The Chicago Blues Fest is regarded as the best in the world and one of its main strengths is the variety of blues performances. There are four different stages, with each catering to a particular type of music: The Mississippi Juke Joint, Louisiana Bayou Station, Route 66 Road House, and the U.S. Cellular Front Porch. The strong connection between Mississippi and Chicago was evident as the crowd and performers interacted.

“I’m from Tubelo, Mississippi,” yelled out one fan, as Mississippi native “Jimmy Duck” Holmes played the song “Devil Woman,” which was requested by another fan in the audience.

“I thought you would make me go back 50 or 60 years, but not 70,” said the veteran blue player Holmes, referring to the age of the tunes he often plays at concerts.

Songs like “devil woman” echo a common theme in blues music; that of a love gone bad, and surprise and disappointment. Darren Woods, a 51-year-old musician attending the concert gave his interpretation of blues music.

“It’s about letting your feelings out, and telling a story no matter how bad. A lot of people can relate to that,” Woods said. “Blues is a great way to be real and not waste time like you’re fronting or something,” he said.

Many of the performers at the fest were up in years and the life experiences that they sang about shed light on a bygone era. The pace of life and the music then seems less hectic and a little simpler than today. And the core of the blues sound reflects that.

“Playing a song and telling a story takes time, that’s why Blues is more thoughtful and patient with the way it’s played,” said Woods.

Blues singer/guitarist, David Honeyboy” Edwards was born in 1915, and still has a strong following in Blues circles. After his performance at the festival’s Louisiana Bayou Station there was a line of autograph seekers waiting for him. One fan, Gwen Avers, said: “He’s ninety-two and he can still play the guitar with a lot of feeling. That’s why I like the blues - it’s ageless.”

Chicago loves the Blues and the growth of the Blues Fest bears this out. When it began in 1983 attendance was 145,000; in 2006 the attendance was up to 640,000. Next year should be even larger and it might be even more special because fest will be celebrating its 25th season.   

Todd Thomas is a freelance writer for NLCN and other publications.