Sunday afternoon found Uncle Bo’s in downtown Topeka packed to the rafters as a crowd of eager blues fans gathered to hear this year’s contestants compete for the opportunity to represent the city at the International Blues Challenge, in Memphis, Tenn. next February.

Although slated to begin at 12 noon, things didn’t get rolling until around 1 p.m., when Emcee Marshall Barber opened the afternoon program with some announcements.

Of course, number one on his list of announcements was that the six artist roster had been reduced to four by show time Sunday afternoon. Winner of Topeka’s 2009 challenge, Josh Vowell and the Rumble won this year’s Wichita IBC last week, thereby disqualifying the band from performing on the Topeka stage. We wish him well on his trip to Memphis. On a more serious note, Rod Peterson of the Blue Devils, participating in the solo/duo category, suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident the night before and was unable to perform. We hope he’s doing better today.

Marshall then introduced the judges for the event. This was a breath of fresh air in light of a certain recent award event’s secretive selection of winners, utilizing a “closed panel of judges,” method of determining the outcome.

Coming first to the stage from Baldwin City, winners of the solo/duo category, was a father/daughter act. Dave and Molly Brostwick performed a wonderful set of original acoustic blues tunes. Molly, a tremendous bass player, at times provided percussion to the songs, via the use of a tambourine at her foot. Dave Brostwick, plays guitar, sings and composes incredibly witty songs about life, love and the English language. His song Lovesick English Teacher Blues contained one of my favorite verses of the day:

You can split my infinitives until infinity baby
I’ll still dot your i’s and cross your t’s
But you only give me a semicolon of your love baby
These lovesick English teacher blues got me on my knees

Dave also performs in KC with the rock band the Groove Pilots and is Assistant Professor of Mass Media at Baker University.

The Red State Blues band from Manhattan was up next. Describing their music as “electrified blues with a rock flavor,” they performed a high energy set of originals and some well picked covers, most notably Otis Rush’s 1958 classic “All Your Loving.”

Hometown favorites Hot Blue Chrome, were up next, featuring 17 year old guitar hero Nick Hern, and also the lovely and talented Maria Cuevas on vocals. Performing an energetic set of mostly original tunes, the band rocked and it looked like they were on there way to Tennessee. In fact, after their set, I turned to my imaginary companion and remarked, “I hate to be the band going on after that,” much to the amusement of the man sitting at the table next to me.

The last band up, from Kansas City, Grand Marquis, took the stage brandishing a variety of instruments including an upright bass and a tuba (???), which got me thinking, this is going to be very bad or very good. But after 30 seconds into their first song, it turned out this was going to be very, very good! Grand Marquis sounds and looks for the most part, like a throwback to the 1930’s Cab Calloway era of jump blues, (they even performed Minnie the Moocher during their encore). The band performed a set of horn-driven, bass slappin’, jazz-tinged, jump blues that got the whole audience involved.

Suki Willison, hostess of the afternoon’s festivities was glad to see so many supporters of the blues out to the show, saying, “I was so pleased to see so many people participate by coming to see the show, and their awareness of what [the Topeka Blue’s Society] is doing with the International Blues Challenge.”

Looking forward to year three, and possibility of an even bigger show, she laughs, “Maybe we’ll have to get a bigger room next year.”

It was a great day for the Blues in Topeka! Congratulations go out to the winners, but all of the performers are to be commended for bringing their best to Uncle Bo’s stage; Topeka would be honored to have any of these talented musicians represent the city in Memphis next year.

[ Robin Cremer | August 2010 | photo courtesy Grand Marquis on Facebook ]