June 5 at the Ramova was my opening day to summer in Chicago. The Chicago Blues Festival has kicked off, and what a blast it was. The last time I saw Bobby Rush on stage was at the 2007 Chicago Blues Festival in Grant Park's Petrillo Music Shell. It was an evening of great music and raunchy fun that I was not allowed to see as a younger person. My Granny would warn me away from "nasty ol' blues singers." I had listened to the music on WVON with Pervis Spann, the Blues Man, and some of the lyrics were risqué, but sneaking into places like the High Chaparral or Burning Spear to see blues live was verboten. Well, I got an eyeful at Grant Park and an even closer eyeful and earful at the Ramova on Thursday night.
Bobby Rush is known as the King of the Chitlin' Circuit and has dubbed his style of blues "Folk Funk." His shows blend a good helping of burlesque and genuine gut-ripping music. As in 2007, Rush was accompanied by two abundantly blessed ladies in sparkling and skintight attire. His affinity for the plump and juicy woman is reflected in his music. His songs combine the senses of sight, sound, taste, and touch. He rocked the Ramova with "Porcupine Meat," getting the audience to do the call-and-response on the line "too fat to eat/too lean to throw away!" Rush is 91 years old and can still rock out with the big dogs. He called out Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, and even Michael Jackson while donning a sparkly glove and doing a crotch grab.
Rush is spot on about his style of wordsmithing being the root of what is being put out today, and when Jackson was at the zenith of his career. Folk funk is roots music, aka blues, with a rumbling bass line, rhythm guitar, and organ licks that you may have heard on a Sunday at church. I think the gospel roots are what Granny found to be sacrilegious. Blues is carnal, but so is gospel. It's all about ecstasy, but getting there by a different means.
The repertoire for the evening included: "I Ain't Studdin' You", "G String (and a toothbrush)", "Night Fishin'", "Hoochie Coochie Man", and "Porcupine Meat." Rush interacted with the audience, strolling about the Ramova, singing "You Gonna Need A Man Like Me". It was lewd, crude, and a hell of a great show. His accompanists included Mizz Lowe, who is managed and recorded by Rush. The ladies lean into the role, proudly and sensuously swaying, giving "a-BUN-dance" new meaning.
Rush is on tour with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and still smoking across the nation. He is also featured in the movie Sinners alongside other Chicago blues icons, including Buddy Guy and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. Pick up some of his music and give it a listen. He is just as smooth and in great voice as ever. Bobby Rush took me back to the clubs and Chicago blues scene of the '60s and '70s. Don't tell Granny!
Opening the 2025 Chicago Blues Festival was Billy Branch and Sons of the Blues. Branch is considered a blues icon on the harmonica, and he is also an educator and mentor in the Chicago schools, helping to keep the blues tradition vibrant and alive. Branch came out in a slick blue embroidered blazer and his traditional white Panama fedora. He jumped right into the music with a big sound from horns, drums, guitar, bass, and a gorgeous backup trio of singers. Branch is not only a great singer but also a master of the harmonica. His big smile and love of the blues spread all over the Ramova.
He lit into the Little Walter classic "Mellow Down Easy," making it a foot-stomping and funky tribute. He talked about the old days in the Black community. There was a time when respect was a given, and we earned our candy money by turning in pop bottles—it added up! He also recalled the implicit permission for the other neighborhood moms to whoop your behind if they caught you acting out. Branch paid homage to those who have passed on, including Chicago soul singer Syl Johnson, Donald Kinsey, and Eddy "the Chief" Clearwater. Branch included the late Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts. Irsay loved music, and Branch was a part of the all-star band in the Jim Irsay Collection Tour. While Branch did not mention Chicagoan Lou Rawls by name, he delivered a fiery rendition of "Dead End Street." He sang "Last Night" in remembrance of friends who had died. It was a beautiful and mournful soul ballad.
Billy Branch at Rosa's Lounge is in a category of his own. It is blues for change and a restoration of music education. His finale was a heart-tugging preview of his forthcoming single "Begging for Change." He was joined on stage by young people from the Chicago West Community Music Center, where he has taught. Another surprise guest was Ronnie Baker Brooks, who co-wrote "Begging for Change." The Chicago Vocal Ensemble is a participant in the programs that bring music back to the youth, where our public schools have had it taken away. Music is a healer, and Billy Branch is bringing that healing to Chicago and the world.
Branch ended the set with my personal favorite, "Baby Let Me Butter Your Corn." It's a naughty, suggestive boogie that got people on their feet. Billy Branch and Sons of the Blues get into your bones. The music gets your feet tapping and your hips shaking. I highly recommend them wherever you can see them. The record release celebration will be at Rosa's Lounge on August 1 & 2.
The Chicago Blues Festival 2025 is open and truly lit. It runs through Sunday, June 8, with the one and only legend Mavis Staples headlining. Get yourself to Millennium Park and be a part of history. It's a free and spectacular gift to Chicago, organized by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
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