An evening of blues

Blues is not a genre that appeals to everybody, though teaming it with alcohol seemed to work at the recently held Bacardi Weekender, a new concert series. The concert at Toit saw performances by Shillong-based ‘Soulmate’ and Bangalore’s very own ‘Chronic Blues Circus’.

After dedicating the evening to the recently-deceased blues legend JJ Cale, ‘Chronic Blues Circus’ started their set playing Cale’s songs like ‘Money Talks’ and ‘Call Me The Breeze’. They followed this up with originals like ‘Sweet Nicotine’, ‘Indian Blues’, ‘Help Me Mama’ and the crowd favourite, ‘Woman’. The crowd took a while to warm up to the band but they were appreciated by the few who were there for the music and not beer.

“It was interesting to play and get the attention of a crowd that was nursing their drink the whole time. In the beginning, we were wondering what the hell was happening but they all finally got into it,” said frontman Peter Isaac after the show.

When ‘Soulmate’ came on, Bangalore really got a taste of the blues. Starting with a tribute to JJ Cale with ‘Crazy Mama’ and ‘Cajun Moon’, they grooved their way into originals like ‘Tell Me’, ‘I’m A Woman’, ‘Smile At Me’, ‘Wang Dang Doodle’ and the anticipated ‘Voodoo Woman’. The band, specifically guitarist Rudy Wallang and Tipriti Kharbangar, evidently left an impression and had the entire crowd singing along.
“There was fantastic energy in the crowd and we got an unbelievable response for an indoor gig. It’s always good to play here,” said Rudy.

The love for both the bands was more than visible in the crowd. “It was a pleasure to watch because these guys know how to do the blues right! Tipriti is a powerhouse on stage and the texture of her voice reminds me of Janis Joplin.

The kind of feeling that she brings to her music gives me goosebumps as a listener. And not to forget Rudy’s killer guitar riffs. I could not think of a better way to spend an evening!” said Ayesha, an attendee.

Even the older generations came down in large numbers for an evening of the good ol’ blues. “I think bands should start playing at venues like this with a younger, yuppy crowd. Today’s gig was amazing and the highlight for me was Rudy breaking his string and the band jamming till he was done replacing it,” said Satty, a 52-year-old in the crowd.