Bob Margolin brightens Billy Blues with `his blues'

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by Anand Prabhakar

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With smoking versions of "Mannish Boy," "Got My Mojo Working" and "Baby Please Don't Go," Margolin made a strong tribute to Muddy Waters, his mentor and friend.

Driven by his excellent slide guitar technique, along with Tad Walter's harmonica and bass rhythms, and Wes Johnson's on-beat percussion, the band brought the blues out of every member of the audience.

One of the most impressive aspects of the concert was the dynamics of the set. Since much blues music sounds very similar, Mar-golin wisely chose songs that kept the audience interested. A slow, "old-school" blues song would be followed by a fast-rhythmed modern set. While most of the songs sounded like generic blues songs, Margolin also brought the influence of modern culture to his music.

One of the most interesting sets started out with a "Twilight-Zone" sounding lick, and was followed by Margolin's monologue on aliens. Margolin's lyrical sense of humor was evident in politically-incorrect commentary on drinking and driving.

Perhaps the greatest asset to the impact of Margolin on the audience was the club itself. Billy Blues is a small concert venue, and it was still possible to obtain a front-row table until 15 minutes into Margolin's first set.

The stage was small, but it placed the band only 15 feet in front of the audience. Unfortunately, only a small dance floor was contained within those 15 feet, where fans strutted their stuff , completely blocking any view of the band.

However, this did not really matter, because the band's stage presence was less than perfect. Tad Walters was especially absent and stood stationary in the corner of the stage for most of the first set.

The second set was the most entertaining, when Walters picked up his harmonica and assumed the lead vocals position. Walters' harmonica skills were on-target, with powerfully quick riffs blending perfectly with Margolin's distorted slide guitar.

This set showed the dynamic talents of the band. Margolin was able to switch between smooth Delta blues slide to the lightning riffs of Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

The Thresher talked with Bob Margolin during a set break and learned more about him. Margolin has played guitar for 34 years. His greatest influences lie in the Chicago Blues style, with Chuck Berry as his first music idol.

On the subject of why he played the blues, Margolin felt that only through blues music could he express all his emotions, from deep sorrow to exuberance.

He also felt that blues "brought people together," and was very universal. This attitude was evident from the composition of the crowd, which included fans of every ethnicity and age group.

One of Margolin's disappointments was the general lack of commercial success of blues music, considering its influences on classic rock, rock and popular music of today.

However, he was thrilled about the recent upsurge in the blues, mainly by young people in an attempt to diverge from "alternative" music.

I highly recommend that music fans give Bob Margolin a listen. If you are into blues music, check out Billy Blues on Richmond Avenue. Most of the members of the audience seemed like they were not aware of this genre of music. However, it is very likely that they left with an idea of how powerful the blues really can be.

Cover charges at Billy Blues are less than $10, and the shows are for all ages, making them particularly attractive to college students.

Attending a show at Billy Blues requires an open mind. Do not be scared of the blues because you feel is not a "popular" genre; it is not rare that one comes away from their first live blues show a hard-core fan.

This item appeared in the Arts & Entertainment section of the January 24, 1997 issue.

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