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Formed in 1996, the Blues Cruisers bring together a group of talented Northland musicians who love to play the blues. Putting together a blues project like this had been the dream of founding member Scott Mehrman for several years, so when he discovered a fellow musician (Craig Clark) who loved singing the same type of music he decided to give it a shot and form the Blues Cruisers. Originally known as Scooter and the Blues Cruisers the band changed its name to just the Blues Cruisers when current lead guitarist Ryan Rolando joined the group about a year later. The band’s members include Scott Mehrman (drums and vocals), Craig Clark (guitar and vocals), Jon Christian (bass and vocals), and Ryan Rolando (lead guitar and vocals). Rolando’s more rock blues guitar playing, influenced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, added a new dimension to the band’s more traditional blues sound. Covering music that ranges from the traditional Chicago blues of Muddy Waters, to the blues rock of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, to the more sophisticated sounds of B.B. King and Delbert McClinton, the Blues Cruisers deliver a cohesive, fast-edged sound to audiences around the state. Regulars at the annual Sturgis, South Dakota motorcycle rally, the Blues Cruisers have also played with Minnesota favorites Big Walter Smith, Big John Dickerson, and the Lamont Cranston Blues Band.
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