Elvin Bishop. |
ST. MARYS, OHIO -- Good-time blues rocker Elvin Bishop is gonna put on his travelin' shoes and come to St. Marys, Ohio to headline the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest on Saturday of Labor Day weekend.
Bishop's earliest musical influence and life-long passion is the blues. Growing up in Iowa and Oklahoma in the 1950s, Elvin got hooked on the blues music coming in on late-night AM radio from distant stations in Mexico, Louisiana and Nashville, Tennessee. He taught himself how to play blues guitar from those radio broadcasts.
When Elvin Bishop won a National Merit Scholarship in 1959, he chose to attend the University of Chicago more for its proximity to the blues than for his major (physics). In Chicago, he teamed up with guitarist Michael Bloomfield and harp player Paul Butterfield to create the musically influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band. 1965's debut self-titled album by that band broke down many racial and musical barriers in blues, pop and rock music.
Bishop left Chicago for San Francisco in the late 1960s, playing often at the legendary Filmore West with the likes of Eric Clapton, BB King and Jimi Hendrix. Recording and touring with the Elvin Bishop Group, their 1976 album “Struttin' My Stuff” hit the charts with the title track and the monster hit “Fooled Around and Fell In Love,” with Mickey Thomas (later of Jefferson Starship) on lead vocals.
Many well-received blues albums have followed through the years, along with consistent touring or, as Elvin puts it, “entertaining the people and maybe having a little too much fun myself.” How much fun is too much might be an open question, but there's no doubt that Elvin Bishop is famous for putting on entertaining and feel-good shows.
Bishop's music is driving and infectious, and his message is as upbeat as the tempo. Just reading the titles of songs he has written -- Belly Rubbin', Joy, Juke Joint Jump, I Love The Life I Lead, Have A Good Time, I'll Be Glad, Party 'Til The Cows Come Home, Sure Feels Good, Booty Bumpin' -- puts a person in a good mood. Elvin Bishop's headline show will round out a fantastic day of blues at the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest.
The Riverside Bluesfest is a celebration of the Blues music genre, held annually during Labor Day weekend at K.C. Geiger Park in St. Marys, Ohio. The festival includes live music, food and refreshments in a family-friendly atmosphere. A production of the K.C. Geiger Park Improvement Committee, the Riverside Bluesfest is a not-for-profit event with proceeds benefiting the K.C. Geiger Park Improvement Fund.
Elvin Bishop joins Ana Popovic, Sonny Boy Terry, Stacy Mitchhart and the Jimi Vincent Band on the 2008 Riverside Bluesfest stage. Tickets will go on sale online Memorial Day and are priced $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show.
The opening act at the Riverside Bluesfest will be the winner of the 2008 Blues Challenge, No Right Turn, from Lima, Ohio. Read about the Blues Challenge finals here.
Ticket information and the latest Bluesfest news can be found online at www. stmarysblues.com.
