Feeling the blues in Chicago

James Stone

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I'm a fan of blues music, I like a bit of Muddy Waters and BB King on a long, hot summer day when you're drinking Pimms and burning stuff on the BBQ. I'm a keen believer in the fact that your surroundings should dictate, to a certain extent, what music you listen to. During a hot day you want either something chilled or something that rants. During the winter I tend to like more chilling and argumentative music, even tunes that are extremely agro.

However, when I visited Chicago on a very cold January night I added my usually summer blues to the winter collection. Chicago had a hefty snow covering when I arrived and the plane shimmied towards the airport lounge, mindful of the cold tarmac. Chicago really can get seriously cold. It's not a myth that it's windy either because when the wind flies across the lake it really hits you in the face.

Me and my friends bumbled along the streets looking for somewhere warm and eventually found a small cafe that didn't look particularly musical from the outside. I was fairly tired, so names of places escape me, but the enjoyment of the evening will never leave me. The atmosphere when we entered was jovial, people laughed and joked but their attention was fixed on a dimly lit stage in the corner of the room.

After ten minutes or so a chap appeared with an electric guitar and another guy held a banjo. They unleashed this confusing noise, which sounded halfway between bluegrass and blues. It was exciting and innovative, but it had that consistent beat that makes something a true blues track. There were no tapes for sale and there was no poster with the man's name on, bit I can remember every note even though specific details evade me.

Simply wandering into a random place when you're cold and in need of a beer can sometimes be the best way to have a great evening and it was this unplanned first night that really defined the whole trip for me. So next time you're in an unfamiliar city, step into a cosy bar and check out the night's entertainment. You just might be in for a treat.