Loved having the CBC in Clarksdale!
Here's the accompanying text and multimedia -- including another clip of Tameal at Ground Zero Blues Club, photography of Bill "Howl-n-Madd" Perry playing #LiveFromClarksdale, and James Butler giving the behind-the-scenes Hopson Happy Hour tour:
Watched the story while working in the Hopson courtyard, which just hosted over a hundred people for an amazing, uplifting Goat Fest... from which we raaaan straight from streaming Jimbo's set to to catch Ground Zero owners Bill Luckett, Eric Meier and Morgan Freeman onstage celebrating their 20th Anniversary, with TJ Hooker Taylor and Bobby Rush all live from Clarksdale. Yep, "music returns to the American South" in style.
But it never left: we've been here. Singing the blues, and juking up with "live blues all 7 nights a week" online, if not in person.
Both musicians and small businesses here are deeply grateful to Visit Clarksdale for helping us keep the blues alive -- all. year. long.
So the music ain't "returning." What IS returning are the people.
Bill, Eric and Morgan looked out beyond the crowded dance floor to ask who's from Europe. Almost no one. But that floor was crowded, with blues fans from across the country.
And from their kitchens and living rooms around the world. We loved sharing live music from the front row with everyone who joined the party online, Live From Clarksdale. Thousands of people tuned in, from 40+ countries.
Especially Canada.
There's a line in the multimedia story about how Live From Clarksdale was founded by yours truly, a Canadian-American. It's been 1.5yrs since I've seen my mum; those CBC reporters were the first Canadians I've seen all year. I almost cried.
So yeah, we've been doing live music here all year, but Juke Joint and Goat Fest and Ground Zero's 20th are the first time we've had crowds again. It felt both weird and uplifting.
It'll feel even better with our international crowds back, when *everyone* can come Visit Clarksdale again. We miss y'all. Til then, we'll keep dancing with fans, friends and family (and even my mum -- hi, Mom). ...From our crowded dance floors to your kitchen -- or wherever you may be.