Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

Our 2011 Memphis IBC Experience

During the 1st week of February 2011 local acts Gary Prisby (acoustic) and Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle represented the BSWPA in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis. While neither emerged as a winner in the competition, which features over 220 acts from all over the world, each came found the experience to be rewarding and enriching nonetheless. I asked Ron and Gary about their experience in Memphis. Here is what they had to say:

What are the things that you will always remember about your experience in Memphis at the IBC? How were the crowds/venues? Did you get to know any of the other participants?

Gary: The thing I’ll remember was the crowd’s true appreciation for blues music. That was refreshing and harder to come by in Pittsburgh. The crowd in my venue was enthusiastic and I actually got a few followers to come back the 2nd night to watch me perform again. I met a few other acts who shared the same desire for playing live music and that was evident in their performance.

Ron: The BBQ (just kidding). I will always remember how many blues fans were there from all over the world. Everyone who was there came to support their bands and to see other bands. There were close to 200 acts down there and most everyone that you met was nice and very down to earth. We were all “in it together” and everyone was supportive. The crowds were excellent! Although it is impossible to see everything, most people bounced around from venue to venue and the bigger venues obviously had more people. Some venues were better than others. We were lucky/unlucky to be in Club 152. Lucky because it was a great venue, but unlucky because we were up against some great bands. The stage manager told me that he had seen 15 IBC’s and he had never seen so many talented bands in one venue at the same time, including the Finals. We did get to meet and spend some time with quite a few of the other participants. Everyone was complimentary. There were open jams everywhere, but they were tough to get in on because there were so many people. Each venue had music for at least 5 hours per day so the days were very long. There wasn’t a whole lot of opportunity to talk during the actual competition because everyone was sort of getting their “game faces” on so to speak.

What were the things that you’ve learned from your participation in the IBC? What would you do differently?

Gary: Let’s just say you can’t always get what you want. I wouldn’t change anything next time.

Ron: What we learned from the IBC is to be true to yourself. You can’t change your act to what you think the judges may like. Do your own thing. You never know what the judges may like, although it’s obvious if you’re “posing”. If you are genuinely enjoying yourself, everybody can see that. Also we’ve learned the importance of presentation. Dress the part, it goes a long way down there. I don’t think we’d do anything differently if we were to get another opportunity with the exception of maybe checking the backline equipment a little better. We had some equipment issues that threw us off a little on the 1st night. But other than that we wouldn’t change a thing.

Did you get to “rub elbows” with any famous musicians or personalities at the IBC? If so, what advice were they able to give you that you feel will be valuable in your music career?

Gary: I didn’t really get to stay out or mingle as much as I would have liked. So I really didn’t meet anyone.

Ron: We did get to rub elbows with a few people. I got to meet Lee Oskar and chat with him for a while. I gave him a CD and then e-mailed him a few weeks later. Lo and behold, he called me on the phone! He had some advice for me and basically told me to help broaden my horizons on the harmonica. I’m supposed to call him again this week so I’ll get back to you on the rest.

Which of the other acts or bands in the IBC impressed you or stood out? Why?

Gary: George Schroeter and Marc Breitfelder (the IBC winners) obviously impressed me. Grant Sabin, a 22 year old from Colorado was someone else I really enjoyed. Some of the semi-finalists on Friday night also stood out. I don’t know how they made it through…just sayin’.

Ron: The Lionel Young Band was really impressive. They ended up winning the whole thing. Unfortunately for us, we had to compete against them in our venue in the quarter finals so they helped to eliminate us. They were deserving of the win. Lionel played dobro and electric violin (blues style). He also had a trumpet player, sax, a killer piano/organ player, and to top it all off they did a 7 part harmony accapella song to end their set. It was very impressive! Lionel also won the solo/duo competition 2 years ago and is now the only repeat winner in the history of the IBC. The Shaun Booker band was also great. She is a powerful vocalist who took command of the room and is backed by a great band.

Has your participation in the IBC resulted in networking or booking opportunities for you? Were you approached by representatives of other festivals/venues etc. while in Memphis?

Gary: I wasn’t able to hang out as much as I probably needed to. Therefore, I wasn’t able to make many contacts. I feel this is one of the many areas in which the Blues Foundation falls short. I am sure these reps don’t want to be hounded by musicians all week. If they see an act they are interested in, I’m sure they would approach them. But it’s impossible to see every single act in the IBC. The Blues Foundation could set up a “Meet and greet” for the participants in order to give them a shot at presenting themselves. It would benefit the participants and the venue/festival organizers. But I think that my participation in the IBC looks great on my resume’ in regard to obtaining bookings locally.

Ron: We did get some networking opportunities from the IBC. We didn’t get any gigs out of it, but that may change. We see it as planting a seed and getting our name out there. I gave CD’s to all of the judges after the night was over and a great percentage of them have their own radio shows. So I am now on the air in Poland, Prague, Czechoslovakia, Boston and many other places. One of the judges rated us #1 in our venue, even over the eventual winner. So you never know how it’s going to go. I did open a dialogue with a booking agency as well which may develop into something. Most everyone down there is from a blues society somewhere and we had dozens of people stop us on the street who told us we were great and should have made the semi-finals. And I did sell a few CD’s. We felt that on the 2nd night we played one of our best sets ever. We were told by some Blues Foundation staff that we were on the “Top 5 buzz list” out of 110 bands, so that’s great to hear. The exposure is great!

The BSWPA Blues Challenge is being held on April 9, 2011 at the Clarion Hotel in Pittsburgh. What advice would you give to the participants in the Challenge that will help them make it to Memphis and would encourage them to strive to win the competition? What advice would you give to the winning acts that earn an opportunity to participate in the 2012 IBC?

Gary: Polish your act. Play your brand of blues, whatever the style. Be true to yourself and to your music and enjoy yourself.

Ron: Tighten your set, showcase as much of the talent in your band as you can. Dress for the occasion and have fun! They say that you aren’t competing against the other bands, you’re playing for the judges. I believe that whole heartedly. The whole room may love you but it may not reflect on the judges scores or vice versa. You can’t reinvent the wheel, have fun and do your thing. Play as much original material as possible and let it all hang out. I would give the same advice to any act going to the IBC in Memphis. But try to get as many supporters of your band as you can to go to Memphis with you. Get your logistical stuff (room/transportation) out of the way early and bring lots of CD’s and business cards. I must have handed out 100 business cards and gave away a few dozen CD’s. Take advantage of the opportunity to network!!! Regardless of how you do in the competition you are in the best networking environment for the blues. Live it up and take advantage of it!! And don’t forget the soul food. The local recommend Central BBQ and Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, both of which are within walking distance of Beale Street. I ate it for breakfast twice!

Thank you to both Gary and Ron for their candid responses to my interview questions. It is always a pleasure for me to talk with my brothers and sisters in the blues!!