The Dulcinea and I spent Thursday night down at The Brink Lounge listening to Bobby Bryan and The Original Downtown Players. It was the first time I'd seen them since they represented the Dairyland in the 2008 International Blues Challenge down in Memphis. Bryan told me that, while they had played well, they didn't take home a gold medal. Despite this Bryan and his fellow band members plow on enthusiastically here in Madison.
The band put on another great show which moved seamlessly from more traditional blues ala Albert Collins & Robert Cray to more funky numbers with a bit of rock thrown in for good measure. Lon Walker was still on bass while Steve Skaggs was once again behind the keys. This time around, though, there was a new drummer - Terry Galloway – who was dressed up for the occasion with a tie.
As happened the last time we saw Bryan play, The Brink had only a smattering of folks early on but the crowd grew as the night wore on. He jokes with his audiences a bit in between songs and keeps things entertaining. When folks want to dance, he obliges. Bryan also maintains the long tradition of blues showmanship. He wandered out into the audience during one song and gave a rousing solo by putting his guitar up to his mouth.
"Forty Days" is proving to a favorite for The D and me. I love how Bryan's guitar work is alternately salacious and just plain rockin' here as well as on "State of Emergency". He has great confidence and, unlike most blues players in Madison, he inhabits the blues. A lot of bands here love the blues, to be sure, but they sound like they are outside of it, like they're paying tribute. On the other hand, Bryan is right inside with his guitar sounding like an extension of it and his vocals dripping off his lips seemingly without effort. There was some slow blues but these songs were followed up by something funky or more up-tempo which drew folks out onto the dance floor. As The D remarked, Bryan's music always makes her feel good. Indeed there were smiles all around.
I recognized some of the people in the audience from the last time I saw Bryan and, chatting with folks outside during the first break, it was obvious that he has a small but dedicated following. I spoke with Bryan himself for a spell and, during our chat, he introduced me to a couple friends who were there. He also recognized The D as she is a friend of his on MySpace. The guy eminently approachable - a real class act.
Bobby Bryan and The Original Downtown Players will play next at Stella's Speakeasy in Stoughton on the 16th. Their next Madison gig is on 16 June at JT Whitney's.
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