The Taildragger. The Ladie's Man. T Model Ford, the outlaw blues man, flew from Greenville, Mississippi, for a rare performance at P.A.'s Lounge in Somerville. Thanks to the combined efforts of F Nice Records and the Boston Blues Society, this once in a lifetime show became a reality. Two things I can tell you about this experience, at almost ninety T Model Ford can jam, and he's got serious game.
I first laid eyes on this man as I walked into the packed club. With cane in hand, T Model Ford was in the middle of the floor dancing with a forty something married woman. On stage Erin Harpe was starting the night off, serenading us with those sweet blues. Erin Harpe, of the Delta Swingers and Lovewhip, is definitely deserving of the praise she receives from the blues community. I was taken away by her fantastic finger pickin' skills. Showing that Erin is a master of her guitar. This acoustic blues set was a great way to start off the night. When I checked in on T Model Ford, he had taken a break from dancing. He was sitting for a spell to enjoy a drink of Jack Daniel's a fan had bought him. A line of women had formed to take pictures and smother him in kisses.
The Ten Foot Pole Cats took the stage and pretty much kicked the party up a notch. This local Delta blues band absolutely wailed on stage as they performed covers of classic blues hits and a bunch of their originals. Ten Foot Pole Cats are so good you have an uncontrollable urge to jump up and dance your troubles away.
T Model Ford came up to the stage to the hoots and hollers from fans spanning a couple of generations. After a short warm up, T Model Ford did his thing for an hour and a half, only stopping due to it being last call. Mixing up several blues styles, T Model Ford played a collection of songs spanning his thirty year career. He even threw in some classic blues favorites, such as "Hoochie Coochie Man". With a smile and a wink, T Model would catch everyone's eyes to make sure we were having a good time. One gentleman I met said this was the happiest day of his life, topping his wedding. He has been a fan since childhood and has never seen T Model Ford in person. T Model Ford is quite the showman and it was a pleasure to have him come up to the Boston area.
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