Don't Stop the Music

Rex Scott hasn’t sat down for almost twelve hours. It’s 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night, and the line at the Jamaican Jerk Hut stand still stretches over a hundred customers long. Scott has been preparing and serving up his addictive, tangy chicken to hungry customers at the Roots ‘N Blues ‘N BBQ Festival all day long. Although the blaring reggae music on his boombox is drowning out festival headliner and blues legend Taj Mahal playing just three blocks away, no one in line seems to care. After two full days of music, some people just want their chicken.

The musical and culinary heaven that hit Columbia this past weekend was nothing short of spectacular. The success and popularity of the festival surely surprised its staunchest supporters and promoters. Although intended as a massive “birthday party” for the Boone County National Bank, it was the people of Columbia that celebrated the most. World-class bands, award winning barbecue and plenty of character defined the weekend for over 60,000 attendees.

When the sun went down on Friday night and the streets of Columbia began to overflow with people, the prime talents really began to shine. Granted it was an odd sight to see a mix table and DJ on stage at a blues festival, but when Chris Thomas King walked on and picked up a mic, even a traditional blues fan could appreciate King’s tunes. His fusion of hip/hop and the blues engaged the entire audience packed around the stage at Broadway and Eighth streets. Even with the underlying beats and backup recorded vocals reminiscent of modern rap and pop, King’s smooth and powerful voice truly represented the roots of the blues, and his deep lyrics were a nod to his past as a New Orleans bluesman.

Although dozens of superb artists and bands performed at the festival, the Music Maker Revue was quite possibly the most entertaining and riveting of all. Mudcat, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, Adolphus Bell and Albert White, four individuls representing the Music Maker Relief Foundation, appeared on the Broadway Stage Saturday afternoon. Opening the act were Bell...and Bell...and Bell...and Bell. On vocals, guitar, drums, and harmonica, his one-man band was a true show.

Following a short solo guitar piece by Albert White, a short, relatively old black woman appeared on stage and introduced herself as “Guitar” Watkins. No such introduction was needed. While she was quite possibly the most unlikely person to be jamming on an electric guitar other than perhaps a newborn infant, Watkins let loose with powerful chords and riffs mixed with vocals and some intense harmonica solos as well. At one point, Watkins forwent the traditional guitar stance, hoisted the instrument over and behind her head, walked to the edge of the stage and continued to play backwards, smiling with the ecstatic audience the whole time. After her final song, Watkins leaned over the stage high-fiving dozens of fans.

Just as Watkins took her final bows, Daniel “Mudcat” Dudeck picked up just where she left off, not even giving the crowd a chance to stop cheering. Mudcat, too, played right up against those in the front row, but he didn’t stop there. By his third song, he was seven rows deep in the crowd and looking for help, and that’s when Christine Vedenhoupt became the luckiest lady of the afternoon. Mudcat kissed Vedenhoupt on her cheeks, grabbed her hands and cradled them around his acoustic guitar. Surrounded by thousands of concert-goers, the two played together in the middle of Broadway. Those performing with the Revue were just a few of the more than 80 artists affiliated with the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of supporting traditional blues, folk, and roots artists.

Such artists came through brilliantly last weekend, and very likely gave hundreds if not thousands of college students their first experience with one of the greatest and richest musical genres on the planet. Because the festival was intended as a one-time celebration for Boone County National Bank, there are no plans for it to return to Columbia for a second year. However, it would be a shame to lose such a wonderful event, and the city of Columbia should do everything it can to make sure that doesn’t happen.