Trampled Under Foot Goes International

A blues challenge sounds pretty tough. International blues challenge? Even tougher. You gotta be really good at the blues for that, especially going up against all those Swedish blues bands (probably only funny to me, that). But check it out — here are the rules for the annual International Blues Challenge, a contest that’s been held every year for the past quarter century in Memphis, Tennessee. For example, criterion one:

1. Blues Content: Everyone has his or her own interpretation of what is and is not Blues. Thus, any given three-judge panel will include members with varying opinions of Blues, covering the spectrum of Blues whenever possible, from the most traditional to soul/blues and rock/blues. Bands should pick material carefully. At the Memphis semi-finals and finals, the judges are Blues professionals, not a bar crowd, and are likely to be unimpressed with song selections that are uninspired. (Call this—with all due respect to Sir Mack Rice and Wilson Pickett—the “no Mustang Sally rule.”)

The 24th annual IBC just wrapped up, and it’s no wonder that Kansas City’s Trampled Under Foot took home the gold. Check out this video of TUF covering Etta James, and you’ll get an idea why those Swedes didn’t stand a chance.

Congratulate the Schnebelen sibs tonight (Friday, February 8) when they play the Legendary R&B Revue at Knuckleheads, with headliners Tommy Castro and Ronnie Baker Brooks.