The Orange County Blues Society & The Real Blues Festival of Orange County 4
I have been playing music for a very long time, and the blues has been a very good friend during many years of that time. When I started the Real Blues Festival of Orange County it was because I wanted to share my love of the blues with people that had really not paid much attention to the blues for a while. And it has been an ever-growing love affair. The experience that I would want people to come away with when they leave the festival is that we are just a part of the same family. If you have had a flat tire at 2 in the morning, you have had the blues. If you have lost a sweetheart you have had the blues. It’s a human condition. What is cool is sharing those feelings with others.
When you get to stand on stage and give your interpretation of a great classic or play one of you own tunes you get to express that “at the moment feeling” to the crowd and if you can do it right you know that they understand.
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The first two years the festival was at small place called The Olde Ship British Restaurant & Pub. And they are still a sponsor. Now we are getting a little bigger so now we are at Malone’s Bar & Grill in Santa Ana with two stages and a large dance floor. The OCBS has tried this year to up our game if you will with some very special acts. With this year’s line up The OCBS has tried to get a range of styles that will keep you interested. Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, The Alastair Green band with guest Franck “Paris Slim” Goldwasser, the lovely Peach with her guest Joey Delgado from the Delgado Brothers, the young and talented Chase Walker band where every player is 15 to 16 years old! There is also Crosscut Deluxe and of course, good old Papa J & Friends.
We want everyone to bring the family out for a great afternoon of Blues & BBQ. The blues is America’s music and we want everyone to experience the fun it can be.
The OCBS wants to continue the volunteer “Blues in the School” programs, and with help from a great group, the Orange County Blues Players, continue the open jams two, three times a month. All profits from the OCBS sponsored shows go back into helping make the blues relevant in Orange County CA. and around the world. This last month the world had its first “International Blues Music Day.” How cool is that! God Bless the Blues!
Written by Jeff Hudson 8/30/2013
