Studebaker John Puts Whole Heart Into Blues

Studebaker John certainly has a number of talents at his disposal.

He is a singer, a songwriter, a guitarist and a harmonica player. He composes and arranges all the material for his band The Hawks.

What he and his band deliver is a blend of primal beats, rambunctious harmonica, fiery guitar and plaintive vocals. It’s blues music with a gritty soul.

Studebaker John - a.k.a. John Grimaldi - brings this jumping blues sound to the Fort Spokane Brewery Thursday night.

John grew up in Chicago and earned his stage name from the first car he drove - a Studebaker Lark.

He picked up his dad’s harmonica at age 7 and spent his youth playing drums and harmonica in rock and R&B bands. At 16 he decided to devote his time to the blues harmonica. He added the slide guitar a few years later after seeing Hound Dog Taylor perform.

In fact, John learned much of his craft by watching the greats play live.

“I can remember a time when you could see Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor and J.B. Hutto, too,” he says. “Being able to see them perform live was breathtaking. I’m basically self-taught and I’d pick things up by just watching them.”

But John doesn’t simply mimic. Through four albums, he has honed a style all his own.

“The old guys like Walter Horton gave me the best advice when they told me not to try to sound like them, but to sound like myself. To me, blues is really finding the heart of the music and putting yourself into it.”

Studebaker John delivers 100 percent Studebaker John at the show Thursday. The music starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 ($11 for Spokane Blues Society members.)

Something to laugh at

Los Angeles comedian Bobby Delirious returns to the Inland Northwest for a show at Johnny Rockets Saturday night.

Delirious is part-Jamaican and part-Irish and has a comedy style that rides the edge - from bits about smoking pot to stories of racist behavior both real and imagined. I’ve caught his show before and do recommend it. The laughs start at 9 p.m. Admission is $5.

And by the way, Johnny Rockets isn’t actually called Johnny Rockets any more. The club (located at 109 W. Pacific) is now called simply The Rocket. But don’t confuse that with the Rocket Coffee House (see below). Two different business. Two different places.

We’ll try and make sure you know which is which.

All ages

Three bands perform tonight at the Rathdrum Senior Center as part of a benefit concert to raise money for a new skate park. Against All Odds, Face First and No Bare Feet perform tonight at 6. Admission is $5. All of the money will go to the building of the skate park in Rathdrum, Idaho.

Get a double shot of punk rock At Boondoggles Coffee House in Coeur d’Alene Saturday. Moral Crux and the Squealers perform here starting at 9 p.m. Admission is $3.

Speaking of coffee music, The Rocket Coffee House (24 W. Main in Spokane) is now hosting live music. Spokane pianist Dax Johnson performs every Friday night at 8. And best of all, there is no cover charge. The Rocket is open from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Johnson is best-known for his keyboard work, but has begun singing, as well. He debuted his vocals during a show at The Met last Saturday. Although the performance wasn’t without its hitches, Johnson’s voice proved to be an outstanding and promising addition to his repertoire. Well worth checking out.

Music highlights

Minneapolis singer/songwriter/ guitarist Dan Schwartz performs at Romeo’s Cafe, 125 N. Wall, on Thursday. Schwartz specializes in playing American finger-style acoustic guitar. His CD “The Art of Making Fire” is full of his deft and poised playing. In fact, the album landed him a nomination from The Minnesota Music Academy for “Guitarist of the Year.”

Schwartz performs starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $5.

Celtic rockers The Clumsy Lovers headline at Outback Jack’s tonight. Spokane’s own Pages Of May open the show. This acoustic pop rock quartet has been working on new songs. Take a listen tonight. The music starts at 9. Admission is $4. If you like what you hear, don’t forget to check out the Pages of May debut CD “Brilliant Disaster.”

Also performing tonight are Spokane pop rockers Shrinking Violet with Mulligan. Catch them at the Fort Spokane Brewery. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. Cover is $4.