Page 42 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2021

‘studio’ and I literally set-up my microphone and equipment
on top of an old wood stove in our house.” Lewis also learned
how to do field recordings and mix audio on the fly to create
high-quality live stream performances to share with fans
virtually. She adds, “As hard as it was, I am very grateful to
have learned these new skills.”
Victor Wainwright got out his sledge hammer and began
knocking down walls in his garage/home studio to build a
full multimedia studio, complete with several “sets” for video,
including a studio test kitchen. He also started taking online
lessons on how to record and edit video – learning everything
from which budget cameras and lights he could use (which he
bought by selling a few unused musical instruments), to how
to capture high-quality video and use video editing software.
He developed Late Night with Wainwright, a live streaming
social media variety show that has garnered over 160,000
total views through multiple episodes, as well as Big Bite with
Wainwright, a musical cooking show.
The legendary Taj Mahal put his own spin on virtual
concerts with a series of three live stream performances in
March 2021 at The UC Theatre in Berkeley, CA. Powered by
the Mandolin streaming platform, the series featured Mahal
backed by the Phantom Blues Band with additional special
guests Jon Cleary, Fantastic Negrito, and the Roots Rising
Showcase that presented some of Mahal’s favorite emerging
artists: Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Amythyst Kiah, Annie Mack,
Leyla McCalla, Piedmont Bluz Acoustic Duo, Ranky Tanky,
Allison Russell and Jontavious Willis. Tickets granted fans
Paul Filipowicz always dresses to impress, no matter where he performs. access to the performance live, as well as 48-hour access to
Photo courtesy of Paul Filipowicz the stream.
Despite so much initiative, many musicians still struggled.
Ronnie Baker Brooks, singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Karen Gottheimer, founder of Can’t Stop the Blues, knew she
and second-generation Chicago bluesman, remembers, “I had to do something – anything – to help. “I started thinking
was jumping off the walls with all the uncertainties [of the about all the artists losing gigs and income, and thought
pandemic] while playing my acoustic guitar around the house, someone should create an online platform where artists could
and my wife suggested I play live on my Facebook page in perform and make a little money. The idea kept building, and
our basement. At first, I was reluctant, then I just did it and the no one was stepping up, so I decided even though I had no
audience response was inspiring!” His wife promptly decorated idea what I was doing or how to do it, I was going to give it
the basement, and from then on, Brooks has performed “Live a try. That was March 12, 2020. On March 19, we had our
From The Brooks Blues Basement” every Friday night and has
rediscovered his motivation and creativity. Fans responded with
their enthusiasm for the music, and support in the form of tips
and donations made through Cashapp, Venmo and Paypal. As
Brooks began to play new material, he was inspired – in the
middle of a pandemic – to record an acoustic album, release
date to be announced soon.
Seventeen-year-old pianist/songwriter Veronica Lewis
shares, “Without live shows, I knew I had to find new ways
to stay connected to everybody. Releasing music is a big part
of that. I decided to finish and release my debut album, You
Ain’t Unlucky, despite being amidst a pandemic. When the
lockdown first happened… almost all the vocals still needed to
be recorded. So, during the summer of 2020, I worked closely Screengrab of a classic Can’t Stop the Blues show!
with my sound engineer to create a very do-it-yourself home Photo courtesy of Greaseland Productions

40 Blues Festival Guide 2021