Blues in a Backyard Punk Gig

How I fell in love with the blues and why it inspires me.

By Daisy Velasco

I have an old soul, or so I have been told by the older folks. I grew up listening to my brother play in the garage with his punk band.

At the age of thirteen, I started going to backyard gigs to watch my brother perform along with other local bands. The reckless and energetic noise of the crowd cheering for the bands thrilled me.

The moshpits were intense because the only visible objects seen were arms swinging all over the place. Occasionally T-shirts and beer bottles would be thrown randomly in the air.

I remember a specific performance, a musician stood alone on the wooden stage made from palettes and completely changed the setting. He was holding a harmonica and an acoustic guitar announcing on the microphone that he was going to play a song called “Forty Days and Forty Nights'' by Muddy Waters. I was astounded to see the crowd go from aggressively pushing one another in a circle to wrapping arms around shoulders as if it were a family portrait.

At that time, I did not know who Muddy Waters was, but ever since that day I have fallen in love with the Blues. I remember walking up to the musician after he finished performing with a curiosity of wanting to know more of who this Muddy Waters was.

The singer began by first telling me the origins of the Blues are important to learn. The blues began in the North Mississippi Delta post-civil war influenced by African roots, field hollers, church music, and rhythmic dance. The performer then suggested a list of artists to listen to such as Robert Johnson, Little Walter, and Ma Rainey.

I remember writing down the names of these musicians onto a flyer that I found on the floor. Ever since I encountered the blues at a punk backyard gig, I began to find myself searching to learn more about the history of the blues.

The aesthetic of the blues singers expressing their feelings rather than telling a story grabbed my attention.

Their lyrics would make me feel at ease but also a sense of pain. The rawness of the instrumental technique such as bending guitar strings on the neck or applying a bottleneck to the guitar strings creating a whining voice astonished me. But most importantly, I think understanding the structure of how the blues has become the basis form of American popular music is noteworthy.

To this day, I continue to find other musicians who influence who I am.

Artist Recomendations: Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Ressie Smuth and Ma Rainey.