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Written by Kurt Brighton
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Friday, 24 August 2007 |
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 The Boomtown Rats’ song “I Don’t Like Mondays” succinctly sums up the way most of us feel about the least popular day of the week. So it makes perfect sense that Monday would be a good night to sing the blues.
One Fort Collins establishment is letting area musicians do just that — and in the process, turning patrons’ early-week frowns upside-down. The City Limits Lounge is the purveyor of Blues Monday, with an open mic format allowing blues players to jam with a random assortment of other musicians.
The show benefits from the considerable skills of The Dave Dardine Project, which acts as host and backing band to players as needed. And based on an informal survey on a recent Monday night, the band is doing just fine.
“We’ve been doing this at City Limits for about six months now,” said guitarist and singer Dardine, fresh from his opening set. “Before this we were at Tailgate Tommy’s, but we like this venue a whole lot — the room is really great. You and I can have a conversation back here, and people can get their ya-yas out up there in front of the stage.”
Dardine, who also plays at another open jam with the Robert Wilson Project on Thursday nights at Corleone’s in Greeley, counts on the talents of his band to set the scene. He’s got Mike Ledbetter on drums, Joe Fife on keys, and Willy Clay on bass — and this is no thrown-together bunch of amateurs. Fife works at Spotlight Music, which also sponsors the show.
And Clay is a music student at Colorado State University. Clay used to play with Benwa and the Blue Balls, as well as Peek-Freenz and Poorhouse. And although he clearly has no problem playing the blues, Clay has spent the past year “on the bow,” learning stand-up bass — and he had got a big day on Tuesday.
“I have an audition tomorrow and I’m kind of freaking out about it,” he said. “I practiced for eight hours today.”
If his classical playing is anywhere near his electric playing, he’ll do just fine.
The people who show up to play seem to know each other at least in passing, and the room has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. One player, guitarist Paul Mitchell said he’s loved music since he was a newborn, so it’s no surprise he’s mastered his Les Paul guitar.
“My mother told me I used to rock back and forth in the cradle to Elvis, and I’ve always hated that because I heard that he ripped everybody off,” he said, laughing. “Later I found out that was actually the Colonel (Elvis’ manager) who did that. But I’ve always loved music.”
And according to Mitchell, the blues is something you can play from cradle to grave — without embarrassment.
“Another thing about R&B and the blues is you can get old and ugly and still play,” he said. “Not like these rockers, like Aerosmith squeezing into their spandex pants. Who wants to see a 50-year-old man in spandex?”
Based on another informal survey, City Limits is spandex-free.
Thank goodness.
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TO GO
Get your dose of the blues on Monday nights at the City Limits Lounge, 320 S. Link Lane.
Music starts at 8 p.m., hosted by The Dave Dardine Project. There is a sign-up sheet available starting at 8 p.m. and players start going on about an hour after Dardine opens the show. Call 224.9165.
In Greeley, the blues are played with regulars the Robert Wilson Band on Thursday nights at Corleone’s, 822 9th St. Call 378.7112 for more information. | Only registered users can write comments.
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