Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin
July 26-27, 2019
By Phillip Smith; August 3, 2019
I had an absolutely amazing time during the two days
I spent at the Prairie Dog Blues Festival this
year. Besides the spectacular music, there
was an amazing comradery between the blues fans. Upon first arrival on Friday evening, I staked
out some prime territory within the beer tent to see one my favorite acts Ghost Town Blues Band. They tore it up on four separate sets that evening,
playing all the songs I wanted to hear.
Their covers of “Come Together”, “Whipping Post”, and “Statesboro Blues”
were superb as always. It was great to catch
up with those guys again. Between the GTBB sets, I made sure to shimmy over to the main stage to
see more outstanding performances from Tas Cru, Reverend Payton’s Big Damn Band, Toronzo Cannon, and Nikki Hill.
Tas Cru and
Mary Ann Casale teamed up to dazzle
me with delight on “Heal My Soul”. Casale cowrote this one with Tas for
his acclaimed Memphis Song album.
It was cool to hear “Dirty Swerve” from Reverend
Peyton. That one definitely
put the fans in dance mode. Toronzo Cannon brought some of the best blues Chicago has
to offer, and Nikki Hill
commanded full attention for her powerful for her set of rockin’ soul. She even busted out a little AC/DC with a nod to Bon Scott on
“If You Want Blood / I’m a Rocker”.
On the second day of the festival, I headed directly
to the main stage to hear Craig Erickson and the Roadhouse
Rockers. The man is
a powerhouse when it comes to playing guitar, and it is always a pleasure to see
his band play. ZZ Top tribute band Eliminator from
Chicago lit up the crowd with nearly ninety minutes of dazzling showmanship and
spot-on covers. They were so fun to
watch and hear. I was so glad to have finally
caught Eliza Neals in concert. She has been on my radar ever since reviewing
her 10,000 Feet Below album. This
is another act which I highly recommend.
Neals definitely puts the ‘rock’
in blues-rock, with her amazing vocals. Popping
over to the beer tent to hear The Kris Lager Band was
a lot of fun as well. The tent was
filled to capacity, as they played their unique style of funky blues. The evening was capped off with a searing performance
from Anthony Gomes. The first time I saw Gomes, he was opening for the king of blues himself, B.B. King. This
my third time seeing him, and he keeps upping his game every time.
Prairie Dog Blues Festival,
which is held annually on the historic St. Feriole
Island in Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, is very organized
and cuts no corners when it comes to booking talent. I will definitely make a point of returning.
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* All Photos by Phillip Smith
Ghost Town Blues Band
Tas Cru
Rev Peyton's Big Damn Band
Toronzo Cannon
Nikki Hill
Craig Erickson and the Roadhouse Rockers
Eliminator
Eliza Neals
Kris Lager Band
Anthony Gomes
