After prying my ass off the couch Wednesday night, I got all the way down to the Dinosaur to find swamp bluesman and ex-Squirrel Nut Zipper Jimbo Mathus had bailed on his whole 18-city tour. Apparently he really has the blues --- you know, marital problems, financial woes....his world is collapsing. Well s'far as I'm concerned that's when it's time to hit the road with your guitar. Hurt and happiness frequently sound the same with only body language to tell the truth beneath the tale. A good audience feeds on that truth and sustains the musician. All of a sudden he ain't so broke or quite so lonely. But alas no Jimbo. The last-minute replacement act, Albany's Scotty Mac and the Gold Tops, bopped solid with soundman Scott Sterling jumping in at one point to resurrect Lou Reed and The Modern Lovers. Apparently the volume cap has been suspended as I can still hear Sterling's Black Beauty whistling in my ears.

Man, Dr. Lonnie Smith is one cool cat. His B-3 pumped and swirled smoothly before two enthusiastic crowds at Venu Thursday night. I made it for the second set. The joint was positively sardined as Smith and guitarist Mel Henderson and drummer Yuron Israel laid it down. Smith even sang a tribute of sorts to Johnny Mathis, holding the final note for easily a minute and a half. At one point, his fingers left the keyboard but continued to play as he held them up --- as if summoning something out of the audience.

Reminiscing about his Buffalo rock ‘n' roll days (as he described a greasy pre-turban coif that sounded a lot like mine), he was interrupted by a cat in the crowd who had apparently sung with him in The Teen Kings. Big hugs were shared on stage. A first-rate gig.

Got to share the bill with El Destructo's new band The White Rose on Saturday night. This band is a little less manic than Destructo's trio of yore. The casual cool and layering of a slightly fuller band will perhaps bring more people to this man's music, his hurt, and his happiness.