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Tampa Bay Blues Festival by Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms
Posted on 4/19/2010 by Monica Yasher
(Memphis, Tennessee) This week we travel to the sunny state of Florida where "the sun shines damn near every day" and the blues fans come out in droves to catch good blues music. On Wednesday, Wayne and Reba Russell and yours truly rolled out across Mississippi and then Alabama, headed to the sunshine state where we would play four times in two days.
Beautiful flora and fauna everywhere. This was photographed at a gas station along the way.
Reba makes off with a small souvenir
A pelican perches on a boat outside Sea Hag's on the beach
Blues denizen and friend Jack Spencer joins us on Thursday night for food and fun.
This place has great calamari and crab cakes.
Reba and Wayne outside on the patio
The view from my seat on the patio at Sea Hag's
As the sun sinks in the west...
Reba scores a shell as we walk down the beach to the next watering hole
More frivolity is had in this giant tiki hut
Jack and the author attempt to navigate the palm fronds
We opened up this year's Tampa Bay Blues Festival at 12:30 PM on April 9. The crowd was truly impressive for such an early set. We arrived early to get to the stage and get all the backline gear set up to play the show.
Here' my battle station replete with a vintage Hammond B-3, 2 spinning Leslie cabinets, a sweet Yamaha P-200 and my 1958 Fender Bassman, the outdoor harp rig of choice
This place has great calamari and crab cakes.
Reba and Wayne outside on the patio
The view from my seat on the patio at Sea Hag's
As the sun sinks in the west...
Reba scores a shell as we walk down the beach to the next watering hole
More frivolity is had in this giant tiki hut
More fun with blues aficionados Charlie and Moe who traveled from Lincoln, Nebraska
Jack and Reba having some laughs
Jack and Reba having some laughs
The next day it's all business, well, for a little while anyway
We opened up this year's Tampa Bay Blues Festival at 12:30 PM on April 9. The crowd was truly impressive for such an early set. We arrived early to get to the stage and get all the backline gear set up to play the show.
Here' my battle station replete with a vintage Hammond B-3, 2 spinning Leslie cabinets, a sweet Yamaha P-200 and my 1958 Fender Bassman, the outdoor harp rig of choice
Two 142 Leslie's sounded great
Fans pour in the gates as soon as they open.
Reba Russell checks her mic and the stage monitors before the show
My buddy Doug McMinn readies the drum kit
Fans pour in the gates as soon as they open.
Reba Russell checks her mic and the stage monitors before the show
My buddy Doug McMinn readies the drum kit
Josh Roberts reels from the booming Ampeg SVT
Doug gets serious behind a maze of drums and sound gear
Josh Roberts and Wayne Russell
Time for one more picture and 2 jokes before we start playing
This is a big crowd for such an early start on a Friday afternoon
Doug gets serious behind a maze of drums and sound gear
Josh Roberts and Wayne Russell 
Time for one more picture and 2 jokes before we start playing
This is a big crowd for such an early start on a Friday afternoon
Josh Roberts burns a solo for a receptive crowd of serious blues lovers
There's beer in here.
Wayne and Josh cool off in the RV that made a great dressing room. It was stocked with these...
Look at the face on the label of the world's coolest beer, it's Evander!
Wayne begins his ritual post gig food engorgement after the show.
Jolene Roberts and Wayne Russell at the artist's tent backstage
This cat Evander has his own effigy that he travels with during the entire event...and his own beer. The beer is damn good by the way. That beard makes me look like a piker. It's a true Rip Van Winkle...most impressive. He's a really great guy, much fun to be around.
The big stage in Tampa Bay, great sound, great equipment, and wonderful sound technicians and stage hands...truly a class act among blues festivals
Yikes! It's a cardboard cut-out of Evander. He's everywhere!
Sonny Landreth on stage at Tampa Bay playing slide guitar
Sonny Landreth played some really great stuff, an eclectic blend of fine music.
My new friend, Sonny Landreth
Sonny Landreth and Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms
View of the Gulf of Mexico from the stage
There's beer in here.
Wayne and Josh cool off in the RV that made a great dressing room. It was stocked with these...
Look at the face on the label of the world's coolest beer, it's Evander!
Wayne begins his ritual post gig food engorgement after the show.
The man has the metabolism of a hummingbird in flight.
Jolene Roberts and Wayne Russell at the artist's tent backstage
This cat Evander has his own effigy that he travels with during the entire event...and his own beer. The beer is damn good by the way. That beard makes me look like a piker. It's a true Rip Van Winkle...most impressive. He's a really great guy, much fun to be around.
After our show I eased back on stage to get a couple of pictures during Sonny Landreth's awesome show...great slide guitar playing, a massive, saturated tube tone that has to be heard.
The big stage in Tampa Bay, great sound, great equipment, and wonderful sound technicians and stage hands...truly a class act among blues festivals
Yikes! It's a cardboard cut-out of Evander. He's everywhere!
Sonny Landreth on stage at Tampa Bay playing slide guitar
Sonny Landreth played some really great stuff, an eclectic blend of fine music.
My new friend, Sonny LandrethSonny Landreth and Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms
View of the Gulf of Mexico from the stage
Later that night we played at NOVA 535 in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, for the after party. This is a beautiful club and the artwork on the walls alone is worth the price of admission. We had a great time and a few grouper sandwiches made outside by some fine chefs. Then we headed back to the Marriott for a big nap before heading out the next morning to Jacksonville, Florida, where we played the George's Springing the Blues Festival the following day. This story continues next week here at the American Blues News.
Reba Russell is releasing the band's 8th CD in the next month. Look for it at: RebaRussell.com
RCT
©Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, 2010
check out my website at http://http//www.RobertNighthawkTooms.com/
Bookmark us and come back often American Blues News
Reba Russell is releasing the band's 8th CD in the next month. Look for it at: RebaRussell.com
RCT
©Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, 2010
check out my website at http://http//www.RobertNighthawkTooms.com/
Bookmark us and come back often American Blues News
