guitar playing which proved that these boys had been playing for many a year.
I will tell ya what, there was no fat lady singing, but nobody left the Longhorn 'till the last note was played and I am absolutely certain that there was not another competition like this anywhere in this try-state region! I almost felt sorry for the judges who had to decide the winner of this group because in my mind, they were all winners.
When the numbers were tallied, the 2009 winner of the Solo/Duo BSBS Challenge was
LAURIE SWYERS with Pete "Big Dog" Fetters the runner up.
The champaign was popped, the new BSBS Blues Challenge plaque was presented and gift prizes awarded to Laurie Swyers. She will go to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge.
CONGRATULATIONS LAURIE SWYERS!!!!
NEXT-THE BAND CHALLENGE- COME ONE AND ALL TO THE GREATEST SHOW IN NORTHWEST OHIO AND SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN AS SIX REGIONAL BANDS COMPETE FOR THE RIGHT TO REPRESENT BSBS IN THE IBC CHALLENGE IN MEMPHIS. THE SHOW WILL BE IN THE MAUMEE INDOOR THEATER AT 601 CONANT STREET, MAUMEE, OHIO ON SATURDAY NIGHT, OCTOBER 17, 2009 WITH DOORS OPENING AT 6PM AND SHOW TIME AT 7PM. TICKETS AT THE DOOR ONLY $10.00 AND $8.00 FOR BSBS MEMBERS. WE WILL HAVE FOOD AND BEVERAGES AVAILABLE. FOR ALCOHOL, ID WILL BE REQUIRED.
Note that the Village Idiot will give free admission after the show, to anyone with an armband. SEE LINEUP AND START TIMES IN THE PREVIOUS BLOG.
TOMO....