We caught the Grammy® award winning, multi-platinum selling Rock band, the Blues Traveler 30th Anniversary Tour at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and what a night it was! Founded in 1987 in Princeton, New Jersey, Blues Traveler is a rock band that has long been on our musical radar, and in our stacks of music.
In 2006, the Blues Traveler performed at The Ridgefield Playhouse to a sold-out house. On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, we had the good fortune of attending the first stop of the Blues Traveler 30th Anniversary Tour at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut, where once again Fairfield County showed its appreciation by selling out the house. Front man, singer, songwriter, harmonicist John Popper, grew up in Stamford, Connecticut and Princeton, New Jersey, and Fairfield County came out in force to celebrate their one-time native son.
Los Colognes
Opening for Blues Traveler was the rock band Los Colognes, a young and talented 5-piece band based out of Nashville, comprised of front man singer guitarist Jay Rutherford, Gordon Persha on bass, Micah Hulscher, Chuck Foster, and drummer Aaron Mortenson.
The band played a selection of cuts including Baby, You Can’t Have Both, and Backseat Driver off their 2015 Dos release, Molly B. Good and The White Whale off their latest 2017 release entitled, The Wave, and the title track Working Together off their 2014 release by the same name. They ended by covering the Bob Dylan song, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue, giving the audience a glimpse into their talent.
Blues Traveler
Blues Traveler has been together for 30 years, with 15 albums to their credit and as such had a treasure chest of music from which to perform, allowing them to take the audience on a nostalgic musical tour of their repertoire. Founded in Princeton, New Jersey in 1987 by John Popper (vocals, harmonica), Brendan Hill (drums), Chan Kinchla (guitar), and Bobby Sheehan (bass) who died in 1999, Blues Traveler is a band that has retained its core players. In 1999 they added Tad Kinchla (Chan Kichla’s younger brother) on bass, and Ben Wilson on keyboards, providing the band with the advantage of having an engaging and distinct sound that has earned them world-wide recognition and awards.
John Popper
The band opened the first night of their 30th anniversary tour with the song, Believe Me, off their third album entitled, Save His Soul, from 1993. Next in the line-up was Girl Inside My Head, off their 6th album entitled Bridge, released in 2001, followed by Dropping Some NYC off their debut 1990 eponymous album, Blues Traveler.
Listen to Blues Traveler perform Run-Around Live at the Ridgefield Play – https://youtu.be/pdwamx2Xg6M
Moving to their later library of music, the band segued into Things Are Looking Up, off their Suzie Cracks The Whip album released in 2012. When the band slid into Run-Around, off their 1994 fourth release, entitled, Four, they had the audience on their feet, a position that most held throughout the evening.
Chan Kinchla
Providing a glimpse into the future and their upcoming release (expected out in early 2018), the band played Ode To The Aspect, a ballad, for which if the rest of the release is as good as that was, the new album is going to be a killer.
Moving back in time, the band played the song, You, Me, And Everything, off their 10th album, North Hollywood Shootout, released in 2008, followed by Castaway off their 12th album, Blow Up The Moon released in 2015.
Ted Kinchla
The band continued with three great cuts off their 1996 release, Live From The Fall, with But Anyway from Disc One, and The Mountains Win Again and What’s For Breakfast from Disc Two, and Hook off their 1994 album, entitled Four.
John Popper introduced the next song, She Becomes My Way, as a song off their upcoming release, and it was a dynamic way to end the evening with a tantalizing view of what’s to come from the Blues Traveler.
Ben Wilson
Musical highlights from the evening included Brendan Hill bringing down the house with his drum solos and Tad Kinchla shredding his bass with his quick fingered playing. Ben Wilson had some wonderful keyboard interludes, and as always, John Popper’s voice and harmonica carried the day, crafting another highpoint of excellence. Chan Kinchla on guitar was the band’s resident cheerleader who engaged the audience by getting them to sing along, wave, and just ride along on the musical high of the first night of their 30th anniversary tour.
Until next time, keep enjoying the music!
Brendan Hill
The upcoming dates of the Blues Traveler 30th Anniversary Tour
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October 14, 2017 |
The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD |
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October 15, 2017 |
The NorVa, Norfolk, VA |
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October 17, 2017 |
The National, Richmond, VA |
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October 18, 2017 |
The Ritz, Raleigh, NC |
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October 20, 2017 |
Jannus Live, St. Petersburg, FL |
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October 21, 2017 |
Revolution Live, Fort Lauderdale, FL |
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October 24, 2017 |
The Steeple, Mobile, AL |
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October 26, 2017 |
Elmo’s, Austin, TX |
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October 27, 2017 |
House of Blues, Dallas, TX |
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October 28, 2017 |
House of Blues, Houston, TX |
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October 30, 2017 |
Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK |
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November 1, 2017 |
Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN |
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November 3, 2017 |
The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN |
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November 4, 2017 |
Delmar Hall, Saint Louis, MO |
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November 5, 2017 |
Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO |
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November 7, 2017 |
House of Blues, Las Vegas, NV |
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November 8, 2017 |
The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT |
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November 10, 2017 |
Knitting Factory Concert House, Boise, ID |
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November 11, 2017 |
Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR |
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November 12, 2017 |
The Showbox @ The Market, Seattle, WA |
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November 14 -15, 2017 |
The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA |
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November 17, 2017 |
The Belasco, Los Angeles, CA |
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November 18, 2017 |
House of Blues, Anaheim, CA |
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November 19, 2017 |
House of Blues, San Diego, CA |
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January 26, 2018 |
House of Blues, Boston, MA |
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January 27, 2018 |
Paramount, Huntington, NY |
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January 28, 2018 |
State Theatre, Ithaca, NY |
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January 30, 2018 |
House of Blues, Cleveland, OH |
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February 2, 2018 |
20 Monroe Live, Grand Rapids, MI |
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February 3, 2018 |
House of Blues, Chicago, IL |
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February 6, 2018 |
Mercury Ballroom, Louisville, KY |
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February 7, 2018 |
Orange Peel, Asheville, NC |
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February 9, 2018 |
Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA |
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February 10, 2018 |
House of Blues, Orlando, FL |
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February 11, 2018 |
Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL |
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February 13, 2018 |
The Stage on Bay, Savannah, GA |
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February 15, 2018 |
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN |
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February 16, 2018 |
Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH |
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February 23, 2018 |
Irving Plaza, NY, NY |
For a complete listing of upcoming Blues Traveler performances, please visit the website: www.BluesTraveler.
A Sampling of the many upcoming 2017 shows at The Ridgefield Playhouse:
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October 17, 2017 |
Sergio Mendes & Brasil 2017 |
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October 19, 2017 |
Boney James |
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October 20, 2017 |
Mary Wilson of the Supremes |
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October 21, 2017 |
The Fab Four – The Ultimate Tribute |
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October 25, 2017 |
Dennis Quaid an The Sharks |
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October 26, 2017 |
Renaissance |
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October 27, 2017 |
Martin Sexton Trio |
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October 30, 2017 |
An Intimate Evening with Amos Lee |
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November 2, 2017 |
Kenny G: The Miracles of Holiday & Hits Tour 2017 |
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November 4, 2017 |
Vanessa Williams in Concert |
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November 5, 2017 |
Tuesdays with Morrie: The Play |
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November 7, 2017 |
Citizen Cope |
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November 8, 2017 |
Anna Raimondi |
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November 9, 2017 |
Carbon Leaf |
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November 11, 2017 |
The Sixties Show |
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November 12, 2017 |
America |
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November 18, 2017 |
A Darlene Love Christmas: Love For The Holidays |
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November 19, 2017 |
The Brian Setzer Orchestra Christmas Rocks! Tour Gala |
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November 20, 2017 |
David Crosby & Friends, Sky Trails Tour 2017 |
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November 22, 2017 |
Met Opera ENCORE in HD: The Exterminating Angels (Ades) |
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November 25, 2017 |
Bolshoi Ballet ENCORE in HD: Taming of the Shrew |
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November 30, 2017 |
Rufus Wainwright |
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December 1, 2017 |
John Tesh Grand Piano Christmas |
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December 2, 2017 |
Jane Lynch: A Swingin’ Little Christmas |
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December 6, 2017 |
Melissa Etheridge: Merry Christmas, Baby |
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December 7, 2017 |
Tim Currie’s Motown Review Band |
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December 9, 2017 |
Snowkus Pocus |
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December 15-17, 2017 |
The Nutcracker |
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December 20, 2017 |
The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Celebration |
For information and the complete listing of upcoming performances at The Ridgefield Playhouse, please visit the website: www.RidgefieldPlayhouse.org
For tickets or information, please call The Ridgefield Playhouse Box Office: + 1-203-438-5795.
The Ridgefield Playhouse
80 East Ridge Road
Ridgefield, CT
United States
Telephone: +1-203-438-5795
Fax: +1-203-438-4543
Website: www.RidgefieldPlayhouse.org
Facebook: ww.facebook.com/RidgefieldPlayhouse
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