Local acts to rock for Katrina victims

By: PATRICIA MORRIS BUCKLEY - For the North County Times | Wednesday, November 23, 2005 7:24 AM PST ∞

While millions of Americans have given generously to the victims of

Hurricane Katrina, musicians have felt an even stronger obligation to help out.

"Anywhere in the country or in the world where roots music is played owes a

great debt to the city of New Orleans," said Buddy Blue, a member of the

Farmers. "From Cajun to rock 'n' roll to the blues, roots music comes from

there. And even though San Diego is far away geographically from New

Orleans, we felt the loss of that area."

That's why Blue and musician Johnny G of Big Rig Deluxe have organized

a Katrina relief concert at the Belly Up Tavern.

"Actually, the folks at the Belly Up have consistently been in on this from

early on," Blue said. "They donated all proceeds from three other concerts

---- the Neville Bros., Marcia Bell and the Radiators ---- to Katrina relief. All

those musicians are from New Orleans."

When Johnny G first contacted Blue, Blue leapt at the opportunity

to help organize the concert.

"I told him that I'd definitely help him," Blue said. "We decided that we

wanted to get something fairly consistent in terms of music and appealing

to people who are fans of roots music. So we booked bands that had a draw

and kept the cover charge low so lots of people would come."

The musical lineup features Buddy Blue & Jerry Raney, Eve Selis, Hot

Rod Lincoln, Gregory Page, Big Rig Deluxe and the Truckee Bros.

"When we called bands, there was no hesitation on anyone's part," he

said. "Everyone who wasn't already booked said, 'Great, I'd love to.' The

Truckee Bros. were particularly accommodating, letting us put them on the

program wherever we needed them."

And as these musicians are performing, there's little doubt what

they'll be thinking about ---- the musical heritage devastated by Hurricane

Katrina.

"So many resources were blown away or destroyed ---- from vintage photos

to master tapes," he said. "It's as if a huge chunk of American musical

history has been blown away."

Of course, when you get together some of the best roots musicians in

Southern California, it's sure to be a good time as well.

"We certainly want people to have a good time," he said. "We want people

to be exposed to some local talent and feel good that their money is going

to a good cause. That way, they'll feel their time and their money is well

spent."

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.