On July 28th & 29th, the Minnesota Music Cafe hosted the two night farewell performance of the Joe Juliano Blues Band. The place was packed Saturday night, with
a diverse crowd ranging from sincere t-shirt wearing fans to hard-core bikers to singles out at the "meat-market" with their shopping carts. Joe's six piece band kept folks on the dance floor all night, giving the bartenders and waitresses plenty to do to keep up with
drink orders. The general atmosphere was sweaty, loose and noisy. In short, just what you'd want as a band if you were playing your last gig together. The band members did
their best to make sure folks were happy and satisfied.
Joe was a pleasure
to behold, working
the crowd, hugging
everybody, giving
answers to all the
questions why.
"Well", he responded
to a guy dressed in
a motorcycle club
t-shirt, "That's the
way it is for now.
But I'll still be
doing the Wednesday
jam....." Before he
could finish
answering that guy,
another fan walked
up looking to
express his
condolences.
The fans were
courteous and
sympathetic in
support of the band.
But no matter how
many CDs they
bought, it was
obvious they just
weren't buying
it...the fact that
the band was
breaking up. Chalk
it up to the
sophistication of
today's blues fans
or to their on-going
exposure to the
dissolution of other
Minnesota acts. Even
keyboardist Andy
Bailey caught the
groove of the crowd.
As the band was
taking their places
for the second set,
Bailey remarked over
the microphone,
"This is pretty
good...2 nights of
the 'last gig'
thing", he turned to
Joe, "I
dunno...Lamont
Cranston made it
last 10 years..."
But of course it was
the last gig, wasn't
it. The big sheet
cake couldn't be
wrong. "Last gig
gives me the blues"
the frosting said in
chocolate as it
outlined a big
yellow guitar. Wife
Debbie Juliano
played hostess,
serving up 2 inch
pieces of cake to
the crowd who
willingly washed it
down with beer, wine
or whatever was
handy. "I love these
guys", said fan
David Buck, around a
mouthful of cake, "I
only came out cause
the paper said it
was their last gig".
His date Janey hit
the dance floor,
taking David with
her, cake and
beverage still in
hand.
"Officially,
the band's going on
hiatus", Joe told
me when I could
finally grab his
attention from a
group of well-wishing female
fans. "But
unofficially....it's
me. I'm looking for
more...from
myself...from my
work."
He looks around the
club, a wanderlust
evident in his eyes.
"I dunno...it's been
five years and I'm
just not getting
enough out of the
gigs. Maybe I need
to write more or
somethin'......"
Distracted by hugs
from the crowd,
Joe's gig face goes
back in place, while
he tries to explain
to the people that
which appears to be
unexplainable, even
to himself. His
advertised bonding
with the Prime Time
Players may or may
not take place, but
every Wednesday,
he'll still be at
the Minnesota Music
Cafe, hosting the
blues jam. However,
all this hiatus
stuff still leaves
Joe Juliano as a man
without a tribe of
his own for a while.
The skilled players that embody
the Cup 'O Joe Band
will have no trouble
finding other
homes...other gigs.
In fact, I know a
female blues singer
whose looking for a
funky-good band
right now. That kind
of thing isn't a
problem for the kind
of professional side
men who are as well
versed in soul, R &
B and blues as Joe's
guys are. No, the
band won't be out
looking for places
to go. But who's
gonna take the band
leader with the
wise-cracking ways
and the mobster hat?
Only time will tell.
www.joejuliano.com
Jacquie Maddix
Rollin’ & Tumblin’
4-6:30pm
KFAI 90.3/106.7FM Twin Cities
This review is copyright © 2000 by Jacquie Maddix, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
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