The Festival Formerly Known as King Biscuit 2005

The Festival Formerly Known as King Biscuit
Originally published 10/13/2005

It’s absurd, but the King Biscuit Blues Festival had to change its name this year – on its 20th anniversary, no less. A dispute among the owners of the 1970s-era King Biscuit Flour Hour rock radio show; KFFA, the Helena radio sthat owns the 1940s-era (and still running) King Biscuit Time blues radio show; and the Sonny Boy Blues Society, which runs the festival. Somehow it ended, for now, with the festival having to change its name, and KFFA having to move its T-shirt booth off the main drag during the fest.
Well, it was a great festival anyway. The weather was fine, which is a rare and wonderful thing for Helena in October. I’ve seen it uncomfortably hot, windy, cold and/or rainy in other years. Last year it poured all weekend. This time it was sunny and in the low 70s. Just a sprinkle of rain on Saturday evening, then a thunderstorm late that night after the fest was over.
I admit I missed most of the acts, because I was performing so often myself: at Peaches restaurant in Jackson, twice at the Wild Hog Saloon in Helena, once at Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale and once on the festival’s acoustic stage. Plus time to shop, eat, hang out. But I did catch:
? The wonderful St Louis harpist Arthur Williams, although his band was kind of overpowering. He sounded better at Hopson with a pickup band.
? Robert Lockwood. He’s got assurance, great lyrics, and is not afraid of a real-slow tempo. Great show.
? Drink Small, who arrived late but took the stage by storm when they fit him into the sched, singing about “With so much water in the world, you don’t have to be funky.”
? Henry Gray, gentlemanly and totally rockin’.
? James Cotton, who doesn’t sing anymore but blows and blows and blows that harp. What a ball of energy!