It's Friday, March 26 and tonight I am going to a birthday party. I met B at the Niagara Falls Blues Festival several years ago. I had a booth at the festival and he had put his name in our draw. He ended up winning half a dozen Canadian blues CDs. He's an avid blues fan and we often bumped into each other at local events. We eventually become good friends and continue to attend local and out-of-town events.

He happens to be another regular at The Duck so he decided to have his party there. He asked that we not bring gifts but that we instead bring non-perishable foods to donate to the local food bank.

I arrive around 9ish and all the tables are already full with lots of people milling around the bar area. I place my donations in one of several large barrels placed by the back room. I find my friend, B, and wish him a Happy Birthday. It's not long before other people come around to do the same. I know he'll be a busy guy all night so I find my way to a good standing spot by the back wall and get ready for the band to start.

Did I forget to mention that tequila shots were going around all night?

I am a devoted blues fan and very rarely go out to see any other type of music. It's not because I don't like other types, I do and actually have quite the diversified CD (and cassette tape) collection. I was a teenager in the 70s and often say how lucky I feel for having grown up with such a great array of music. When I first started noticing music it was with late 60s pop. I then got interested in funk, rock, punk and (feeling no shame in admitting this) disco. I didn't really notice blues until the mid 80s when a co-worker, who was really into blues, introduced me to Albert King. I realized then that I had always liked the bluesy tunes of many 60s and 70s rock bands. I was living in Montreal at the time and my co-worker quickly initiated me to the world of blues by taking me to the Bistro a Jo Jo, the Spectrum and the Montreal Jazz Festival, which always has a great blues line-up. I was hooked from that moment forward.

Tonight, though, wasn't going to be straight-up blues. The band, The Meteors, have been together for over two decades. Jim Casson, the drummer for The Mighty Duck Blues Band is the drummer for this band as well and I've heard lots of good things about them. They play a mix of Rock & Roll, R & B, soul, swinging blues, Top 40, and Latin beats. The players are Joe Reynolds on lead vocals and trumpet, Jay Speziale on bass, Tim Hohns on guitar, Rich Roxborough on keyboard and, as mentioned, Jim Casson on drums.

Within the first song, I knew I would be in for a treat. Their web site describes them as follows: The Meteors' exceptional live show embodies a unique blend of diverse styles, propelled by an intense driving energy. The Meteoric approach has been described as "lively, inspired, cheerfully aggressive and unabashedly enjoyable." They thrive on creating a good-time atmosphere.

That's a bang on description of the evening. It was high-energy, lively, diverse in musical genres, unabashedly enjoyable and a rockin' good time. The mix of trumpet and four-part harmonies were absolutely devine. The band is tight and truly enjoy playing together and for the audience.

The dancing started early and continued throughout the evening. I chatted with many friends and made several new ones. B is quite the popular guy! And, after weeks of buying 50/50 tickets at the blues matinee and never winning, I finally got lucky that night and won the jackpot!

It was definitely a great evening and my friend, B, was all smiles, all night long! And so was Jack, the owner, as this was a great boost to his Friday night.