The Barn Raisers Ball, an annual off-season community event, celebrated its 30th anniversary last Saturday night, with folks bringing a dessert to share, placing a donation to the M.V. Agricultural Society in a large glass jar in the lobby, and dancing and listening to some live music by one of the Island’s hottest bands, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish. For many people (including me), the live music is the draw.
The band led off the night with Johnny singing the Muddy Waters tune “Why Are People Like That.” As soon as the first notes sounded, people flocked to the dance floor, and never stopped dancing until the last note faded away, nearly two and a half hours later.
Another song that stood out early was when Johnny sang the Wynonie Harris song “Bloodshot Eyes.” Most people think of Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish as a blues band. But one reason they are so popular is that the songs they cover often cross genres into rock ’n’ roll, R and B, country, zydeco, and more. To provide some context, “Bloodshot Eyes” has been covered by the likes of Richard Thompson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Pat Benatar.
Next up, Johnny called island resident (and blues singer extraordinaire) Gordon Healy to the stage to sing “Turn on Your Lovelight” by the Grateful Dead. Healy had the crowd singing along.
The band then went into the sultry slow blues of “High Temperature,” with the line “My baby gives me a high temperature.” This song had the dancers swaying to the beat.
The crisp fall night air that was blowing through the open barn doors behind the stage provided a stark contrast to the energy and heat that was being transmitted by the band onstage only a few feet away. Delanie Pickering, Jeremy Berlin, and Cam Igo are the well-oiled machine that allows Johnny to layer his signature vocals and harmonica on top.
Johnny next led the band into the blues shuffle “You Got Me Dizzy,” which included a mean blues harp solo where he showed his lung power by holding one note for a really long time. They followed that up with Howlin’ Wolf’s “300 Pounds of Joy,” which rocks really hard.
After a quick PSA about a lost dog, the band went into the classic “Party Time.”
The slow blues of “Part Time Love” featured an emotive organ solo by keyboard player Jeremy Berlin, followed by a guitar solo by Pickering that started off nice and slow, then built into a frenzy of notes that evoked both Freddie and B.B. King.
When Delanie finally stepped up to the microphone to sing “Tell Me Why,” the crowd responded in kind. Her voice was solid and strong as she led the band through this bluesy romp.
She followed that up with “That Old Feeling” which is her rock ’n’ roll arrangement of the 1937 classic by Lew Brown and Sammy Fain, recorded by a multitude of artists over the years. This song was one of the highlights of the night, keeping the crowd on their feet. It included solos by Johnny on harp and Jeremy on piano, and then Delanie taking her turn, ripping into her own amazing guitar solo.
She followed that one with the slow blues of “If You Ever Need Somebody.” And she closed out her mini-set with “Check It Out” by Bobby Womack, which is a cool groove and always a crowd pleaser.
Johnny followed this up with the classic “Hand Jive.” The crowd seemed to know and love this song.
Then, after keeping a monster beat all night, and pounding the drums with ferocity and precision, it was time for their drummer, and Berklee College of Music student, Cam Igo, to step into the spotlight. Tonight, he sang a rap song he wrote called “Who’s Your Lover.” Fans both young and old were dancing along to the groove.
Another highlight was when local singer and harp player, and fishing buddy of Johnny’s, Mark Grandfield, stepped up to the mic to sing “Pretty Baby.” The crowd enjoyed this, and it kept them bopping along.
Johnny then launched into “The Monkey Speaks His Mind” by Dave Bartholomew.
Delanie took the mic again and sang another song, “Just Got to Know.” While she broke a string during the song, you would never know, as she just shrugged it off and went right into one of her more popular songs, “Driving Wheel.” Kids, still up from all the sugary desserts present in the lobby, were dancing along to the music.
The band then played another crowd favorite, “Cadillac,” where they spell out the word C-A-D-I-L-L-A-C.
Then they ripped into the blues rocker “Hip Shakin’,” which featured some tasty slide licks by Delanie.
Johnny plugged their new live CD, “Live at the Fallout Shelter” and mentioned that copies were in the cooler on the stage, as always. He said “Take one home and play it loud.” They closed the show with an energetic version of “Meet Me in the Bottom.”
Overall, it was a fun night of community where, for many, the music was the focal point of the evening. Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish aptly raised the roof off the barn Saturday night.
