One of the best ways to relax and feel like you are having real grown up time without the kids is to find those down home steel guitar style blues. An interesting and odd place to find them is at open mic nights. Locate a coffee house or comedy store in your neighborhood with an open mic night. You’ll find an eclectic source of music, poetry, and performance art.I found some more information here. Surprisingly you’ll also discover an amazing array of blues, country and folk style music. Usually open mic performances are listed from 7pm until 11pm on varying days of the week.

In Philadelphia, the home of Will Smith and pop performer Pink, the music scene is fresh and young as well as a conduit to rediscover the elements of blues, country and blue grass. Also, don’t forget to check local farmers markets, pumpkin and apple picking festivals and art openings for free music events. Many Dobro, mandolin and cigar box guitar players will frequent these types of events offering low-down blues for your ball and chain.

The fifth, is the Bluetone Cafe that gives you everything you have been looking for in a great night out on the town. Sixth, is Cafe Classics, great for enjoying those classic blues songs. Seventh, is the Bar Bleu known for their bumping blues music and excellent drinks. The eight is the Blues Cafe which gives you the best blues music anywhere with the best exciting ambiance anywhere. The ninth, is the Acoustic Brew Concert and the tenth is the Road’s End Pub, both giving you excellent blues music to get your body moving.

The first thing that changed the blues was the electric guitar. The electric guitar pretty much changed everything in music but may have changed the blues the most. It opened the door for great players like Jimi Hendrix and the Allman Brothers to have great touring careers. People usually associate the blues with the electric guitar more often than the acoustic guitar today.

The second thing that really changed the blues was when musicians started incorporating more sophisticated chord progressions into their songs. Gone were the 1-4-5 days of blues music. These songs would be largely in the same form but with a more interesting turnaround the end. When more advanced harmony entered into the blues it really opened up the genre for listeners.

Whether you’re out on the town for a hearty barbeque sandwich or some fried chicken, there are plenty of locally owned places to grab some grub. After that good old-fashioned Philadelphia meal, it should be time for you to dance those blues away. You might even catch a show by a major artist, although the independent musicians who are just starting out are hungrier and more soulful than ever before, making it worth your while to check a few of them out. You just might discover your new favorite blues band.

Indeed, when life has you down, nothing’s better than food and the blues.

For a great blues quintet, check out the power behind Philadelphia Blues Messengers and Lisa Chavous. This unique group boasts a reputation of being a jam band singing the deep soul music of Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Elmore James, along with some original sounds with good old roots music. Philly sax legend Byard Lancaster and didgeridoo and percussion wizard Harold Smith join them in the music that will have you singing the blues – happily. Join the Philadelphia Blues Messengers and Lisa Chavous on August 6, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. at the Bent Note Caf located at 263 Main Street, Royersford, PA.

Ronnie Baker Brooks of the Brooks Family Blues Dynasty brings his rocking blues sound to 2nd Story Blues August 26th. You can find 2nd Story Blues at 1205 Broadway, Fountain Hill PA. Come and get the blues with Ronnie Baker Blues and support the blues by purchasing your tickets for 2nd Story Blues, which relies solely on pre-purchased performance tickets.Take a look here to learn more: Blue Jays to retire Alomar’s jersey