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The Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival fires up in Columbia.
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26
the pitch
S
teve Sweitzer takes his music — and his The Black Crowes root down in Columbia. barbecue — seriously. You’d expect nothing less from the man who that genre. It’s just that’s not the point of the show. It’s to represent artists that aren’t has grown Columbia’s annual Roots N Blues necessarily breaking artists, to represent artN BBQ Festival over a decade, but Sweitzer ists that maybe have been around for a while has good reason to sound downright bubbly about this weekend’s three-day lineup. He and and haven’t done anything until recently. Like Mavis Staples, for example, who was co-organizer Richard King (of the Blue Note helped along by Jeff Tweedy, and now a new and Mojo’s) are putting more than 27 acts on two stages, including the Black Crowes, Mavis generation knows her name. I think that’s Staples, Steve Earle, Samantha Fish, Phospho- great. We have Mavis coming for the Gospel Brunch on Sunday. rescent, Béla Fleck, and Johnny Winter. At its core, there are a lot of singer-songwritThe Pitch: Give me a little history on the Roots ers this year. That was intentional. Like Steve N Blues N BBQ Festival. Sweitzer: This is our seventh year do- Earle, who’s been around forever. The fact of the matter is that the guy’s brilliant. Nikki ing the show. The overall mission, when we Hill’s an up-and-comer — there’s a really cool created it all those years ago, was to have a soul thing she does with her very eclectic mix of genres. band. We have Johnny WinBelieve it or not, we did reRoots N Blues N ter, who’s still singing and search 10 years ago, and a lot BBQ Festival playing like when he was a of people still didn’t underSeptember 20–22 at Stephens kid, and he’s no youngster. stand what roots music was. Lake Park, Columbia, There’s Keller Williams, a They thought it was part of rootsnbluesnbbq.com brilliant singer-songwriter, blues music. It seems odd, and he’s teamed up with the right, because we’ve been Travelin’ McCourys, and their dad is one of the hit over the head with roots music, but that’s elders of bluegrass music — really one of the really the origin of the name — originally it was godfathers of that category. just going to be the Roots N BBQ Festival, and Is there anyone you particularly think we when people didn’t realize what that was, we should know about? decided to add blues to it. ZZ Ward. She’s a good example of someEclectic means something beyond roots and thing I try to do every year. When artists come blues music? to the show, I always try to spend some time Every category of music has been reprewith them and find out who they’re listening sented in that roots world: folk, bluegrass to — you know, up-and-coming young artists old and new, country old and new. Really, — and that’s the case with ZZ Ward. We had the mission was to build an eclectic show and feature what I like to call “the real deal.” Fitz and the Tantrums here a couple years ago, We’re gonna have guys like Dale Watson — he and I was talking to Fitz, and he talked about plays old time honky-tonk, and he’s influ- how he was producing a couple songs for ZZ Ward, and we immediately put her on our list. enced by all the country greats, back when The festival is at a new location this year, country was country and not pop or whatever Stephens Lake Park. How did that move happen? it is now. I’m not saying anything bad about
september 19-25, 2013
pitch.com
BY
N ATA L IE G A L L A G HE R
This is the first festival we’ve hosted there. We did a test concert last year about this time. What we wanted to see was how things looked and sounded and how people reacted to those surroundings, and it was very positive. Who wouldn’t want to be out on 50 acres under the stars watching these great acts on two giant stages? There’s also a big race that you do. How does that fit in with the festival? That’s a feature that’s really growing in popularity for us. It’s a 10k race, and we’ve got over a thousand runners signed up now. It’s a really good course, and it’s professionally timed. But maybe the main feature is the live music on the race route, and the part where, when the runners are done, they get a big old can of beer and barbecue. [Laughs.] Is there anything else about the show this year that’s different for you? The other thing that is brand-new for us is that we’ve never had a Sunday show. We’ve always just been Friday and Saturday and then done, so this year, for your weekend pass, we have two and a half days of music. On Sunday, we’ll have the Gospel Brunch, and several of the food vendors are creating some special brunch items that you can enjoy while you’re watching the show.
E-mail natalie.gallagher@pitch.com
J A Z Z B E AT PASSPORT AT THE GREEN LADY LOUNGE
You could argue that Passport’s music isn’t jazz. With Latin, Cuban and South American motifs, perhaps it’s world music meets jazz. Trumpeter Stan Kessler is certainly one of the most prolific jazz musicians in Kansas City. And versatile guitarist Beau Bledsoe, through his group Alaturka and stints in Matt Otto’s sextet, stakes many claims to KC’s jazz scene. In their duo Passport, Bledsoe lays down intricate, mesmerizing rhythms while Kessler glides above them with perfect tone. Thursday, percussionist Pat Conway adds yet another dimension. These are master musicians, ideally complementing one another with a repertoire that moves from melancholy to exhilaration. Book your ticket today. — LARRY KOPITNIK Passport, 8–11 p.m. Thursday, September 19, at the Green Lady Lounge (1809 Grand, 816-215-2954)