EVENT DETAILS
SECOND ANNUAL "BEST OF THE WEST" BENEFIT CONCERT RETURNS TO NASHVILLE, TN
Come Join Bleu and all the special Guests as they raise money for Musicians On Call. You never know who else may just pop in that night to play a tune. Doors open at 6:30PM with music starting at 7PM, for what is sure to be an amazing night with some of the best artists from west of Tennessee for one of the best music industry causes.
Fans 18 and up can purchase general admission tickets for $15 along with a limited number of $40 VIP packages in advance starting Friday January 25t. Anyone who would like to make a donation to the event can also do so. Those in attendance will also be able to participate in the live auction of autographed memorabilia from some of your favorite artists. All proceeds from the event will benefit Musicians On Call.
About Musicians On Call (MOC)
Musicians On Call (MOC) was founded in 1999 with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities. To date, its volunteers have played for over 350,000 people nationwide. Musicians On Call continues its mission through room-to- room hospital performances by both local musicians and national celebrities as well as the CD Pharmacy Program. www.musiciansoncall.org
Bleu Edmondson Gives Proceeds To Boot Campaign
Texas rocker Bleu Edmondson is giving back because, as he says, “it’s the right thing to do”. The Boot Campaign was started by a group of Texas women and is a grassroots organization whose mission is to cultivate awareness and raise funds to help our military troops with the challenges they often face upon returning home. The recruited Bleu, and his song, “Black & White” to be used in the groups 2010 compilation fundraising CD. Steve Rixx had the chance to talk to Bleu about the Boot Campaign, and the BIG donation that he’s planning on giving them with a little help from his fans. Listen HERE.
Go to Bleu's site and download "Black and White". 100% of the proceeds will go to the Boot Campaign!
His voice hits hardest first. It's raspy and deep with a soulful darkness that speaks to his creative outlet for truth as well as a rabble-rousing cry for rebellious abandon. New Braunfels singer-songwriter Bleu Edmondson has definitely carved a reputation based on those vocals alone.
When Edmondson sings "No Room for Mercy," as he does on his powerful new CD, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be, we believe his every word. With a roaring Texas thunderstorm as his backdrop and words from the Book of Revelation lingering in the air, he tells the tale of how his woman's infidelity has destroyed their home. The tune's musicality hovers in the gritty, guitar-slinging gray area that separates country from Southern rock.
"Black and White," which sounds almost lifted from today's headlines, details an 18-year-old stuck in a dead-end life. He's a high school dropout with cash-strapped parents, and he's unable to find work. He joins the military in a last-resort attempt to turn his luck around.
Edmondson never tells us how these stories end. He chalks that up to interpretation. What he leaves us with is plenty to think about, even on "Riot Night," his rambunctious, rocking paean to Dallas' Greenville Avenue.
At every turn, Edmondson's songs are like sizzling fires about to burst into a cloud of flames. To call him brooding is an understatement. What's actually more impressive is that Edmondson churns in his quest for realism. This is a guy who stares at himself in the mirror and he's never afraid of what he sees.
THE SQUAWKER BLOG
The Down Home Tone of Bleu Edmondson is Back!
As I’ve said numerous times in this column, too many people confuse “Texas Country” with “Texas Music”. Much of that confusion can be traced to the rampant, blind use of the term “Red Dirt,” when attempting to describe the flavor of tunes that simply seem to be “Texan.”
One such artist who is commonly, and mistakenly, lumped into the generic “country” pile is Bleu Edmondson. A native of Dallas, who is now residing in the Hill Country, the muscular rock of Edmondson has helped his profile grow tremendously in recent years, thanks to his superb 2007 disc, Lost Boy and to the relatively recent release of his own edition of the popular Live at Billy Bob’s series. Sure, his earlier works featured a sound that more closely resembled what many would call country music. In fact, the song that many still view as his signature cut, “50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown,” is a straight-up foot-stomping country anthem.
Even with the down-home tone of his most famous cut, the obvious influence of The Boss looms ever so mighty in the two, most recent albums from Edmondson. Citing Springsteen as an influence isn’t exactly breaking news, but borrowing the sound while working to build ones own voice and own, distinctive sound that isn’t a mere Springsteen rip-off is noteworthy, indeed. Tunes such as “Last Call” and “Maybe Tonight” are reminiscent of many Bruce classics, but again, exact duplications of The Boss, they are not. Nor are they country, by any measure. And, that’s not wrong, or bad. It just is.
For more Boss-inspired, Texas rock, you can’t go wrong with Bleu’s upcoming album, The Future Aint What It Used To Be (Oct 26). While, after the first couple of spins, it doesn’t seem quite as gritty as Lost Boy, the eloquence in which Edmondson relays tales of young love and youthful lust are spot on and provide great material to weave into the sax-fueled, music of Bleu Edmondson. Not Texas country, but good ol’ American rock.
Kelly Dearmore is a freelance writer, mean pot of chili maker and opinionated music lover. To read more about what Kelly is listening to, visit him here on The Squawker weekly or daily on his personal music blog, The Gobblers Knob.