With thousands of miles behind us, and a successful trip completed, I-270 in Columbus, Ohio was a sight for sore eyes for drummer Eric Blume and myself. Getting into town on a Wednesday gave as two days to relax for our big homecoming concert at The Thirsty Ear Tavern on Friday night.
Thursday’s Weekeneder insert in The Columbus Dispatch sported a huge action shot of yours truly performing at the IBC along with a note of congratulations from the paper. I noted to a friend that I paid for my guitar by delivering The Columbus Dispatch when I was a senior in high school. Friends began to call expressing concern that they might not be able to get in to the club on Friday night, because there was such buzz surrounding the show.
Sure enough, as we were setting up on Friday afternoon, folks began arriving to stake out tables and offer congratulations. Amazing! The opening act, Aces High, are a group of young blues musicians from my own hometown of Granville, Ohio, just east of
Columbus. The band’s leader, Ben Thomas, and I met at The Granville Hot Licks Blues Festival, several years ago and I quickly remembered the high school senior when he got in touch with me last year about opening for us as The Blues Station.
That show was a big success, so I asked Ben and these talented young people to once again appear on our bill. Their enthusiasm for the blues and for entertaining an audience is infectious and inspirational to me and they did a fantastic job of once again creating that vibe for a wonderful night of music.
The show was emceed by Columbus Blues Alliance founder and harp player extraordinaire, Dan Axt – who also shared that great news that his radio program,
“Ridin’ with the Blues,” will go back on the air in July! Dan sat in and we shared memories of our dear friend, Christine Kittrell, whose farewell performance and 72nd birthday party took place at The Ear.
The outstanding staff and management at The Thirsty Ear went above and beyond the call of duty when they presented us with a HUGE and amazingly detailed cake that sported a very accurate and edible ES-175.
Special thanks to Bill Guiler and Ellie & Jim Holman for making it a really special night.
