DOG: Hot August Blues - Not So Hot

Joe Bonamassa @ Hot August Blues

Well, yesterday it was hot and it was August but there was something missing from the Hot August Blues festival in Hunt Valley Maryland... the Blues!

The temperature was 89 and the sun was scorching when we picked up the party at the second act with a band called Chopteeth. It was an Afro-Funk band and I thought it would be very entertaining. And actually they were very good musicians, especially the horn section (baritone sax, tenor sax, trombone, trumpet). And when they were simply jamming out I really liked them. But when they added the vocals it was just horrible. The African "Whooooop Whoops" weren't so bad it was the rest I couldn't handle.

Jason Isbell and the 400 was pretty good. Definitely not blues, but at least well done and entertaining. Of particular note was their cover of the Talking Heads tune Psycho Killer. But I don't think too many people knew of the Drive-By Truckers (from whence Isbell came) let alone Jason Isbell. They were an 11th hour replacement for Davey Knowles and Back Door Slam, so all things considered it was fine.

Then Joe Bonamassa came to save the day. He came on early and played an extended set and really saved the festival from a music stand point. But even he played little of his core blues repertoire. Mostly jazz-rock influenced stuff. But he was excellent as always.

The headliner Derek Trucks was just awesome and Bonamassa came out to jam with him on one number which was great to see. But the festival was unbelievably bad.

Despite claims that there would be sufficient food and beer vendors this was not the case. They didn't even have enough shaved ice vendors. And worst of all, at about 4:30 in the afternoon there was not a vendor in the place who had any inventory of bottled water! The restaurant chain Damon's actually ran out of food!!! That is inexcusable with a nationwide chain with the kind of resources they have to run out of food at a catering event. Rest rooms, which are usually the major complaint at events like this, were not much of a problem and were kept clean all day... at least that's what my friends tell me. I saw a small line at the urinals and decided the nearby woods would be more conducive for my needs.

In that heat with no water, the First Aid personnel were kept jumping from one overheated and dehydrated body to the next. Funny how they ran out of $2 water but had an endless supply of $5 beer. No mind to me. I drank beer anyway. But people were pissed about no water.

So anyway it was a nice day in the sun. Didn't hear hardly any blues. And not a well organized festival at all. Doubt I'll be going back any time soon unless they book an artist that I just absolutely am compelled to see. And the list of those is dwindling.