Photos by Tina Pastor
Briggs Farm Blues Festival never fails to deliver a great experience. Somehow the weather is always impeccably beautiful—to the point where we could just coin the term “Briggs Farm weather.” Growth continues as Friday’s attendance exceeded previous years’ (Festival a week later this year) with Saturday’s audience likely in the 10,000 range. The growth has not diminished the fest’s “Christmas in July” vibe. The Briggs family have made some necessary adjustments, hiring a professional parking firm to maximize space, for example. But the biggest difference from the previous year was the lineup, which returned to a more blues-packed roster compared to last year’s eclectic one. Some diehard blues lovers said it was the best lineup in 20 years.
What began as a two-day festival 23 years ago has evolved to a four-day festival with music on Thursday night (this year a celebration of Woodstock that reportedly had the crowd dancing like crazy) and an uplifting half day of gospel and blues on Sunday. Bobby Kyle and the Administers, with special guest guitarist Linwood Taylor opened Friday’s Back Porch stage with a burning set of straight-ahead electric blues, punctuated by explosive soloing from Kyle and Taylor. Other Friday Back Porch highlights included a grooving soul/blues set from Robert Kimbrough Sr. and his trio and danceable sets from Briggs mainstays Clarence Spady and Lonnie Shields.
Saturday’s Back Porch offered two of the most well-received acts in the entire festival as Scott Pemberton and his Electric Power Trio had the midday crowd on their feet with dance-friendly, sing-along fare that mixed classic rock with their own material Pemberton’s trio got a rare but well-deserved encore. Later young soul/blues sensation King Solomon Hicks wowed the crowd with his tasteful guitar playing, Sam Cooke-like vocals, and one of the best smiles ever. Blues harmonicists Nate Myers and Mikey Jr. (who sat in with Hicks and Slam Allen later) and their respective units also delivered crowd-pleasing sets as did the closer, Heather Gillis, who deserved a bigger audience but was up against the festival headliner, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
Friday’s Main Stage began with a stirring rendition of the national anthem from 2019 BMA Award Winner for Female Soul/Blues Vocalist Annika Chambers, who proceeded to live up to her billing in a rousing set. California’s James Armstrong followed with a strong set of electric blues, highlighted by his signature tune, “Guitar Angel.” The energy level built to frenzied peak with Memphis’s Southern Avenue propelled by vocalist and whirling dervish Tierini Jackson and her sister, the drummer Tikyra Jackson, along with Israeli-born guitarist Ori Naftaly and keyboardist Jeremy Powell. They played tunes from their two albums including “Whiskey Love” and “Switchup” from this year’s Keep On and a sizzling cover of Aretha’s “Chain of Fools.” The headliner, Donna the Buffalo, a heralded, experienced jam band, drove the hardcore blues fans to the Back Porch stage for Lonnie Shields while Buffalo fans, the Herd, crowded to the front of the stage, delighted to hear a variation from the main menu.
Saturday’s Main Stage opened in authentic Mississippi style as Cedric Burnside sat solo with his acoustic guitar and delivered the real blues, later switching to electric guitar when Brian J. joined on drums. In the last third of the set the two traded instruments, as those who had never seen this act remarked, “Wow! that’s only two people.” Perennial fest favorite Vanessa Collier followed by singing and playing her array of saxes. As per usual, her splendid stage presence and charisma not only carried her set but likely led to more merchandise sales than any performer. Crowd-pleasing Slam Allen delivered mostly covers, paying homage to B.B. King and engaging the audience in familiar tunes. New blues sensation “Kingfish” showed why he might be the “next Buddy Guy” with his incendiary licks and solid vocals on extended versions of tunes like “Fresh Out,” “Trouble,” “Love Ain’t My Favorite Word” and others from his Alligator debut, his trio joined by another guitarist for a blazing cover of “Two Trains Running.” Yes, the kid was shredding, proving he’s got the goods.
Sunday’s gospel/blues show featured a crowd-involved set from the “Soul Working Man” Slam Allen who did his best to shake the hand of every fan while his band played. Set highlights were a stirring version of “Stormy Monday” from guest vocalist Dane Tillman and Slam’s closer, “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Alexis P. Suter and her Ministers of Sound with new guitarist Michael Louis mixed such gospel favorites as “Didn’t It Rain” and “Wade in the Water” with new blues and R&B tunes from their latest album Be Love for a powerful, stirring performance.
This year’s lineup was stacked with terrific blues artists for traditionalists, and Donna the Buffalo was a gamble that worked fine with this younger, less purist audience.
Reporter Jim Hynes is a nine-time Briggs Farm Blues Fest attendee.
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