Home of the Blues

Do you ever wonder where blues lives? Africa created it, America perfected it, but where is it located now? Blues can be found in the hearts and souls of millions of people, that's true. But I'm wondering if there is a real, physical place that can be searched and pinpointed on Google Maps - a place that is the accurate living, breathing, heart-pumping, blood-flowing-through-the-veins, snoring-while-sleeping, nail-clipping, teeth-brushing, hair-combing, and chain smoking home of the blues. I found that exact place - the mecca of blues - and it's appropriately titled the "House of Blues." I did some more research and apparently there are several of these blues homes. The twelve House of Blues locations are in Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Anaheim, West Hollywood, and San Diego. Being a blues fan myself (duh), I think there is a possible pilgrimage to one or more of these in my future. Oh, and there is an added bonus to visiting some of these cities. For all you 'coster/amusement park people, several Six Flags attractions are located in or near the places listed above. That's right! The House of Blues and Six Flags all in one place, the UND Fighting Sioux nickname/logo being rightly preserved, and Bismarck is finally getting The Pita Pit; all I can say is life is going pretty good right now. Here are some other attractions that could be fun if you want to go to a show at the House of Blues:

1. Orlando, FLOther than the fact that Orlando is pretty much the most magical city in all of Americaland, it also hosts a House of Blues location in Downtown Disney of Walt Disney World. I probably don't need to say more because Orlando is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, according to euromonitor.com. In my opinion, Florida during the hurricane off-season is one of the best places to go for some fun. There's Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Universal Orlando Studios, Gatorland, Busch Gardens in nearby Tampa, and much, much more. (Just to let you know, in North Dakota, any body of water larger than a lake, with or without BP oil in it, is extraordinary).

2. Boston, MA
If you're a blues AND Red Sox fan, Boston is the place for you to visit. The House of Blues is located right across the street from Fenway Park. Can't afford tickets? Those are what scalpers are for.

3. Dallas, TX
I had to include Dallas because I'm a Mavs fan. So, other than watching basketball and going to the House of Blues, you could also: a) visit the Sixth Floor Museum, b) go to the Dallas World Aquarium, or c) see the Cowboys play. Well, maybe not option c.

4. Las Vegas
Vegas is self-explanatory. Bright lights, desert, Elvis, Ocean's Eleven...If you're of age, it's virtually impossible to not find something entertaining here.

The first House of Blues was started at Harvard University in 1992 by Hard Rock Cafe co-founder Isaac Tigrett and Dan Aykroyd of The Blues Brothers fame. Now, I probably already know what you're thinking. Here's another underdog company founded by a brainiac student in his Harvard dorm room that gains lots of fame and succcess, has legal issues, and sparks a 2011 Academy Award Best Picture nomination and then loses. No, that did not happen with the House of Blues. For one thing, Tigrett was 45 years of age when the company began. I'm not saying 45-year-olds cannot and do not go to Harvard, it's just they are often restricted from living on campus, and therefore the House of Blues should not be compared to the stylings of Mark Zuckerberg, facebook, Justin Timberlake, and the dislike button (or lack thereof).

The House of Blues is essentially a music club with southern-inspired food. Even though it's called the "House of Blues," there is an eclectic variety of music that is played at the venues. It sounds like false advertising, and it really is. I mean, if I'm going to go to place that's called the "House of Blues," I expect to hear a house full of blues. If I'm at the Hard Rock Cafe, eating an only-average meal for about $18, I want to listen to rock music, preferrably that which is heavily electric guitar-driven and dates back to at least 1965. I wouldn't go to a Hard Rock Cafe that played hip-hop or rap music, it's just not right. Even though the Houses of Blues do not correctly represent all that is blues music to the core, I'd still like to visit one or more of the House of Blues venues, maybe on an epic road trip across the world (in less than or equal to 80 days). But that is a story dropped in my bucket list that I'll save for later.

Artist of the Week: Johnny Cash
(photo taken from gactv.com)
Nope. There's no other musician that goes by Johnny Cash except for the legendary Man in Black himself. He's known for playing country music, but he had some folk-blues songs, too. I thought it would be appropriate that one of his most famous, "Home of the Blues," be included here.

New Album of the Week: In Concert on Broadway by Harry Connick Jr.
Released 03.01.11
(taken from amazon.com)
I admit that I enjoy Harry Connick Jr.'s music every now and again. He's definitely not within the blues genre, but he does have piano jazz/soul that generally fits in at least the same galaxy as blues. I was skeptical of his latest release, In Concert on Broadway, because any album with the words "In Concert" and "on Broadway" usually doesn't sound good. The editorial review on amazon.com claims that "after a critically acclaimed, 15 day sold-out run on Broadway comes the release of Harry Connick Jr. In Concert on Broadway. The show left critics raving and fans cheering." So it must be okay, right? Yeah, but it's not much more than just okay. If you're not a Connick fan, this isn't the album for you. I'd even go on to say that if you are a Michael Buble fan, I think you should stick with his work instead. Connick's album is not a bad one, but it's just not as good as some of his other stuff. In Concert on Broadway is only for the mellower, easy-listening audience.