The W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival is celebrating its 35th anniversary this summer, and the music chair said he’s put together a lineup of blues artists that will satisfy lovers of more traditional blues and bring new eyes and ears to the festival.
First off, the 9 p.m. Saturday slot, seen as the headliner for the four-day festival, will be filled by The Record Company, a Grammy-nominated, rock-based blues group out of Los Angeles, said Brian Bishop, the music chair. (See full schedule at bottom of the article)
Bishop said signing this band in the headliner spot is keeping in line with the Handy music’s recent practice of signing a big name for the 9 p.m. Saturday slot.
The Record Company is also not quite the traditional blues that many people think of when they think of the blues, but according to Bishop, the band’s sound is “still under the blues umbrella.”
It’s also a choice that could bring new fans to the festival, which is something that Bishop thought about while booking the bands, especially if “we want to have another 35 years,” he said.
He added that finding a range of music that satisfies traditionalists, Chicago blues or Delta blues fans can sometimes be a challenge.
“It’s a balancing act,” he said.
Next up, the other three top-billed acts feature musicians or bands that could easily be in the slot that The Record Company is in, Bishop said. Those are Ana Popovic and Funktastik, Tommy Castro & the Painkillers and Shamekia Copeland.
“They’re all big names in the blues genre,” Bishop said. “Anyone of them could be the main headliner.”
At 9 p.m. Friday, Ana Popovic and Funktastik will be a crowd-pleaser, bringing ten other musicians to the stage with Popovic. Popovic, originally from Serbia, is an internationally renowned guitarist, and her band boasts a horn section and lots of energy.
Popovic was just about 20-30 minutes into her act at last year’s Handy Fest when the rains hit. It poured for hours, causing Handy fest organizers to cancel the rest of her act so that last year’s Saturday headliner, Larkin Poe, could get on stage, Bishop said.
“She was going to put on an amazing show until the rains prevented it,” he said.
So, this year, it was one of Bishop’s “top priorities” to get Ana Popovic back, he said.
“Basically, we feel like we got cheated last year by Mother Nature,” Bishop said he told Popovic’s manager. “We want her back.”
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers (7 p.m. Friday) “will definitely have a following” as will Shemekia Copeland (7 p.m. Saturday), who is an eight-time Grammy nominee.
For many years, the staple of Zydeco Night on Thursday was Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band performing on stage in the 8 p.m. slot. That’s changed now with Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers for the second year in a row taking that spot.
Bishop said after Dopsie’s performance at last year’s festival, he was already talking to Dwayne about coming back.
“I’d say Dwayne is the anchor (now) like Chubby was for years,” Bishop said.
Although all the musicians are top notch, below are several more musicians and bands that Bishop commented on.
- Piper & the Hard Times—Last year, Piper & the Hard Times had to cancel its appearance at the Handy Fest days before they were to perform after lead singer Al “Piper” Green encountered some health issues. Bishop said he’s feeling good and the band is ready to come back. “They’re all playing with a renewed sense of life,” Bishop said.
- Ghalia Volt—“Such an interesting artist,” Bishop said about the one-woman band. Volt has a setup in which she plays the drum, guitar and harmonica all at the same time. “She’s an amazing musician.”
- The Cold Stares—This band has local connections, hailing from Evansville. The Cold Stares are now touring internationally. Bishop said later in the year, the band will be playing in Germany and Austria before flying back to the States to play the Handy Fest and then continue to other venues stateside. “They’re doing well,” Bishop said. “When you’re playing Germany and Austria, that means people elsewhere really like it.” Also, check out The Cold Stares’ video for the song “Hard Times”—it was filmed at Henderson favorite, Metzger’s Tavern.
- Reverend Peyton Big Damn Band—Bishop said this will be this band’s first appearance at the Handy Fest. They play a “country-ish” blues, he said. “They’re going to be really good.”
- Texas Headhunters—Bishop said this band is a blues super-group made up of three musicians who are all blues stars in their own right—Johnny Moeller, Jesse Dayton and Ian Moore.
- Blues 4U—A longtime Evansville blues band and the Handy house band. As long as there’s a Blues 4U, there will be a spot for them at the festival, Bishop said.
This year’s Handy Fest will be June 17-20 at Audubon Mill Park.
