CSUB hosts local jazz artists
Andrew J. Ansolabehere
Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: Features
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Local talents, The Flying Arvizu Brothers and Perez, came together to open for the festival at 3 p.m. with a crowd slowly filtering in, braving the afternoon sun.
B-Town Blues Fest is put on by World Records store owner Pat Evans. "I think this year's show had a lot of variety," said Evans. "It had a very festive mood." Parts of the proceeds to the Blues Fest goes to Houchin Blood Bank, specifically to help finance their Bone Marrow Registry Program. That is what Bruce Jones, a World Records employee, really enjoys about the Blues Fest "It's really nice to have an event like this that gives to a great cause like that."
Ticket sales for this year's event were at a record high of 900. Compared to the 650 tickets sold last year, things are looking up for the Bakersfield blues scene.
Patrick Sweany was next to take the stage and brought a modern feel to the concert. His three-piece band took control of the festival with Taylor Belling on bass and Brad Porter on drums. Sweany's soulful voice really brings some of his songs like "Your Man" and "Million to Me" down to a level that makes listeners stop in their tracks and let the music just flow over them.
Just as soon as you feel in love with these smooth tunes, out comes the rocker in Sweany as he works his way up and down the neck of his guitar, letting us hear his passion. When asked how he liked Sweany, fan Dave Faller, 51, replied, "I loved him! I'm surprised he played that early."
Sweany knows that blues is what he was meant to play. "The blues was always really exciting to me even before I knew what it was," said Sweany. "When I got on the guitar, it made sense... This is real. This is everyday life."
Sweany has been a rising star since the late 1990s, getting his start at bars and small festivals. As his career has progressed, Sweany signed with Nine Mile Records, which has released his last two records. His latest release, Every Hour Is A Dollar Gone, came out in June 2007 and was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys who played as a guitarist in The Patrick Sweany Band just after its creation in 2001. "Patrick speaks the truth in his songs," said Auerbach.
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