Yesterday night was the first performance of the Songs at Mirror Lake Music series, a seven-week series, starting at 7pm on Tuesday nights. This series is organized by a non-profit, volunteer, community group with the goal of introducing residents and tourists to a diverse range of musical genres and to provide local/regional emerging artists the opportunity for exposure and experience.
Yesterday night was blues night with Popa Chubby. This year, Popa, who was born Ted Horowitz, marks 25 years of rocking the blues as Popa Chubby. Over the course of a career that dates back to 1994, he has been a force to be reckoned with on the guitar, and his tempestuous, soulful playing has never been more powerful.
An imposing figure with a shaved head under his black hat, tattooed arms, a goatee and a performance style he describes as “The Stooges meet Buddy Guy, Motorhead meets Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix meets Robert Johnson”.
Over the first hour, Popa and his band delivered only six songs, all of them including great jams and solos, extending the pleasure of the crowd late into the night, despite threatening clouds and some light rain. His cover of Jimi’s “Hey Joe” was particularly memorable, and “Over the Rainbow” helped push the clouds away.
What a great night!
