Winnipeg bluesman Big Dave McLean is champing at the bit to get back on the road, so he is excited to play a Lethbridge for a one off show for the Lethbridge Folk Club, July 11 at Pavan park with Keith “Catfish” Woodrow.
“ I have a buddy out there I want to hang out with for a couple of days,” rumbled McLean from his Winnipeg home.
McLean is an Order of Canada winner, who has been a cornerstone of the Winnipeg musician for many years. He h
as influenced a plethora of prairie musicians including the Perpetrators, Colin James and Wide mouth Mason to name a few.
As expected Covid put on his life as a touring musician on standby.
“Things are opening up slowly Winnipeg. I just hope things aren’t opening too fast because when they loosen restrictions, the number go up,” he observed.
“ But me and my wife are double vaxxed and ready to go. There hasn’t been anywhere to go other than to the store. So I’ve been spending a lot of time at home playing lots of guitar and working on my singing and voice,” he said.
He had just released a CD with Calgary blues mainstay Tim Williams and his drummer Kevin Belzner and had a tour booked, but had to cancel it due to Covid.
Tim plays with a lot of people and Kevin, the drummer also plays with a lot of people. I’d like to book another tour, but we’ll have to play it by ear,” he said.
He will be playing alone.
“ I’m usually playing with a band, so I feel like Muddy Waters when he moved from the Delta to Chicago,” he said.
“ I’ve always loved the delta blues, but when you plug it in there’s twice as much to love,” he continued.
“ It‘s just nice to be going some place to play again. And I look forward to meeting “Keith ‘Catfish’ Woodrow. Maybe we’ll play together,” he said adding he has a lot of music to choose from.
“ I put a lot of working on the set so it flows. I’m playing two 45 minute sets. I have a couple old songs and some new songs to play,” he promised.
The show begins at 1 p.m.
Tickets are $40 non-members, $35 for members and $10 for seniors.
— by Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
