Twenty-Four Years of The Blues

Despite founder Gary “Shrimp City Slim” Erwin stepping away from running the annual Lowcountry Blues Bash in 2012, the event is still making waves in the music world thanks to Home Team Barbeque and entertainment director Tony McKie. And this February 6, Home Team West Ashley will once again kick off a weeklong celebration of the art of the Blues in Charleston.
The Bash gets off to a star-studded start with Todd Wolfe, former guitarist for Sheryl Crow, performing with his band at 9 p.m. on Thursday, February 6. With more than 30 years of performing and touring under his belt, Wolfe’s style has remained true to his 1960s rock and roll influences, recalling the days when “Men were men and amps were amps.” The bluesadelic Todd Wolfe Band consists of Todd Wolfe, Roger Voss and bassist Justine Gardner.
The event continues with the return of Charleston legend Drink Small on Saturday, February 8, from 7 .m. – 12 midnight as part of the Palmetto Blues Gathering with Shrimp City Slim and Swamp Pop Shelley. Now 81 years old, Small continues to play shows either solo or with a band across the Lowcountry. From his first recordings in 1955 with the Spiritualaires of Columbia, SC, to playing venues such as the Apollo, the Chicago Blues Festival, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Drink Small is not only considered a legend but a true South Carolina treasure.
Joining Small on stage will be Louisiana native Swamp Pop Shelley, who will add her own Cajun flair with a modern “swamp pop” twist, and the inimitable Shrimp City Slim will make a much-anticipated return to the Lowcountry Blues Bash stage as he joins Small and Shelley for a night of pure, raw Blues.
The Bash continues with Country-Blues artist Davis Coen on Thursday, February 13, at 9 p.m. Coen, whose original music was most notably included on “The Blues,” a PBS special directed by Martin Scorsese, has also been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition and World Café programs, and is a regularly played artist on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio’s Bluesville station.
Danny Dudeck, otherwise known as Mudcat, will woo the crowd on Valentine’s Day starting at 10 p.m. with his unique combination of gospel, delta, and piedmont Blues, often played on his classic 1962 Gibson LG-O.
Then, on Saturday, February 15, the Blues Bash will wrap up with a bang with an All-Star Blues Jam and Oyster Roast featuring Poppa Dupree Wall as MC with John Picard, Whit Algar, Skye Paige and My Buddy Todd, and grand finale feature Garry Burnside, youngest son of Blues legend R.L. Burnside. The roast and jam will kick off at 12 noon and go all night. $15 includes both music and all-you-can-eat oysters.
For more information about the 2014 Lowcountry Blues Bash at Home Team BBQ, visit www.hometeambbq.com or www.facebook.com/hometeambbq.