| Mark Wendel photo
M.C. Blue at Varsity Lanes Bowling Alley. |
ST. MARYS, OHIO -- Blues fans filled the Jaybird Lounge at Varsity Lanes Bowling Alley on Sunday afternoon to catch the first round of the Riverside Bluesfest 2008 Blues Challenge.
The Blues Challenge is a series of judged battle-of-the-bands competitions that will ultimately select the opening act for the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest, coming to K.C. Geiger Park on August 30. Eight regional bands have registered for the Blues Challenge four preliminary rounds.
"M.C. Blue" from Celina took the stage and cranked out a set full of blues classics. Their four judged songs were Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago," "Stormy Monday" by T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker's signature "Boom Boom" and "Leave My Girl Alone" by Buddy Guy.
Band members are Richard Marley (lead guitar and vocal), Jerry Orik (rhythm guitar and vocal), Kent Krogman (keyboards and vocal), Tom Luth (drums) and John Lessick (bass). Contact "M.C. Blue" through Richard Marley's email.
The Lima band "Suitcase" was also registered to compete Sunday, but they withdrew from the Blues Challenge for scheduling reasons, creating a forfeit situation. "M.C. Blue" took up the slack for the audience by playing a second set after their judged set was complete.
"Even though I knew we were in by forfeit, I was still a little nervous," bass player John Lessick said afterwards. "Knowing that the audience is full of music people, and there are judges taking notes, and you are being taped... I was concentrating up there."
Lessick needn't have worried, as the judges gave the band critical but passing marks and the audience showed its appreciation after each song. "M.C. Blue"'s next Blues Challenge appearance will be in the Finals on May 18, when they will compete with three other bands at the St. Marys Eagles Lodge.
The next Blues Challenge preliminary round will take place in Lima at Buffalo Wild Wings Bar and Grill ("BW3's"), 3000 West Elm Street, adjacent to the American Mall, at 1:00 pm on Sunday, February 24. A new band from Celina, "Lady Bird and the Dirty Dirty Earth Worms" will vie for a shot at the finals with "Shootin' Blanks" from St. Marys.
For more information on the 2008 Blues Challenge and the Riverside Bluesfest, visit www.stmarysblues.com.
