A comforting thought as we prepare to go #LiveFromClarksdale tonight at the Bluesberry CAFE:
Blueberry was foundational in starting Live Blues 365 Nights A Year in Clarksdale. In this birthplace of the blues, it was hard to find actual live music playing regularly downtown. After he got it (re)started at Ground Zero Blues Club on weekends, Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Arts' Roger Stolle worked with Art, Carol & Sean Apple to open Bluesberry for roadtrippers heading home every Monday night. Now, Clarksdale is in the midst of a downtown revitalization thanks to the hotels, restaurants & stores open to travelers who Visit Clarksdale from around the world for Live Blues -- 7 Nights A Week.
Bluesberry hasn't missed a week. They're keeping the blues alive with duct tape and drumsticks (literally). Amidst a sad+scary time, it was heartbreaking to see Watermelon Slim playing live to an empty room... and heartening to bring people together online.
The flags adorning Bluesberry's ceiling were gifts from travelers who love this place, from Brasil to Bavaria to Australia. They're reminders in this worldwide pandemic of how connected we all are.
As Slim says, “Everybody is going to get back together. We’re going to go through this, and over it. We’re going to transcend it."
Amen, Slim. Amen.
Watermelon Slim speaks to an invisible audience, Live From Clarksdale March 23, 2020 | Bluesberry Cafe, Clarksdale MS | For permission, please contact Shared Experiences USA.