College Park gets the blues

An art form as powerful as music often has the ability to connect even the most diverse groups of people. Organizers of the College Park Blues Festival said they hope the medium does just that this weekend, by bringing together students and city residents.

With promises of good music and free admission at Saturday's concerts - held in Ritchie Coliseum from noon to 4 p.m. - organizers such as Adele Ellis encourage students to participate in the community event.

"I think that it would be nice if students did look into other alternatives that are available to them in town," said Ellis, co-chair of the College Park Recreation Board.

Ellis and the other volunteers who make up the recreation board worked with various organizations, such as the DC Blues Society and the College Park Arts Exchange, to put together this festival, which will feature four performers along with a number of vendors.

"I think that it's a good opportunity for the community and the college to come together," said Melissa Sites, program administrator of the College Park Arts Exchange, which will hold activities for children at the festival, including an "instrument petting zoo" and craft table.

Although College Park holds a Fall Festival every year, the board decided to take things in a new direction and focused this year's event on blues music, Ellis said.

"I especially think it's a good thing because we changed the theme to blues music, and everyone enjoys blues music," Sites said.

Felix McClairen, president of the DC Blues Society, said he often states, "Everyone loves the blues, they just don't know it yet." McClairen later added one highlight of the festival for him will be familiarizing the younger generation to blues music.

"We want to grow the young audience," he said.

Mary Shaver, frontman for the Mary Shaver Band, will be playing a set at the blues festival. She said students should visit the festival "just to get an exposure to some blues music. ... I just think it's a great opportunity for people to come out and see what's going on."

Shaver, a Prince George's County native, describes her sound as "Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt meet Etta James" and said she is excited to play at the festival.

"We've never had an opportunity quite like this," Shaver said.

Other acts performing at the festival include the College Park Youth Choir, The Country Bunker Funky Blues Band and 3 Chords and the Truth. While The Country Bunker Funky Blues Band includes many seasoned musicians, McClairen touted 3 Chords and the Truth as "one of the few youth bands in the area that are dedicated to the blues."

He described the group's music as "contemporary blues, mostly upbeat and danceable, and because they have so many instruments ... [they have] a Big-Band sound with a juke-joint attitude."

McClairen said blues music should not be considered depressing.

"People don't come to cry in their beer," he said. "They come to party, they come to dance, they come to frolic, if you will."

"It's such an emotive music. It's so basic and so raw," Shaver added.

For her, performing at Ritchie, the same spot where Joplin appeared in concert in June 1970, holds special significance.

"It's so cool to play somewhere where one of my idols has played," Shaver said.

diversionsdbk@gmail.com