by Corey Matsumoto

Just over a year ago, Mondays in Powell River were slow and uneventful. Then one cold, rainy day Ray Cushing (local musician and recent transplant from Vancouver) asked Local Loco’s co-owner Craig Nokes about starting up a Blues Night on Mondays at the cafe. “We’ll call it Blue Monday and the place will be packed”. The idea was good indeed, except for one small detail: Powell River didn’t have a blues band.

Not unaccustomed to overcoming obstacles in his life, Ray phoned up bass player Brian Liddle (Anything Grows) who was eager for a new project. He then approached me to become the drummer for the band, and although the blues was never my style of playing, I agreed to try it out.

Luckily for us, the first few Mondays were slow, and we sucked–hard. However, week after week more people started showing up even though Blues Night was more like a live band practice than a polished gig. Two months later Blue Monday was taking off –and we could play a proper ending on at least 2 or 3 songs.

Other players of the likes of Dan Erickson, Dan Minard, Saxman Ron Keller, Da Collector, Roland van Nus, and Ron Campbell lent their talents to Blue Monday, creating a dynamic, ever-changing sound each night.

Now, a year after beginning Blue Monday, the band has started playing other gigs outside Local Loco’s, under the new moniker “The Avatar Blues Band”, including many original tunes written by Brian and Ray. The band is trading in its weekly residency as Local Loco’s Monday-night blues band in favour of a monthly gig on the last Friday of every month. Blues Night will live on every Monday in the form of a Blues Jam (sign-up at 7 pm), but without the house band that started it all.

The Avatar Blues Band is now Powell River’s newest band-for-hire, so if you’ve got an event that requires some danceable, rockin’ blues, contact Brian Liddle at 414-0676.