Blues fest to fill St. Feriole Island with attitude this weekend

By Correne Martin

After 19 years, the Prairie Dog Blues Festival has become quite the outdoor party for music lovers of all ages. It brings thousands of people to Prairie du Chien the last weekend of July every summer—many who have fallen in love with the casual, regionally-acclaimed event and can’t wait to return each year. The musical talent that fires up the St. Feriole Island bash hails from all over the world, specializing in an assortment of blues and roots music like Chicago blues to West Coast jump, hard-driving Mississippi hill country blues, New Orleans horns, Texas boogie, zydeco, gospel, blues rock, etc.

The 2016 lineup has received rave reviews on the Prairie Dog Blues Fest Facebook page from new as well as dedicated festival-goers. Local hotels and campsites are booked, the grounds are getting set-up, performers are touring toward PdC and the weekend is almost here.

This year’s main stage line-up is as follows:

Friday—Mark Cameron Band 5 p.m., Nora Jean Bruso 7 p.m., Rick Estrin and the Nightcats 9 p.m., Corey Stevens 11 p.m.

Saturday—Blue Rooster 12:30 p.m., Tweed Funk 2:30 p.m., Mark May 4:30 p.m., Norman Jackson Band 6:30 p.m., John Németh 8:30 p.m., Jane Lee Hooker 10:30 p.m.

Each of these artists will play hour-and-a-half sets. In the beer tent, one band per day will rock that stage for 30 minutes, in between each main stage act. Friday’s beer tent band is Shonn Hintin and Shotgun, while Saturday’s tent act canceled and is being replaced last minute.

One of the artists new to the festival this year is Mark May, a singer-songwriter, guitarist from Ohio, who is currently on tour for his sixth album. May will bring the Soul Satyr Horns along with him, which will only add extra flare to his 4:30 p.m. show Saturday.

May has played guitar since he was a young kid. His brother was a rock star and his mom was in the country-bluegrass scene. His early inspirations were Jimmy Hendrix, the Beatles and B.B. King, thanks to an aunt who loaned him one of King’s CDs.

“I listened to that album a lot. She had a hard time getting it back from me,” May recalled.

He began showcasing his smooth vocals at family get-togethers by about 11 years old. Once he started playing formally, he chose to focus on a mixture of classic rock and blues. He had received a good response playing those genres during jams in Texas.

However, one day, a friend introduced him to some Albert Collins tunes.

“Then, I kinda got up one day,” May said, “and decided to do something else.”

That changed the course of his musical career. By then, he had amassed a hodgepodge of influences, including those previously mentioned as well as George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, Larry McCray and the Allman Brothers.

“Those were really the first heavy influences that really stuck with me. But you got to create your own style and I was able to do that by playing a lot of gigs and a wide array of music,” May explained.

In the mid-1990s, a friend gave May’s idol, Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, a CD of May’s tracks, hoping he’d give the blues rocker a listen.

“I think Dickey only listened to the CD because my friend kept bugging him about it,” May laughed. “But I guess he was blown away.”

To May’s surprise, Dickey asked to meet him and eventually have May’s band play about 15 shows with him. Then, in 1997, Dickey asked if May and his bass player wanted to officially try out for his band when Dickey went on his own. That collaboration resulted in a couple years of touring and recording together before May decided to go out on his own.

The Mark May Band has performed at Telluride Blues and Brews, Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, King Biscuit, Tremblant International Blues Festival, Dallas International Guitar Show, Chenango Blues Festival, Lone Star Rally, Dogs on Hawgs, Houston International Festival and more.

Most recently, he’s been touring in promotion of his sixth CD, “Blues Heaven.” In fact, before coming to Prairie du Chien this weekend, May and his band will work the stage at Buddy Guy’s House of Blues in Chicago.

This newest release came about when May moved back to Ohio after having been in the Houston, Texas, area for 20 years.

“It was a little bit scary leaving that scene and all my friends,” he said, “but I had to move home to be closer to my dad.”

In Ohio, he wrote some original melodic songs for “Blues Heaven.” He also was introduced to the Soul Satyr Horns, which was a different sound for him that he really appreciated.

“Now, they’re on about three-quarters of the album,” he noted.

According to May, “The title track tells the story about all these great musicians in heaven. It’s not a new concept, but it’s my version that pays tribute to some of my friends.”

Among his favorites on the album are “Boom Boom” for being up-tempo and “She’s a Keeper” because it’s about his girlfriend. He also likes “Leaving Houston,” as it reflects his feelings about parting from that comfort zone, and, of course, “Blues Heaven.”

“We always bring a well-rounded show,” May said. “Our band has an overdriven tone. I spent a lot of time with people based in traditional blues, but we also have plenty of rockin’ blues and even some country tunes like ‘Put Down That Poison.’ Plus, if you like horns, there’s that.”

May said he’s looking forward to being outside in the free air and he’s ready to get the crowd going.

Surely, St. Feriole Island won’t disappoint Mark May and his band. As for the Prairie Dog Blues Fest crowd, he hopes people will dig his brand of blues with an attitude.

For more information about the festival, visit www.prairiedogblues.com.