Bman's Blues Report

    Real Blues Festival/Orange County Blues Society founder Papa J (pictured below) hosts a Holiday Food Drive at the House of Blues Anaheim next Thursday, December 27. Proceeds benefit the Orange County Food Bank.  https://www.facebook.com/events/311340218970429/ "Bring a can or box of food and help those that cannot help themselves during the holidays" - Papa J   (Anaheim, Calif.) -  The holiday season is a great time for giving, and that's  precisely  what the Orange County Blues Society has in mind with their Holiday Food Dive taking place at House of Blues/Anaheim, Voodoo Lounge, Thursday, December 27.  Doors 8 p.m. Showtime 10 p.m. HOB is located at 1530 S. Disneyland Ave. Info:  https://www.facebook.com/events/311340218970429/ . Blues harpist/vocalist Papa J and Delta Blues guitarist K.K. Martin are among the scheduled performers that evening.      Harpist, vocalist, founder/creator of bo...

With all of the blues festivals and venues going on this season, I thought that I would talk with a number of Festival organizers to determine what makes a festival tick. One of the interviewees is coordinating her first venue so this will show views from upcoming planners to pure veterans. LeeAnn Gibbons - First time promoter of Portland, Oregon's First Annual Winter Blues Fest Kyle Deibler - President of the Phoenix Blues Society and organizer of Phoenix's Blues Blast Festival Michael John - 7th Annual Simi Valley Blues Festival founder/promoter Papa J - 3rd Annual Organizer/founder of Real Blues Festival of Orange County Bman: I have been to Blues festivals near both coasts and in cities both north and south. First tell me, where does the seed money come from to support an endeavor like this? LeeAnn: In my case, we had only 3 months to put this first year festival together, so we could not concentrate on the higher corporations, so we hit people we knew. Some of u...