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City gearing up for the blues

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By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer 10:49 AM Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Don’t expect a slow, low energy performance from the bands at this year’s Lebanon Blue’s Festival.

If the performers have anything to do it, they expect to “blow the roofs off” downtown buildings Saturday during the annual festival.

Guitarist Scotty Bratcher of West Elkton, Ohio, said playing in a festival rather than a club produces different, more energetic performances.

“In a club, you might have to play for four hours, so you have to pace yourself,” Bratcher said. “In a festival, where your only playing for 90 minutes, you can put all your energy into one quick set.”

The Blues Festival, which is a fund raiser for the Lebanon Optimist Club, will be held from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. along Broadway and Mulberry streets in downtown Lebanon. The festival features a classic car show along Broadway, a 5K run in the evening, and dozens of mouth-watering food vendors. The centerpiece for the festival is the music.

“Lebanon is a great festival,” said Hamilton native Sonny Moorman, one of eight bands and performers playing at the all-day event. “The crowd is energetic and responsive all day. It’s a fantastic event to play.”

Portions of Broadway, Mulberry, Cherry, and Mechanic Streets will be closed during the festival. A handicapped parking area will be located near the city lot on South Mechanic Street. All merchants will remain open during the event.

Festival chairwoman Ann Smith said the bands are “totally rocking.” “By the end of the day the whole city will be rocking,” she said.

“I always thought the blues had more feeling and groove than rock and roll,” said Middletown resident Gregg Clark, who will open the festival. “It moved something in me. There’s a universal sound to the blues.”

For many performers at the Bluesfest, the love of music, and the blues in particular, is seated deep in their youth.

“My folks owned a club when I was a kid,” Moorman said. “I saw all these world class guys and thought everybody played like that.”

“I don’t remember not playing,” said Bratcher. Mesmerized by a video tape of blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bratcher began teaching himself to play guitar when he was two-years-old, imitating the moves of his hero.

“I realized by the time I was three, that this was what I wanted to do,” Bratcher said.

11th annual Lebanon Bluesfest

Broadway and Mulberry Streets, Downtown Lebanon

Saturday, Aug. 1

Schedule of Performers

11 a.m. Gregg Clark and Friends

12:30 p.m. Ricky Nye with Bekah Williams

2 p.m. Sonny Moorman

3:30 p.m. The Inner City Blues Band

5 p.m. Scotty Bratcher Band

6:30 p.m. Mr. Keith Little and His Blues Body

8 p.m. II Juicy Blues Band