This Labor Day weekend, Friday, September 4 and Saturday, September 5, the 8th Annual Fishers Blues Fest is taking place at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater. This free two-night event is a great way to end the summer! Check out this year’s lineup and get to know some of the artists performing with our Q&A.
Friday, September 4
- Kyle Bledsoe
- The Agents of Redemption
- Tad Robinson Band
- Toronzo Cannon and the Chicago Way
Saturday, September 5
- John Ford
- Paul Linden & The Icemen
- Niki J. Crawford
- Nick Moss Band Feat. Dennis Gruenling
John Ford
What is your favorite song to perform and why?
What is your favorite song to perform and why?
My favorite songs are always the ones I have just written or learned. I would say a couple of original tunes “Drinkin’ Down A Cadillac” and “Goin’ To Louisiana”.
BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups in St. Louis, Levon’s or Hambone Art Gallery in Clarksdale, Mississippi and of course, The Slippery Noodle Inn in Indy.
Who are some of your music inspirations?
There’s so many. Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Son House, Charley Patton, R.L. Burnside, Mississippi John Hurt, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee, all the old guys. Then there’s people that came up in the ‘60s, like Bob Dylan, Taj Mahal, John Hammond, Neil Young, and Keith Richards. Chris Smither is a big influence. Also Susan Tedeschi and Corey Harris, and then there are the young folks; Jontavious Willis, Marquise Knox, and Gary Clark Jr. I could go on and on.
If you could perform with any artist/band dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Ahhhh, Muddy! He just seemed to be a lot of fun and have a natural talent. Also, Chris Smither or John Hammond because they are so approachable (I have met both). Who knows, it might happen one day!
Do you have any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
I’m working on some new songs in the studio. It may turn into an album or it may be pre-production stuff.
Paul Linden & The Icemen
How did you come up with the name of your band?
Paul Linden and the Icemen is me fronting a trio that plays around southern Mississippi called the Icemen. Their name comes from a venue where we all met and started playing in Hattiesburg, MS called Nick’s Icehouse.
What is your favorite song to perform and why?
It depends on our mood, and you might get different answers from different members of the group. I like playing our original material most, or songs I helped write or performed with artists I’ve toured with over the years. .
Nick’s Icehouse or another room in Hattiesburg called the Thirsty Hippo. It’s a bit more upscale, but also a great fit for us.
Who are some of your music inspirations?
I was brought up on Little Richard, Muddy Waters, and the harmonica greats Big and Little Walter and Sonny Boy 1 and 2. Then, there’s jump blues players like Wynonie Harris, big bands like Basie and Cab Calloway, down to calypso, Ragtime blues, and even some contemporary stuff like the 2000’s-era Delta Spirit records.
If you could perform with any artist/band dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Muddy Waters blues band because it’s an institution in its own right. There must have been over a dozen Blues greats who got their start in that band and then went on to put out records on their own. I’ve always considered it the top of the mountain. If not him, then Big Bill Broonzy or Robert Johnson.
Do you have any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?
We have a bunch of new material in the works right now, it’s likely that we will make a record, but nothing firm on that. We prefer to break in new material by playing it live and ironing everything out that way, getting the arrangements and the feel of it all polished up and then going into the studio. With the pandemic, that model breaks down a little, so we’ve been writing and coming up with new material to play out live when that comes back in force.
Christina Poetz grew up in Indianapolis but moved to Fishers in 2014 to attend Hamilton Southeastern High School. After she graduated high school in 2018, she interned for the City of Fishers’ Public Relations team. She came back again to intern the next summer and worked as the PR & Marketing Coordinator for the City. When Christina’s not working, she attends IUPUI to pursue her major in Public Relations and minor in Communications. In her free time, she loves to work on her photography skills and attend Pacers games with her friends. Her favorite place to hang out in Fishers is Flat Fork Creek Park because she loves to walk up the big sledding hill and see the amazing view. Follow her on Instagram and follow her photography account.