The Rundown

On Sept. 20, a multitude of blues fans descended upon The Shed Barbecue and Blues Joint for their annual ShedHed Blues Festival. The Shed has built their reputation upon not only their excellent food but also the notable blues acts that frequent this establishment. Although there were many well-known headliners such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Walter “Wolfman” Washington, some of the more impressive acts were the more obscure ones.

Mobile’s own Lisa Mills made an appearance and poured her soul all over a mesmerized crowd, which listened intently in the rain.

Rooster Blues was probably one of the most electrifying acts at this event. This duo kept it traditional with its driving blues steeped in fuzz. There was not one person present who did not feel the need to move when this band strummed their first riff. It was quite refreshing to see such old school blues styles embraced by these young musicians.

The lovely Rochelle Harper and her band (a Bluegill veteran) set the stage on fire with their set and should not be ignored the next time they hit the Port City.

Jimbo Mathus definitely was the epitome of this festival with his old school juke sound. It was also quite appealing that he set the mood with “Stateline Women” and never let up on his grimy blues sound.

OGD debut a hit

Braden Land made his debut at Callaghan’s Sept. 21, and judging from the audience’s approval, he will return.

Land gave an intimate solo performance for a packed room and won over everyone with his Americana sounds. With facial expressions mocking the guitar sounds, this young musician kicked off his set with a few blues numbers whipped into shape with his skills on the slide.

Land hit the crowd with cuts from his debut “Dirt” and his latest release “Stumble and Glow.” In the past, he has been compared to the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan. This performance justified the latter with Land pulling the best of Dylan as inspiration for his music and performance. Hopefully, he will be able to bring his full band when he returns in the future.

Ivory ticklers

Mobile is getting its own piano bar. On Oct. 10, Dahlia’s Electric Piano Hall will open its doors at 258 Dauphin St., next to Grand Central. This music hall will feature dueling pianos on Friday and Saturday nights courtesy of Gene Murrell and Scott Morlock. Morlock will be playing solo on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These two key-ticklers were inspired to open this establishment after a high-energy performance in June at the Hurricane Brew Pub. Those who have never experienced a dueling piano show are in for a real treat.

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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